San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
BATTLE OF UNBEATENS: COASTAL HOLDS OFF BYU
No. 12 Indiana 14, at No. 16 Wisconsin 6: Jack Tuttle threw two touchdown passes in his first start and the Hoosiers’ defense made a stand in the final minute. Indiana’s victory snapped a 10-game skid in this series and enabled the Hoosiers to tie a program record with its sixth Big Ten victory of the season. Indiana also earned six Big Ten wins in 1967 and 1987.
No. 19 Iowa 35, at Illinois 21: Spencer Petris threw three touchdown passes and the Hawkeyes scored 35 unanswered points after trailing by two touchdowns early. Petris was 18 for 28 for 220 yards for Iowa and Tyler Goodson had 19 rushes for 92 yards. Brandon Peters started eight for eight for 101 yards and two touchdowns for Illinois, but he went two for 10 for 15 yards before being pulled for backup Isaiah Williams in the fourth quarter. Williams was seven for 16 for 83 yards and a touchdown.
Nebraska 37, at Purdue 27: Adrian Martinez got the job done with his arm and his feet. Martinez, who was benched as starter earlier in the season, started and ran for two touchdowns and passed for another to help the Cornhuskers to a victory. Martinez completed 23 of 30 passes for 242 yards and rushed for 45 yards. Cornhuskers receiver Wan’dale Robinson caught nine passes for 114 yards.
Penn State 23, at Rutgers 7: After the worst start in school history, Penn State is starting to play like the Nittany Lions of old. Sean Clifford threw a 29-yard touchdown and Penn State’s defense set up three scores with stops or takeaways in a victory that gave the program its 900th win.
No. 5 Texas A&M 31, at Auburn 20: Kellen Mond passed for two touchdowns and ran for a third and the Aggies scored 17 points in the fourth quarter for a come-from-behind victory. Auburn led 20-14 entering the fourth before Texas A&M dominated the final quarter to win its sixth straight and remain in College Football Playoff contention. Mond rebounded from his worst game of the season by completing 18 of 23 for 196 yards.
No. 6 Florida 31, at Tennessee 19: Kyle Trask threw for 433 yards and four touchdowns and the Gators clinched a spot in the SEC championship game. Trask completed 35 of 49 passes without committing a turnover and even had a 32yard punt late in the game. Kyle Pitts had seven receptions for 128 yards, helping Florida wrap up the East Division.
at Missouri 50, Arkansas 48: After surrendering the lead in the most excruciating way possible, the Tigers drove the field in the final 43 seconds and beat the Razorbacks on Harrison Mevis’ 32-yard field goal as time expired. Arkansas quarterback K.J. Jefferson threw a touchdown pass to Mike Woods to cut Missouri’s lead to 47-46 and, on a two-point conversion try, Jefferson’s pass bounced off the chest of linebacker Jamal Brooks and landed in Woods’ arms.
at Kentucky 41, South Carolina 18: Chris Rodriguez Jr. rushed for 139 yards and three touchdowns, including a 79-yard scoring run , as the Wildcats ended a two-game losing streak in which they were outscored 97-13. The Gamecocks were seeking to give interim coach Mike Bobo his first win since taking over for the fired Will Muschamp.
Coastal Carolina’s Trey Carter was fed up hearing how his team couldn’t win, and certainly wouldn’t hold up against the offensive juggernaut of BYU and quarterback Zach Wilson.
“If you watch the game, you see we can,” Carter said with a grin.
The Chanticleers (No. 18 CFP) continued their perfect breakout season with a 22-17 victory over the Cougars in a short-notice showdown of 9-0 teams Saturday night.
Fittingly, it took a final stop by freshman safety Mateo Sudipo on BYU’S Dax Milne a yard from the goal line as time ran out in the Chants’ aptly named “Victory” package.
“He deserves it,” linebacker Jeffrey Gunter said of the freshman. “He works hard.”
The Cougars (9-1, No. 13 CFP) were a mid-week fillin, traveling more than 2,200 miles to the South Carolina coast and eagerly stepping in after Liberty had to back out of the game Thursday due to COVID-19 concerns.
It sure looked like an uphill climb for Coastal (10-0), the Sun Belt East champs, as BYU entered with the fourth-highest scoring offense in the country at more than 47 points a game.
The Cougars were looking to boost their résumé for the College Football Playoff
Coastal Carolina 22, BYU 17 selection committee in hopes of playing in a major bowl game.
But the Chanticleers controlled the clock with three long touchdown drives and made plays when it counted — none bigger than when the freshman safety Sudipo corralled Milne a few steps from the end zone. It will go down as a 17-yard completion, but the Cougars needed 18 on their final play.
That sealed Coastal Carolina’s biggest victory in the program’s four FBS seasons. And now, it’s the Chanticleers dreaming of New Year’s Six bowls to come.
“It was the best feelings I’d ever felt,” Gunter said.
Wilson was 19 of 30 for 240 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The Cougars defense, which had allowed less than 90 yards rushing a game coming in, was pounded by Coastal Carolina for 281 yards. CJ Marable rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns for the Chanticleers.
“We’ve got a tough, tough scrappy offensive line. We’re not huge guys,” said the 6foot-1, 300-pound Carter. “But we’re going to get after you.”
It was a hectic week for Coastal, too, coach Jamey Chadwell said, in changing opponents and game plans so late in a game week.
And the Chanticleers, he said, were given little chance of success.
“One thing I know about our football team, if you slight us, we use that as motivation,” Chadwell said.
BYU coach Kalani Sitake said his team had one goal going forward: “Focusing on improving and making sure we’re at our best next week against San Diego State.“
At least the Cougars should get a full week of focus on their opponent.
The Chanticleers put together the longest drive in program history going 94 yards on 17 plays over 9:05 of the opening quarter to start the scoring as Marable, who accounted for 39 yards on the series, finished with a 5yard TD run.
It took Wilson and the Cougars just 1:15 to respond as Tyson Allgeier broke through for a 42-yard scoring run.
Again, Coastal took its time on the way to the end zone with an 11-play, 5:54 series that ended on Reese White’s 1-yard run.
Once more, Wilson got it back in a hurry, covering 94 yards on six plays including his 41 yard scoring pass to Milne, who spun around to remain inbounds then avoided three Coastal Carolina defenders for the score and a 14-13 lead.
The long trip may have thrown the Cougars out of their rhythm. They were held to just a field goal and 76 yards in the final 30 minutes.