EDITOR’S NOTE: I had some other sports news to include today, but that accidentally got left behind last night at the newspaper office I work at. However, with college football still in high gear, we have enough news for today. Now, without any further ado…for a two-parter…
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — No. 2 Alabama pulled out a 24-10 victory over No. 19 LSU in Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday despite having multiple key defensive players banged up.
Alabama star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick was reduced to a situational role while linebackers Mack Wilson and Shaun Dion Hamilton were both knocked out of the game.
Alabama’s offense looked out of sync for much of the night, but quarterback Jalen Hurts and the Crimson Tide (9-0, 6-0 SEC) did just enough to outduel the Tigers (6-2, 3-2).
Hurts completed 11 of 24 passes for 183 yards despite getting sacked four times.
Hurts continued to put Alabama’s offense on his back late in the third quarter. Hurts scrambled for first downs, and made plays throwing the ball on the run. He capped a seven-play, 56-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run to make it 21-10.
LSU’s offense responded immediately.
The Tigers hit Alabama for a big 54-yard gain by running back Darrel Williams. The play set up a two-yard touchdown run by Williams to make it 21-10 late in the third quarter.
Alabama kicker Andy Pappanastos added a 40-yard field goal to push it to 24-10 early in the fourth quarter. He moved to 14-of-17 on field goal attempts on the year.
LSU’s Danny Etling completed 12 of 26 passes for 137 yards.
Alabama took a 14-3 lead into halftime, but there wasn’t much offensive rhythm for the Crimson Tide.
Four of Alabama’s six drives ended in punts. The Crimson Tide, who were averaging nearly 300 rushing yards per game, only ran for 62 yards in the opening half.
LSU outgained Alabama 176-166 in total yards.
Still, Alabama did enough to gain control in the opening 30 minutes.
After going three-and-out on its first drive, Hurts found tight end Irv Smith Jr. for a 4-yard touchdown to make it 7-0 midway through the first quarter.
It was an impressive drive led by Hurts. He connected with Calvin Ridley on the run for a first down, avoided a sack to pick up a first down, threw a bomb to freshman Henry Ruggs III and found Smith for the score.
Early in the second quarter, Alabama running back Bo Scarbrough reached the end zone. He broke a tackle on a 9-yard run to make it 14-0.
Midway through the second quarter, LSU moved the ball down the field, but an errant pass on third-and-goal forced the Tigers to settle for a 21-yard field goal to make it 14-3.
NOTES: Alabama DL Da’Shawn Hand (MCL) returned and saw limited action for the first time since the Ole Miss game. … Alabama LB Mack Wilson left the game late in the second quarter and did not return. He was carted to the locker room after a stop at Alabama’s medical tent. Alabama LB Shaun Dion Hamilton left the game in the third quarter, and did not return. Hamilton threw his helmet off in disgust while down on the field. … LSU totaled 195 yards on the ground with standout RB Derrius Guice limited to 71 on 19 carries.
FORT WORTH, Texas — Kyle Hicks ran for two touchdowns as No. 8 TCU disposed of Texas 24-7 in a defensive battle Saturday night at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
The Horned Frogs (8-1, 5-1 Big 12) set a up showdown next week at No 5 Oklahoma for first place in the Big 12 and the conference’s upper hand in the race for the College Football Playoff. TCU and the Sooners are both 5-1 in league play.
Kenny Hill accounted for 189 yards for the Horned Frogs. The senior quarterback completed 18 of 26 passes for 146 yards and ran for another 43 yards on 12 attempts.
Offense was hard to generate for each side during a sluggish second half. TCU managed 123 yards after the break, while the Longhorns had 78 yards.
But TCU’s 17-7 lead at halftime was more than enough cushion for Gary Patterson‘s quad to bounce back from last week’s loss at Iowa State. The Horned Frogs did get a late rushing touchdown from Darius Anderson (99 yards on 18 carries) to put the game away.
Texas (4-5, 3-3) completed a four-game stretch featuring three top 10 teams, losing all three. The Horns are in danger of posting a fourth consecutive losing season, which has only happened once (1935-38) in program history.
Texas quarterback Shane Buechele started for the second straight game with true freshman Sam Ehlinger inactive. Buechele, the starter last season and in this season’s opener, threw for 254 yards (21-44) and a touchdown.
Lil’Jordan Humphrey had six catches for 109 yards for Texas.
The Longhorns finished with 263 yards against the Big 12’s leader in total defense and scoring defense. Texas ran for just nine yards.
The Horned Frogs scored a touchdown on their opening possession, converting a fourth down along the way via pass by KaVontae Turpin off an end-around. Hicks powered it in from the 1-yard line on the ensuing play.
Hicks crossed the goal line from 14 yards out early in the second period as TCU went up 17-0.
Buechele connected with Collin Johnson on a 33-yard score midway through the quarter for the visitor’s lone score.
NOTES: TCU is 5-1 against Texas since entering the Big 12. The Longhorns hold a 62-25-1 series lead overall. … Texas is at Kansas next week. … TCU coach Gary Patterson improved to 81-19 in 100 career home games. … The Longhorns lost their first true road game of the season, falling to 2-1.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Junior quarterback Malik Rosier had the first multi-interception game of his collegiate career but also passed for two touchdowns and rushed for another as No. 10 Miami remained unbeaten and took a big step toward its first Atlantic Coast Conference championship game appearance with a 28-10 victory over No. 13 Virginia Tech Saturday night.
