No. 3 Iowa rallies late, topples No. 4 Penn State
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Spencer Petras threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Nico Ragaini to complete No. 3 Iowa’s comeback from a two-touchdown deficit, No. 4 Penn State’s offense did next to nothing after quarterback Sean Clifford was knocked out of the game and the Hawkeyes held on for a bruising 23-20 victory Saturday.
The Hawkeyes (6-0, 3-0) took control of the Big Ten West with their 12th straight win and thrust themselves into the College Football Playoff conversation.
Penn State (5-1, 2-1) lost for the first time in 10 games and headed back to Happy Valley with a list of injuries that could make its path through the rest of the season difficult.
When Petras took a knee in victory formation to end the game, students and other fans poured out of their end zone seats to celebrate. Bodies were packed together the entire width of the field from the south end zone to the 10-yard line on the other end.
The Hawkeyes’ grinding offense isn’t built to play from behind, but it managed to come back in the biggest game at Kinnick Stadium since then-No. 1 Iowa beat then-No. 2 Michigan in 1985.
Iowa won the field-position battle thanks to the work of punter Tory Taylor, who repeatedly pinned Penn State deep in its own end after Clifford went out of the game in the second quarter.
Iowa chipped away with field goals by Caleb Shudak to cut it to 20-16. The winning drive started when it got the ball at the Penn State 44 with 6:35 left.
Petras rolled to his right and found Ragaini alone on the left side. Linebacker Curtis Jacobs knocked him out of bounds, but not before he got the ball over the goal line. All-America center Tyler Linderbaum was the first man to greet him in the end zone.
Penn State coach James Franklin didn’t disclose the nature of Clifford’s injury. He was hurt with the Lions leading 17-3 when he took a big hit from linebacker Jack Campbell, and he was out of uniform on the sideline in the second half.
After Ta’Quan Roberson took over for Clifford in the middle of the second quarter, Penn State managed just 50 yards on 46 plays the rest of the way.
Five of Roberson’s series started inside the Penn State 10, and a sixth started at the 11. The sellout crowd of 70,000 had a major impact when the Lions were in their own end, its roars forcing numerous false starts as Roberson’s claps for the snap went unheard by his linemen.
On the Nittany Lions’ last three possessions, they turned over the ball on downs, Matt Hankins came up with Iowa’s fourth interception of the game and they turned it over on downs again.
NO. 7 OHIO STATE 66 MARYLAND 17
C.J. Stroud threw five touchdowns passes as the host Buckeyes (5-1, 3-0 Big Ten) scored on nine straight possessions.
Stroud was 24 for 33 for 406 yards and threw two touchdown passes each to star wideouts Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson.
Taulia Tagovailoa was 28 for 39 for 279 yards and two touchdowns for Maryland (4-2, 1-2) but threw two late picks.
NO. 9 MICHIGAN 32, NEBRASKA 29
In Lincoln, Neb., Hassan Haskins rushed for 123 yards and scored twice, and the Wolverines (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) survived a late rally by the Cornhuskers.
NO. 14 NOTRE DAME 32 VIRGINIA TECH 29
In Blacksburg, Va., the Fighting Irish (5-1, 2-0) kicked the winning field goal with 17 seconds left, then recovered a fumble by the Hokies (3-2, 3-1) in the waning seconds.
NO. 16 KENTUCKY 42, LSU 21
Will Levis threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more scores, and the host Wildcats (4-0 Southeastern Conference) improved to 6-0 for the first time since 1950.
NO. 17 MISSISSIPPI 52 NO. 13 ARKANSAS 51
Sam Williams and Tavius Robinson pressured Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jefferson on a potential game-winning 2-point conversion the Rebels (4-1, 1-1 SEC) held on for a wild victory.
The Razorbacks (4-2, 1-2 SEC) scored on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Jefferson to Warren Thompson as time expired to pull within a point and decided to go for the win.
Jefferson rolled right and under extended pressure from Williams and Robinson, overthrew Treylon Burks in the end zone.
BOISE STATE 26, NO. 10 BYU 17
Hank Bachmeier threw for 172 yards and the visiting Broncos (3-3) forced four turnovers in pulling the upset.
Jaren Hall threw for a careerhigh 302 yards and a touchdown for BYU (5-1).
NO. 11 MICHIGAN STATE 31 RUTGERS 13
Jalen Nailor caught touchdown passes of 63, 63 and 65 yards from Payton Thorne as the visiting Spartans (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) used their big-play offense to remain unbeaten.
Rutgers (3-3) lost its third straight, all against ranked opponents.
NO. 19 WAKE FOREST 40 SYRACUSE 37 (OT)
A.T. Perry caught three touchdowns, including a 22-yarder from Sam Hartman in the left corner of the end zone for the win for the visiting Demon Deacons (4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who are 6-0 for the first time since 1944.
NO. 20 FLORIDA 42 VANDERBILT 0
Emory Jones had a careerhigh four touchdowns passes for the Gators (4-2, 2-2 SEC) for a feel-good victory on homecoming after last week’s gut-wrenching loss at Kentucky.
NO. 25 SAN DIEGO ST. 31 NEW MEXICO 7
In San Diego, the Aztecs improved to 5-0 on the strength of four rushing touchdowns. Greg Bell rushed 21 times for 111 yards.