Tua, No. 1 Alabama race away from Auburn
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.
Leading Auburn ( 7- 5, 3- 5) just 17- 14 at halftime, Tagovailoa launched the Tide into another SEC blowout. He was 11- of- 12 passing for 208 yards and four touchdowns in the second half, despite only playing one series in the fourth quarter.
Tagovailoa finished 25 of 32 for 324 yards and ran for 26 yards, including a 7- yard touchdown and a 21- yard third- down conversion on runs.
The second- half numbers included touchdowns of 46 yards to Jerry Jeudy, 33 to Josh Jacobs, 40 to DeVonta Smith and 22 to Henry Ruggs III — all accurate strikes downfield.
The game was close until Tagovailoa threw a pair of long TD passes in a threeminute span of the third quarter. The first hit Jeudy down the left sideline and the second went to Jacobs, who shook off a few defenders on his way to the end zone.
NO. 10 OHIO STATE 62, NO. 4 MICHIGAN 39
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Dwayne Haskins threw five touchdown passes, freshman Chris Olave scored twice and blocked a punt that was returned for a TD and No. 10 Ohio State continued its mastery over No. 4 Michigan with a recordsetting 62- 39 victory Saturday that sends the Buckeyes to the Big Ten championship game.
The Wolverines were two victories away from their first conference champi- onship since 2004 and a trip to the College Football Playoff, facing an Ohio State team that has looked discombobulated on defense and one- dimensional on offense much of the season. Looking to snap a six- game losing streak against the Buckeyes ( 11- 1, 8- 1, No. 10 CFP) and get coach Jim Harbaugh his first victory in four tries in the rivalry known simply as The Game, the Wolverines ( 10- 2, 8- 1, No. 4 CFP) wilted.
In the 115th meeting between two of college football’s most storied rivals, Ohio State scored more points than it ever had against Michigan — more points than any team has ever scored in regulation against Michigan. The previous high was 58 by Cornell in 1891.
And now, despite all the dysfunction at Ohio State this season — both on and off the field — the Buckeyes will face No. 20 Northwestern next week in Indianapolis with a chance to repeat as Big Ten champs and maybe even squeeze into the playoff.
Maybe most satisfying of all, Ohio State made it 14 victories in the last 15 meetings against the team it loves to beat the most.
NO. 5 GEORGIA 45, GEORGIA TECH 21
ATHENS, Ga. — Jake Fromm threw four touchdown passes, D’Andre Swift ran for 105 yards and No. 5 Georgia romped into the Southeastern Conference championship game with a 45- 21 rout of Georgia Tech on Saturday.
The Bulldogs ( 11- 1, No. 5 CFP) couldn’t afford a slipup, not with top- ranked Alabama looming next week in Atlanta.
No worries.
This game was over by halftime.
Georgia went to the locker room with a 38- 7 lead — which, in an interesting twist, was the score of last year’s dominating victory over the Yellow Jackets. The Bulldogs held a 343- 66 edge in total yards, piling up 18 first downs to only four by Georgia Tech ( 7- 5).
NO. 19 SYRACUSE 42, BOSTON COLLEGE 21
BOSTON — Eric Dungey ran for three touchdowns and threw for 362 yards and three more scores to lead No. 19 Syracuse to a 42- 21 victory over Boston College on Saturday.
The Orange ( 9- 3, 6- 2 Atlantic Coast Conference) gave up the first score of the game and then scored touchdowns on three straight possessions, starting with a 75- yard pass from Dungey to a wideopen Sean Riley. BC fum- bled the ensuing kickoff, setting up Dungey’s 4- yard run to make it 14- 7 and the Eagles ( 7- 5, 4- 4) never got any closer.
Dungey followed with a 2- yard touchdown run and also scored on an 18- yard quarterback sneak right before the half to give the Orange a 28- 14 lead.
Riley caught five passes for 115 yards, and Dontae Strickland carried 20 times for 129 yards for Syracuse, which bounced back from a 36- 3 loss to No. 3 Notre Dame to win for the fifth time in six games.
Boston College finished with a three- game losing streak after opening the season 7- 2 and rising to No. 17 in the AP Top 25.
Anthony Brown complet- ed 17 of 37 passes for 251 yards and two touchdowns. But he also threw two interceptions and fumbled away what may have been the Eagles’ last chance to come back.
BC running back AJ Dillon, who has been nursing an ankle injury, ran 12 times for 56 yards before leaving the game at halftime. Defensive ends Zach Allen and Wyatt Ray, two of the Eagles’ biggest stars, also left with injuries.
NO. 13 FLORIDA 41, FLORIDA STATE 14
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — 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, defeating the Seminoles 41- 14 on Saturday.
Lamical Perine had a 74- yard touchdown run as 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 their first losing season since 1976, which was Bobby Bowden’s first season as head coach.
MIAMI 24, NO. 24 PITTSBURGH 3
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — 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 24- 3 on Saturday.
Dallas also had a rushing touchdown for the Hurricanes ( 7- 5, 4- 4 Atlantic Coast Conference).
Homer is up to 969 yards this season, and would have a chance to become the 10th runner in Miami history with a 1,000- yard season if he gets 31 in the bowl game. His career rushing total is now 1,979 yards, which moved him four yards past Frank Gore for 12th on the Hurricanes’ list.
NO. 15 PENN STATE 38, MARYLAND 3
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Trace McSorley completed 12 of 22 passes for 230 yards and had a hand in three touchdowns to help No. 15 Penn State rout Maryland 38- 3 on Saturday.
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.
NO. 20 NORTHWESTERN 24, ILLINOIS 16
EVANSTON, Ill. — Clayton Thorson accounted for three touchdowns, Isaiah Browser rushed for 166 yards on 18 carries and No. 20 Northwestern beat Illinois 24- 16 on Saturday for its seventh straight Big Ten win.
Thorson completed 12 of 18 passes for 110 yards and two TDs. He also ran for a score, and Bowser posted his fourth 100- yard game of the season.