The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Auburn shocks No. 2 Georgia
AUBURN, Ala. — Kerryon Johnson ran for 167 yards and caught a 55-yard touchdown pass from Jarrett Stidham and No. 10 Auburn smothered No. 2 Georgia's running game in a 40-17 victory Saturday.
The Tigers (8-2, 6-1 Southeastern Conference) remained in Western Division and potentially playoff contention after snapping a three-year losing streak to one of their top rivals.
The Bulldogs (9-1, 6-1) came in with the top spot in the playoff rankings and could get a rematch if Auburn can beat No. 1 Alabama in two weeks.
The first go around wasn't pretty for Georgia. Auburn held Nick Chubb, Sony Michel and the SEC's top ground game to 46 yards, 233 below their season average.
Johnson ran 32 times and caught two passes for 66 yards. Stidham threw for 214 yards and three touchdowns, all of 30-plus yards.
Georgia special teams blunders helped set up three Auburn touchdowns, including a roughing the penalty flag in the first half. The Bulldogs fumbled away a punt return and had a 15-yard personal foul penalty in the third quarter when Auburn pulled away with two touchdowns.
NO. 4 CLEMSON 31, FLORIDA STATE 14: Travis Etienne ran for 97 yards and two touchdowns, including a 1-yard burst with 3:05 left, and Clemson won the ACC Atlantic Division with a victory over Florida State. The Tigers (9-1, 7-1, No. 4 CFP) and their dominant defense looked to have this one wrapped up when they opened a 17-0 lead with two minutes left in the third quarter.
NO. 6 WISCONSIN 38, NO. 25 IOWA 14: Receiver Kendric Pryor scored twice, and Wisconsin relied on stifling defense to overcome four turnovers and Iowa cornerback Josh Jackson's two touchdowns. The win allowed the Badgers (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten, CFP No. 8) to clinch a trip to the league conference title game as West champions.
NO. 11 OHIO STATE 48, NO. 13 MICHIGAN STATE 3: J.T. Barrett threw two touchdown passes and ran for two more scores, Mike Weber ran for 162 yards and two scores and Ohio State bounced back from a deflating loss last week to rout Michigan State.
The Buckeyes scored on five of their first six possessions, led 35-3 at the half and cruised the rest of the way to claim sole possession of first place in the Big Ten East.
NO. 12 OKLAHOMA STATE 49, NO. 24 IOWA STATE 42: Mason Rudolph threw for 376 yards and three touchdowns — including two in the final 5:55 — and Oklahoma State rallied to beat Iowa State and keep its Big 12 title hopes alive.
Justice Hill had 134 yards and three TD runs for the Cowboys. They remained tied for second place in the league with two games to go. The top two finishers in the Big 12 will meet in the championship game in Arlington, Texas, on Dec. 2.
NO. 15 USC 38, COLORADO 24: Sam Darnold tossed two touchdown passes and ran for another, Ajene Harris intercepted two passes, including one he returned for a score, and Southern California beat Colorado 3to wrap up the Pac-12 South title.
Darnold threw for 329 yards as he improved to 18-3 as a starter.
NO. 16 PENN STATE 35, RUTGERS 6: Trace McSorley accounted for 258 total yards and three touchdowns and Penn State routed Rutgers after a two-loss stretch.
McSorley became Penn State's career touchdown leader with 68, overtaking Daryll Clark's record of 65 with one rushing and two passing scores, and the Nittany Lions scored 35 straight points after going down 6-0 in the first quarter.
GEORGIA TECH 28, NO. 17 VIRGINIA TECH 22: TaQuon Marshall got two long touchdown passes out of his only completions, including an 80-yarder to Ricky Jeune with 61⁄2 minutes remaining, and Ajani Kerr swatted away a fourthpass in the end zone to preserve Georgia Tech's upset.
In a game with several huge momentum swings, Virginia Tech rallied from a 21-9 deficit in the second half.
NO. 19 WASHINGTON STATE 33, UTAH 25: Luke Falk threw for 311 yards and three touchdowns for Washington State. The Cougars are now one win from winning the Pac-12 North and playing in the conference championship game for the first time since the league created divisions in 2011.
Washington State could have won by more, but settled for five field goals despite moving inside the Utah 30-yard line on those possessions.
NO. 21 MICHIGAN 35, MARYLAND 10: Brandon Peters threw two touchdown passes, Chris Evans ran for two scores and Michigan dominated Maryland in the first half.
The Wolverines have won three straight. The Terrapins have lost five of six.
NO. 23 WEST VIRGINIA 28, KANSAS STATE 23: Will Grier threw for 372 yards and four touchdowns, Justin Crawford added 113 yards rushing and West Virginia overcame its early mistakes to hold off Kansas State.
Ka'Raun White had eight catches for 168 yards and two scores, and David Sills V also had a pair of TD catches, helping the Mountaineers stay alive in the race for the Big 12 title game.