Sooners hold off ex-rival Huskers

Spencer Rattler passed for a touchdown and ran for another, and No. 3 Oklahoma held on to beat Nebraska 23-16 on Saturday.

Celebrating the 50-year anniversary of the “Game of the Century” — No. 1 Nebraska’s 35-31 win over No. 2 Oklahoma in 1971 — the teams rewarded their nostalgic fans with a competitive contest.

In the first meeting between the former conference rivals since 2010, Nebraska got the ball trailing by a touchdown with 57 seconds remaining and no timeouts. The Cornhuskers could not manage a first down.

Eric Gray ran for 84 yards on 15 carries and Kennedy Brooks added 75 yards on 14 attempts for the Sooners (3-0).

Adrian Martinez passed for 289 yards and a touchdown for Nebraska (2-2), which was seeking its first win over a ranked team since 2015.

(At) No. 5 Iowa 30, Kent State 7: Tyler Goodson ran for a careerhigh 153 yards and three touchdowns, and No. 5 Iowa beat Kent State.

The Hawkeyes (3-0) have won nine straight games. They have won 14th consecutive nonconference games, the second-longest current streak in the nation.

Goodson had a 46-yard touchdown run in the first quarter to give Iowa a 9-0 lead, then added a 35-yard scoring run in the third quarter. He had a 2-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to close the scoring.

No. 8 Cincinnati 38, (at) Indiana 24: Desmond Ridder threw a go-ahead touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter, then scored on a 7-yard TD run to help No. 8 Cincinnati seal a come-from-behind victory.

Jerome Ford ran for two scores, and Tre Tucker scored on a 99-yard kickoff return as the Bearcats (3-0) won their first road game of the season. They’ve won 12 of 13 since the start of 2020.

Indiana (1-2) lost despite taking a 14-0 lead — and playing in front of its largest crowd for a nonconference game since September 1987.

(At) No. 9 Ohio State 41, Tulsa 20: TreVeyon Henderson broke Archie Griffin’s 49-year-old freshman rushing record, romping for 277 yards and three touchdowns as No. 9 Ohio State pulled away late to beat Tulsa.

Henderson ran for scores of 5, 48 and 52 yards, which managed to paper over some of the same weaknesses Ohio State showed in the 35-28 upset by Oregon last week that sent the Buckeyes tumbling in the AP Top 25 poll.

The Buckeyes (2-1) were not sharp, but Tulsa (0-3) couldn’t match them blow for blow. Henderson, who ran for 69 yards in the first two games combined, broke through with some huge plays at critical times.

(At) No. 12 Notre Dame 27, Purdue 13: Kyren Williams scored two long touchdowns, the second a 51-yard run with 6:05 remaining, as No. 12 Notre Dame held off Purdue for its 26th straight victory at home.

The victory was the 105th in Brian Kelly’s 12-year career at Notre Dame, tying him with Knute Rockne as the winningest coach in school history. The Fighting Irish won their eighth straight over Purdue and first since 2014.

The Boilermakers (2-1) outgained the Irish 348-343 thanks to a 291-223 edge through the air and got their only touchdown on a 2-yard pass from Jack Plummer to Milton Wright in the third quarter.

No. 16 Coastal Carolina 28, (at) Buffalo 25: Grayson McCall threw for three touchdowns, Shermari Jones ran for 149 yards and another score, and No. 16 Coastal Carolina held on to beat Buffalo (1-2) for its first road win of the season.

McCall, who entered the day leading the nation in passing efficiency and completion rate, was 13-of-19 passing for 232 yards with his first interception of the season.

(At) No. 25 Michigan 63, Northern Illinois 10: Blake Corum rushed for 123 yards and three touchdowns as 25th-ranked Michigan routed Northern Illinois (1-2).

The Wolverines (3-0) scored touchdowns on their first nine drives, eight of them on the ground.