Florida State struggles against Boston College
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Jameis Winston drove top-ranked Florida State 66 yards to put Roberto Aguayo in position for a 26-yard field goal with 3 seconds remaining, and the Seminoles remained perfect with a 20-17 victory over Boston College on Saturday.
Florida State (11-0, 8-0 ACC, No. 3 CFP) has been plagued by slow starts throughout the season and the Seminoles went into the fourth quarter tied 17-all with the Eagles (6-5, 3-4). But with less than five minutes left, Winston helped engineer another game-winning drive.
The Seminoles have won a school-record 27 consecutive games.
Florida State took over on its own 26-yard line after Boston College missed a 43-yard field goal with 4:37 left, and the Seminoles drove to the Eagles 8-yard line. Rashad Greene caught back-to-back passes for 11 and 15 yards to move the Seminoles within field-goal range.
Winston had 281 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception. He has thrown at least one touchdown in 24 consecutive games.
The Seminoles have repeatedly either played from behind or been forced to scramble at the last minute to secure victories during the campaign to repeat as national champions.
CBSSports.com's Jerry Palm writes: "It's not a thing of beauty every week, but all these teams that are supposedly finding a way to control the game against the Seminoles have one thing in common -- they're losers."
No. 2 ALABAMA 48, WESTERN CAROLINA 14
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Derrick Henry rushed for two touchdowns and scored a third on a catch, all in the first half, to lead Alabama over Western Carolina.
The Crimson Tide (10-1) recovered from a slow start to score the final 31 points in its first game since rising to No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings. FCS member Western Carolina (7-5) scored a touchdown on the opening drive and trailed just 17-14 early in the second quarter.
Blake Sims was 17 of 25 passing for 222 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw an interception in the end zone to snap a 158-pass streak without one. Henry had touchdown runs of 10 and 23 yards, and a 9-yard scoring reception.
Neither played in the second half.
The Tide can clinch a spot in the SEC championship game with a victory next weekend at home over No. 16 Auburn.
No. 3 OREGON 44, COLORADO 10
EUGENE, Ore. - Marcus Mariota threw for 323 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 73 yards and another score as Oregon beat Colorado in perhaps his last game at Autzen Stadium.
Freshman Royce Freeman ran for 105 yards and two scores for the Ducks (10-1, 7-1 Pac-12, CFP No. 2). Oregon has already clinched the North Division's berth in the conference championship game on Dec. 5.
It was the seventh straight loss for Colorado (2-9, 0-8).
Mariota, a Heisman Trophy front-runner who has thrown a touchdown pass in every game of his career at Oregon, has not yet said whether he will forgo his final year of eligibility next season and declare for the NFL draft, although most expect him to.
Mariota has thrown 32 touchdown passes this season with just two interceptions and leads the nation in quarterback rating. With 42 total touchdowns this season (32 passing, 9 rushing and 1 TD catch), he passed former USC quarterback Matt Barkley (41) for the Pac-12 single-season record.
No. 4 MISSISSIPPI STATE 51, VANDERBILT 0
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Dak Prescott threw three touchdown passes and ran for another to lead Mississippi State over Vanderbilt.
It was a dominant performance by the Bulldogs (10-1, 6-1 Southeastern Conference, No. 4 CFP), who finished undefeated at Davis Wade Stadium for the first time since 1999.
Prescott threw touchdown passes of 9, 27 and 14 yards, and Christian Holmes ripped the ball out of Vanderbilt receiver Latevius Rayford's hands before returning it 51 yards for a touchdown as the Bulldogs built a 37-0 lead by halftime.
It was the largest halftime lead for Mississippi State against an SEC opponent in program history. The Bulldogs have 10 wins in the regular season for the first time.
Vanderbilt (3-8, 0-7) had three turnovers in the first half.
No. 6 BAYLOR 49, OKLAHOMA STATE 28
WACO, Texas - Bryce Petty threw touchdown passes on Baylor's first two drives that took a minute combined, putting the Bears ahead to stay in a comfortable victory over Oklahoma State.
Playoff-contending Baylor (9-1, 6-1 Big 12, No. 7 CFP) won its 15th consecutive home game on a dreary and rainy night along the banks of the Brazos River, staying in a three-way tie with No. 5 TCU and No. 12 Kansas State for the Big 12 lead with two games left.
