CFB roundup: Citadel upsets South Carolina; Iowa clinches Big Ten berth

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Tyler Renew scored the winning touchdown with a 56-yard run up the middle as lower division The Citadel shocked South Carolina, 23-22, on Saturday.

The Gamecocks (3-8) hadn’t lost to a Football Championship Subdivision team in 25 years. The Bulldogs (8-3) beat them back then too.

The Citadel stuck to its triple option attack even as it sputtered in the middle of the game. Facing a third-and-1 with just over six minutes to go, the Gamecocks defense overcommitted and Renew scampered for the touchdown.

South Carolina appeared to pull it out on a miracle 94-yard fourth down touchdown to Pharoh Cooper with 44 seconds left, but the officials called a false start, saying all the Gamecocks weren’t set.

It was the first win for an FCS team over a Southeastern Conference team since Jacksonville State beat Mississippi 49-48 in two overtimes in 2010.

No. 1 Clemson 33, Wake Forest 13

CLEMSON, S.C. -- Deshaun Watson and the top-ranked Tigers enjoyed another big day and kept on track for the College Football Playoff with the win.

Watson threw for three touchdowns and ran for a fourth, leading the Tigers (11-0, 8-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) to their seventh straight game with over 500 yards.

Watson started the scoring with a 3-yard run, then connected on TD passes of 44 yards to Charone Peake, 11 yards to Deon Cain and 47 yards to Germone Hopper.

The Tigers gained 506 yards against a Wake Forest defense that held Notre Dame to 282 yards a week earlier.

All that stands in the way of a perfect, 12-0 regular season for Clemson is next week’s game at arch rival South Carolina, which lost to FCS opponent Citadel earlier Saturday.

Wake Forest (3-8, 1-6) has lost five straight and seven of its past eight.

No. 2 Alabama 56, Charleston Southern 6

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Cyrus Jones returned two punts for touchdowns and Derrick Henry also scored twice to lead the Crimson Tide to the win.

The Crimson Tide (10-1, No. 2 CFP) led 49-0 by halftime against the Buccaneers (9-2), who are bound for the FCS playoffs. Alabama is hoping to join them in the FBS version and can clinch an SEC West title with a win next week at Auburn.

Jones scored on returns of 43 and 72 yards. He’s the only Alabama player to score twice on punt returns, according to school records dating to 1944. He’s also the first Tide player to have touchdowns on punt returns in consecutive games.

Henry tied Trent Richardson’s Alabama single-season record of 21 touchdowns before sitting out the second half. He had nine carries for 68 yards.

No. 9 Michigan State 17, No. 3 Ohio State 14

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Michael Geiger kicked a 41-yard field goal as time expired to give the Spartans, who were playing without injured quarterback Connor Cook, the win over the Buckeyes, who had a 23-game winning streak come to an end.

The Spartans (10-1, 6-1 Big Ten) took control of the Big Ten East, jumped into the thick of the College Football Playoff race and very likely ended the Buckeyes’ chances to repeat as national champions.

Ohio State (10-1, 6-1) managed just 132 yards against a rugged Spartans defense and lost for the first time to a Big Ten team in the regular season since Urban Meyer became coach four seasons ago. The Rose Bowl might be the best that the Buckeyes can do now.

Without Cook, the Spartans completed one pass in the second half, but they gave Geiger a chance to win it with 3 seconds left and the 5-foot-8 junior curved it through.

No. 5 Iowa 40, Purdue 20

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- C.J. Beathard threw three touchdown passes as the Hawkeyes clinched a share of the Big Ten West title and a spot in the league championship game.

LeShun Daniels Jr. ran for two TDs for the Hawkeyes (11-0, 7-0 Big TenP), who’ll play at Nebraska next week in search of their first 12-0 regular season.

Iowa let Purdue get within 20-13 in the third quarter. But Beathard’s 22-yard TD pass to Henry Krieger-Coble with 8:40 left sealed yet another victory for the Hawkeyes.

