Resilient Irish trounce Badgers

TOP 25

NO. 12 NOTRE DAME 41, NO. 18 WISCONSIN 13

CHICAGO — To win more games than any coach in the storied history of Notre Dame football, Brian Kelly has needed to be adaptable.

Maybe never more than the first month of this season. The Fighting Irish have used three quarterbacks and four left tackles, moved away from their run-first mentality and added new wrinkles on defense to head into October unbeaten.

Chris Tyree returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown and Drew Pyne threw a fourth-quarter touchdown pass in relief of an injured Jack Coan, helping No. 12 Notre Dame pull away from No. 18 Wisconsin 41-13 on Saturday at Soldier Field.

The Fighting Irish (4-0) have shown plenty of vulnerabilities as they retooled a team that went to the College Football Playoff last season. But they keep winning.

“We got a long way to go still, but they’re getting better each week,” Kelly said. “I’m having fun coaching them. They’re not perfect by any means, but they’re going to be better in November.”

With victory No. 106 in 12 seasons at Notre Dame, Kelly (106-39) surpassed the legendary Knute Rockne (105-12-5).

“Last year we were a veteran team. We hunkered down, we put three tight ends on the field. This is what we were and kind of lived with it,” Kelly said. “This is, like, we’re trying to figure it out as we go.”

Graham Mertz threw four interceptions for Wisconsin (1-2), including two that were returned for touchdowns in the final 2:30 to blow the game open. Notre Dame scored the final 31 points and the Badgers lost their seventh in a row to a ranked team.

Running back Chez Mellusi called the collapse “embarrassing.”

Coan, a Wisconsin transfer, left with a left leg injury in the third quarter with the game tied at 10. Kelly said it was a soft tissue injury, but didn’t appear to be a severe ankle sprain.

“”Jack Coan is our starter,” Kelly said. “If he’s physically able, he’ll be our starter [next week] against Cincinnati.”

Notre Dame had used freshman Tyler Buchner as a mobile complement to Coan the last two games, but he was dealing with a sore hamstring. So it was Pyne’s turn to step up.

Pyne lost a fumble on his second possession, leading to a field goal by the Badgers, but otherwise the redshirt freshman was solid, going 6 for 8 for 81 yards.

Coan played 22 games for Wisconsin over three seasons and was the starter for the 2019 team that reached the Big Ten championship game. He broke his foot in the runup to the abbreviated Big Ten season last year and Mertz claimed the starting job.

A highly rated 2019 recruit, Mertz had some ups and downs in 2020, but Coan could see where things were headed and transferred to Notre Dame.

He has been a solid fit playing behind a struggling offensive line. Coan completed 15 of 29 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown, and was sacked five times by his former team.

NO. 4 OKLAHOMA 16, WEST VIRGINIA 13

NORMAN, Okla. — Gabe Brkic’s 30yard field goal as time expired gave No. 4 Oklahoma a victory over West Virginia.

Oklahoma started its final possession at its 8-yard line with 3:39 remaining. Quarterback Spencer Rattler, who was booed by the home fans on several occasions, completed all six of his passes for 54 yards on the final drive to get the Sooners into scoring range. The final drive was 14 plays and 80 yards.

Rattler passed for 256 yards and a touchdown. Mike Woods caught eight passes for 86 yards for the Sooners (4-0, 1-0 Big 12), who won their third game by seven or fewer points this season.

West Virginia (2-2, 0-1) was held to 226 total yards.

NO. 5 IOWA 24, COLORADO STATE 14

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Spencer Petras threw for 224 yards and two touchdowns as the Hawkeyes needed a second-half comeback to stay unbeaten.

The Hawkeyes (4-0) won their 10th consecutive game and have a 15-game nonconference winning streak, the longest current streak in the nation.

Colorado State (1-3) led 14-7 at halftime, but the Hawkeyes scored touchdowns on back-to-back possessions that took a combined four plays in the third quarter.

NO. 6 PENN STATE 38, VILLANOVA 17

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Sean Clifford passed for four touchdowns and a career-high 401 yards as Penn State showcased its speed against its in-state FCS opponent.

Clifford completed 19 of 26 passes, finding Parker Washington for two TDs and Jahan Dotson and KeAndre Lambert-Smith for one apiece. Tyler Warren rushed for a touchdown and Jordan Stout kicked a field goal for the Nittany Lions (4-0), who led 17-3 at the break in their eighth consecutive win.

Daniel Smith threw 57- and 17-yard touchdown passes to Rayjoun Pringle in the fourth for the Wildcats (3-1).

NORTH CAROLINA STATE 27, NO. 9 CLEMSON 21 (2OT)

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina State forced D.J. Uiagalelei into a fourth-down incompletion in the second overtime to beat ninth-ranked Clemson, an outcome that shakes up the Atlantic Coast Conference race and deals a huge blow to the Tigers’ College Football Playoff hopes.

Uiagalelei slightly overthrew Justyn Ross near the goal line to end it, sending the Wolfpack sprinting in from the sideline followed immediately by redclad fans pouring onto the field to celebrate N.C. State’s first win in the series in a decade.

Devin Leary threw for four touchdowns, including the winning 22-yard pass to Devin Carter to start the second OT.