Devin Chafin ran for 106 yards and three touchdowns, while Shock Linwood had 113 yards rushing with a score for Baylor. Corey Coleman extended his nation's best streak with a TD catch in his seventh consecutive game.
Oklahoma State (5-6, 3-5) has lost five in a row.
No. 7 OHIO ST. 42, INDIANA 27
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Jalin Marshall returned a punt 54 yards for a touchdown to give Ohio State the lead late in the third quarter and added three late insurance scores to lead the Buckeyes past Indiana, the Hoosiers' sixth loss in a row.
The surprisingly tight game for most of the day could impact the playoff hopes of the Buckeyes (10-1, 7-0 Big Ten, No. 6 CFP), who clinched the East Division title and a berth in the conference title game.
They trailed the 34-point underdogs 20-14 after Tevin Coleman sped 90 yards for a TD midway through the third quarter. A week after rushing for 307 yards, Coleman went for 228 yards on 27 carries for three scores for the Hoosiers (3-8, 0-7).
Marshall caught fourth-quarter scoring passes of 6, 15 and 54 yards to put the game out of reach.
The Hoosiers' last chance at a tying score ended with Tyvis Powell picking off a pass from Zander Diamont with 4:25 left, deep in Indiana territory.
ARKANSAS 30, No. 8 MISSISSIPPI 0
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Rohan Gaines returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown, and Arkansas' defense forced six turnovers against Mississippi.
The win earned the Razorbacks (6-5, 2-5 Southeastern Conference), losers of 17 straight SEC games until a victory over LSU last week, bowl eligibility for the first time in three seasons.
Led by Martrell Spaight's 11 tackles, Arkansas also earned back-to-back conference shutouts for the first time since joining the SEC in 1992.
Bo Wallace led the Rebels (8-3, 4-3) with 235 yards passing - but he also threw two interceptions as Ole Miss lost its third straight SEC game.
No. 9 GEORGIA 55, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 9
ATHENS, Ga. - Georgia scored two touchdowns on its first three snaps, including an 83-yard touchdown run by Nick Chubb, and the Bulldogs rolled past Charleston Southern.
Hutson Mason played only the first half and threw three touchdown passes, including two to Chris Conley. Mason's 35-yard scoring pass to Conley came on Georgia's first play following a fumble recovery by Ramik Wilson. Mason added touchdown passes of 19 yards to Justin Scott-Wesley and 23 yards to Conley.
Chubb recorded his sixth straight 100-yard game, with 113 yards rushing and two touchdowns on only nine carries in the first half for Georgia (9-2). The Bulldogs, who have completed their Southeastern Conference schedule, would land in the SEC championship game if Missouri loses one of its final two games.
Charleston Southern (8-4), hoping for a spot in the FCS playoffs, was held to 211 total yards.
No. 10 MICHIGAN STATE 45, RUTGERS 3
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Jeremy Langford and Tony Lippett celebrated senior day in style as Michigan State smashed Rutgers for its 40th win in four seasons and 51st in five.
Langford, who played cornerback and wide receiver before returning to running back, rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns. That stretched his streak of 100-yard games in conference play to 15, the longest in the Football Bowl Subdivision in the last 10 years.
Lippett, another fifth-year player who switched positions multiple times, had five catches for 72 yards and his 10th score this season. He became the eighth receiver in school history to pass the 1,000-yard mark and also played well in a surprising stint at cornerback.
The Spartans (9-2, 6-1 Big Ten) scored on five on their first six possessions and finished with a 520-234 edge in total offense, including 254 through the air from Connor Cook.
Gary Nova threw for just 108 yards on 11-for-26 passing for the Scarlet Knights (6-5, 2-5).
No. 11 UCLA 38, No. 24 USC 20
PASADENA, Calif. - Brett Hundley passed for 326 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another score, leading UCLA past Southern California for the Bruins' third straight victory in the annual crosstown showdown.
Devin Lucien, Thomas Duarte and Eldridge Massington caught scoring passes as the Bruins (9-2, 6-2 Pac-12) confirmed their Los Angeles supremacy and closed in on the Pac-12 South title with a one-sided romp over their biggest rivals at a festive Rose Bowl.
