Milroe’s heroics rescue Alabama
AUBURN, Ala. — Jalen Milroe and Isaiah Bond rescued No. 8 Alabama’s playoff hopes, connecting for a last-minute touchdown on fourth and goal from the 31 to beat Auburn 27-24 on Saturday.
Bond caught Milroe’s desperation heave in the left corner of the end zone with 32 seconds left to give the Crimson Tide (11-1, 8-0 Southeastern Conference) a 10th straight win in the latest dramatic Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Trailing by four with 1:43 left, Alabama had a first-and-goal at the Auburn 7 before moving backward. The Crimson Tide lost 18 yards on a bad snap and were pushed back 5 more yards with an illegal downfield pass on third down after Milroe crossed the line of scrimmage.
Two years ago, Alabama needed four overtimes to beat the Tigers.
Alabama nearly returned an interception for another touchdown on the final play.
But this game will be remembered around the state for the fourth-and-31 miracle, a play where Auburn didn’t try to put any pressure on Milroe before he spotted Bond.
Ja’Varrius Johnson scored on a 27-yard touchdown catch and a 12-yard run to put the Tigers (6-6, 3-5) in position to win.
Milroe passed for 259 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 107 more yards. Jermaine Burton had 107 yards receiving, including a 68-yard touchdown. Bond had five catches for 75 yards.
NO. 1 GEORGIA 31 GEORGIA TECH 23
Kendall Milton ran for a career-high 156 yards and two touchdowns as the Bulldogs held off the host Yellowjackets to cap their third consecutive undefeated regular season with a sixth straight victory in the state rivalry.
Georgia (12-0) extended its school-record winning streak to 29 games. The Bulldogs have won 19 of the last 22 against Georgia Tech (6-6), but this was more competitive than most recent battles for the Governor’s Cup Trophy. Quarterback Haynes King had two TD runs and Jamal Haynes also ran for a score.
NO. 4 WASHINGTON 24 WASHINGTON STATE 21
Grady Gross made a 42-yard field goal on the final play and Rome Odunze caught two touchdown passes from Michael Penix Jr. as the host Huskies beat the rival Cougars in the Apple Cup for an undefeated regular season.
Playing likely his final game at Husky Stadium, Odunze caught a 40-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter and hauled in a 21-yarder on the final play of the third quarter to give Washington a 21-14 lead.
NO. 5 FLORIDA STATE 24 FLORIDA 15
Trey Benson ran for three touchdowns, including a 26yarder on third down with less than three minutes to play, as the visiting Seminoles beat the rival Gators to extend their winning streak to 18.
Benson finished with 95 yards on 19 carries and helped take pressure off new quarterback Tate Rodemaker as Florida State (12-0) moved a victory from a potential spot in the College Football Playoff.
KENTUCKY 38, NO. 10 LOUISVILLE 31
Ray Davis broke free for a go-ahead, 37-yard touchdown run with 1:02 remaining and caught two second-half touchdowns, helping the visiting Wildcats rally past the Cardinals in the Governor’s Cup.
Davis’ third touchdown capped a wild second half for the Wildcats (7-5) in which the Bluegrass State rivals combined to score 42 points and closed the game by alternating touchdown drives.
NO. 15 ARIZONA 59 ARIZONA STATE 23
Noah Fifita threw for a schoolrecord 527 yards and five touchdowns and Michael Wiley scored three times as the visiting Wildcats put an emphatic end to the Pac-12 era of the Territorial Cup rivalry with a lopsided rout of the Sun Devils.
NO. 18 NOTRE DAME 56 STANFORD 23
Audric Estimé ran for a career-high 238 yards to go with four touchdowns as the Fighting Irish overcame three first-half turnovers and beat the host Cardinal.
NO. 21 TENNESSEE 48 VANDERBILT 24
Joe Milton III threw a careerhigh four touchdown passes and ran for two more scores to lead the host Volunteers to a victory over the Commodores.
NO. 22 N.C. STATE 39 NORTH CAROLINA 20
Brennan Armstrong threw three touchdown passes while the host Wolfpack’s defense dominated the Tar Heels’ Drake Maye-led offense on the way to a rivalry win at home
NO. 24 CLEMSON 16 SOUTH CAROLINA 7
Defensive back Khalil Barnes scored his team’s lone touchdown and kicker Jonathan Weitz made his three longest field goals of the year as the visiting Tigers won their fourth straight game by beating the rival Gamecocks.
NO. 25 LIBERTY 42, UTEP 28
The Flames completed the first undefeated regular season in the program’s 50-year history as Quinton Cooley rushed for three touchdowns in a 42-28 victory over the host Miners.