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CFB roundup: No. 1 Clemson edges South Carolina, 37-32

Clemson receiver Deon Cain tries to evade South Carolina cornerback Rico McWilliams after a reception Saturday.

Clemson receiver Deon Cain tries to evade South Carolina cornerback Rico McWilliams after a reception Saturday.

(Streeter Lecka / Getty Images)
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COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Deshaun Watson ran for three touchdowns and passed for a fourth as No. 1 Clemson capped an undefeated regular season by holding off rival South Carolina, 37-32, on Saturday.

Watson passed for 279 yards and ran for 114 to keep the Tigers on track for a spot in the College Football Playoff — and moved their record to 12-0 for the first time since their 1981 national championship winning season.

Next up is No. 11 North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game on Dec. 5. Win that one and it’s off to the national semifinals. South Carolina finished the season at 3-9.

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As long as Watson’s around, the Tigers’ title chances are pretty good.

The Heisman Trophy hopeful had a 5-yard TD run and a 55-yard scoring pass to Deon Cain to put the Tigers up 14-0 lead. He added 30 and 3-yard touchdown runs in the second half.

No. 2 Alabama 29, Auburn 13

AUBURN, Ala. -- Derrick Henry ran 46 times for 271 yards and Adam Griffith kicked five field goals to propel the Crimson Tide to the SEC West title.

Griffith emerged as an Iron Bowl hero for the Crimson Tide (11-1, 7-1 Southeastern Conference) two years after his last-play attempt touched off the Tigers’ winning Kick-Six play. Henry, meanwhile, just did more of the same against Auburn (6-6, 2-6).

The Heisman Trophy candidate produced his fourth 200-yard game of the season against an SEC defense. He helped put it away with 19 runs in the fourth quarter, then extended his school-record streak of games with a rushing touchdown to 17 in the final minute.

The Tigers stayed close into the fourth, aided by Jason Smith 77-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter which he twice tipped back to himself.

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No. 3 Oklahoma 58, No. 11 Oklahoma State 23

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Baker Mayfield threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score and the Sooners beat the Cowboys to take the Big 12 title and likely a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Mayfield was knocked out of the previous game with a concussion, but he was fearless against the Cowboys, rushing for 77 yards and a touchdown. The Sooners (11-1, 8-1 Big 12) gained 524 yards, including 344 on the ground, to claim their third win over a ranked opponent in three weeks.

Joe Mixon ran for 136 yards and two touchdowns, Samaje Perine had 131 yards and two scores, and Jordan Thomas intercepted two passes and returned one for a touchdown for the Sooners.

J.W. Walsh passed for 325 yards and two scores, and James Washington caught seven passes for 169 yards for the Cowboys (10-2, 7-2).

No. 5 Michigan State 55, Penn State 16

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EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Connor Cook threw three touchdown passes in his return from a shoulder injury, and the Spartans wrapped up a spot in the Big Ten championship game.

The Spartans (11-1, 7-1) will play unbeaten Iowa for the conference title next weekend, with the winner in good position to advance to college football’s playoff. Michigan State is No. 5 in the selection committee’s ranking.

The Spartans finished tied atop the Big Ten East with Ohio State, and Michigan State upset the Buckeyes last weekend with Cook on the sideline. The senior came back Saturday and was brilliant against Penn State (7-5, 4-4). Cook went 19 of 26 for 248 yards.

No. 9 Stanford 38, No. 6 Notre Dame 36

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Kevin Hogan threw four touchdown passes and drove the Cardinal to the game-winning 45-yard field goal by Conrad Ukropina on the final play of the Cardinal’s victory over the Irish in a playoff elimination game.

Hogan threw for 269 yards and calmly led the winning drive in the final 30 seconds for the Cardinal (10-2), who kept their slim playoff hopes alive with the win. Stanford needs to beat Southern California in the Pac-12 championship game next week and then get help in the other title games to make the four-team playoff.

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DeShone Kizer had given the Irish (10-2) a one-point lead on his 2-yard run with 30 seconds left only to see Hogan drive Stanford to the win.

No. 8 Ohio State 42, No. 10 Michigan 13

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Ezekiel Elliott ran for 214 yards and two touchdowns to help the Buckeyes pull away from the Wolverines.

The Buckeyes (11-1, 7-1 Big Ten) have won 11 of the last 12 games in what has become a lopsided series.

Elliott’s performance came a week after he was held to 12 carries for 33 yards against Michigan State, then criticized the team’s play calling and said he will skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft.

Even with the win, the Buckeyes need Penn State to beat No. 6 Michigan State later in the day to reach the Big Ten championship game against Iowa.

