WEEK 4 COLLEGE FOOTBALL TOP 25 RUNDOWN
NORMAN, Okla. – Kansas State quarterback Adrian Martinez ran for 148 yards and four touchdowns, and the Wildcats stunned No. 6 Oklahoma 41-34 on Saturday night.
Martinez also passed for 234 yards and a score and Deuce Vaughn rushed for 116 yards for the Wildcats (3-1, 1-0 Big 12).
It was first-year Oklahoma coach Brent Venables’ first loss as a head coach, and it came against his alma mater. Kansas State also beat Oklahoma in 2012, 2014, 2019 and 2020.
NO. 5 CLEMSON 51, NO. 21 WAKE FOREST 45, 2 OT
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) – Nate Wiggins broke up Sam Hartman’s fourth-down pass in the end zone to help Clemson hold off Wake Forest in double overtime.
Wiggins had been targeted frequently by Hartman and the Wake Forest receivers but came through to knock away Hartman’s final ball for A.T. Perry. He fell to the end zone turf, then sprung up to join his team in celebration after a wild shootout between the reigning Atlantic Coast Conference’s Atlantic Division Demon Deacons and the preseason league favorite Tigers.
NO. 23 TEXAS A&M 23, NO. 10 ARKANSAS 21
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Devon Achane rushed for 159 yards and a touchdown, Demani Richardson sprinted the final 82 yards on a wild fumble return for another score and Texas A&M beat Arkansas.
The Razorbacks (3-1, 1-1 SEC) had a chance to take the lead with 1:30 remaining, but Cam Little’s 42-yard field goal attempt from the left hashmark hit near the top of the right upright – and fluttered to the ground in the end zone no good. That drive came right after the Aggies had missed a longer field goal attempt.
Texas A&M (3-1, 1-0) has back-to-back wins over ranked teams since the 17-14 home loss to Appalachian State two weeks ago. The conference opener for the Aggies came a week after a 17-9 win over then-No. 13 Miami, which then dropped 12 spots and now will be unranked after a 45-31 loss at home against Middle Tennessee State earlier Saturday.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE 45, NO. 25 MIAMI
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) – Chase Cunningham passed for 408 yards and three touchdowns, including a 98-yarder to DJ England-Chisholm, and Middle Tennessee State stunned Miami for its first win in 21 tries against ranked opponents.
England-Chisholm caught two passes – the first of them being a 71-yard touchdown in the first quarter, the other being the 98-yarder in the fourth – to help the Blue Raiders (3-1) seal the upset.
TEXAS TECH 37, NO. 22 TEXAS 34
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) – Trey Wolff kicked a 20-yard field goal in overtime, lifting Texas Tech over Texas after the Red Raiders overcame a two-touchdown deficit in the second half but let a lead slip away in the final seconds.
Texas’ Bijan Robinson fumbled on the first play of overtime, and Donovan Smith led the Red Raiders to the 1-yard line before Wolff’s winning kick in the Big 12 opener for both teams.
Fans of Texas Tech (3-1, 1-0) thought they had their first home win over Texas since Michael Crabtree’s last-second catch 14 years ago when Wolff kicked a 45-yarder for a 34-31 lead with 21 seconds left in regulation.
The Longhorns had other ideas. Hudson Card’s 28-yard pass to Tarique Milton got the Longhorns (2-2, 0-1) close with six seconds remaining, and they picked up another 10 yards on a quick pass with two seconds to go. Bert Auburn’s 48-yard kick as time expired forced overtime.
No. 1 GEORGIA 39, KENT STATE 22
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) _- Brock Bowers scored two more touchdowns and Georgia survived a sloppy performance and surprisingly gritty effort from Kent State.
The Bulldogs (4-0) turned it over three times, struggled in the red zone, were burned on a fake punt and gave up several big plays to Kent State (1-3) in what was easily their worst performance of the season.
NO. 2 ALABAMA 55, VANDERBILT 3
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) – Bryce Young passed for a season-high 385 yards and four touchdowns and Alabama beat Vanderbilt in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.
It was the first 300-yard game of the season for the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, who didn’t play in the fourth quarter and completed 25 of 36 passes.
The Crimson Tide (4-0, 1-0) opted to air it out against the Commodores (3-2, 0-1) and finally got big games and plays from multiple receivers. It was the most passing yards for Young since perhaps locking up the Heisman with 421 yards against Georgia in the SEC championship game.
Alabama outgained Vandy 628-129 in total yards.
NO. 3 OHIO STATE 52, WISCONSIN 21
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Cade Stover and Emeka Egbuka each caught two of C.J. Stroud’s five touchdown passes, Miyan Williams rushed for two more scores and Ohio State cruised past Wisconsin in their Big Ten opener.
The Buckeyes (4-0, 1-0) scored touchdowns on their first four drives and led 31-7 at the half. Wisconsin (3-1, 0-1) could only slow them down after that but didn’t get closer than 21 points.
NO. 4 MICHIGAN 34, MARYLAND 27
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) – Blake Corum rushed for a career-high 243 yards and two touchdowns to help Michigan top Maryland in the Big Ten opener for both teams.
J.J. McCarthy completed 18 of 26 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns for the Wolverines (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten).
Taulia Tagovailoa completed 20 of 30 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown but was also picked off twice for the Terrapins (3-1, 0-1).
