Tracy’s Kick Never In Doubt
LSU Topples No. 7 Auburn
LSU coach Ed Orgeron insisted he had no doubt Cole Tracy would make the winning kick, but setting it up was quite the adventure.
Tracy kicked a 42-yard field goal on the final play to give No. 12 LSU a 22-21 victory over No. 7 Auburn on Saturday at Auburn, Ala., in its Southeastern Conference opener.
Joe Burrow led LSU (3-0) down the field in the final minutes with clutch plays and two pass interference calls against Auburn (2-1). That set up Tracy’s field goal that was almost right down the middle and sent LSU players swarming onto the field to celebrate.
“There was no question in my mind that he was going to make this field goal,” Orgeron said. “It worked out perfect.”
It capped a wild fourth quarter in a rivalry that has produced many of them.
Burrow hit Derrick Dillon over the outstretched arms of Auburn linebacker Deshaun Davis for a 71-yard touchdown strike with 8:18 left. Burrow’s two-point attempt failed, leaving Auburn up 21-19.
The LSU defense held to set up another chance with 5:38 remaining. The result was a 14-play, 52-yard drive and Tracy’s kick.
Burrow held his own against Auburn’s more heralded Jarrett Stidham. He completed 15 of 34 passes for 249 yards, with Justin Jefferson gaining 97 yards on five catches. Stidham was 16 of 28 for 198 yards and a touchdown but threw two interceptions.
No. 8 Notre Dame 22, Vanderbilt 17: On a day when Notre Dame’s offense remained a work in progress, the Fighting Irish got another big play from its defense to hold off upset-minded Vanderbilt at South Bend, Ind.
Safety Jalen Elliott knocked the ball loose from Vanderbilt receiver Kalija Lipscomb with 1:07 remaining to give Notre Dame a fourth-down stop against the Commodores. Last week, Elliott had a pair of interceptions in 3-0 Notre Dame’s win over Ball State.
Kyle Shurmur, son of Giants coach Pat Shurmer, threw for 326 yards and one touchdown for Vanderbilt (2-1), rallying his team back from a 16-3 halftime deficit. His fourth-and-4 pass from the Notre Dame 31 to Lipscomb, who caught a gamehigh 11 passes for 89 yards, was grabbed by the receiver at the Irish 11.
But Elliott, with some help from the ground, knocked the ball loose and incomplete.
Tony Jones Jr. finished with 118 yards on 17 carries for Notre Dame (3-0). He also caught two passes for 56 yards.
In other games: Tommy DeVito scored on a 3-yard run and hit tight end Ravian Pierce with a 3-yard score, and Syracuse, UConn’s next opponent, overcame an in- jury to starting quarterback Eric Dungey to beat Florida State 30-7 in the sweltering heat of the Carrier Dome. Dungey was hurt late in the second quarter after a late hit to the helmet and never returned as the Orange took a slim 6-0 lead into the break. Syracuse coach Dino Babers said afterward that Dungey was suffering blurred vision from a poke in the eye. ... Taylor Cornelius ran for two touchdowns and passed for another to help No. 24 Oklahoma State beat No. 17 Boise State 44-21. Justice Hill ran for 123 yards and a touchdown and Tylan Wallace added five catches for 105 yards for the Cowboys. ... No. 2 Clemson closed a week of concern and questions about playing with once-powerhouse storm Florence nearby with a 38-7 win over Georgia Southern. At kickoff, though, the crowd of 79,844 had sunny skies and mild breezes for tailgates like many football Saturdays. Conditions changed by halftime with bands of grey clouds over the stadium and the wind picking up. Florence’s drenching rains were forecast to hit the area later tonight and Sunday. ... Kyler Murray threw for 348 yards and three touchdowns and No. 5 Oklahoma held off Iowa State 37-27 in the Big 12 opener for both teams. Marquise Brown had 191 yards receiving and a TD for the Sooners (3-0), who extended the nation’s longest road winning streak to 17 games.