No. 1 FSU survives another scare
Dalvin Cook ran for a career-high 144 yards and No. 1 Florida State survived Jameis Winston’s struggles to beat Florida 24-19 Saturday night in Will Muschamp’s final game as the Gators’ coach.
The defending national champion Seminoles have won 28 games in a row, and completed consecutive undefeated regular seasons for the first time in school history. Florida State is the 16th team to accomplish the feat since 1950.
The Seminoles (12-0) will face Georgia Tech in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game Dec. 6.
Winston threw a career-high four interceptions, including three in the first quarter. He finished 12 of 24 for 125 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Nick O’Leary had two second-quarter touchdown catches to give Florida State a 21-9 lead.
The Gators (6-5) jumped out to a 9-0 lead, but the offense struggled. Treon Harris threw for 169 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Florida’s Austin Harder missed two second-half field goals that would have given the Gators the lead.
No. 18 Mississippi 31, No. 4 Mississippi St. 17: Jaylen Walton had a 91-yard touchdown run and running back Jordan Wilkins threw a 31-yard scoring pass to lead Mississippi past Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl.
Bo Wallace threw for 296 yards despite completing just 13 of 30 passes.
Ole Miss (5-3 Southeastern Conference, 9-3) led 7-3 at halftime before its offense got going in the second half. It’s the 10th time in 11 seasons the home team has won the Egg Bowl.
The loss by Mississippi State (6-2, 10-2) gave Alabama the SEC Western Division title. Dak Prescott threw for 282 yards and a touchdown.
No. 5 Baylor 48, Texas Tech 46: Bryce Petty threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns before getting knocked out of the game with a concussion and playoff hopeful Baylor held off Texas Tech.
Shock Linwood ran for 158 yards and two touchdowns for the Bears (7-1 Big 12, 10-1), who are guaranteed at least a share of their second consecutive conference title if they win at home over No. 11 Kansas State next Saturday.
The Bears are also hoping for a much bigger prize, but the close game against Texas Tech (2-7, 4-8) likely won’t help in that quest. They were already two playoff ranking spots behind Big 12 co-leader TCU, which is coming off an impressive 48-10 Thanksgiving night romp at Texas.
No. 7 Ohio State 42, Michigan 28: Ezekiel Elliott scored untouched on a 44-yard run on fourth-and-1 with 4:58 left to help Ohio State, without injured star quarterback J.T. Barrett, beat Michigan.
With no postseason, the only thing left to be decided for Michigan (3-5 Big Ten, 5-7) is the future of coach Brady Hoke. Interim athletic director Jim Hackett will make the call on whether the coach stays or goes.
Barrett threw for a score and ran for two before his right leg crumpled underneath him when he was tackled on a run on the first play of the fourth quarter. He broke his right ankle and will have surgery Sunday.
Cardale Jones came in for the Buckeyes (8-0, 11-1) to lead the drive that culminated in Elliott’s long run. Darron Lee returned a fumble 33 yards late to add to the lead.
Ohio State will face Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game.
No. 11 Kansas State 51, Kansas 13: Jake Waters threw for 294 yards and four touchdowns, two of them to record-setting wide receiver Tyler Lockett, and Kansas State routed Kansas to move into a tie atop the Big 12 standings.
Lockett caught nine passes for 119 yards, passing father Kevin Lockett for the school record in career catches and matching his mark for touchdown receptions. Lockett has 222 catches and 26 TD grabs heading into next week’s showdown at fifth-ranked Baylor.
Kansas State (9-2, 7-1) moved into a tie with TCU and Baylor at 7-1 in the conference.
No. 14 Wisconsin 34, No. 22 Minnesota 24: Melvin Gordon ran for 151 yards and accounted for two scores, and Wisconsin overcvame a two-touchdown deficit to beat Minnesota and earn a spot in the Big Ten championship game.
Joel Stave threw for 215 yards, including 160 to receiver Alex Erickson. Stave’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Robert Wheelwright with 4:41 left gave the Badgers (7-1, 10-2) a 10-point lead.
It was not easy. Physical Minnesota (5-3, 8-4) let a 17-3 lead early in the second quarter slip away. David Cobb ran for 118 yards on 25 carries, including a 40-yard score.
No. 16 Georgia Tech 30, No. 8 Georgia 24, OT: Harrison Butker kicked a career-long 53-yard field goal on the final play of regulation, and D.J. White picked off a pass in overtime to preserve Georgia Tech’s victory over Georgia.
Georgia Tech (10-2) trailed 24-21 after Hutson Mason threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Malcolm Mitchell on fourth down with 18 seconds left. But the Yellow Jackets wound up with good field position after a squib kickoff, Justin Thomas scrambled 21 yards into field goal range, and Butker’s kick barely cleared the crossbar.
Zach Laskey put Georgia Tech ahead with his third touchdown run of the game in overtime, but Butker’s extra point was blocked. The Bulldogs (9-3) had a chance to win it as they faced second-and-goal at the 9. Mason again tried to hit Mitchell on a quick slant. This time, White stepped in to make the interception.
No. 23 Clemson 35, South Carolina 17: Artavis Scott had two long touchdown catches, Wayne Gallman ran for 191 yards and Clemson ended a five-game losing streak to rival South Carolina.
The Tigers (9-3) hadn’t beaten the Gamecocks (6-6) since 2008, an unprecedented run of failure that overshadowed their 32-8 record the past three seasons. This time, Clemson showed off a perked up offense bolstered by the return of freshman starter Deshaun Watson at quarterback.
Watson threw two inside flip passes that Scott turned into touchdowns of 53 and 70 yards. The second one gave the Tigers a 28-10 lead that South Carolina couldn’t overcome.
No. 24 Louisville 44, Kentucky 40: Brandon Radcliff ran 4 yards for a touchdown with 2:47 remaining and safety Gerod Holliman had an NCAA record-tying 14th interception with 35 seconds left, helping Louisville beat Kentucky.
No lead was safe in a back-and-forth game between rivals that got physical before kickoff. Louisville coach Bobby Petrino grabbed the jacket of Wildcats assistant Daniel Berezowitz during one pregame scuffle.
The game was equally as charged. There were four fourth-quarter lead changes alone. The Cardinals (9-3) ultimately got the last word by driving 81 yards for the winning score that capped their fourth and final comeback against the Wildcats (5-7).