TCU stuns No. 9 Texas with a goal-line fumble recovery

AUSTIN, Texas — TCU quarterback Max Duggan ran for the go-ahead score with 4 minutes left and the Horned Frogs’ defense made it stand with a goal-line fumble recovery to stun No. 9 Texas 33-31 on Saturday in a game that had 26 penalties and ended when TCU took a safety as time ran out.

Texas looked primed for its second straight fourth-quarter comeback when Sam Ehlinger connected on a 52-yard pass to Keontay Ingram to put the Longohorns in scoring position. But Ingram fumbled on the TCU 1 with 2:32 to play.

Darwin Barlow ran 9 yards to pick up a big first down for the Horned Frogs. Duggan then took a deep snap all the way to the back of the end zone to run out the final 6 seconds.

TCU (1-1, 1-1 Big 12) is 7-2 against Texas since joining the Big 12 in 2012. The Texas loss delivers another blow to the Big 12’s College Football Playoff hopes. The Longhorns (2-1, 1-1) and Oklahoma, who were the league’s highest ranked teams, have dropped early home games to unranked opponents.

Duggan made his first start of the season after missing much of training camp while treating a previously undiagnosed heart condition. He passed for 231 yards and ran for 79 more and scored twice. His late 26yard TD run caught the Texas defense by surprise.

Ehlinger threw four touchdown passes on an otherwise difficult day for him. He was just 17 of 36 for 236 yards.

NO. 2 ALABAMA 52, NO. 13 TEXAS A&M 24

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Mac Jones passed for a career-high 435 yards and four touchdowns, including a pair of deep throws to John Metchie III and an even longer one to Jaylen Waddle, and Alabama romped past Texas A&M.

Briefly threatened early, Jones and the Crimson Tide (2-0) flexed their considerable big-play muscle in the passing game to put away the Aggies (1-1). A sign of things to come: His first attempt went 78 yards to Metchie, ‘Bama’s latest major receiving threat.

Jones topped that with an 87-yard TD to Waddle, who had sprinted past two Aggies defenders to make the grab with nothing but green in between himself and the end zone. Metchie and Jones hooked up for a 63-yarder in the fourth, giving the sophomore five catches for 181 yards.

Jones finished 19-of-26 passing for a second straight surgically precise performance marred by one interception off a deflection. Waddle had 142 yards receiving and his touchdown catch was tied for the fifth longest in program history.

NO. 3 FLORIDA 38, SOUTH CAROLINA 24

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Kyle Trask and Kyle Pitts hooked up for two more touchdowns, leading Florida past South Carolina.

Trask completed 21 of 29 passes for 268 yards, with four touchdowns and an interception. His second-quarter fumble kept the Gamecocks (0-2) in the game early.

Pitts finished with four receptions for 57 yards, commanding extra attention and beating South Carolina’s top defenders. He nearly made a one-handed catch in the third quarter, but the ball slipped off his left fingertips.

Some thought former Florida coach Will Muschamp and his Gamecocks would find a way. But the Gators (2-0) had their way with South Carolina for three quarters. They finished with 347 yards and punted twice.

NO. 12 NORTH CAROLINA 26, BOSTON COLLEGE 22

BOSTON — Sam Howell threw two touchdown passes and Trey Morrison scored after intercepting the potential tying 2-point conversion with 45 seconds left to lead North Carolina.

With the cancellation of one game because of the virus and a scheduled off week leaving North Carolina idle since Sept. 12, the Tar Heels (2-0, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) sent BC (2-1, 1-1) to its first loss under new coach Jeff Hafley.

NO. 15 CINCINNATI 28, SOUTH FLORIDA 7

CINCINNATI — Gerrid Doaks ran for 102 yards and a touchdown, Tre Tucker returned a kickoff 97 yards for a score and Cincinnati had five interceptions against South Florida.

Doaks had his first 100-yard rushing game since November 2019 when he ran for 123 against UConn.

NO. 17 OKLAHOMA STATE 47, KANSAS 7

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Shane Illingworth threw for 265 yards and three touchdowns, Chuba Hubbard ran for 145 yards and two more scores, and Oklahoma State was able to rest its starters the final 20 minutes.

Tylan Wallace had nine catches for 148 yards and two touchdowns, and Braylon Johnson had four catches for 74 yards and the other passing TD, as the Cowboys (3-0, 2-0 Big 12) built a 31-0 lead by halftime.

NO. 21 TENNESSEE 35, MISSOURI 12

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Eric Gray ran for 105 yards and a touchdown and caught a scoring pass to help Tennessee beat Missouri

The Vols (2-0) have won eight in a row, tying Notre Dame for the most among Power Five teams.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE 30, NO. 24 PITTSBURGH 29

PITTSBURGH — Devin Leary hit Emeka Emezie for the go-ahead touchdown with 23 seconds remaining and North Carolina State beat Pittsburgh.

SMU 30, NO. 25 MEMPHIS 27

DALLAS — Chris Naggar kicked a 43yard field goal with nine seconds left and SMU beat Memphis after the Mustangs blew an early three-touchdown lead against a team playing its first game in four weeks.