Buckeyes survive Maryland in OT
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Ohio State went to overtime to avoid one of the most stunning upsets of the season, beating Maryland 52-51 on Saturday when the Terrapins failed to convert a 2-point conversion after matching the Buckeyes’ touchdown in the first extra period.
Favored by 14 1/2 points, No. 8 Ohio State (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten, No. 10 CFP) trailed by two touchdowns in the third quarter and 45-38 with under two minutes left before rallying.
After a 5-yard touchdown run by Dwayne Haskins gave the Buckeyes the lead to start overtime, Tayon Fleet-Davis scored to get the Terrapins within a point. Interim coach Matt Canada decided to end it right there, going for 2, but Tyrrell Pigrome’s pass to Jeshaun Jones was off target.
The Buckeyes stayed in the hunt for the Big Ten title and a spot in the College Football Playoff. They finish the regular season next week in a game against Michigan that will decide the Big Ten East winner.
The Buckeyes never led until overtime against the upstart Terrapins (5-6, 3-5). Haskins ran for three touchdowns and was 28 for 38 for 405 yards and three TDs.
Ohio State finished with a whopping 688 yards, including 203 on the ground by J.K. Dobbins, but the defense allowed 535 yards and seven touchdowns.
Maryland freshman Anthony McFarland had touchdown runs of 81 and 75 yards in the first quarter and finished with 298 yards rushing — seven short of the school record.
NO. 1 ALABAMA 50, THE CITADEL 17 TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Tua Tagovailoa passed for 340 yards and three touchdowns, but Alabama struggled for 30-plus minutes before putting away The Citadel.
The Crimson Tide ( 11- 0) went into halftime tied at 10 with the FCS Bulldogs ( 4- 6). Alabama scored two touchdowns in a 12- second span on its way to a 27- point third quarter.
Tagovailoa completed 18 of 22 passes in three quarters, including touchdown strikes of 21 and 5 yards to Jaylen Waddle and a 68-yarder to tight end Irv Smith Jr. Tagovailoa broke AJ McCarron’s school single-season record of 30 touchdown passes, reaching 31. NO. 3 NOTRE DAME 36,
NO. 12 SYRACUSE 3
NEW YORK (AP) — Ian Book returned to the starting lineup for Notre Dame and threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns to help the Fighting Irish stay on target for a trip to the College Football Playoff.
The Fighting Irish held out Book from last week’s home game against Florida State with a rib injury, and he wasn’t missed as Notre Dame (11-0, No. 3 CFP) rolled with Brandon Wimbush at quarterback.
Notre Dame clearly wanted to be cautious with Book ahead of its trip to Yankee Stadium to face high-scoring Syracuse (8-3, No. 12 CFP). The junior quarterback, who took over as the starter four games into the season, looked as good as new.
NO. 4 MICHIGAN 31,
INDIANA 20
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Karan Higdon ran for a go-ahead touchdown early in the third quarter and Jake Moody set a Michigan record with six field goals.
The Wolverines (10-1, 8-0 Big Ten, No. 4 CFP) looked sluggish and it may have had something to do with looking ahead to next week’s game at No. 9 Ohio State, where they need a win to reach the Big Ten championship game for the first time.
The Hoosiers (5-6, 2-6) were competitive against Michigan as they have been lately, losing in overtime twice in the previous three meetings, but came up short again.
Indiana led 17-15 at halftime and finished with more yards (385) than anyone has had against Michigan’s top-ranked defense this season.
NO. 5 GEORGIA 66,
UMASS 27
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Freshman Justin Fields threw two scoring passes and ran for another touchdown, Tyler Simmons had rushing and receiving scores, and Georgia protected its playoff hopes.
Another freshman, James Cook ran for 76 yards on only three carries, including his first two career scoring runs, from 26 and 27 yards. Georgia gained 701 yards, including 426 yards on the ground, and never punted. Fields led the Bulldogs with 100 yards rushing, including a career-long run of 47 yards and a 3-yard scoring run. He completed 5 of 8 passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns.
Georgia (10-1) leaned on its quickstrike offense on six scoring drives lasting no more than four plays. Starter Jake Fromm and Fields shared time at quarterback as the Bulldogs avoided looking ahead to next week’s state rivalry game against Georgia Tech or the Dec. 1 Southeastern Conference championship game against No. 1 Alabama. The Bulldogs led UMass (4-8) 42-13 at halftime. OKLAHOMA STATE 45, NO. 7 WEST VIRGINIA 41 STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Taylor Cornelius threw a touchdown pass to Tylan Wallace with 42 seconds remaining to rally Oklahoma State.
Will Grier led West Virginia (82, 6-2, No. 9 CFP) to the Oklahoma State 14, but couldn’t connect with David Sills V on the final play. The loss all but ended West Virginia’s shot at the College Football Playoff. West Virginia faces Oklahoma next Friday and still has a shot at reaching the Big 12 title game.
NO. 14 UTAH STATE 29, COLORADO STATE 24 FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — Collin Hill’s apparent 34-yard touchdown pass to Preston Williams with no time left was negated by penalty, giving Utah State the victory in a wild and stunning finish to a game played in snow and freezing rain.
Colorado State was flagged for illegal touching after it was determined Williams had stepped out of bounds and was the first to touch the ball when he came back in bounds and made the leaping catch between two defenders in the end zone.
Jordan Love threw a go-ahead 33-yard touchdown pass to Aaren Vaughns with 43 seconds remaining, the first offensive touchdown of the day for the Aggies (10-1, 7-0 Mountain West).
NO. 15 FLORIDA 63,
IDAHO 10 GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Feleipe Franks passed for 274 yards and three touchdowns — all in the first half — and Florida ran up 600 total yards.
Florida (8-3) rolled to a 49-0 lead at halftime. Gators defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson returned an interception 26 yards for a touchdown on the first play to start the onslaught. Four other touchdown drives took less than two minutes and the longest of the seven first-half scores came in 2:24.