COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Seth Small made a 28-yard field goal as time expired and Texas A&M stunned top-ranked Alabama 41-38 on Saturday night to end the Crimson Tide’s winning streak at 19 games.
Defending national champion Alabama (5-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) had scored 21 straight points — capped by a TD reception and 2-point conversion grab by Jameson Williams — to take a 38-31 lead with five minutes to go.
Texas A&M (4-2, 1-2) tied it at 38 when Zach Calzada connected with Ainias Smith for a 25-yard touchdown strike with three minutes left. Calzada was hit as he threw the strike and had to be helped off the field but returned for the next drive after a visit to the medical tent.
Calzada returned after the Aggies forced a punt to orchestrate the winning drive, highlighted by a 17-yard pass to Isaiah Spiller before Small finished it off to send fans streaming onto the field to celebrate.
Calzada threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns, as the former backup played like a star to take down the reigning champs. Devon Achane returned a kickoff 96 yards for a TD in the third quarter and A&M’s defense got after Bryce Young all night.
Alabama hadn’t lost since a 48-45 win by Auburn on Nov. 30, 2019. It’s the first time Alabama coach Nick Saban has lost to one of his assistants after entering the game a perfect 24-0 in those games. He’d beaten Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher four times, the most of any of his former staffers.
Texas A&M also ended Alabama’s streak of 100 straight wins over unranked teams, dating to a win over Colorado in the 2007 Independence Bowl to cap Saban’s first season.
NO. 2 GEORGIA, 34, NO. 18 AUBURN 10
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) – Stetson Bennett passed for 231 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Bulldogs past the Tigers for the second straight year.
The nation’s top defense gave up only its second touchdown of the year for the Bulldogs (6-0, 4-0 Southeastern Conference), who were still without injured starting quarterback JT Daniels. None of that kept Georgia from another comfortable SEC win and a fifth straight in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.
Bennett completed 14 of 21 passes and hit Ladd McConkey in stride for a 60-yard third-quarter score. He also had a 30-yard run.
Bo Nix completed 21 of 38 passes for 217 yards with an interception off a dropped ball for the Tigers (3-2, 1-1), who entered the game averaging 40 points.
NO. 3 IOWA 23, NO. 4 PENN STATE 20
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Spencer Petras threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Nico Ragaini to complete Iowa’s comeback from a two-touchdown deficit.
Penn State’s offense did next to nothing after quarterback Sean Clifford was knocked out of the game.
The Hawkeyes (6-0, 3-0) took control of the Big Ten West with their 12th straight win and thrust themselves into the College Football Playoff conversation.
Penn State (5-1, 2-1) lost for the first time in 10 games and headed back to Happy Valley with a list of injuries that could make its path through the rest of the season difficult.
NO. 6 OKLAHOMA 55, NO. 21 TEXAS 48
DALLAS (AP) — Kennedy Brooks ran for 217 yards and two go-ahead touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including a 33-yard romp with 3 seconds left to lead Oklahoma.
The Sooners (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) appeared to be trying to set up for a game-ending field goal when Brooks instead broke free for a sprint to the end zone to stun the sellout crowd at 92,100-seat Cotton Bowl Stadium.
Oklahoma hadn’t led until Brooks had an 18-yard score with 7:10 left that made it 48-41. His rush was the first play from scrimmage after OU tied the game and kicked off to Xavier Worthy, who had the ball stripped away by Caleb Kelly.
Worthy did have nine catches for 261 yards and two scores, and his 31-yard TD catch tied the game with 1:23 left.
Texas (4-2, 2-1) had a 14-0 lead less than two minutes into the game. The Longhorns, who had won three in a row since a loss to future SEC foe Arkansas in Week 2, had never lost when scoring at least 48 points.
The Sooners overcame a 21-point deficit, matching the second-largest comeback in program history.
Caleb Williams completed 15 of 24 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns after replacing Spencer Rattler, who had two turnovers in the first half that led to Texas touchdowns.
Longhorns quarterback Casey Thompson, whose father played for Oklahoma, was 20-of-34 passing for 388 yards and five touchdowns. Bijan Robinson ran 20 times for 137 yards and an early touchdown.
NO. 7 OHIO STATE 66, MARYLAND 17
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — C.J. Stroud threw five touchdowns passes as Ohio State scored on nine straight possessions.
Stroud was 24 for 33 for 406 yards and threw two touchdown passes each to star wideouts Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson against a depleted Maryland secondary before taking a seat after three quarters.
Freshman TreVeyon Henderson, after managing just 17 yards rushing in the first half, finished with 102 and two touchdowns. He also caught a 26-yard TD pass in the first half for the Buckeyes (5-1, 3-0 Big Ten).
Master Teague also had a touchdown plunge as Ohio State beat Maryland (4-2, 1-2) for the seventh consecutive time.
Taulia Tagovailoa was 28 for 39 for 279 yards and two touchdowns for Maryland but threw two late picks.
NO. 9 MICHIGAN 32, NEBRASKA 29
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Jake Moody hit a 39-yard field goal with 1:24 remaining to lift Michigan.