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The Wolverines (9-3, 6-2) simply could not stop their rivals from running at will. They fell behind early, and quarterback Jake Rudock was knocked out of the game when he was sacked and slammed onto his left shoulder.

No. 13 Florida State 27, No. 12 Florida 2

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Dalvin Cook ran for 183 yards and two touchdowns, Roberto Aguayo kicked two long field goals and Florida State upended Florida.

The Seminoles (10-2, No. 13 CFP) won their third consecutive game at Florida Field — the first time that’s happened in the history of the storied rivalry — and ended any chance the Gators (10-2, No. 12 CFP) had of making the College Football Playoff.

Florida avoided its first shutout in the Swamp since 1988 when FSU quarterback Sean Maguire recovered a fumble in the end zone for a safety with 8:58 remaining.

It was little consolation for the Gators, who will be huge underdogs next week for the Southeastern Conference championship game in Atlanta against second-ranked Alabama.

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No. 14 North Carolina 45, N.C. State 34

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Elijah Hood and T.J. Logan ran for touchdowns in a dominating first quarter as the Tar Heels completed ACC play unbeaten.

Logan scored on runs of 42 and 40 yards, while Hood had a 39-yard run of his own before scoring from a yard out in that 35-point avalanche for the Tar Heels (11-1, 8-0 Atlantic Coast Conference).

UNC also got TD catches from Quinshad Davis and Mack Hollins, tying the program’s single-quarter scoring record by rolling to a 35-7 lead. That was too big of a hole for the Wolfpack (7-5, 3-5), who managed to slow the Tar Heels’ early onslaught but never recovered.

Hood finished with a career-high 220 yards rushing and two touchdowns to lead UNC, which had already wrapped up the Coastal Division title and a trip to next week’s ACC championship game to play No. 1 Clemson.

No. 16 Northwestern 24, Illinois 14

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CHICAGO -- Justin Jackson rushed for 172 yards and a touchdown as the Wildcats topped the Illini.

Freshman Clayton Thorson threw for 146 yards and a score as Northwestern (10-2, 6-2 Big Ten) avenged last year’s 47-33 home loss to Illinois. It was the fifth consecutive win for the Wildcats, putting them in position for a Jan. 1 bowl game.

A few hours before Illinois (5-7, 2-6) took the field, the school announced interim Coach Bill Cubit had agreed to a two-year contract. Cubit took over for the fired Tim Beckman right before the season started.

No. 18 Mississippi 38, No. 21 Mississippi State 27

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Chad Kelly threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score to lead Ole Miss to the win.

Ole Miss (9-3, 6-2 Southeastern Conference, No. 18 CFP) jumped out to a 28-3 halftime lead and was never in serious trouble during the second half. Kelly threw two touchdown passes — both to Damore’ea Stringfellow — and ran for another while Tony Bridges returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown.

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It’s just the second time the road team has won the Egg Bowl in 12 years.

Mississippi State (8-4, 4-4, No. 21) struggled in quarterback Dak Prescott’s final home game at Davis Wade Stadium.

Prescott completed 31 of 42 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns, but was sacked seven times and rarely looked comfortable in the pocket.

Ole Miss finished its second straight nine-win regular season.

USC 40, No. 22 UCLA 21

LOS ANGELES -- Cody Kessler threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score, and the Trojans clinched the Pac-12 South title with the victory over the Bruins in the 85th edition of their crosstown showdown.

Darreus Rogers and Taylor McNamara caught TD passes while the Trojans (8-4, 6-3 Pac-12) scored 20 consecutive points in the second half before raising the Victory Bell in the frenzied Coliseum. USC improved to 5-2 under interim Coach Clay Helton and snapped its three-year losing streak in the annual city rivalry game.

USC will face Stanford next Saturday in the Trojans’ first trip to the Pac-12 title game.

Paul Perkins rushed for two touchdowns for the Bruins (8-4, 5-4), who lost to USC for the first time in coach Jim Mora’s tenure.

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No. 23 Utah 20, Colorado 14

SALT LAKE CITY -- Joe Williams ran for 187 yards and a touchdown as Utah closed the regular season with a win.

The win Saturday gave the Utes (9-3, 6-3) their best Pac-12 finish since joining the league in 2011, but there was still a feeling of emptiness after a 6-0 start and a No. 3 ranking just over a month ago.

Colorado (4-9, 1-8) ends a season in which it was more competitive than in the past, but still struggled to win games.

