The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Texas takes down rival Oklahoma
DALLAS — Freshman Cameron Dicker kicked a 40-yard field goal with nine seconds left to give 19thranked Texas a 48-45 victory Saturday over No. 7 Oklahoma after Kyler Murray had rallied the Sooners with three touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
Sam Ehlinger ran for three touchdowns and threw for 314 yards with two more scores for Texas (5-1, 3-0 Big 12), which has its first five-game winning streak since 2013. The sophomore quarterback converted third-and-3 on Texas’ final drive with a 4-yard keeper and his 8-yard draw to the middle of the field set up the kick.
The Longhorns took a 45-24 lead into the fourth quarter before Murray threw a 19-yard TD pass to Lee Morris and ran 67 yards for a score on a oneplay drive. Trey Sermon’s 7-yard run for the tying touchdown with 2:38 left gave the Sooners three TDs in a span of six minutes.
Oklahoma (5-1, 2-1), the three-time defending Big 12 champion, lost to the Longhorns for the third time in six seasons. This was the first time in that span Texas was ranked for the Red River Rivalry.
NO. 1 ALABAMA 65, ARKANSAS 31
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Tua Tagovailoa passed for 334 yards and four touchdowns as No. 1 Alabama ran its winning streak against Arkansas to 12 straight with a 65-31 win Saturday.
It took just one play for Alabama (6-0, 3-0 SEC) to set the tone as Tagovailoa hit tight end Irv Smith Jr. on a pass across the middle that Smith took 76 yards to the end zone and a 7-0 lead just 21 seconds into the game.
The game was never close after that. Even when Alabama made mistakes the result was at times successful. On the Crimson Tide’s second possession, Tagovailoa hit Smith again, and the 6foot-4 junior ripped off another big gain before he was stripped from behind by Ryan Pulley. Alabama receiver Henry Ruggs III picked up the fumble in stride and carried it the remaining 12 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead with 10:01 left in the first quarter.
NO. 3 OHIO STATE 49, INDIANA 26
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Dwayne Haskins Jr. passed for a career-best 455 yards and six touchdowns and No. 3 Ohio State pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat Indiana 49-26 on Saturday.
A week after a gritty victory at Penn State, the Buckeyes were forced to work hard by quarterback Peyton Ramsey and an Indiana offense that took advantage of plenty of early defensive mistakes. The Buckeyes didn’t get a handle on this one until Haskins hooked up with Terry McLaurin for a 17-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth, and then added a 30-yard scoring pass to Binjimen Victor with seven minutes left.
NO. 4 CLEMSON 63, WAKE FOREST 3
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Travis Etienne rushed for 167 yards and three touchdowns, and No. 4 Clemson ran for 471 yards in a 63-3 rout of Wake Forest on Saturday.
Three Tigers had at least 100 yards rushing, the first time they’ve done that since 2006 during their most productive rushing performance since 1981.
In addition to Etienne — who scored on runs of 59, 3 and 70 yards — Lyn-J Dixon rushed for 163 yards and Adam Choice had 128. Dixon had touchdown runs of 65 and 52 yards, and Choice had a 64-yard TD run.
NO. 22 FLORIDA 27, NO. 5 LSU 19
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Lamical Perine scored twice on short runs, including one after a trick play in the fourth quarter, and No. 22 Florida beat fifth-ranked LSU 27-19 Saturday in another nailbiter in the series.
Brad Stewart’s 25-yard interception return for a touchdown — the first pick Joe Burrow has thrown this season — essentially sealed the victory for the Gators (5-1, 3-1 Southeastern Conference).
NO. 9 WEST VIRGINIA 38, KANSAS 22
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Will Grier threw four touchdown passes, and committed four turnovers, and No. 9 West Virginia beat Kansas 38-22 on Saturday. West Virginia (5-0, 3-0 Big 12) has won its first five games for the second time in three seasons. The heavily-favored Mountaineers had no trouble moving the ball but Grier’s efforts to throw into tight coverage near the goal line cost his team plenty of points.
NO. 15 MICHIGAN 42, MARYLAND 21
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Shea Patterson threw for a season-high 282 yards and three touchdowns to help No. 15 Michigan brushed off a sloppy start to beat Maryland 42-21 Saturday.
The Wolverines (5-1, 3-0 Big Ten) fell behind late in the first quarter and didn’t take the lead again until midway through the second quarter. They scored 24 straight points to take control and added another TD and 2-point conversion with 6:37 remaining to seal their fifth straight victory.
NO. 17 MIAMI 28, FLORIDA STATE 27
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — N’Kosi Perry threw four touchdown passes, and No. 17 Miami pulled off its biggest comeback ever against Florida State by rallying from 20 points down to top the Seminoles 28-27 on Saturday night.
Brevin Jordan’s 41-yard touchdown grab with just under 12 minutes left put the Hurricanes (5-1, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) ahead for good, as Miami rallied from a 27-7 secondhalf deficit.
N’WESTERN 29, NO. 20 MICH. ST. 19
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Clayton Thorson threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns, and Northwestern recovered from another second-half slip, beating No. 20 Michigan State 29-19 on Saturday.
The Spartans (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten) entered with the nation’s top-ranked run defense and held Northwestern (2-3, 2-1) to 8 yards on the ground, but it didn’t matter. The Wildcats moved the ball consistently well through the air, and Michigan State’s offense was mostly inept except for a brief stretch in the third quarter.
NO. 21 COLORADO 28, ARIZONA STATE 21
BOULDER, Colo. — Wide receiver Laviska Shenault scored four touchdowns and 21st-ranked Colorado beat Arizona State 28-21 Saturday for just the second time in the program’s history.
NO. 23 NC STATE 28, BOSTON COLLEGE 23
RALEIGH, N.C. — Reggie Gallaspy ran for a career-best 104 yards and two touchdowns while No. 23 North Carolina State held on after squandering most of a big second-half lead to beat Boston College 28-23 on Saturday.
IOWA STATE 48, NO. 25 OKLA. STATE 42
STILLWATER, Okla. — Third-string quarterback Brock Purdy completed 18 of 23 passes for 318 yards and four touchdowns to help lead Iowa State to a 48-42 victory over No. 25 Oklahoma State.
Purdy, a true freshman, had played just one series before this game.