Florida beats Tennessee on game’s final play
GAINESVILLE, FLA. » Feleipe Franks heaved a 63-yard touchdown pass to Tyrie Cleveland as the clock expired, and No. 24 Florida beat 23rdranked Tennessee 26-20 in a wild, wacky and sometimes unwatchable rivalry game Saturday.
Franks scrambled away from the rush on a first-and-10 play with 9 seconds remaining and found Cleveland behind safety Micah Abernathy for a Hail Mary that no one — especially the Volunteers — saw coming.
The final play capped a crazy fourth quarter in which the teams combined for 37 points and little, if any, defense.
Tennessee (2-1, 0-1 SEC) can blame three missed field goals for not being ahead late. The Gators (1-1, 1-0) looked as if they had the game in hand early in the final frame, but found a way to let the Volunteers get back in it. MEMPHIS 48, (25) UCLA 45 » Riley Ferguson threw for 398 yards and six touchdowns, and Jacobi Francis broke up a fourth-down pass in the closing seconds in (2-0) Memphis’ victory over UCLA (2-1).
Francis’ breakup with 56 seconds left prevented another fourth-quarter comeback by Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen. He was 34 of 56 for 463 yards and four TDs. (7) MICHIGAN 29, AIR FORCE 13 » Donovan Peoples-Jones returned a punt 79 yards for a score and Quinn Nordin tied a school record with five field goals, helping Michigan (3-0) overcome offensive struggles against Air Force (1-1). (9) OKLAHOMA STATE 59, PITTSBURGH 21 » Mason Rudolph threw five touchdown passes, all in the first half, for Oklahoma State (3-0).
Rudolph completed 23 of 32 passes for 497 yards before being pulled in the middle of the third quarter with the Cowboys in full command. (10) WISCONISN 40, BYU 6» Alex Hornibrook threw for four touchdowns and 256 yards as Wisconsin (3-0) eased to a victory over BYU (1-3). (20) TCU 56, SMU 36 » Jalen Reagor made a leaping 38-yard catch between four defenders in the end zone on the last play of the first half, finally putting TCU (3-0) ahead to stay in a victory over upset-minded SMU (2-1). (16) VIRGINIA TECH 64, EAST CAROLINA 17) » Redshirt freshman Josh Jackson threw for 372 yards and five TDs — three to Cam Phillips — to help Virginia Tech (3-0) beat East Carolina. (15) AUBURN 24, MERCER 10 » Kamryn Pettway ran for 128 yards and three TDs as Auburn overcame five turnovers to hold off FCS Mercer (1-2) in another troubling performance.