Utah leaned on the run game despite leading rusher Devontae Booker being out for the season with a knee injury. Quarterback Travis Wilson threw for 108 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Colorado quarterback Cade Apsay threw for 145 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions before leaving the game late in the second quarter with an injury. Jordan Gehrke threw for 113 yards, one touchdown and one interception in his absence. Nelson Spruce finished with 111 receiving yards and a touchdown.

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No. 25 Temple 27, Connecticut 3

PHILADELPHIA -- Jahad Thomas ran for 129 yards and two touchdowns, P.J. Walker threw for 160 yards and a score as the Owls secured a spot in the American Athletic Conference’s inaugural championship game.

Romond Deloatch caught a touchdown for the Owls, who will play at No. 21 Houston for the AAC title on Saturday with a New Year’s Six bowl bid possibly at stake.

Temple (10-2, 7-1, No. 25 CFP) reached 10 wins for just the second time in program history, capping a three-year turnaround under coach Matt Rhule that includes winning the AAC East Division.

UConn (6-6, 4-4), playing without starting quarterback Bryant Shirreffs, struggled offensively. The Huskies had just 138 yards of offense, including only 9 rushing yards.

Georgia 13, Georgia Tech 7

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ATLANTA -- Sony Michel rushed for 149 yards and scored Georgia’s lone touchdown on the first possession of the game, enough for the Bulldogs to pull out an ugly victory over Georgia Tech that likely boosted the job prospects of embattled Coach Mark Richt.

While hardly an impressive effort, Georgia (9-3) got back on the winning side in its state rivalry and put Richt in position for the 10th double-digit-win season of his 15-year tenure with a bowl victory.

That may be enough to keep his job after a disappointing season in which the Bulldogs started as the favorite in the Southeastern Conference East, only to get blown out by both Alabama and Florida. For Georgia Tech (3-9), it was the fitting close to a dismal season. The Yellow Jackets, who won the Orange Bowl last season, lost nine of their last 10 games to finish with their worst record since going 1-10 in 1994.

Memphis 63, Southern Methodist 0

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Paxton Lynch tied the FBS record with seven touchdown passes in a half, and Memphis (9-3, 5-3 AAC) set single-season records for yards and points in the rout of Southern Methodist (2-10, 1-7).

Lynch hit seven different receivers on his scoring passes and finished 9 of 14 for 222 yards — all in the first half — as the Tigers raced to a 56-0 lead. His seven passing TDs set an American Conference single-game record, and his 28 passing TDs on the season are best in school history. Lynch’s previous single-game high for TD passes was four.

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West Virginia 30, Iowa State 6

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Skyler Howard threw one touchdown pass and ran for another score to lead the Mountaineers to victory.

Josh Lambert kicked three field goals for West Virginia (7-4, 4-4 Big 12), which won its fourth straight. Bowl-eligible West Virginia finishes at Kansas State next Saturday and can reach eight wins in the regular season for the first time since coach Dana Holgorsen’s first season in 2011.

Iowa State, with two field goals, was held out of the end zone for the first time this season. The Cyclones (3-9, 2-7) went winless on the road for the first time since 2008. The game was the finale for Iowa State Coach Paul Rhoads, who was fired last Sunday and bows out with a career record of 32-55.

Virginia Tech 23, Virginia 20

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Joey Slye kicked a 41-yard field goal with 1:38 left and the Hokies gave retiring Frank Beamer his 12th consecutive win over the Cavaliers as well as a chance to coach his team in one more bowl game.

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A week after losing in the final home game of Beamer’s 29 years as coach, the Hokies (6-6, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) didn’t let him down on the road. Chuck Clark sealed the outcome with an interception with 59 seconds remaining.

The Hokies will go to a bowl game for the 23rd consecutive season.

The game could also mark the end for Mike London as coach at Virginia (4-8, 3-5). The Cavaliers had already failed to qualify for a bowl and losing to their state rival in a stadium that seemed to have as many Virginia Tech fans as Cavaliers’ fans surely won’t help.

Duke 27, Wake Forest 21

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Thomas Sirk threw two touchdown passes to Max McCaffrey and ran for another to lead the Blue Devils to victory.

Sirk was 26 of 39 for 275 yards, hit McCaffrey with touchdown passes covering 18 and 28 yards, and ran 3 yards for another score to help the Blue Devils (7-5, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) snap a four-game losing streak.

John Wolford threw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter for Wake Forest (3-9, 1-7), including a 22-yarder to Cortez Lewis that made it a one-score game with 1:46 to play.

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Braxton Deaver recovered the ensuing onside kick for Duke at the Wake Forest 45, and the Blue Devils ran out most of the clock before punting with seven seconds left.

Tabari Hines fielded the punt at the 1 as time expired but was swarmed before he could get past the 5.

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