UCLA tops Texas A&M
LOS ANGELES — Josh Rosen faked a spike and threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Lasley with 43 seconds remaining and UCLA overcame a 34-point deficit to stun Texas A&M 45-44 on Sunday night.
Rosen was 35 of 59 for 491 yards and four touchdowns, and Jalen Starks and Soso Jamabo had touchdown runs for the Bruins in the opener for both teams.
They overcame a deficit of more than 20 points for the first time since the 2005 Sun Bowl against Northwestern.
Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond was stopped short of the first-down marker on a scramble with 20 seconds left to close out the biggest FBS comeback since 2006.
UCLA scored on five straight possessions after trailing 44-10 with 4:08 to play in the third quarter.
Rosen threw touchdown passes of 9 and 42 yards to Darren Andrews before finding Theo Howard for a 16-yard score on a broken play with 3:08 remaining.
UCLA got the ball back with 2:39 to go and drove 51 yards in seven plays, including an 11-yard throw and catch to tight end Caleb Wilson.
Rosen capped the remarkable comeback with a fade to the far corner of the end zone after faking the spike to freeze Texas A&M’s defense. JJ Molson kicked the winning extra point.
Redshirt freshman Nick Starkel got the start at quarterback for Texas A&M, and completed his first three throws during an 11-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 5-yard touchdown run by Ford.
No. 21 Virginia Tech beats No. 22 West Virginia 31-24
LANDOVER, MARYLAND — Josh Jackson passed for 235 yards, ran for 101 and accounted for two touchdowns in his first start for Virginia Tech, and the No. 21 Hokies made a last-second stand to beat No. 22 West Virginia 31-24 on Sunday night.
The 52nd meeting between the Appalachian region rivals was the first since 2005. It ended up being a classic at FedEx Field, which turned into Lane Stadium northeast at the end. Hokies fans screamed along to “Enter Sandman” after Virginia Tech held the Mountaineers out of the end zone on two last plays from the 15.
After 11 years, the Hokies get to bring the Black Diamond Trophy back to Blacksburg.
Jackson, the redshirt freshman who won a three-way competition for the job, was up and down with his passing, but showed off some nifty moves running in the opener for both teams.
West Virginia’s new quarterback looked good, too. Florida transfer Will Grier, who left Gainesville after being suspended by the NCAA for failing a test for performanceenhancing drugs in 2015, pass for 371 yards and three touchdowns.
Usually reliable Virginia Tech kicker Joey Slye missed a 32-yard field-goal attempt with 1:55 that gave the Mountaineers a chance.
Grier slinged and scrambled West Virginia down to the Virginia Tech 15, but his second-to-last pass into the end zone under pressure was a little behind David Sills and it went through the receiver’s arms.