College Football Roundup: Ohio State Prevails Despite Pregame Mishap
NOV. 25, 2017
8 Ohio State 31, Michigan 20
Dwayne Haskins did what Ohio State quarterbacks have been doing for more than a decade. He beat Michigan.
Saturday’s victory, though, came with a twist.
Haskins replaced the injured star J. T. Barrett and led the Buckeyes from behind to beat the host Wolverines for their sixth straight victory in a rivalry they have dominated no matter who has been under center.
“It was really unreal,” Haskins said.
Barrett said that while he was warming up on the sideline before kickoff, an unidentified man made accidental contact with his right leg, aggravating a knee injury he has played through all season.
“I remember he was wearing something gray, and he continued to walk,” Barrett said. “He got a little nervous.”
And Coach Urban Meyer was more than a little upset.
“Too many people on the sideline,” Meyer said after the game. “I’m so angry right now.”
Barrett said he will play on Saturday night in the Big Ten championship game against No. 5 Wisconsin, with Ohio State needing another victory to bolster its hopes of landing a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes were No. 9 in the playoff rankings.
The Wolverines have lost 13 of 14 to Ohio State, including the last three under Coach Jim Harbaugh.
“We need to get better,” Harbaugh said. “That’s our mission.”
20 Stanford 38, 9 Notre Dame 20
K. J. Costello threw two of his career-high four touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, and Stanford rallied for a victory over visiting Notre Dame.
The Cardinal, No. 21 in the playoff rankings, advanced to the Pac-12 title game when Washington beat Washington State. Stanford finished tied with the Huskies for first place in the North but won the head-to-head matchup to break the tie.
Bryce Love ran for 125 yards, while Costello threw for 176 yards and delivered the four scores. Stanford has won seven of nine in the series, including the last five at home against the Fighting Irish, No. 8 in the playoff rankings.
3 Oklahoma 59, West Virginia 31
Baker Mayfield threw for 281 yards and three touchdowns after sitting out his team’s first possession, and Oklahoma routed visiting West Virginia to maintain its momentum heading into the Big 12 Championship game.
Mayfield, who directed a lewd gesture toward the Kansas bench last week, was stripped of his captaincy and his starting job for the game, his final home game as a Sooner. He received the loudest cheers when the seniors were announced, then more loud cheers when he entered the game on Oklahoma’s second possession.
Rodney Anderson ran for 118 yards and four touchdowns for the Sooners, No. 4 in the playoff rankings. They will play Texas Christian for the Big 12 title on Saturday in Arlington, Tex.
4 Clemson 34, South Carolina 10
Kelly Bryant threw two touchdowns to Hunter Renfrow, and Clemson kept on track for a third straight trip to the playoff with a victory at rival South Carolina.
The Tigers, No. 3 in the playoff rankings, won their fourth straight game in the Palmetto State’s most anticipated sporting event, tying their second-longest run of dominance in the series.
The win was the 100th in Coach Dabo Swinney’s career. And in light of losses this weekend by the playoff’s top teams, Alabama and Miami, the Tigers solidified their position among the top four heading into the Atlantic Coast Conference title game next weekend.
5 Wisconsin 31, Minnesota 0
Alex Hornibrook threw three touchdown passes without an interception for Wisconsin, and the visiting Badgers easily remained unbeaten, overwhelming rival Minnesota for their 14th straight victory over the Gophers.
Jonathan Taylor rushed for 149 yards on 20 carries, including a 53-yard scoring sprint on the first play of the fourth quarter that gave the Badgers, No. 5 in the playoff rankings, their largest winning margin in a Big Ten game this season. The only other time Wisconsin completed its conference schedule without a loss was in 1912, when there were only five contests.
With help from Miami’s stunning loss at Pittsburgh on Friday, the Badgers head to the Big Ten championship game next weekend against Ohio State in prime position to land one of the top four spots in the playoff.
7 Georgia 38, Georgia Tech 7
Sony Michel ran for 85 yards and a touchdown, Jake Fromm threw two touchdown passes and Georgia protected its playoff hopes with a victory at Georgia Tech.
The Bulldogs, No. 7 in the playoff rankings, had 247 yards rushing as Michel, Nick Chubb and D’Andre Swift ran for touchdowns.
12 Penn State 66, Maryland 3
Trace McSorley threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score to cap an outstanding regular season and carry visiting Penn State past Maryland. The Nittany Lions, No. 10 in the playoff rankings, built a 31-0 halftime lead and cruised to their third straight victory.
15 Washington 41, 14 Washington St. 14
Myles Gaskin ran for 192 yards and four touchdowns, Washington forced four turnovers, and the Huskies ended Washington State’s hopes for a Pac-12 North title with a thumping in the Apple Cup game in Seattle.
17 Memphis 70, East Carolina 13
Riley Ferguson threw for three touchdowns, and Darrell Henderson scored twice and rushed for 122 yards as host Memphis dominated East Carolina in a tuneup for the American Athletic Conference title game. The victory gave the Tigers their first undefeated home season since Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium opened in 1965.
18 Oklahoma State 58, Kansas 17
Mason Rudolph passed for 438 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two scores in his final home game, leading Oklahoma State over visiting Kansas. James Washington, Dillon Stoner and Marcel Ateman each had more than 100 yards receiving for Oklahoma State, which is No. 19 in the playoff rankings.
19 Louisiana State 45, Texas A&M 21
Danny Etling passed 347 yards and three touchdowns, and Louisiana State beat visiting Texas A&M in the regular-season finale for both teams. Etling, a senior playing his final game in Tiger Stadium, completed 19 of 30 passes and had six completions longer than 25 yards.
21 Michigan State 40, Rutgers 7
Brian Lewerke threw for a touchdown and ran for another, and Michigan State held the ball for more than 47 minutes in a victory at Rutgers that capped a turnaround season. The redshirt freshman Matt Coghlin kicked a career-best four field goals, and Gerald Holmes ran 2 yards for a touchdown as Michigan State, No. 16 in the playoff rankings, inverted its 3-9 overall record of a year ago.
23 Northwestern 42, Illinois 7
Justin Jackson ran for 144 yards and a touchdown, and Northwestern won its seventh straight, defeating host Illinois. The Wildcats held the Illini scoreless after giving up a first-quarter touchdown and put 42 unanswered points on the board.
Fresno State 28, 25 Boise State 17
Marcus McMaryion threw for 332 yards and two touchdowns, and host Fresno State beat Boise State in a preview of the Mountain West title game. The teams will meet Saturday in the conference championship game.
In Other Games
¦ Joe Carbone threw for 268 yards and two touchdowns, and Stony Brook’s four running backs gained a total of 361 yards with six touchdowns in a 59-29 defeat of visiting Lehigh in the opening round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
The Seahawks advance with six straight wins to face their Colonial Athletic Association rival, top-seeded and top-ranked James Madison, on Dec. 2 in Harrisonburg, Va.
¦ A. J. Dillon rushed for 193 yards and three touchdowns, and Boston College won at Syracuse, 42-14.
¦ Hayden Moore scored on a 4-yard run with 1:28 left, leading host Cincinnati to a 22-21 victory over Connecticut.
AI