Rosier threw three interceptions but the Hurricanes defense allowed the visiting Hokies only seven points off the miscues. He passed for a season-low 193 yards but rushed for 84, scoring on a 13-yard run that put the Hurricanes (8-0, 6-0 ACC) up by 18 points over the Hokies (7-2, 3-2 ACC) less than a minute into the fourth quarter.
The win assured Miami of at least a share of its first ACC Coastal Division championship and moved the Hurricanes to within one more league win for its first appearance in the ACC title game. Virginia stayed mathematically alive for the Coastal berth with a win over Georgia Tech earlier in the day.
The Hurricanes and Cavaliers meet on Miami’s home field on Nov. 18.
Tech quarterback Josh Jackson passed for 197 yards and rushed for a touchdown, but had two interceptions, one leading to a Miami touchdown, and also lost a fumble.
After a 0-0 first quarter, Miami scored first on Rosier’s 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Braxton Berrios. It came with 9:41 left in the first half and capped a 13-play, 87-yard drive that featured two pass-interference penalties against Tech cornerback Adonis Alexander and running back Travis Homer’s 20-yard reception to Tech’s 27-yard line.
After holding the Hokies to a three-and out, the Hurricanes scored again just 2 1/2 minutes later when Homer burst up the middle on a 64-yard touchdown run.
Tech finally got on the scoreboard when senior Joey Slye matched his career long with a 50-yard field goal just 2:01 before the halftime break, but lost the chance to add more points when wide receiver Sean Savoy fumbled at Miami’s 12-yard line. Miami defensive tackle RJ McIntosh returned his recovery 35 yards to his 49 with just 12 seconds remaining in the half.
NOTES: The last time Miami (No. 10 in CFP rankings) and Virginia Tech (13) met as Top 15 teams was in 2009 when the No. 11 Hokies beat the 9th-ranked Hurricanes 31-7. … Tech LT Yosuah Nijman did not start because of a leg injury, ending a streak of 22 consecutive starts for the junior. … QB Malik Rosier recorded the first reception of his career in the Miami’s opening series, hauling in a 17-yard pass from wide receiver Braxton Berrios. … Miami TE Christopher Herndon’s 18-yard reception early in the second quarter gave him 349 receiving yards for the season, bettering the school single-season record of 334 for tight ends he set last year.
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Nate Stanley threw five touchdown passes, Josh Jacksonhad three interceptions and Iowa slammed down No. 6 Ohio State in a stunning 55-24 victory on Saturday at Kinnick Stadium.
A week after the Buckeyes (7-2, 5-1 Big Ten) rallied for an epic 39-38 victory over Penn State, they were thoroughly dominated by the Hawkeyes (6-3, 3-3).
Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett, who had played his way into Heisman Trophy contention with a near-perfect game last week, threw four interceptions and the Buckeyes struggled on offense most of the day. Barrett was 18-of-34 passing for 208 yards with three touchdown passes.
The 55 points by Iowa were the most ever allowed by an Urban Meyer-coached team.
Iowa tight ends T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant each caught two touchdown passes from Stanley, who was 20 of 31 for 226 yards with no interceptions. The fifth scoring pass was a 2-yarder to fullback Drake Kulick at the start of the fourth quarter.
Miguel Recinos kicked two field goals for the Hawkeyes, the last with 13:16 left in the game, and Iowa scored a late touchdown on a 6-yard run by Toren Young with 1:43 remaining.
Iowa’s Akrum Wadley rushed for 118 yards on 20 carries and the Hawkeyes finished with 487 total yards, including 243 on the ground, to 371 total for Ohio State.
The teams traded punches in an offense-fueled first half before Iowa scored twice in the final 3:06 to take a 31-17 lead at halftime over stunned Ohio State, a 21-point favorite.
Stanley connected with Fant for both touchdowns to end the half. The first covered 25 yards and the second, which came after an interception by Jackson, was a 3-yarder with 30 seconds remaining before halftime.
Jackson’s interception was the second of the half against Barrett, who had thrown only one in Ohio State’s first eight games.
Iowa’s first interception came on the opening play of the game when Barrett was picked off by safety Amani Hooker and returned 30 yards for a touchdown. Iowa led 7-0 just eight seconds after the opening kickoff.
Ohio State marched downfield quickly to score the tying touchdown less than two minutes later. Barrett made it 7-7 with a 29-yard pass to Terry McLaurin.
The teams traded field goals and the first quarter ended with the score tied 10-10.
Iowa went back in front at the start of the second quarter. Stanley’s 10-yard pass to tight end T.J. Hockenson made it 17-10 with 13:41 left before halftime.
But Ohio State’s offense responded again. Barrett found Johnnie Dixon running all alone across the middle of the field for a 44-yard touchdown with 10:22 remaining in the second quarter.
Iowa outgained Ohio State 251-225 in total yards in the first half. Stanley started 1 of 6 but finished the half 12 of 20 for 162 yards with the three touchdowns.
Barrett was just 8 of 15 for 126 yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions in the opening half.
NOTES: Ohio State DE Nick Bosa was disqualified with 3:12 remaining in the second quarter after a targeting penalty. Bosa was ejected for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Iowa QB Nate Stanley. … Ohio State WR Parris Campbell did not make the trip to Iowa. He suffered a head injury during last week’s game against Penn State. Campbell has 29 catches for 410 yards and two touchdowns. … Iowa and Ohio State players and coaches participated in the first-quarter wave to the patients at nearby Stead Family Children’s Hospital. .. Iowa’s last win in the series came in 2004. Ohio State had not played in Iowa City since 2010. … Ohio State LT Jamarco Jones and RG Demetrius Knox were injured on consecutive plays in the second quarter. Jones returned two plays after going out and Knox on the next series.
