’Bama rolls in Iron Bowl win
Crimson Tide’s big 2nd half blows open close rivalry game
Tuscaloosa, Ala. Tua Tagovailoa threw five touchdown passes and ran for a score to lead No. 1 Alabama to a 52-21 victory over rival Auburn on Saturday.
Tagovailoa and the Crimson Tide (12-0, 8-0 Southeastern Conference, No. 1 CFP) took over with an explosive third quarter, when the Heisman Trophy contender threw three long touchdown passes. He’s the first Alabama player to have a hand in six TDS in a game and matched the school record with the five scoring passes.
Now, ’Bama heads to the SEC championship game against No. 5 Georgia with a guaranteed playoff spot on the line.
With Alabama leading Auburn (75, 3-5) 17-14 at halftime, Tagovailoa launched the Tide into another SEC blowout. He was 11-for-12 passing for 208 yards and four touchdowns in the second half, despite only playing one series in the fourth quarter.
Tagovailoa finished 25-for-32 for 324 yards and ran for 26 yards, including a 7-yard touchdown and a 21-yard thirddown conversion on runs.
Clemson 56, South Carolina 35: Trevor Lawrence threw for a career-high 393 yards, Adam Choice rushed for three touchdowns and No. 2 Clemson capped a perfect regular season with a victory over South Carolina for its fifth consecutive rivalry win. The Tigers reached 12-0 for the second time in four seasons and for the third time in program history, starting with its 1981 national title season. Clemson (CFP No. 2) kept pace for another title run with their latest success over the Gamecocks (6-5), its longest since winning seven in a row from 1934-40. Jake Bentley had career highs with 510 yards — the second most ever allowed by Clemson — and five TDS for South Carolina.
Notre Dame 24, USC 17: Ian Book passed for 352 yards, Dexter Williams went 52 yards on a go-ahead touchdown run and No. 3 Notre Dame completed an unbeaten regular season and likely secured a spot in the College Football Playoff with a win over longtime rival Southern California. Chris Finke caught an early TD pass for the Fighting
Irish (12-0, No. 3 CFP), who showed playofflevel tenacity in rallying from an early 10-point deficit, their largest of the season. Tony Jones Jr. then took a short pass 51 yards for a touchdown with 3:09 to play to finish off Notre Dame’s 10th perfect regular season since 1945, the first since 2012. Notre Dame is all but certain to be chosen for the four-team playoff, and this win could keep the Irish away from powerhouse Alabama in the first postseason game. Georgia 45, Georgia Tech 21: Jake Fromm threw four touchdown passes, D’andre Swift ran for 105 yards and Georgia romped into the Southeastern Conference championship game. The Bulldogs (11-1, No. 5 CFP) couldn’t afford a slip-up, not with top-ranked Alabama looming next week in Atlanta.
Florida 41, Florida State 14: Feleipe Franks had three touchdown passes and No. 13 Florida used a punishing ground attack to end a five-game losing streak to Florida State. Lamical Perine had a 74-yard touchdown run, and Florida ran for 278 yards, averaging 5.3 yards per carry. Perine ran for 129 yards, averaging 9.9 yards per carry. The Gators (9-3) halted Florida State’s bowl streak, which began in 1982, and handed the Seminoles (5-7) their first losing season since 1976 — Bobby Bowden’s first season as coach.
Penn State 38, Maryland 3: Trace Mcsorley completed 12 of 22 passes for 230 yards and had a hand in three touchdowns to help Penn State rout Maryland. Mcsorley added 64 rushing yards on 11 carries for the Nittany Lions (9-3, 6-3 Big Ten, No. 12 CFP). He threw a 34-yard bullet through freezing rain to KJ Hamler on the game’s first play, sprinted downfield to throw a block that opened Miles Sanders up for a 35-yard run on the next, then skipped into the end zone from 3 yards out to cap the quick opening drive.
Kentucky 56, Louisville 10: Terry Wilson accounted for 340 yards and four touchdowns, Benny Snell Jr. rushed for two scores and No. 17 Kentucky blew out archrival Louisville to win the Governor’s Cup. The Wildcats (9-3) scored TDS on all five first-half drives and never trailed in posting their first nine-win regular season since 1977.
Northwestern 24, Illinois 16: Clayton Thorson accounted for three touchdowns, Isaiah Browser rushed for 166 yards on 18 carries and No. 20 Northwestern beat Illinois. Thorson completed 12 of 18 passes for 110 yards and two TDS. He also ran for a score, and Bowser posted his fourth 100yard game of the season.
Miami 24, Pittsburgh 3: Travis Homer rushed for 168 yards and a long touchdown, Deejay Dallas ran back a punt for one of his two scores and Miami closed its regular season by knocking off No. 24 Pittsburgh.
Iowa State 42, Kansas State 38: David Montgomery ran for three touchdowns, including the winner with 4:34 to go, and 25th-ranked Iowa State rallied from 17 down in the fourth quarter to stun Kansas State.