College football roundup
NO. 1 GEORGIA 37, GEORGIA TECH 14
ATHENS, GA. » Stetson Bennett threw two touchdown passes and Georgia completed back-to-back undefeated regular seasons for the first time in school history by overcoming a slow start against Georgia Tech.
Georgia (12-0, No. 1 CFP) was down 7-0 early and led Georgia Tech only 10-7 at halftime. Then the Bulldogs overpowered the Yellow Jackets (5-7) with their running game to score 37 unanswered points and notch their fifth consecutive win in the state rivalry.
Kenny McIntosh and Kendall Milton ran for touchdowns. Georgia outrushed Georgia Tech 25140. Bennett finished 10 of 18 for 140 yards.
The defending national champions are in good position to retain their No. 1 College Football Playoff ranking entering next week’s Southeastern Conference championship game against No. 6 LSU.
NO. 4 TCU 62, IOWA STATE 14
FORT WORTH, TEXAS » Kendre Miller ran for two touchdowns and TCU completed the first undefeated regular season by a Big 12 team since 2009 with a win over Iowa State that moved the Horned Frogs closer to making the four-team College Football Playoff.
Max Duggan threw TDs to three receivers for the Frogs (12-0, 9-0 Big 12, No. 4 CFP), who still have the Big 12 championship game to play next Saturday in coach Sonny Dykes’ first season. But they will go into that as one of only three undefeated teams remaining.
Iowa State (4-8, 1-8) had given up 16.5 points a game, the most being 31 and with only two teams scoring more than 24.
TCU led 17-0 with scores on each of its three drives against the Big 12’s top defense and was ahead 24-0 at the end of the first quarter. Defensively, Millard Bradford returned an interception 36 yards for a TD, and Josh Newton added another one with his 57-yard pick.
The last time the Frogs got this deep into a season undefeated was 2010, then in Mountain West, when they finished 13-0 and with a No. 2 national ranking after winning the Rose Bowl.
SOUTH CAROLINA 31, NO. 7
CLEMSON 30
CLEMSON, S.C. » Spencer Rattler threw for 360 yards and two touchdowns, Mitch Jeter hit the go-ahead field goal with 11 minutes left and South Carolina crushed the playoff hopes of a second straight top-10 team in Clemson.
The Gamecocks (8-4) last week dismantled then-No. 5 Tennessee 63-38, ending the Vols’ hopes of a CFP berth.
South Carolina and Rattler, who threw for 438 yards and six touchdowns against Tennessee, ended any chance Clemson (10-2, CFP No. 8) had of reaching the CFP. The Gamecocks rallied from 14-0 down 10 minutes in to end Clemson’s sevengame series winning streak and 40-game home streak that dated to 2016.
NO. 8 ALABAMA 42, AUBURN 27
TUSCALOOSA, ALA. » Bryce Young passed for 343 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score in perhaps his final home game for Alabama in its Iron Bowl win over Auburn.
Alabama (10-2, 6-2 Southeastern Conference, No. 7 CFP) reached double digits in wins for a 15th consecutive season despite being unable to fulfill its national title aspirations.
The Tigers (5-7, 2-6) were trying to ensure bowl eligibility and salvage a disappointing campaign that included the firing of coach Bryan Harsin.
Young, a junior, completed 20 of 30 passes with an interception and ran for 48 yards. The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner is projected as a high NFL draft pick if he leaves early.
Auburn ran for 318 yards, its most against Alabama since gaining 355 in 1983. Quarterback Robby Ashford became the first Auburn player to run for two touchdowns in the Iron Bowl since Carnell Williams — now the Tigers’ interim coach — in 2003. He gained 121 yards on the ground but passed for just 77. Jarquez Hunter ran 11 times for 134 yards but also lost a fumble.
For Auburn, the week was dominated by speculation about who athletic director John Cohen would hire to replace Harsin. Liberty’s Hugh Freeze said after his team’s regular-season finale Saturday he hadn’t been offered the job but confirmed his interest.