Georgia, Fromm disect Gators
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jake Fromm picked apart Florida’s defense for the second straight year and No. 8 Georgia beat the sixthranked Gators 2417 in the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” on Saturday.
Fromm completed 20 of 30 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns, including a 52yarder to an uncovered Lawrence Cager in the fourth quarter. Fromm also threw a TD pass in the first half, his fourth on third down in two years against the Gators.
Cager finished with seven receptions for 132 yards, both career highs.
D’Andre Swift added 86 yards rushing to help the Bulldogs (71, 41 Southeastern Conference) move a step closer to winning the SEC’s Eastern Division for the third consecutive year and strengthen their College Football Playoff resume.
The Gators (72, 42) looked lost on both sides of the ball most of the afternoon.
NO. 4 CLEMSON 59, WOFFORD 14
CLEMSON, S.C. — Trevor Lawrence scored four touchdowns, Travis Etienne ran for 212 yards and two TDs and Clemson won its 24th consecutive game.
Etienne, the reigning Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year, helped the Tigers (90) put the game away early with scoring runs of 47 and 86 yards in the game’s first 15:12. Clemson improved to 340 against FCS programs. It was the Tigers’ sixth straight win over Wofford (53), which fell to 121 against FBS schools.
Etienne became Clemson’s first rusher with three 200yard games in his career. He also surpassed James Davis for Clemson’s career record for rushing TDs with 48.
Lawrence had three TD passes and a 2yard scoring run, set up by linebacker Isaiah Simmons’ first interception of the year. Lawrence completed 12 of 16 passes for 218 yards before coming out of the game early in the third quarter.
NO. 9 UTAH 33, WASHINGTON 28
SEATTLE — Tyler Huntley threw for one touchdown and ran for another, Jaylon Johnson returned an interception 39 yards for a score, and Utah overcame an 11point firsthalf deficit.
The Utes (81, 51 Pac12) kept alive their College Football Playoff hopes thanks to a defense that forced Washington quarterback Jacob Eason into three turnovers and got just enough offense from Huntley to rally from an early 143 hole.
Huntley hit Zack Moss on a 9yard TD late in the first half and added a 1yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter to give Utah its first lead, 2621. Huntley’s TD run capped a drive that featured a key thirdand12 conversion where Huntley was able to hit Jaylen Dixon for a 41yard completion.
Huntley finished 19 of 24 for 284 yards. He was sacked four times — Utah had allowed just seven all season — but all came in the first half and the Utes were able to protect Huntley much better as the game progressed. Huntley also had a pair of key thirddown conversions on Utah’s final scoring drive, hitting Solomon Enis for 14 yards and Samson Nacua for 28 yards. Moss capped the 84yard drive with a 2yard TD run with 4:52 left.
NO. 14 MICHIGAN 38, MARYLAND 7
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Giles Jackson returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown and Michigan used two firsthalf scoring runs by freshman Zach Charbonnet to pull away.
Seeking to build on a 4514 rout of Notre Dame a week earlier, the Wolverines (72, 42 Big Ten) led 210 at halftime and coasted to the finish against the fading Terrapins (36, 15).
Jackson’s gameopening dash down the right sideline set the tone. Charbonnet ended Michigan’s first drive with a 2yard run, and the defense made those two scores stand up.
The Wolverines’ special teams contributed, too. In addition to the kickoff return, Michigan used a successful fake punt to set up Charbonnet’s second TD, and a partially blocked punt led to a thirdquarter touchdown run by Hassan Haskins for a 350 lead.
Wearing throwback uniforms from a far brighter era of Maryland football, the Terrapins absorbed an oldfashioned beatdown on homecoming. Maryland has lost six of seven under firstyear coach Michael Locksley.
NO. 16 NOTRE DAME 21, VIRGINIA TECH 20
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Ian Book ran 7 yards for a touchdown with 29 seconds left in the fourth quarter to cap an 18play, 87yard drive and Notre Dame pulled out a victory.
The Fighting Irish (62) had committed three turnovers deep in Virginia Tech territory, including a fumble at the goal line that Divine Deablo returned for a 98yard touchdown to tie the game at 14 with 9 seconds left in the first half. The Hokies (53) added a couple of field goals in the second half and the Irish missed one, leaving Notre Dame trailing by six with 3:19 remaining and the ball at its 13.
Book led a methodical drive, converting two fourth downs, including a fourthand10 from the Tech 33 for 26 yards to Chase Claypool that gave the Irish firstandgoal from the 7. After two incomplete passes, Notre Dame caught Virginia Tech in a blitz. Book ran away from it and darted into the end zone. Jonathan Doerer booted through the PAT for the lead, Kyle Hamilton picked off a long pass by Quincy Patterson around midfield to end the Hokies’ final possession and the Irish averted a twogame losing streak.
NO. 22 KANSAS ST. 38, KANSAS 10
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Skylar Thompson ran for 127 yards and three touchdowns, Harry Trotter added 92 yards rushing and another score and for Kansas State.
Thompson also had 129 yards passing for the Wildcats (62, 32), who showed no letdown from their upset of thenNo. 5 Oklahoma in bludgeoning the Jayhawks (36, 15) for the 12th consecutive time.
Carter Stanley was 13 of 23 for 115 yards and two interceptions for Kansas before leaving with an injury late in the game. Star running back Pooka Williams managed just 61 yards rushing.
NO. 23 WAKE FOREST 44, N.C. STATE 10
WINSTONSALEM, N.C. — Jamie Newman returned from injury to throw for three touchdowns and run for two more for Wake Forest.
Newman had a game and part of another with a shoulder injury, and his status was uncertain for the longrunning series. But Newman and the Demon Deacons (71, 31 Atlantic Coast Conference) got off to a dominating start that had this one wrapped up early.