No. 1 Georgia tops Kentucky, goes unbeaten in SEC again

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kenny Mcintosh rushed for a career-best 143 yards, including a crucial 9-yard score late in the third quarter, and top-ranked Georgia withstood Kentucky’s fourth-quarter rally Saturday for a 16-6 win and its second consecutive unbeaten season in the Southeastern Conference.

The Bulldogs (11-0, 8-0 SEC, No. 1 CFP) clinched the Eastern Division title last week and sought another perfect finish in league play.

They succeeded but not without difficulty in cold, windy conditions, settling for three Jack Podlesny field goals before Mcintosh’s TD provided a needed cushion.

“With the weather conditions, we’re going to play these kind of games like this,” coach Kirby Smart said. “But I’m really proud of when our guys’ backs are against the wall, how they come out fighting with what they do. Certainly, we could’ve played better, probably in the red area.”

Georgia’s chance to pad the lead ended on downs at Kentucky’s 1. The Wildcats to made it interesting with a 99-yard drive that ended with Will Levis’ 8-yard touchdown pass to Barion Brown. Levis’ two-point conversion pass failed, and the chance to make it a one-score game died when Matt Ruffalo’s field goal hooked left after a low, rolling snap.

Kentucky (6-5, 3-5) then turned it over on downs and lost for the fifth time in seven games.

Levis completed 20 of 31 for 206 yards with an interception for Kentucky, which dropped its 13th in row against Georgia.

TEXAS A&M 20, UMASS 3

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Conner Weigman threw for 191 yards and a touchdown and Texas A&M overcame a sloppy and mistake-filled performance to snap a six-game skid with a win over Umass.

Texas A&M (4-7) entered the game as 33 1/2 point favorites against the Minutemen, who have won just one game this season. But the Aggies lost four fumbles and struggled to move the ball while playing without top running back Devon Achane and leading receiver Evan Stewart on a soggy and cold day.

Weigman threw a touchdown pass in the second quarter to put A&M on top. The Aggies didn’t get in the end zone again until Le’veon Moss scampered 12 yards for a touchdown with about five minutes remaining to stretch the lead to 20-3.

The school announced a paid attendance of more than 90,000, but the crowd in the cavernous stadium looked sparse from the start and morphed into a ghost town by the third quarter as light rain steadily fell.

It was a far cry from the atmosphere when the Aggies opened the season ranked No. 6 in the country with designs on competing for a national title. They’ve not only tumbled out of the poll since then but won’t even make a bowl game this season, raising questions about the $75 million contract of coach Jimbo Fisher.

Saturday’s win is A&M’S first since Sept. 24 to end the school’s longest losing streak since 1972. It came as the Aggies took a break from the rigors of SEC play for a matchup with Umass (1-10), which is an independent team. Texas A&M will end this dreadful season next weekend with a visit from sixth-ranked LSU.

VANDERBILT 31, FLORIDA 24

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Mike Wright threw three touchdown passes and Vanderbilt upset Florida afternoon for its second straight Southeastern Conference victory.

Vanderbilt (5-6, 2-5) took a 7-3 lead and never looked back against Florida (6-5, 3-5). The loss ended a two-game win streak for the Gators, who had won their last eight games against Vanderbilt.

Florida opened the scoring with a 26-yard field goal by Adam Mihalek and managed nothing but a 44-yard Mihalek field goal the rest of the half.

Vanderbilt took a 7-3 lead in the second quarter when Mike Wright connected with Jayden Mcgowan for a 10-yard touchdown. The Commodores weren’t finished. With 3:22 left in the first half, Florida’s Jason Marshall Jr. fumbled a punt from Vanderbilt’s Matthew Hayball at the Gators’

5-yard line. The ball rolled into the end zone where it was recovered by Wesley Schelling for the touchdown and a 14-6 Vanderbilt lead at the half.

ALABAMA 34, AUSTIN PEAY 0

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama got breakout performances from Jase Mcclellan and Jermaine Burton against an overmatched FCS team.

Mcclellan rushed for a career-high 156 yards and two touchdowns and Burton caught a pair of scoring passes from Bryce Young in the win over Austin Peay.

The Crimson Tide (9-2, No. 8 CFP) took awhile to get going against Austin Peay (74).

Mike Diliello passed for 147 yards for Austin Peay, but was intercepted twice. Drae Mccray had 12 catches for 92 yards.

AUBURN 31, W. KENTUCKY 17

AUBURN, Ala. — Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter combined for 229 rushing yards and four total touchdowns as Auburn defeated Western Kentucky.

After Western Kentucky generated 290 yards and 17 points in the first half, Auburn’s defense held the pass-happy Hilltoppers to 105 yards and allowed zero points after halftime.

Bigsby and Hunter both scored long rushing touchdowns, and D.J. James returned an interception 25 yards to cap 24 unanswered points for the Tigers in the second half.

Auburn (5-6, 2-5 Southeastern Conference) has now won back-to-back games under interim head coach Carnell Williams as it heads into its annual Iron Bowl matchup with rival Alabama.

Western Kentucky (7-5, 5-2 Conference USA), which has won four games against SEC opponents since 2012, was unable to carry a strong second quarter of offense into the second half. Hilltoppers quarterback Austin Reed had 290 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in the loss.

MISS. STATE 56, TENN. STATE 7

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Will Rogers threw for 301 yards and five touchdowns as Mississippi State rolled over East Tennessee State.

Rogers is now No. 9 in Southeastern Conference history with 10,189 yards, moving past Ole Miss’ Eli Manning heading into the Bulldogs’ Thanksgiving Day showdown with the Rebels in Oxford.

It was also a milestone moment for Emmanuel Forbes, who snared a carom off East Tennessee State receiver Cameron Lewis and returned it 79 yards for a second quarter touchdown — his sixth career picksix to set both an SEC and FBS record. The junior tied the Mississippi State record for most interceptions in a season with six and his 14 interceptions are now two away from tying the career record.