New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
Young, No. 1 Alabama escape Texas with win after late FG
AUSTIN, Texas — Will Reichard kicked a 33-yard field goal with 10 seconds left, and Bryce Young and No. 1 Alabama overcame a stifling defensive effort by Texas to earn a hard-fought 20-19 victory Saturday.
Young was hit and harassed by the Texas defense most of the game, but the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback put together a big fourth quarter.
He had a twisting, off-balance touchdown pass, and then a 20-yard scramble in the final minute to set up Reichard’s winning kick. Young easily dodged a blitzing defender, then had wide open field ahead of him to scamper.
Young’s clutch play rescued Alabama on an uncharacteristically sloppy day when the Crimson Tide (2-0) struggled with penalties and dropped passes and was forced into six consecutive punts in one stretch. Texas (1-1) stuffed Alabama on fourth-and-inches late to set up a go-ahead field goal by Bert Auburn with 1:39 remaining.
Young also spoiled what could have been a program-defining victory for Texas and second-year coach Steve Sarkisian. Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers was knocked out with a shoulder injury at the end of the first quarter.
The steady hand of backup Hudson Card and an inspired defense helped Texas build a 16-10 lead early in the fourth, and then drive for the lead again on Auburn’s fourth field goal of the day.
Young was 27-of-39 passing for 213 yards with the scrambling TD throw to Jahmyr Gibbs that gave Alabama a 17-16 lead. Jase McLellan had an 81-yard touchdown run for Alabama in the first quarter.
Alabama avoided its first nonconference loss since 2007 against Louisiana-Monroe in coach Nick Saban’s first season.
NO. 3 OHIO STATE 45, ARKANSAS 12
COLUMBUS, Ohio — C.J. Stroud threw three touchdown passes to Marvin Harrison Jr., TreVeyon Henderson ran for another two scores.
Harrison had a career-best seven catches for 184 yards. Coupled with his threetouchdown performance as a first-year player in the Rose Bowl last season, Harrison became only the second Ohio State receiver to have a pair of three-touchdown games in his career. Joey Galloway had multiple touchdown games in 1993 and ‘94.
Stroud, a Heisman Trophy favorite, had 207 passing yards and a pair of 42-yard touchdowns to Harrison in the first half. He finished 16 for 24 for 351 yards and four touchdowns as the Buckeyes (2-0) rolled up 538 yards.
Henderson busted through for an 8-yard scoring run in the first quarter and a 23yard romp to open the second half. He finished with 10 carries for 87 yards.
Kicker Dominic Zvada was responsible for all of Arkansas State’s scoring, but Ohio State miscues set up the first two field goals.
Penalties helped put the Red Wolves in range for a 30-yard Dominic Zvada boot in the first quarter. Blown coverage and a missed tackle on a long James Blackman pass to Champ Flemings got them in range for another.
Blackman was 20 for 34 for 188 yards. Flemings caught 10 passes for 105.
NO. 15 MIAMI 30, SOUTHERN MISS 7
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Key’Shawn Smith caught a 35-yard flea-flicker touchdown from Tyler Van Dyke, part of a thirdquarter burst that lifted Miami.
Smith’s scoring grab — the only play of that drive — came 2:14 after Thaddius Franklin Jr.’s 7-yard touchdown run gave Miami (2-0) a bit of breathing room after the Hurricanes trailed for almost the entire second quarter.
Henry Parrish had a 1-yard touchdown run late in the first half for the Hurricanes. Parrish rushed for 102 yards and Franklin added 66 more for Miami, which has started its season with two wins for only the seventh time in the past 18 seasons.
Van Dyke completed 19 of 29 passes for 230 yards and the score, plus was intercepted once.
Jason Brownlee caught a 32-yard touchdown pass from Zach Wilcke for Southern Miss (0-2). That capped a six-play, 75-yard drive for the Golden Eagles — but they managed only 122 yards on their next seven drives, five of which ended in punts, one with an interception in the end zone and the other with a fumble.
Frank Gore Jr., the son of Miami Hall of Famer Frank Gore, was held largely in check by the Hurricanes’ defense in his return to his hometown. Gore Jr. had seven carries for 10 yards, and two catches for 18 more yards. That’s after he rushed for 178 yards last week in Southern Miss’ openinggame loss to Liberty.
Wilcke completed 16 of 27 passes for 207 yards for the Golden Eagles. Brownlee had five of those catches for 102 yards.
NO. 23 WAKE FOREST 45 VANDERBILT 25
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Sam Hartman passed for 300 yards and four touchdowns for Wake Forest.
Hartman connected on 18 of 27 passes after he missed Wake Forest’s opener against VMI because of a blood clot. The fifth-year quarterback directed the Demon Deacons to 11 wins and a trip to the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game last season.
Hartman’s 68-yard touchdown pass to A.T. Perry lifted Wake Forest (2-0) to a 14-3 lead with 36 seconds left in the first quarter.