Alabama rolls over rival Auburn minus Saban
Mac Jones passed for 302 yards and five touchdowns, highlighted by two long ones to Devonta Smith, and No. 1 Alabama rolled over rival No. 22 Auburn 42-13 on Saturday.
The Crimson Tide (8- 0, No. 1 playoff rankings) continued a dominating march through a schedule of allSEC games — even minus their six-time national champion coach, Nick Saban, on the sideline.
Saban tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday and watched the game feed from home, witnessing the usual array of big plays with offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian running the show.
The result was much of the same against the Tigers (5-3), who suffered the second-most lopsided loss of Gus Malzahn’s coaching tenure. The only bigger margin was Alabama’s 52-21 win in the 2018 Iron Bowl.
Smith had seven catches for 171 yards. Najee Smith ran for 96 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown, and John Metchie III caught a pair of scoring passes.
Bo Nix passed for 227 yards and ran for a late touchdown for the Tigers, but also threw two interceptions.
NO. 4 CLEMSON 52, PITTSBURGH 17 >> Trevor Lawrence threw for 403 yards and two touchdowns in his first game in five weeks as the Tigers (8-1, 7-1 ACC; No. 3 CFP) moved a step closer to the conference championship game.
Cornell Powell had five catches for 176 yards, including a 43-yard TD catch off a flea-flicker from Lawrence.
Kenny Pickett of Pitt (55, 4- 5) threw four interceptions, three in the first eight minutes that all led to Clemson touchdowns.
NO. 6 FLORIDA 34, KENTUCKY 10 >> QB Kyle Trask found tight end Kyle Pitts for three touchdowns and the Gators (7-1) overcame a sluggish start to beat Kentucky (3- 6).
Trask has 34 TD passes this season, moving him past 2007 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and into a tie for third on the school’s single- season list. Only Danny Wuerffel (39 in 1996, 35 in 1995) is ahead of him. Rex Grossman also had 34 in 2001.
Trask did break one of Wuerffel’s records Saturday. He became the first player in school history with at least three TD passes in eight consecutive games. Trask is on pace to pass Wuerffel for TDS, too.
More importantly for Trask and the Gators (7-1), though, is they can clinch the SEC East Division with a win at Tennessee next week. MICHIGAN STATE 29, NO. 11 NORTHWESTERN 20 >> Matt Coghlin broke a tie with a 48-yard field goal with 3:35 left and the Spartans handed the Wildcats their first loss of the season.
Northwestern (5-1 Big Ten, 5-1) was coming off a 17-7 victory over Wisconsin that put them in contention for a spot in the College Football Playoff. That prospect likely was dashed with the loss to MSU (2-3, 2-3), but the Wildcats remain in control of the Big Ten West. NO. 12 INDIANA 27, MARYLAND 11 >> Stevie Scott III had three TD runs, and the Hoosiers (5-1 Big Ten) had three interceptions, three sacks and a game- changing safety. Indiana freshman Tim Baldwin Jr. ran for a season-high 106 yards against Maryland (2-2), coming off a 21- day break stemming from a COVID-19 outbreak that caused the cancellation of two games. NO. 13 GEORGIA 45, SOUTH CAROLINA 16 >> James Cook ran for 104 yards on just six carries and three other Georgia backs had at least 77 yards to help the Bulldogs (6-2 SEC) overpower the depleted Gamecocks (2-7).
NO. 16 COASTAL CARO - LINA 49, TEXAS STATE 14 >>
C. J. Marable ran for 157 yards and three TDS and the Chanticleers (9- 0, 7- 0) wrapped up the Sun Belt Conference East Division title. Coastal Carolina racked up 572 yards of offense in extending their winning streak to 10 games. NO. 21 OKLAHOMA STATE 50, TEXAS TECH 44 >> Dezmon Jackson rushed for career highs of 235 yards and three TDS and the Cowboys (6-2, 5-2 Big 12) bounced back from a disappointing loss to rival Oklahoma.
NO. 23 LA.-LAFAYETTE 70, LA.MONROE 20 >> Levi Lewis passed for three touchdowns and ran for two more in less than three quarters, and the Ragin’ Cajuns routed winless Louisiana-monroe.
Running backs Trey Regas and Elijah Mitchell each rushed for more than 90 yards and scored a touchdown for Louisiana-lafayette (8-1, 6-1 Sun Belt), which has won five straight since its lone loss to unbeaten Coastal Carolina.