Moody’s fourth field goal came after Wolverines defensive back Brad Hawkins forced Cornhuskers quarterback Adrian Martinez to fumble, returning it 19 yards to the Nebraska 18 to set up the game-winner.
Michigan (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) has won its first six games for the first time since starting 9-0 in 2016.
Nebraska (3-4, 1-3) has lost three games in four weeks to ranked teams — No. 6 Oklahoma on Sept. 18, No. 11 Michigan State two weeks ago and Michigan — by a total of 13 points. The Huskers have now lost 14 straight games against ranked opponents, nine of them under coach Scott Frost.
Nebraska trailed 13-0 at halftime, but came storming back to take the lead in the third quarter after cornerback Deontai Williams picked off the first interception of Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara’s career. Martinez hit Levi Faulk on a 13-yard swing pass, then ran the two-point conversion to put Nebraska up 22-19 entering the final period.
Michigan countered with 10-play 75 yard drive capped by Blake Corum’s 29-yard touchdown run only to be matched by an eight-play, 75-yard Nebraska drive that saw Martinez score from the 5 to make the score 29-26. The Wolverines moved down the field again, going 69 yard before the drive stalled and Moody hit a 31-yarder to knot the score.
BOISE STATE 26, NO. 10 BYU 17
PROVO, Utah (AP) — Hank Bachmeier threw for 172 yards and Boise State forced four turnovers.
Cyrus Habibi-Likio ran for a season-high 75 yards and a touchdown, and Andrew Van Buren added a season-high 60 yards and a touchdown. The Broncos (3-3) snapped a two-game losing streak in the series.
Jaren Hall threw for a career-high 302 yards and a touchdown for BYU (5-1). Tyler Allgeier ran for 73 yards and a touchdown. The Cougars outgained Boise State 413-312 in total yards.
Hall looked sharp during the first quarter despite a two-game absence with a rib injury. He completed long passes to open each of BYU’s first two drives. Hall punctuated the second drive with a 14-yard strike to Samson Nacua that made it 10-0.
Boise State rallied to take a 20-10 halftime, capitalizing on back-to-back BYU fumbles. The Broncos became the first opponent to lead the Cougars at any point this season.
NO. 11 MICHIGAN STATE 31, RUTGERS 13
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Jalen Nailor caught touchdown passes of 63, 63 and 65 yards from Payton Thorne as the Spartans used their big-play offense to remain unbeaten.
Kenneth Walker, who came into the game leading all Football Bowl Subdivision players in rushing, ran for 233 yards, including a school-record 94-yard touchdown. It was the longest offensive play in Michigan State history.
Michigan State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) is off to its best start since it won its first eight games in 2015, when it reached the College Football Playoff.
Rutgers (3-3) lost its third straight, all against ranked opponents. The Scarlet Knights fell to No. 9 Michigan two weeks ago and No. 7 Ohio State last week.
Nailor finished with five catches for a career-best 221 yards, a stadium record. The old mark of 2007 was set by Larry Fitzgerald of Pittsburgh in 2003.
It was the fifth time in FBS history a team has had a 300-yard passer, a 200-yard rusher and a 200-yard receiver in the same game.
NO. 17 MISSISSIPPI 52, NO. 13 ARKANSAS 51
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Sam Williams and Tavius Robinson pressured Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson on a potential game-winning 2-point conversion as No. 17 Mississippi held on for a wild victory.
Arkansas (4-2, 1-2 SEC) scored on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Jefferson to Warren Thompson as time expired to pull within a point and decided to go for the win. Jefferson rolled right and under extended pressure from Williams and Robinson, overthrew Treylon Burks in the end zone.
Ole Miss (4-1, 1-1) took the lead with 1:07 remaining as Matt Corral threw a 68-yard touchdown pass to Braylon Sanders.
The teams combined for 1,287 total yards and 14 touchdowns. Corral accounted for four TDs, two on runs of 5 and 7 yards.
Sanders had two receptions for 127 yards while Henry Parrish Jr. and Snoop Conner rushed for 111 and 110 yards, respectively.
Jefferson accounted for six touchdowns, was 25-of-35 passing for 326 yards and added touchdown runs of 5, 6 and 10 yards. Burks had seven receptions for 136 yards and Raheim Sanders rushed 17 times for 139 yards.
NO. 14 NOTRE DAME 32, VIRGINIA TECH 29
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Jonathan Doerer kicked a 48-yard field goal with 17 seconds remaining, capping a dramatic rally to lift Notre Dame.
The Fighting Irish (5-1) tied it at 29 on Jack Coan’s 4-yard pass to Avery Davis and a two-point conversion completion to Kevin Austin with 2:26 left. After forcing the Hokies to punt, Coan drove them 45 yards in seven plays, and Doerer split the uprights, sparing the Fighting Irish a second straight loss.
The Hokies (3-2) had taken command with an interception return for a touchdown by Jermaine Waller and another touchdown drive started by an interception and finished with a 19-yard run by Braxton Burmeister with 3:55 to play, but Coan returned after playing just the first quarter to lead the comeback.