N.C. State (3-1, 1-0) controlled play most of the way, nearly doubling Clemson in total offense through regulation while converting more than half of its third-down chances.

It was a brutal day for the Tigers (22, 1-1), who now have a second loss to make it an unlikely climb to extend their streak of making every year of the playoff.

NO. 10 OHIO STATE 59, AKRON 7

COLUMBUS, Ohio — True freshman quarterback Kyle McCord overcame early jitters to throw for 319 yards and two touchdowns, freshman TreVeyon Henderson ran for 93 yards and two scores in the first half, and No. 10 Ohio State routed Akron.

Ohio State (3-1) has struggled defensively in the first three weeks, and Akron quarterback DJ Irons exploited some holes to give the Zips (1-4) an early lead. But that didn’t last long. Irons was sacked four times and intercepted twice in the first half, including a 46yard pick-six by Buckeyes safety Ronnie Hickman.

BAYLOR 31, NO. 14 IOWA STATE 29

WACO, Texas — Gerry Bohanon (Earle) threw for two touchdowns and ran for another and Baylor stopped a twopoint try with 24 seconds left to pull off the upset in Big 12 play.

Breece Hall ran for 180 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries for Iowa State (2-2, 0-1) and caught a 16-yard TD pass in the final minute that was followed by the failed two-point try.

The Bears recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.

The Bears (4-0, 2-0) scored touchdowns on their first three possessions and never trailed again. Bohanon finished 14 for 19 for 164 yards and rushed for 36 yards.

Brock Purdy was 22 for 33 for 263 yards and a touchdown and a fourth-quarter interception for the Cyclones.

NO. 17 COASTAL CAROLINA 53, UMASS 3

CONWAY, S.C. — Grayson McCall threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third as the Chanticleers sent UMass to its 15th consecutive loss.

The Chanticleers, who scored on eight of nine possessions, have started 4-0 for the second consecutive season and have won 15 of 16 games over two years.

McCall opened the scoring with a 3-yard TD run and added scoring passes of 25 yards to Isaiah Likely and a 23 yards to Javion Heiligh.

The Minutemen (0-4) broke through with 8:23 left on Cameron Carson’s 35yard field goal.

NO. 19 MICHIGAN 20, RUTGERS 13

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Hassan Haskins ran for touchdowns the first two times the undefeated Wolverines had the ball as they opened Big Ten play.

Michigan (4-0, 1-0) entered the game averaging 350.3 yards rushing to lead the nation and was held to just 112 yards on the ground. Blake Corum was limited to 68 yards — half his average — on 21 attempts and Haskins ran for just 41 yards on 12 carries. Cade McNamara was 9 of 16 for 163 yards passing for the Wolverines.

The Scarlet Knights (3-1, 0-1) rallied from a 17-point, third-quarter deficit to pull within seven early in the fourth quarter, but Valentino Ambrosio missed a short field goal and on their next possession they turned it over on downs.

Noah Vedral was 18 of 31 for 156 yards with a touchdown pass to Aaron Young in the third quarter.

NO. 20 MICHIGAN STATE 23, NEBRASKA 20 (OT)

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Chester Kimbrough intercepted Adrian Martinez’s pass in overtime and Matt Coghlin made a 21-yard field goal to keep No. 20 Michigan State unbeaten with a win over Nebraska.

The Spartans (4-0, 2-0 Big Ten) won despite not converting a first down in the second half.

Michigan State’s special teams came up big late in regulation. Jayden Reed returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown with 3:47 left in regulation to tie it 20-all.

GEORGIA TECH 45, NO. 21 NORTH CAROLINA 22

ATLANTA — Jeff Sims came off the bench to run for three touchdowns and pass for another, Georgia Tech’s defense stifled Sam Howell much of the game and the Yellow Jackets beat a ranked team for the first time in Geoff Collins’ three seasons as coach, upsetting No. 21 North Carolina.

Playing for the first time since he was injured in a season-opening loss to Northern Illinois, Sims replaced Jordan Yates late in the second quarter and ran for TDs of 11 and 1 yards that put Georgia Tech in control — the latter set up by his 38-yard scamper.

Sims ran for 128 yards on 10 carries and completed 10 of 13 passes for 112 yards for Georgia Tech (2-2, 1-1 ACC).

NO. 24 UCLA 35, STANFORD 24

STANFORD, Calif. — Dorian Thompson-Robinson threw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and also ran for two short scores as the Bruins spoiled Stanford’s first home game after seven in a row on the road.

Stanford (2-2, 1-1 Pac-12) had played its last seven games away from home because of covid-19 protocols last season and a tough opening schedule. The Cardinal managed to win six of those games but came out flat against the Bruins (3-1, 1-0).

Thompson-Robinson found Kyle Phillips for scoring passes of 75 and 5 yards to seal the win.

OKLAHOMA STATE 31, NO. 25 KANSAS STATE 20

STILLWATER, Okla. — Spencer Sanders completed 22 of 34 passes for 344 yards and two touchdowns, leading Oklahoma State to a victory over No. 25 Kansas State.

Jaylen Warren rushed for 123 yards on 27 carries and added 81 yards on four receptions for Oklahoma State (40, 1-0 ). Sanders also scored a rushing touchdown as Oklahoma State’s defense stifled Kansas State’s potential comeback attempt.