NO. 7 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 17, OREGON STATE 14
CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) – Jordan Addison caught a go-ahead 21-yard touchdown pass with 1:13 left and USC overcame a shaky performance.
The Beavers, vying to start 4-0 for the first time since 2012, took the lead on Jam Griffin’s 18-yard touchdown run with 4:41 remaining. But USC quarterback Caleb Williams led an 11-play, 84-yard drive that ended with Addison’s sixth touchdown catch of the season.
The Trojans (4-0, 2-0 Pac-12) did not look like the team that dominated its first three opponents with 40 or more points per game. Williams threw for a season-low 180 yards. Addison, the 2021 Biletnikoff Award winner who transferred from Pitt, caught three passes for 42 yards.
Chance Nolan threw for 167 yards for the Beavers (3-1, 0-1) but was intercepted four times.
NO. 8 KENTUCKY 31, NORTHERN ILLINOIS 23
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) – Kentucky’s Will Levis tied a career best with four touchdown passes, including critical scores of 70 and 40 yards to Barion Brown and Tayvion Robinson, after halftime to hold off Northern Illinois.
After allowing the pesky Huskies a tying touchdown seconds before halftime, Levis put the Wildcats (4-0) ahead 21-14 just 58 seconds into the third quarter by hitting Brown across the middle on third and 10.
NO. 11 TENNESSEE 38, NO. 20 FLORIDA 33
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Hendon Hooker threw for 348 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 112 yards and a score to lead Tennessee over Florida.
It was Tennessee’s second win over Florida in the last 18 meetings and snapped a six-game losing streak in the series. The win gave the Volunteers their first 4-0 start since 2016.
NO. 12 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 41, CONNECTICUT 10
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – Devin Leary threw for 320 yards and four touchdowns – including a 75-yarder on the first play from scrimmage – and North Carolina State routed UConn.
Leary completed 32 of 44 passes for the Wolfpack (4-0), while throwing touchdowns to four different receivers, including one to sophomore Porter Rooks for the first score of his career.
NO. 13 UTAH 34, ARIZONA STATE 13
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) – Cameron Rising threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns to tight end Dalton Kincaid, and Utah rolled past Arizona State.
The Utes spoiled the debut of Arizona State’s Shaun Aguano, who was named interim coach earlier this week after Herm Edwards was fired following last weekend’s loss to Eastern Michigan.
NO. 14 PENN STATE 33, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 14
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) – Sean Clifford completed 22 of 34 passes for 217 yards and accounted for four touchdowns to lead Penn State past Central Michigan.
Tight end Brenton Strange caught two touchdowns and Mitchell Tinsley caught one. Clifford and Kaytron Allen added touchdown runs for the Nittany Lions (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten). Penn State forced four turnovers.
NO. 15 OREGON 44, WASHINGTON STATE 41
PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) – Quarterback Bo Nix threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Troy Franklin with 1:21 left to give Oregon its first lead of the game, with the Ducks scoring three late touchdowns to defeat Washington State.
Washington State (3-1, 0-1 Pac-12) had taken a 34-22 lead with just over six minutes left, but the Ducks (3-1, 1-0) broke through on offense to secure the victory.
NO. 16 MISSISSIPPI 35, TULSA 27
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) – Jaxson Dart and Quinshon Judkins accounted for four touchdowns in the second quarter as Mississippi rallied from an early deficit to beat Tulsa.
Ole Miss (4-0) trailed for the first time this season, 14-7, before the decisive 28-point outburst. Dart threw 31-yard touchdown passes to Malik Heath and Jonathan Mingo, and Judkins had scoring runs of 1 and 4 yards to complete the rally and build a 35-14 cushion.
NO. 17 BAYLOR 31, IOWA STATE 24
AMES, Iowa (AP) – Blake Shapen threw for 238 yards and three touchdowns as Baylor held on to beat Iowa State in the Big 12 opener for both teams.
The loss snapped the Cyclones’ 11-game home winning streak against conference rivals.
NO. 18 WASHINGTON 40, STANFORD 22
SEATTLE (AP) – Wayne Taulapapa rushed for a career-high 120 yards and one touchdown, and Washington’s defense sacked Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee eight times and forced two fumbles.
Playing as a ranked team for the first time this season, Washington (4-0, 1-0) used a stingy defense and a handful of big plays on offense to win its Pac-12 opener under new coach Kalen DeBoer.
NO. 19 BYU 38, WYOMING 24
PROVO, Utah (AP) – Jaren Hall threw for 337 yards and four touchdowns to lead BYU.
Hall became the 20th BYU quarterback to hit 4,000 career yards passing while completing 81% of his attempts. Keanu Hill finished with a career-high 160 yards and two touchdowns on five catches to lead the Cougars.
BYU (3-1) has not lost at home to Wyoming since 1987.
NO. 24 PITTSBURGH 45, RHODE ISLAND 24
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Tailback Israel Abanikanda rushed for four touchdowns and quarterback Kedon Slovis was solid in his return from injury for Pitt, which beat Rhode Island.
The Panthers (3-1) rushed for 272 yards and scored at least 30 points for the ninth time in 11 games, and Slovis had plenty of help on the ground from Abanikanda, who had 19 carries for 177 yards. The four touchdowns tied for second-most in program history.
(Associated Press)