Austin Appleby had 259 yards passing to lead Purdue (2-9, 1-6), which will play for the Old Oaken Bucket next week against Indiana.

No. 8 Florida 20, Florida Atlantic 14 (OT)

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Treon Harris’ 13-yard touchdown pass to Jake McGee in overtime allowed the Gators to avoid an upset.

The Gators (10-1) were favored by more than 30 points, but were sluggish the whole game. In OT, Florida scored on its third play but the extra point attempt was blocked.

Florida Atlantic (2-9) had a first-and-goal at the 9-yard line. A sack and three incompletions in the end zone ended the Owls’ upset bid.

The shaky win enabled Jim McElwain to become the first Florida coach to win 10 games in his first season with the school.

The two teams played to a scoreless tie in the first half. Florida scored twice in the third quarter to take a 14-0 lead. The Owls answered with a late score in the period and then tied the game when Ocie Rose recovered a fumble in the end zone with just over eight minutes left in regulation.

No. 12 Michigan 28, Penn State 16

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Jake Rudock threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Wolverines to a win on the road.

Rudock was 25 of 38 and connected with Jake Butt and Amara Darboh for touchdowns. Sione Houma and De’Veon Smith also ran for touchdowns for the Wolverines (9-2, 6-1 Big Ten).

Rudock connected with Butt on a 26-yard pass to open the scoring and hit Darboh on an 11-yard route in the second quarter.

Houma scored from a yard out in the third quarter and Smith added another 1-yard touchdown with 5:12 to play. Christian Hackenberg passed for 137 yards and was sacked four times. He threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Saeed Blacknall in the second quarter. Tyler Davis made three field goals — from 23, 24 and 18 yards for Penn State (7-4, 4-3).

UCLA 17, No. 13 Utah 9

SALT LAKE CITY -- UCLA’s Josh Rosen threw for 220 yards and a touchdown as the Bruins moved one win closer to the Pac-12 championship game.

The Bruins can earn a berth in the conference title game for the first time since 2012 with a win over crosstown rival USC next week. UCLA hasn’t won the Pac-12 since 1998.

The Bruins scored touchdowns on two long drives to start the first and third quarters and that was enough against the short-handed Utes. Star running back Devontae Booker is out for the remainder of the regular season after having knee surgery Thursday.

Rosen, UCLA’s freshman star, completed 15 of 30 passes and had a 122.6 quarterback rating. Paul Perkins added 98 rushing yards and a touchdown while Jordan Payton had a game-high 105 receiving yards.

Utah’s Travis Wilson threw for 110 yards and rushed for 67 while Joe Williams, who took over for Booker, ran for 121 yards.

No. 22 Mississippi 38, No. 15 LSU 17

OXFORD, Miss. -- Chad Kelly threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Bulldogs to the win over the Tigers.

Ole Miss (8-3, 5-2 Southeastern Conference) jumped out to a 24-0 by late in the second quarter and dominated for most of the game.

Kelly completed 19 of 34 passes and also ran for 81 yards and two touchdowns.

LSU (7-3, 4-3), which has lost three straight games for the first time since 1999, rallied in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 24-17, but the Rebels responded with two quick touchdowns to put the game out of reach.

LSU star running back Leonard Fournette had a decent day, with 108 yards rushing on 25 carries, but his presence was mostly neutralized after the Tigers fell into an early hole and had to throw to try and score points quickly.

No. 17 North Carolina 30, Virginia Tech 27 (OT)

BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Marquise Williams hit Quinshad Davis with a 5-yard pass in overtime as the Tar Heels spoiled Coach Frank Beamer’s final home game at Virginia Tech.

The Tar Heels (10-1, 7-0 ACC) won their 10th in a row and clinched the Coastal Division title, and did so despite blowing a 14-point lead in the final three minutes of regulation.

