Loss to LSU proves costly to Arkansas

Cross off Arkansas from the dwindling list of national championship contenders.

JaMarcus Russell passed for 210 yards and two touchdowns, and No. 9 Louisiana State held off the No. 5 Razorbacks, 31-26, Friday at Little Rock, Ark., to derail their slim national title hopes.

Arkansas was No. 6 in the Bowl Championship Series standings this week, but the Razorbacks held out hope that wins over the Tigers, 10-2 overall and 6-2 in the Southeastern Conference, and next week against Florida in the SEC title game would help them jump the other contenders and into the championship game against Ohio State.

Instead, LSU improved its chances of landing a bid to a game in the BCS.

Arkansas pulled to within 31-26 on Felix Jones’ five-yard touchdown run with 4:53 left, and the Razorbacks (10-2, 7-1) got the ball back at their own 27 with 2:04 to play. But Casey Dick threw four incomplete passes in a row, capping a three-for-17 game in which he passed for only 29 yards.

Texas A&M; 12, No. 11 Texas 7 -- Quarterback Stephen McGee scored on an eight-yard run with 2 1/2 minutes left, and the Aggies stunned the Longhorns (9-3, 6-2) in a Big 12 game at Austin behind a power running game and tough defense to end a six-game losing streak in the bitter rivalry.

The Aggies (9-3, 5-3) rushed for 244 yards against the nation’s top run defense and intercepted Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy three times, the last with just over a minute to play. He was carted off the field after taking a hit on a pass attempt with 20 seconds left.

The Longhorns could have won the South Division with a win. The loss means they need Oklahoma to lose to Oklahoma State today or the Sooners will win the division title and play Nebraska in the conference championship game.

No. 23 Nebraska 37, Colorado 14 -- Zac Taylor threw two touchdown passes on a record-setting day against the Buffaloes (2-10, 2-6), and the host Cornhuskers (9-3, 6-2) posted their 35th nine-win season in 38 years in the Big 12 victory.

Taylor, who tied Tommie Frazier’s school career record of 43, completed 19 of 28 for 249 yards to run his season total to a school-record 2,789. He set the record of 2,653 last season.

Nevada Las Vegas 42, Air Force 39 -- Rocky Hinds threw for a career-high 351 yards and two touchdowns, and David Peeples had a pair of touchdown runs to help the host Rebels (2-10, 1-7) end a 10-game losing streak in a Mountain West game. The Falcons (4-7, 3-4) lost for the fifth time in six games.

Fresno State 34, Louisiana Tech 27 -- Dwayne Wright’s 33-yard touchdown run with 53 seconds left propelled the Bulldogs (4-7, 4-3) in a Western Athletic Conference game at Ruston, La. Wright rushed for a school record 295 yards in 25 carries.

Ohio 34, Miami (Ohio) 24 -- Kalvin McRae rushed for 180 yards and scored on runs of 48 and 66 yards to help the Bobcats (9-3, 7-1) beat the rival RedHawks (2-10, 2-6) in a Mid-American game. It was their first victory in Oxford since 1993 and ended a six-game losing streak to the RedHawks.

Central Michigan 55, Buffalo 28 -- Dan LeFevour threw three touchdown passes in the first half at Amherst, N.Y., to help the Chippewas (8-4, 7-1) end the Bulls’ (2-10, 1-7) hopes of ending its first season under Coach Turner Gill on a high note by taking a 41-point halftime lead in the MAC game.