Paul Perkins rushed for 93 yards and a score for UCLA, which hadn't won three straight over USC since 1998.
After five consecutive wins down the stretch of a slow-starting season, UCLA can advance to the Pac-12 title game against No. 3 Oregon with a victory over Stanford on Friday.
Cody Kessler passed for 214 yards for the Trojans (7-4, 6-3), who struggled mightily against UCLA's inspired defense.
No. 13 ARIZONA ST. 52, WASHINGTON ST. 31
TEMPE, Ariz. - Taylor Kelly threw for four touchdowns in his last home game and Arizona State dominated the second half against Washington State.
D.J. Foster rushed for three scores and the Sun Devils converted all five Cougars turnovers into touchdowns.
Cameron Smith caught six passes for a career-best 131 yards and two touchdowns for the Sun Devils (9-2, 6-2 Pac-12), who can still win the Pac-12 South title with some help.
Redshirt freshman Luke Falk, in his second start after Connor Halliday went down with a season-ending injury, passed for 601 yards for Washington State (3-8, 2-6) but was intercepted four times and fumbled the ball away once. Vince Mayle caught 15 for 265 yards.
Sun Devils defensive end Marcus Hardison had an interception, forced fumble and sack.
No. 14 WISCONSIN 26, IOWA 24
IOWA CITY, Iowa - Melvin Gordon surpassed 2,000 yards rushing with 200 yards and two touchdowns, and Wisconsin held off Iowa for its sixth straight win.
Gordon became the 17th FBS player with a 2,000-yard rushing season. The Badgers (9-2, 6-1 Big Ten) still have to beat Minnesota in Madison next weekend to earn a shot at Ohio State in the Big Ten title game.
Gordon's performance came only hours after Oklahoma's Samaje Perine broke his week-old FBS record with 427 yards rushing in a win over Kansas. But Gordon was sensational in his own right, cracking the 2,000-yard mark on an 88-yard run midway through the third quarter.
Jake Rudock had 311 yards passing and two TDs for the Hawkeyes (7-4, 4-3), who rallied from 16 down to get to 26-24 with just more than 5 minutes left.
No. 15 ARIZONA 42, No. 20 UTAH 10
SALT LAKE CITY - Freshman Nick Wilson ran for 218 yards and three touchdowns as Arizona overcame an injury to quarterback Anu Solomon and pulled away from Utah.
In heavy rain at times, Wilson topped the 1,000-yard mark this season. Arizona led 21-10 in the fourth quarter before Wilson scored on a 75-yard run.
Arizona (9-2, 6-2 Pac-12) reached nine wins for the first time since its 1998 Holiday Bowl team went 12-1 and was ranked No. 4. The Wildcats retain slim hopes for a berth in the conference championship game as a matchup with rival Arizona State looms next week.
The Wildcats ran for 298 yards, the most allowed by Utah (7-4, 4-4) this season.
No. 16 AUBURN 31, SAMFORD 7
AUBURN, Ala. - Cameron Artis-Payne ran for 129 yards and a touchdown, Nick Marshall passed for 171 yards and a score, and Auburn snapped a two-game skid with a victory over Samford.
Auburn (8-3) used the game against an FCS opponent to tune up for next week's Iron Bowl showdown at No. 2 Alabama.
The Tigers, who upset Alabama last year before narrowly losing the national title game to Florida State, needed a morale boost after dropping from third to 14th in the College Football Playoff rankings with consecutive losses to Texas A&M and Georgia.
Samford (7-4), coached by former Auburn quarterback and 1971 Heisman Trophy winner Pat Sullivan, had its four-game winning streak snapped.
No. 18 MARSHALL 23, UAB 18
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Defensive lineman Ra'shawde Myers recovered a fumble in the end zone for a go-ahead touchdown with 8:20 left, and Marshall stayed unbeaten by rallying past UAB.
Marshall (11-0, 7-0 Conference USA) had its closest game yet and was held to its fewest points all season. Still, the Thundering Herd held off the Blazers (5-6, 3-4) in the final minute and took another step toward a possible New Year's Day bowl.
UAB drove to the Marshall 10 with time running down, but Jermaine Holmes tackled Jordan Howard for a loss to end the threat and preserve the win.
Marshall led 17-6 at halftime after Rakeem Cato's 28-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Shuler and a 43-yard scoring pass to Angelo Jean-Louis. UAB came back on TD runs of 1 and 10 yards by Howard to lead 18-17 in the fourth quarter. It was the first time all season that Marshall had trailed so late.
No. 19 MISSOURI 29, TENNESSEE 21
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Maty Mauk threw a pair of touchdown passes and Marcus Murphy ran for two scores as Missouri defeated Tennessee to maintain control of the SEC East race.
The Tigers (9-2, 6-1 Southeastern Conference) set a school record with their 10th straight road win.
Missouri can clinch the East Division and earn a second straight trip to the SEC championship game by winning at home Friday over Arkansas. A loss would send No. 9 Georgia to Atlanta instead. Georgia is 10th and Missouri 20th in the College Football Playoff standings.
Andrew Baggett's 43-yard field goal broke a 13-all tie midway through the third quarter. Mauk threw a 73-yard touchdown pass to Jimmie Hunt and a 13-yard scoring strike to Bud Sasser in the fourth quarter.
Tennessee (5-6, 2-5) must win next week at Vanderbilt to become bowl-eligible for the first time since 2010.
MINNESOTA 28, No. 21 NEBRASKA 24
LINCOLN, Neb. - Briean Boddy-Calhoun ripped the ball out of Nebraska receiver De'Mornay Pierson-El's hands at the Minnesota 2-yard line after Mitch Leidner scored the go-ahead touchdown, and the Golden Gophers overcame a 14-point halftime deficit to defeat Nebraska.
The Gophers (8-3, 5-2) can win the Big Ten West and go to the conference championship game on Dec. 6 with a victory at Wisconsin next week.
The Cornhuskers (8-3, 4-3), humiliated at Wisconsin a week ago, lost back-to-back conference games for the first time since 2009 and were eliminated from the West race.
Nebraska started its final possession with 3:25 to play and drove to the Minnesota 30. Pierson-El caught Tommy Armstrong's third-and-9 pass at the 2, but Boddy-Calhoun stripped him of the ball with 1:19 left.
Minnesota ran out the clock and secured its first road win against a Top 25 opponent in 21 games since 2000. It also was the Gophers' second straight win over the Huskers and their first in Lincoln after seven straight losses since 1960.
Leidner ran 22 times for a season-high 110 yards and two touchdowns.
No. 22 COLORADO STATE 58, NEW MEXICO 20
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Dee Hart matched a school record with six touchdowns and Colorado State amassed a program-best 698 yards of offense in routing New Mexico to extend its winning streak to nine games.
The Rams (10-1, 6-1 Mountain West) are off to their best start since 1994. Hart led the way against New Mexico (3-8, 1-6) by rushing for 230 yards and five TDs. He also hauled in a TD pass to tie Kapri Bibbs' school mark of six scores set last season against the Lobos.
Garrett Grayson threw for 389 yards to become the school's all-time offensive leader. The senior threw two of his TD passes to Rashard Higgins, who was back after missing a game with a sore shoulder.
No. 23 OKLAHOMA 44, KANSAS 7
NORMAN, Okla. - Oklahoma freshman Samaje Perine set a major college record by running for 427 yards in a driving rainstorm, scoring five touchdowns and leading the Sooners over Kansas.
A week after Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon set the mark by rushing for 408 yards against Nebraska, Perine ran past him. He broke the 7-day-old record on his 34th and final carry, a 42-yard run with 12:16 left.
Perine got off a fast start, running for a 49-yard TD on his first carry. He added TD runs of 33 and 34 yards in the second quarter and scored on runs of 66 and 27 yards in the third.
In a game that started 90 minutes late because of lightning, Perine shattered the school rushing record of 294 yards set by Greg Pruitt in 1971.
The Sooners (8-3, 5-3 Big 12) held Kansas to 103 yards to win their second straight. Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight sat out with a neck injury
The Jayhawks (3-8, 1-7) lost their 29th straight true road game and 32nd in a row outside of Lawrence.