Purdue hands No. 5 Michigan State its first loss
Aidan O’Connell threw for a career-best 536 yards, matched his career high with three touchdown passes and led Purdue past No. 5 Michigan State 40-29 on Saturday, leaving the Big Ten without any unbeaten teams.
Purdue’s second major upset in four weeks could keep the conference out of the College Football Playoff for the third time in five years. The Boilermakers (63, 4-2), who won at then-No. 2 Iowa last month, are tied for the West Division lead.
The Spartans (8-1, 5-1, No. 3 CFP) trail Ohio State in the East by one game.
O’Connell went 40 of 54, including a 39-yard TD to Jackson Anthrop on a beautifully executed trick play that put Purdue ahead 21-7 in the second quarter.
David Bell hauled in 11 passes for 217 yards and a touchdown.
Even another strong showing by Kenneth Walker III — 23 carries for 146 yards and a score — couldn’t keep the Spartans on track.
NORTH CAROLINA 58, NO. 10 WAKE FOREST 55 >> Ty Chandler ran for career highs of 213 yards and four touchdowns and the Tar Heels overcame an 18-point deficit to deal the Demon Deacons their first loss in a nonconference matchup of instate Atlantic Coast Conference teams.
Chandler’s big day included a 50-yard breakaway run with 1:12 left. That was the final blow for the Tar Heels (5-4) as they rallied from a huge third-quarter deficit to beat the Demon Deacons (8-1, No. 9 CFP) for the second straight year.
The loss doesn’t impact the Demon Deacons’ pursuit of their first ACC title since 2006 since it was part of a home-and-home nonconference series announced in 2015 with the schools not playing each other as often amid the expanded ACC’s scheduling model.
Sam Hartman threw for 398 yards and five touchdowns and ran for 78 yards and two more scores for Wake Forest.
NO. 1 GEORGIA 43, MISSOURI 6>> Stetson Bennett passed for 255 yards and two TDs, leading the Bulldogs (9-0, 7-0 Southeastern Conference) to a home rout over the Tigers (4-5, 1-4).
Missouri was held to 273 total yards in Georgia’s seventh game of the season allowing no more than 10 points.
Missouri’s Tyler Badie, the SEC’s leading rusher, was held to 41 yards on the ground.
NO. 2 CINCINNATI 28, TULSA 20 >> Desmond Ridder threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns and the host Bearcats held off the Golden Hurricane.
Alec Peirce had five catches for 113 yards and a touchdown to help Cincinnati (9-0, 5-0 American Athletic) extend the nation’s second-longest home winning streak to 25 games.
Shamari Brooks rushed for 132 yards for Tulsa (36, 2-3),
NO. 6 OHIO STATE 26, NEBRASKA 7 >> C.J. Stroud threw for 405 yards and two touchdowns and the visiting Buckeyes beat the Cornhuskers.
Ohio State’s nation-leading offense managed only two field goals in the second half, allowing the Cornhuskers to make it a one-score game until Noah Ruggles kicked a 46-yard field goal with 1:29 left.
Ohio State (8-1, 6-0 Big Ten, No. 5 CFP) won its 24th straight game against a conference opponent.
The Huskers (3-7, 1-6) dropped their fourth in a row.
NO. 8 NOTRE DAME 34, NAVY 6 >> Jack Coan threw for 269 yards and a touchdown, Kyren Williams ran for two scores and the Fighting Irish (8-1, No. 10 CFP) shut down the triple-option attack of the visiting Midshipmen (2-7).
NO. 11 OKLAHOMA STATE 24, WEST VIRGINIA 3 >> Spencer Sanders threw two touchdown passes and the visiting Cowboys had eight sacks en route to downing the Mountaineers.
Oklahoma State (8-1, 5-1 Big 12, No. 11 CFP) has won seven straight over West Virginia (4-5, 2-4).
NO. 15 MISSISSIPPI 27, LIBERTY 14 >> Matt Corral threw for 324 yards and a touchdown to lead the host Rebels past the Flames and former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze.
Corral continued to build a Heisman Trophy resume, completing 20 of 27 passes, including six completions of 20-plus yards.
The Rebels (7-2) raced to a 24-0 halftime lead against the Flames (7-3), highlighted by a 70-yard touchdown run by Jerrion Ealy on the game’s second play. NO. 17 BYU 59, IDAHO STATE 14>> Jaren Hall threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns, all in the first half, and the Cougars (8-2) demolished the visiting Bengals (1-8).
ARMY 21, AIR FORCE 14, OT >> Jordyn Law recovered teammate Christian Anderson’s fumble at the goal line for an overtime touchdown and the Black Knights won in Arlington, Texas.
After Law’s game-saving recovery, Army (5-3) denied the Falcons (6-3) the end zone when Jabari Moore broke up Haaziq Daniels’ fourth-down pass.
Army snapped a threegame losing streak in the game that was played at the Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Stadium.