Freshman Tyler Buchner ran for a touchdown and threw for another for Notre Dame (4-2) after replacing Coan to start the second quarter, but his two second half interceptions both turned into Virginia Tech touchdowns. Kyren Williams ran for 81 yards and one touchdown and caught an 8-yard pass from Buchner for another score the Irish.
Raheem Blackshear also ran for a touchdown for the Hokies and John Parker Romo kicked three field goals.
NO. 16 KENTUCKY 42, LSU 21
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Will Levis threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more scores and the Wildcats dominated the Tigers throughout.
Kentucky (6-0, 4-0 SEC) and earned a second consecutive win over a conference heavyweight ahead of a matchup at No. 2 Georgia next week.
Levis bounced back from a lackluster stretch to account for three second-half scores alone as Kentucky pulled away to a 35-7 lead early in the fourth quarter. The Penn State transfer sandwiched TD passes of 25, 11 and 3 yards between rushing scores of 5 and 1 yards as the Wildcats outgained the Tigers 475-408.
Levis finished 14 of 17 passing for 145 yards. Chris Rodriguez Jr. rushed for 147 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.
LSU (3-3, 1-2) trailed 21-0 before Tyrion Davis-Price rushed for the first of two TDs midway through the third quarter.
Davis-Price rushed for 147 yards on 22 carries, while quarterback Max Johnson completed 22 of 38 passes for 261 yards and a 41-yard TD to Malik Nabers. LSU star receiver Kayshon Boutte, who entered with nine TD receptions, left the field on a cart after injuring his leg in the fourth quarter.
NO. 19 WAKE FOREST 40, SYRACUSE 37, OT
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — A.T. Perry caught three touchdowns, including a 22-yarder from Sam Hartman in the left corner of the end zone for the win.
A 38-yard field goal by Andre Szmyt gave Syracuse (3-3, 0-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) a 37-34 lead on its first possession in overtime, but the Demon Deacons (6-0, 4-0) scored six plays later to start 6-0 for the first time since 1944.
Sean Tucker scored on a 28-yard pass and run from Garrett Shrader with 21 seconds to go in regulation to tie the game after the Demon Deacons had taken a 34-27 lead just three minutes earlier on a 10-yard run by Christian Beal-Smith.
NO. 20 FLORIDA 42, VANDERBILT 0
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Emory Jones had a career-high four touchdowns passes for a feel-good victory on homecoming after last week’s gut-wrenching loss at Kentucky.
Florida (4-2, 2-2 SEC) won its eighth straight in the series and its 30th in the last 31 meetings. The Commodores (2-4, 0-2) dropped their 15th consecutive league game.
Jones completed 14 of 22 passes for 273 yards, with TD passes to Ja’Quavion Fraziars, Trent Whittemore, Dameon Pierce and Jacob Copeland. Pierce also scored twice more on short runs.
Alabama transfer Joseph Bulovas missed three field goals for Vandy (2-4, 0-2), which also had a touchdown overturned when Chris Pierce failed to maintain possession on a fourth-down catch when he hit the ground in the second quarter.
NO. 24 SMU 31, NAVY 24
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) –Tanner Mordecai threw for 324 yards and two touchdowns as SMU rallied from a 14-point second-quarter deficit.
Bryan Massey scored on a 95-yard kickoff return to begin the comeback for the unbeaten Mustangs. SMU (6-0, 2-0 American Athletic Conference) had the game tied by halftime and went up 31-24 on a 22-yard TD pass from Mordecai to Jordan Kerley with 8:19 remaining in the final quarter.
Mordecai now has 26 touchdown passes on the season. He also threw a 66-yarder to Reggie Roberson on fourth-and-1 to open the scoring, but Navy (1-4, 1-2) answered with the next 21 points.
Chance Warren tied the game with a 23-yard scoring run, then Tai Lavatai threw the first touchdown pass of the season for the Midshipmen, 37 yards to Kai Puailoa-Rojas on a flea-flicker.
NO. 25 SAN DIEGO STATE 31, NEW MEXICO 7
CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Greg Bell rushed for 111 yards and a touchdown and quarterback Jordon Brookshire added two scoring runs for San Diego State in its first game as a ranked team in two seasons.
Bell had a 40-yard carry on the Aztecs’ first play from scrimmage and finished with his fourth 100-yard game of the season, hitting the mark before halftime of San Diego State’s Mountain West Conference opener.
San Diego State is off to its second 5-0 start in 46 years, also doing it in 2017, and won a game as a ranked team for the first time since Oct. 7, 2017, against UNLV. The Aztecs are one of 13 remaining undefeated teams in the nation.
On defense, the San Diego State gave up 66 yards rushing and 193 yards in total offense in its eighth consecutive victory over the Lobos (2-4, 0-2). San Diego State entered second in the nation with 46.0 rushing yards allowed per game.
New Mexico used its defense to avoid a shutout as Ray Leutele forced Bell’s fumble in the third quarter and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown. Terry Wilson Jr., was 13 of 25 passing for 127 yards with an interception, and Aaron Dumas rushed for 77 yards.
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