San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Cincinnati rallies to stay undefeated
ORLANDO, Fla. — Desmond Ridder three two touchdown passes and ran for two scores as No. 7 Cincinnati defeated Central Florida 36-33 Saturday to head into the release of the first College Football Playoff rankings unbeaten.
The Bearcats (8-0, 6-0 American) fell behind 14-3 in the first quarter against their toughest opponent yet, but grabbed the lead by halftime.
Dillon Gabriel threw for 243 yards, three touchdowns and one interception as the Knights (5-3, 4-3) lost at home for the second time this season.
UCF took a 25-22 lead in the third quarter with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Gabriel to Marlon Williams.
The interception Gabriel threw was costly for UCF.
Bearcats safety Darrick Forest picked off Gabriel’s pass early in the fourth quarter and returned it 20 yards to the Knights’ 16. Four plays later, a 1-yard sneak by Ridder gave UC a 29-25 lead with 13:07 remaining.
Ridder passed for 338 yards and ran for 57.
NO. 1 ALABAMA 63 KENTUCKY 3
DeVonta Smith caught nine passes for 144 yards and set the Southeastern Conference career record with two more touchdowns in the host Crimson Tide’s victory over the shorthanded Wildcats (3-5).
Mac Jones passed for 230 yards and two touchdowns and Najee Harris ran for a pair of scores for the Crimson Tide (7-0 SEC), both in less than three quarters. A slow start turned into a breezy return from a three-week layoff after LSU was forced to call off last week’s scheduled game because of COVID-19 troubles.
The outmanned Wildcats were missing a number of key players because of injuries or coronavirus protocol. They were competitive early on the stat sheet, but it didn’t hold up particularly long on the scoreboard.
Smith broke Amari Cooper’s SEC and Alabama record with his 32nd touchdown catch, a 10-yarder from Jones in the second quarter.
NO. 3 OHIO STATE 42 NO. 9 INDIANA 35
In Columbus, Ohio, Master Teague ran for a career-high 169
yards and two touchdowns, Justin Fields accounted for three scores and the Buckeyes held off a comeback bid by Michael Penix Jr., Ty Fryfogle and the Hoosiers. Penix was 27 for 51 for a career-high 491 yards and five touchdown passes. The Buckeyes (4-0) put up 607 yards and led 35-7 early in the second half.
Fields was 18 for 30 for 300 yards and two touchdown passes, but he also threw his first three interceptions of the season and was sacked five times.
Garrett Wilson had seven catches for 169 yards — his fourth straight game of 100-plus yards — and two scores for the Buckeyes.
NO. 6 FLORIDA 38 VANDERBILT 17
Kyle Trask passed for 383 yards and three touchdowns and the Gators (6-1 SEC) overcame an early deficit to beat the Commodores.
The Gators (6-1) pulled into Vanderbilt Stadium an hour before kickoff already in uniform, hoping to avoid the visitors locker room as a coronavirus precaution. The Commodores (0-7, 0-7) opened the game by driving for a touchdown, but Trask helped get Florida on track for its seventh consecutive win in the series.
NO. 8 BYU 66 NORTH ALABAMA14
Tyler Allgeier ran for a careerhigh 141 yards and two TDs, and the Cougars (9-0) routed the overmatched Lions (0-4).
Allgeier had his fourth 100yard game of the season. Zach Wilson threw for 212 yards and four touchdowns before halftime and added 33 yards rushing. He had a season-high 256.3 QB rating.
NO. 19 NORTHWESTERN 17 NO. 10WISCONSIN 7
Peyton Ramsey threw two touchdown passes and the Wildcats (5-0) shut down Graham Mertz and the Badgers (2-1) to take control of the Big Ten West.
NO. 11OREGON 38, UCLA 35
Tyler Shough threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns, and the host Ducks (3-0) held off the short-handed Bruins (1-2) to remain undefeated.
NO. 13 GEORGIA 31 MISSISSIPPI STATE 24
In Athens, Ga., JT Daniels made quite a debut between the hedges, throwing for 401 yards and four touchdowns.
NO. 15 COASTAL CAROLINA 34 APPALACHIAN STATE 23
In Conway, S.C., Reese White
scored on a 3-yard run with 2:24 to play, and the Chants improved to 8-0 with its first victory over the defending Sun Belt champion Mountaineers (6-2, 4-1).
Picked last in the Sun Belt in the preseason, Coastal Carolina is a victory away from winning the East Division and playing West winner Louisiana-Lafayette for the conference title next month.
N.C. STATE 15
NO. 21 LIBERTY 14
In Raleigh, N.C., North Carolina State blocked Alex Barbir’s 39-yard field goal attempt with 1:18 left to hand the Flames (8-1) their first of the season. Zonovan Knight ran for two touchdowns to lead the Wolfpack (6-3), including the go-ahead 4-yard score with 6:53 left.
NO. 23 AUBURN 30 TENNESSEE 17
In Auburn, Ala., Smoke Monday returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown, and the Tigers (5-2) overcame a 10-0 deficit and the loss of their running back and two offensive tackles. Bo Nix completed 17 of 26 passes for 220 yards, with a 54-yard touchdown to Anthony Schwartz and his first career interception in a home game.