Auburn fires coach; buyout at $21.45M

Auburn fired coach Gus Malzahn, who led the Tigers to the national title game in his first season but never replicated that success.

They’re 6-4 in a season of all Southeastern Conference opponents, getting blown out by Alabama, Georgia and Texas A&M. They also lost to South Carolina, which fired coach Will Muschamp during the season.

Malzahn, 55, went 68-35 in eight years, including 39-27 in the SEC. He led the Tigers to an SEC title in 2013, his first season, losing to Florida State in the national title game.

Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele will be interim coach. Auburn owes Malzahn a

$21.45 million buyout for the final four years of a seven-year, $49 million deal.

■ Florida State: Central Florida quarterback Mckenzie Milton committed to join the team as a transfer, looking to come back from a serious leg injury sustained in the

2018 regular-season finale. Milton finished in the top 10 in Heisman Trophy voting in 2017 and 2018, leading UCF to two straight unbeaten regular seasons and a Peach Bowl win over Auburn. He hasn’t played since Dillon Gabriel took over as starter.

■ Oklahoma State: Running back Chuba Hubbard opted out of the rest of the season to prepare for the NFL draft. The redshirt junior led the nation in rushing in 2019 with 2,094 yards. Overall, he ran for 3,459 yards and 33 TDS, including 625 yards and five TDS in five 2020 games.

■ Illinois: Coach Lovie Smith was fired with one game left in the team’s ninth straight losing season. The 62-year-old was the program’s first Black head coach and went 17-39 with one bowl berth in five seasons. Offensive coordinator Rod Smith will be interim coach.

■ Ball State: Caleb Huntley, the team’s top running back, opted out of the Mid-american Conference title game. He ran for 437 yards and six TDS in the Cardinals’ first three games but missed the final three with an undisclosed injury.

■ Stanford: The Cardinal (32) will decline bowl opportunities after spending the past few weeks away from campus.

■ Virginia: The Cavaliers (5-5) opted not to accept any bowl invitations.

LATE SATURDAY Stanford 27, Oregon State 24:

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At Corvallis, Ore., Davis Mills threw for 292 yards and a TD and ran for two TDS for the Cardinal (3-2, 3-2), who went ahead with 1:48 left on Jet Toner’s 39-yard field goal. The Beavers (2-4, 2-4) then drove to the Stanford 16 but lost a fumble that Cardinal linebacker Curtis Robinson recovered.

■ New Mexico 49, Fresno State 39: At Sam Boyd Stadium, Bobby Cole ran for 138 yards and three TDS for the Lobos (2-5, 2-5), who have won two straight after a 14-game skid. Jake Haener threw for 350 yards and three TDS and ran for a score for the Bulldogs (3-3, 3-3).

■ No. 14 Brigham Young 28, San Diego State 14: At Provo, Utah, Zach Wilson threw for 310 yards and three TDS for the Cougars (10-1), who shut out the Aztecs (4-4) over the final three quarters. Lopini Katoa had 130 all-purpose yards for BYU.