No. 2 Ohio State falls as Penn State rallies from 14 points down
Nittany Lions score biggest win in post-Joe Paterno era
Grant Haley returned a blocked field goal 60 yards for a touchdown with 4:27 left in the fourth quarter, and Penn State upset No. 2 Ohio State 24-21 Saturday night for the Nittany Lions’ biggest win in the post-Joe Paterno era.
Penn State (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) took its first lead when Marcus Allen leaped high to block Tyler Durbin’s 45-yard field goal attempt and Haley made the scoop and sprint to the end zone.
The white out crowd of 107,280 at Beaver Stadium in State College went nuts and Penn State’s defense closed out the Nittany Lions’ first victory against Ohio State since 2011 with two sacks of J.T. Barrett.
The Buckeyes (6-1, 4-1 Big Ten) had their 20-game road winning streak snapped and the Big Ten East race that looked like an inevitable march toward an Ohio State-Michigan showdown on Nov. 26 just took a detour. Now Penn State is in the mix.
For the first time in James Franklin’s three-year tenure as coach, Penn State beat a ranked team and the Nittany Lions got to celebrate with their field-rushing fans. The last time Penn State beat a team ranked in the top five was 1999.
Mixon part of record show
Oklahoma and Texas Tech combined for the most prolific offensive game in NCAA history. Baker Mayfield had seven touchdown passes and 545 yards to help No. 16 Oklahoma beat Texas Tech 66-59 in a game that broke the NCAA record for combined offense with 1,708 yards.
Mayfield completed 27 of 36 passes and broke the school game touchdown mark of six held by Landry Jones.
Joe Mixon accounted for five TDs, 263 yards rushing and 114 yards receiving. He’s the first Sooner ever to reach 200 yards rushing and 100 receiving in the same game.
Texas Tech’s Pat Mahomes threw for five TDs and 734 yards. His passing yards total tied the NCAA record, matching Washington State’s Connor Halliday against Cal in 2014.
Tide defense crushes A&M
When Alabama couldn’t shake Texas A&M in a battle of unbeaten, Top 10 teams, it was Jonathan Allen’s scoop-and-score defensive touchdown that effectively brushed aside the latest would-be challenger.
A star defensive end, Allen returned a fumble 30 yards for a touchdown in the final seconds of the third quarter to help Alabama beat the sixth-ranked Aggies 3314 and continue a nonoffensive scoring streak that’s as impressive as those 20 consecutive wins. The Crimson Tide (8-0, 5-0 Southeastern Conference) moved on as the powerhouse league’s last unbeaten team.
Allen scooped up the ball after Ryan Anderson knocked it loose from Keith Ford to finally build a cushion over the Aggies (6-1, 4-1), who led 14-13 well into the third in Tuscaloosa.
The Tide, however, sustained a big loss when safety Eddie Jackson was injured in the fourth quarter and didn’t come back after a punt return. Saban said Jackson, a senior and team leader, is out for the season with a broken leg.
Navy QB proves his worth
Will Worth rushed for a career-high 201 yards and three touchdowns, and No. 24 Navy ran over Memphis 42-28 for its 14th consecutive home victory. In addition to operating the triple option in near-flawless fashion, Worth completed three of his four passes for 85 yards and two scores. The Midshipmen (5-1, 4-0 American Athletic Conference) gained a season-high yards 447 on the ground, averaging six yards per carry.
The victory put Navy in sole possession of first place in the AAC West.
Familiar name at Illinois
Wilton Speight threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns in three quarters before watching No. 3 Michigan finish off Illinois 41-8.
The Fighting Illini were relegated to starting their third-string quarterback with a familiar name. Jeff George Jr., son of the former Illinois and Raiders quarterback, was 4 of 15 for 95 yards with a TD, an interception and a fumble in his first start. George’s father attended the game and gave his son a pregame pep talk. “He told me to get my mind right and get my emotions in check,” the freshman said. “He said I belong out there.”
Western Michigan treat
The 23,721 fans who came to watch the Western Michigan play its first home game as a nationally ranked team in program history likely didn’t expect to be treated to a close game. Zach Terrell threw for a career-high 398 yards and three touchdowns, and No. 20 Western Michigan had 569 yards of total offense in a 45-31 victory over Eastern Michigan in Kalamazoo.
The Broncos (8-0, 4-0 Mid-American) are 8-0 for the first time since 1941. They trailed 17-14 late in the first half, the first time they’ve trailed at Waldo Stadium this season.
Losing favor
Ben Hicks threw for three touchdowns and ran for another score, and SMU stunned No. 11 Houston 38-16 for its first win over a ranked team in five years.
The Cougars lost for the second time in three October games after a 5-0 start that included a season-opening win over then-No. 3 Oklahoma that vaulted Houston into the Top 10.
Houston coach Tom Herman figured to be the hottest name in coaching for the offseason searches of LSU and any other high-profile programs that might be looking. Perhaps that doesn’t change, but this October isn’t helping. Convincing wins over Florida State in the Peach Bowl and the Sooners in this year’s opener have lost some luster.
Stars
Leonard Fournette, LSU, n broke the school’s single-game rushing record with 284 yards and scored three TDs, helping the 25th-ranked Tigers beat No. 23 Mississippi 38-21.
Lamar Jackson, Louisville, n accounted for 431 yards and four TDs to lead the seventh-ranked Cardinals past North Carolina State 54-13.
Auburn ran for 543 yards, a n school record for a Southeastern Conference regular-season game, as the No. 21 Tigers crushed No. 17 Arkansas 56-3.