The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Illinois stuns No. 7 Penn St. in a record nine overtimes
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Casey Washington caught a 2-point conversion pass from Brandon Peters to end the first nineovertime game in NCAA history and lift Illinois over No. 7 Penn State 20-18 on Saturday.
The teams were tied at 10 after regulation, exchanged field goals in the first two overtimes, then began to alternate 2-point attempts in the third OT as part of a format tweaked ahead of the season.
Neither team converted until the eighth overtime, when Isaiah Williams ran one in to put Illinois (3-5, 2-3 Big Ten) up 18-16. Noah Cain kept the it alive for Penn State (5-2, 2-2) with a 2-point run of his own.
In the ninth OT, Sean Clifford’s pass to Parker Washington was broken up by linebacker Khalan Tolson. Peters then found Washington near the back of the end zone for the winning completion.
The 2-point conversion shootout started in 2019, the season after LSU and Texas A&M played a seven-overtime game that left both teams badly beaten up. The rule was tweaked this year, with the 2-point conversion possessions beginning with the third overtime instead of the fifth.
Chase Brown and Josh McCray combined for 365 rushing yards and a touchdown for Illinois, and James McCourt kicked three field goals.
NO. 2 CINCINNATI 28, NAVY 20
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Arquon Bush intercepted a pass with 25 seconds left to help Cincinnati hold off Navy.
The Bearcats (7-0, 3-0 American Athletic Conference) weren’t in significant danger until the final minute, when Navy scored to make it a one-score game and then recovered an onside kick with 48 seconds left.
The Midshipmen (1-6, 1-4) didn’t do much with that final chance, though. Tai Lavatai’s third-down pass was picked off by Bush near the Cincinnati 45.
Desmond Ridder threw for 176 yards and two touchdowns for the Bearcats.
NO. 3 OKLAHOMA 35, KANSAS 23
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Caleb Williams threw two touchdown passes, ran 40-yards for a score on a pivotal fourth down and Oklahoma rallied to beat Kansas.
The Sooners (8-0, 5-0 Big 12) trailed by double figures on two occasions — including 10-0 at the half —-but outscored the Jayhawks 35-13 in the second half to win their 16th straight game.
Jason Bean passed for 246 yards and a score for Kansas (1-6, 0-4), which led 17-7 late in the third quarter. A 66-yard run by Trevon West sparked the Oklahoma offense after that. and scored two plays later for their first lead, 21-17, early in the fourth quarter.
Kansas was able to stay in the game because of the legs of Devin Neal who ran for 100 and a pair of touchdowns. Kansas didn’t punt for the first time until the fourth quarter and held Oklahoma scoreless in the first half.
In his second start, Williams threw for 178 yards, ran for 70 and converted two key fourth downs, one with the long TD run midway through the fourth quarter to make it 28-17 and another when he pulled the ball away from teammate Kennedy Brooks, who appeared stopped behind the line.
NO. 6 MICHIGAN 33, NORTHWESTERN 7
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins combined for 229 yards rushing and four touchdowns, carrying Michigan past Northwestern.
The Wolverines (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) closed strong after a sluggish start. They led by just three points at halftime, looking as if they were peeking ahead to next week’s game against ninth-ranked Michigan State on the road.
Corum finished with 119 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Haskins ran for 110 yards and two scores. Cade McNamara was 20 of 27 for 129 yards for the Wolverines.
Michigan pulled away from the Wildcats (3-4, 1-3) by outscoring them 23-0 in the first 16:40 of the second half.
IOWA ST. 24,
NO. 8 OKLAHOMA ST. 21
AMES, Iowa — Brock Purdy threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns and the Iowa State defense made a late stand in the closing minutes as the Cyclones knocked off Oklahoma State.
Breece Hall scored the go-ahead touchdown with 5:29 left, then the Cyclones’ defense forced a three-and-out and stopped the Cowboys on fourth down with 1:09 left.
Purdy kneeled twice in victory formation, and fans stormed the field at Jack Trice Stadium as the clock ran out to celebrate Iowa State’s first win over a top-10 opponent since 2018.
It was the seventh straight Oklahoma State-Iowa State game decided by seven points or less.
Purdy completed 27 of 33 passes, and Xavier Hutchinson had a career-best 12 passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns for the Cyclones (5-2, 3-1 Big 12).
Spencer Sanders went 15 for 24 passing for Oklahoma State (6-1, 3-1), finishing with 225 yards and three touchdowns.
NO. 10 OREGON 34, UCLA 31
PASADENA, Calif. — Travis Dye became the first player in Football Bowl Subdivision history to score touchdowns on four consecutive carries and Oregon overcame an early 14-point deficit to beat UCLA.
Anthony Brown had 381 yards of total offense for the Ducks (6-1, 3-1 Pac-12) against the Bruins (5-3, 3-2).
Dye — who finished with 35 yards on 14 carries — also became the seventh Oregon running back since 2000 with at least four rushing touchdowns in a game.
NO. 12 MISSISSIPPI 31, LSU 17
OXFORD, Miss. — Matt Corral threw for a touchdown and ran for another, directing Mississippi to a 31-point outburst that spanned the second and third quarters to beat lame-duck coach Ed Orgeron and LSU.
LSU (4-4, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) lost in its first game since it was announced Orgeron wouldn’t return next season. A former Mississippi coach, he led the Tigers to the national championship less than two years ago.
NO. 16 WAKE FOREST 70, ARMY 56
WEST POINT, N.Y. — Sam Hartman threw for a career-high 458 yards and five touchdowns in a big-play display and ran for another score and Wake Forest beat Army to improve to 7-0.
Army (4-3), which lost its third straight, have not defeated a ranked opponent since a 17-14 victory over Air Force in 1972, but the Black Knights made Wake Forest earn it.
NO. 23 PITT 27, CLEMSON 17
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett made the most of his Heisman Trophy showcase, throwing for 302 yards and two touchdowns as the Panthers topped Clemson.
Pickett completed 25 of 39 passes to overtake Alex Van Pelt for the most career completions in school history. The fifthyear senior ran for two drive-extending dives late in the fourth quarter after the Tigers had drawn within 10.
WISCONSIN 30, NO. 25 PURDUE 13
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Chez Mellusi ran for 149 yards and a touchdown and Braelon Allen had 140 yards and two scores to help Wisconsin beat Purdue.
Mellusi and Allen both had career highs for yards, with Mellusi carrying 27 carries and Allen 12 for the Badgers (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten).