Ole Miss football comes tumbling back to Earth
OXFORD, Miss. - Cassanova McKinzy recovered a fumble in the end zone to preserve No. 4 Auburn's 35-31 victory over No. 7 Mississippi on Saturday night in what amounted to the first College Football Playoff knockout game.
The Tigers (7-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference, No. 3 CFP) got a reprieve after Rebels receiver Laquon Treadwell lost the ball at the end of a tackle-breaking catch-and-run to the end zone with 1:30 left. It was ruled a touchdown, but the replay official determined he lost the ball before crossing the goal line.
CBSSports.com's Jon Solomon reports that Treadwell was also seriously injured on the play.
"It's a really, really sickening way to lose," said Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze, who described Treadwell's injury as a fracture to his right leg.
Solomon points out that Auburn's football program has gotten a little used to winning in nail-biting and unusual ways. Auburn has won games on a tipped Hail Mary, a 109-yard field goal return and a player fumbling on a bad injury before scoring potentially the winning touchdown.
"We've kind of gotten used to the discomfort of playing in a game like this and having it go blow to blow," Auburn linebacker Kris Frost said.
Auburn milked a minute off the clock before Ole Miss (7-2, 4-2, No. 4 CFP) got the ball back at its 49 with 26 seconds left and no timeouts. Bo Wallace, who had fumbled at Auburn's 6 on the previous drive, threw three straight incompletions before a final desperation play went nowhere.
The Tigers gained 507 yards against the nation's top scoring defense, the only unit that hadn't given up 20 points in a game coming into this SEC West clash. An Ole Miss offense held to seven points in a loss to No. 16 LSU matched them nearly yard for yard, gaining 492.
Marshall completed 15 of 22 passes for 254 yards with an interception that was Senquez Golson's nation-leading ninth. Marshall ran and passed for two touchdowns. Cameron Artis-Payne turned in another workhorse game, gaining 143 yards on 27 punishing carries.
Wallace was 28-of-40 passing for 341 yards and two touchdowns. He had a 59-yard run and scored on a 3-yarder early in the fourth quarter for a 31-28 lead.
Auburn answered with Artis-Payne's 6-yard touchdown run with 10:23 left.
NO. 1 MISSISSIPPI STATE 17, ARKANSAS 10
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Dak Prescott threw for a career-high 331 yards and a touchdown for Mississippi State.
Mississippi State (8-0, 5-0 Southeastern Conference, No. 1 CFP) trailed until the third quarter and didn't take the lead until Prescott's 69-yard touchdown pass to Fred Ross made it 17-10 with 13:21 remaining.
Arkansas had two promising drives in the fourth quarter, but neither resulted in points. Will Redmond intercepted a pass in the end zone with 15 seconds left to end the Razorbacks' final chance.
The Razorbacks (4-5, 0-5) have lost 17 straight conference games dating to 2012.
It wasn't the prettiest game for Prescott - who threw two interceptions - but he made clutch throws during crucial moments in the second half. Josh Robinson caught six passes for a career-high 110 yards.
Mississippi State has won 11 straight games, the second-longest streak in the country behind Florida State.
NO. 5 OREGON 45, STANFORD 16
EUGENE, Ore. - Marcus Mariota threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two more scores in Oregon's victory over Stanford.
Thomas Tyner returned from an injury to run for two touchdowns to help the Ducks (8-1, 5-1 Pac-12, No. 5 CFP) snap a two-game losing streak to the Cardinal.
Stanford's defense had not allowed an opponent more than 30 points in a string of 31 games, the longest streak in the nation. The Cardinal (5-4, 3-3) had allowed just four total rushing touchdowns through the season's first eight games; Oregon finished with four.
All of Stanford's losses have come to ranked teams.
NO. 6 NOTRE DAME 49, NAVY 39
LANDOVER, Md. - Everett Golson became the first player in Notre Dame history to throw for three touchdowns and run for three scores, and the Fight Irish beat Navy after blowing a 21-point lead.
After scoring touchdowns on their first four possessions, the Fighting Irish (7-1, No. 10 CFP) appeared on their way to an easy victory. Navy then scored 24 straight points to move ahead 31-28 with 4 minutes left in the third quarter.
Golson put Notre Dame back in front with a 3-yard burst into the end zone, and Tarean Folston's 25-yard touchdown run made it 42-31 with 12:22 remaining.
Two missed field goals by the Irish kept Navy's hopes alive. The Midshipmen (4-5) took advantage by scoring a touchdown and 2-point conversion to close to 42-39 with 4:18 remaining, but the onside kick failed and Golson wrapped it up with an 8-yard TD run with 1:27 to go.
FLORIDA 38, NO. 9 GEORGIA 20
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Matt Jones and Kelvin Taylor combined for 389 yards rushing and four touchdowns and Florida upset Georgia, ending a three-game losing streak in the series and quite possibly saving coach Will Muschamp's job.
Jones ran 25 times for 197 yards and two touchdowns. Taylor, whose NFL father, Fred, has his name emblazoned on a wall inside EverBank Field, carried 25 times for 192 yards and two scores.
Jones and Taylor carried Florida (4-3, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) to a much-needed victory in the series against the Bulldogs (6-2, 4-2, No. 11 CFP) and in the conference.
Muschamp may have been the big winner. The fourth-year coach's future was clearly in jeopardy with Florida having lost 10 of its previous 13 games. Muschamp also had been 0-7 in this series, going 0-4 as a Georgia defensive back in the 1990s and losing his first three games as Florida's coach.
NO. 10 TCU 31, NO. 20 WEST VIRGINIA 30
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Jaden Oberkrom kicked a 37-yard field goal as time expired to lift TCU past West Virginia.
The Horned Frogs (7-1, 4-1 Big 12, No. 7 CFP) overcame a 13-point deficit to keep their national championship hopes alive. West Virginia (6-3, 4-2, No. 20 CFP) led 27-14 midway through the third quarter, but was held to one first down the rest of the game.
B.J. Catalon had two second-half touchdown runs for TCU, including a 6-yarder with 7:33 left that cut it to 30-28. He finished with 105 yards.
With TCU starting from its 24, Trevone Boykin threw 40 yards to Kolby Listenbee to the West Virginia 33. Three running plays advanced the ball to the 24 to set up Oberkrom's kick.
The Mountaineers (6-3, 4-2) committed five turnovers, all in their own territory. Both offenses struggled in cold, windy conditions, and a rain shower in the second quarter practically brought them to a halt.
TCU played its first game outside the state of Texas this season and the nation's highest-scoring offense looked nothing like the unit that scored 82 points against Texas Tech last week.
NO. 11 KANSAS STATE 48, OKLAHOMA STATE 14
MANHATTAN, Kan. - Jake Waters threw two touchdown passes, Charles Jones ran for a pair of scores and Kansas State shut down Oklahoma State's slumping offense.
Curry Sexton had nine catches for 159 yards and a touchdown, and Tyler Lockett had six receptions for 94 yards and a score, helping the Wildcats (7-1, 5-0, No. 9 CFP) remain the lone unbeaten team in the Big 12 heading into next week's showdown at 10th-ranked TCU.
After marching for a touchdown on the game's opening drive, Oklahoma State (5-4, 3-3) never threatened on offense again. The Cowboys managed only a pick-six by Ramon Richards in the fourth quarter in losing their third straight game for the first time since the 2005 season.
The second-largest crowd in Kansas State history, an overflow gathering of 53,746 fans, was dumbstruck for all of 12 seconds - the amount of time it took Morgan Burns to return the ensuing kickoff for a matching touchdown. Burns bobbled the kickoff at first, but quickly picked it up and found a clean lane, running almost untouched 86 yards for the score.
NO. 12 BAYLOR 60, KANSAS 14
WACO, Texas - Bryce Petty had three touchdown passes, two to Corey Coleman, and Baylor scored on 11 straight possessions to rout Kansas.
Baylor (7-1, 3-1 Big 12, No. 13 CFP) had to settle for field goals after two of three first-half fumbles by the Jayhawks deep in their territory, but still rolled up 669 yards in their 14th straight home victory. That streak ties Auburn for the longest in the nation.
Coleman had a career-high 167 yards receiving and TDs of 72 and 49 yards, the latter putting the Bears up 46-7 early in the third quarter.
Kansas (2-6, 0-5) had 0 yards rushing at halftime in its 31st straight loss away from home and 28th in a row in a true road game since winning at UTEP in 2009.
NO. 13 OHIO STATE 55, ILLINOIS 14
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Curtis Samuel ran for two touchdowns and J.T. Barrett hit Devin Smith on two scoring passes - all in the first half - and Ohio State extended its Big Ten winning streak to a record-tying 20.
The Buckeyes (7-1, 4-0, No. 16 CFP) won their sixth in a row - five by lopsided scores. Now they head into the game of the year in the conference, at defending champion Michigan State next week.
Donovonn Young's 5-yard run late in the third quarter broke up the shutout for the Illini (4-5, 1-4).
Barrett, nursing a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee and wearing a brace, left at halftime with the Buckeyes up 31-0. He completed 15 of 24 passes for 167 yards.
He gave way to Cardale Jones, who lofted a picture-perfect 27-yard TD pass to Dontre Wilson and also hit Michael Thomas on a 19-yard scoring pass.
NO. 25 UCLA 17, NO. 14 ARIZONA 7
PASADENA, Calif. - Brett Hundley passed for 189 yards and ran for 131 more, and UCLA pulled its season back from the brink with a dominant defensive performance against Arizona.
Paul Perkins rushed for a touchdown and Hundley threw a 70-yard TD pass to Jordan Payton during the decisive third quarter. The Bruins (7-2, 4-2 Pac-12, No. 22 CFP) stayed in the Pac-12 South race with their first home victory in nearly two months.
Anu Solomon went 18 for 48 for 175 yards on a nightmarish offensive night for the Wildcats (6-2, 3-2, No. 12 CFP), who couldn't score in the final 57 minutes.
Cayleb Jones caught a TD pass on Arizona's opening drive.
NO. 17 NEBRASKA 35, PURDUE 14
LINCOLN, Neb. - Imani Cross had two short touchdown runs after Heisman Trophy hopeful Ameer Abdullah left with a mildly sprained and bruised left knee, and Nebraska took sole possession of the Big Ten West lead.
The Cornhuskers (8-1, 4-1, No. 15 CFP) are a half-game ahead of Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin after their third straight win. Purdue (3-6, 1-4) lost its third in a row.
Abdullah, who came into the game third nationally in rushing at 156 yards a game, injured his left knee on the Huskers' second possession while recovering Tommy Armstrong's fumbled snap at the Purdue 1. Abdullah returned to carry one more time, losing 5 yards, and didn't return.
NO. 19 OKLAHOMA 59, IOWA STATE 14
AMES, Iowa - Trevor Knight threw three touchdown passes and ran for three scores for Oklahoma.
Knight had 230 yards passing and a career-high 146 yards rushing for the Sooners (6-2, 3-2 Big 12, No. 18 CFP). They gained a season-high 751 yards in beating the Cyclones for the 43rd time in their past 45 tries.
The Sooners had 480 yards and led 35-7 at halftime. But star wide receiver Sterling Shepard was carted off with an apparent leg injury in the first quarter and did not return.
Sam Richardson had 239 yards passing for Iowa State (2-6, 0-5).
TEMPLE 20, NO. 21 EAST CAROLINA 10
PHILADELPHIA - Kenny Harper ran for two touchdowns and Temple forced five fumbles to beat East Carolina for its first victory over a ranked opponent since 1998.
The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Pirates (6-2, 3-1 American Athletic, No. 23 CFP), spoiling their bid for the best eight-game start in school history.
Playing much of the game in a driving rain storm, Temple (5-3, 3-2) played relatively mistake-free and jumped out to a 14-point lead in the first quarter.
Temple beat then-No. 14 Virginia Tech on the road in October 1998.
NO. 24 DUKE 51, PITTSBURGH 48, 2OT
PITTSBURGH - Backup quarterback Thomas Sirk bulled into the end zone from 5 yards in the second overtime to lift Duke past Pittsburgh.
The Blue Devils (7-1, 3-1 Atlantic Coast, No. 24 CFP) held Pitt to a field goal to start the second overtime, then went 25 yards in four plays, with Sirk's second touchdown ending it.
The Panthers (4-5, 2-3) had a chance to win in regulation, but Chris Blewitt missed a 26-yard field goal with 2 seconds left. James Conner ran for a career-high 263 yards and three touchdowns for Pitt.