Virginia Tech (5-6, 3-4) tied the game on Michael Brewer’s 4-yard, fourth-down pass to Isaiah Ford with 1:07 remaining, but the Hokies had to settle for a field goal to begin the overtime.

Williams then hit Ryan Switzer for 18 yards on the Tar Heels’ first play, and after two runs and a false start penalty put them at the 5, Williams hit Davis, who beat Terrell Edmunds in the right corner of the end zone.

Connecticut 20, No. 19 Houston 17

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. -- Noel Thomas caught two touchdown passes, including a 45-yarder on a trick play in the fourth quarter, to give the Huskies the upset victory.

The Huskies held the previously unbeaten Cougars to 318 yards of offense, almost 200 below their season average.

Houston quarterback Kyle Postma, playing in place of Heisman hopeful Greg Ward Jr., threw for 185 yards and a touchdown.

Ward came in during Houston’s last drive, but was intercepted by Jamar Summers and Connecticut (6-5, 4-3 American Athletic Conference) ran out the clock.

The game-winning catch came with just under 10 minutes left when quarterback-turned receiver Garrett Anderson took a pitch from Tim Boyle and found Thomas for the touchdown.

Houston (10-1, 6-1) hosts Navy next Saturday for a spot in the Dec. 5 conference championship game.

The Huskies became bowl eligible for the first time since the 2010 season.

No. 20 Northwestern 13, No. 25 Wisconsin 7

MADISON, Wis. -- Justin Jackson ran for 139 yards and a touchdown, and No. 20 Northwestern used a goal-line stand to hold off 21st-ranked Wisconsin for a 13-7 win on Saturday.

The Wildcats (9-2, 5-2 Big Ten) moved into a tie for second in the West Division with the Badgers (8-3, 5-2), who had won five in a row.

With 1:47 left, Joel Stave drove the Badgers from the 26 to the Northwestern 1. But Stave was forced to leave before Wisconsin’s final play from scrimmage after getting hurt on a sack.

Bart Houston’s pass to the end zone sailed just out of reach of Tanner McEvoy on fourth-and goal from the 11 with 2 seconds left, sealing the win for Northwestern.

Jackson had 35 carries on a chilly day, including an 8-yard touchdown run in the first quarter set up by one of five turnovers for Wisconsin.

No. 23 Oregon 48, No. 24 USC 28

EUGENE, Ore. -- Vernon Adams Jr. threw for 407 yards and six touchdowns to lead the Ducks to their fifth straight victory.

The Ducks (8-3, 6-2 Pac-12) have not dropped a game since Adams returned from a finger injury he sustained in the season opener against Eastern Washington. It was the third game since coming back that he’s thrown for 300 or more yards and at least four scores.

Royce Freeman rushed for 147 yards in his seventh straight game going above the 100-yard mark for the Ducks, who awaited the outcome of Saturday night’s game between Stanford and California to see if they were still alive for the Pac-12 North title.

The Trojans (7-4, 5-3) were still vying for a spot in the conference championship game, but no longer controlled their own destiny in the Pac-12 South.

Rutgers 31, Army 21

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Paul James rushed for 116 yards and three touchdowns to help Rutgers snap a four-game losing streak.

Rutgers (4-7) has won nine straight in the series with Army (2-9).

Army was poised to pull within a field goal with 5:22 left in the fourth quarter when Josh Hicks’ interception in the end zone sealed it for the Scarlet Knights.

Chris Carter, who took first-team snaps at quarterback in Army practices during the week while starter Ahmad Bradshaw wore a boot on an injured right foot, made his first career start as backup A.J. Schurr also was injured.

Carter gained 111 yards rushing on 20 carries and scored once, and was spot-on with several pitches to help key Army’s triple option. He also completed 4 of 6 passes for 140 yards and one touchdown.

Chris Laviano was 13-of-21 passing for 105 yards and no turnovers for Rutgers.