Aidan O’Connell threw for a career-best 536 yards, matched his career high with three touchdown passes and led Purdue past No. 3 Michigan State 40-29 on Saturday in West Lafayette, Ind., leaving the Big Ten Conference without any unbeaten teams.
Purdue’s second major upset in four weeks could keep the conference out of the College Football Playoff for the third time in five years. The Boilermakers (6-3, 4-2), who won at then-No. 2 Iowa last month, are bowl eligible for the first time in three years. They tied for the West Division lead and extended their Football Bowl Subdivision record for wins over top-five teams when unranked to 17.
“We’ve got a group of guys that are really hungry. We’ve had some adversity along the way, but that’s football and that’s what trains you to be great,” Purdue coach Jeff Brohm said. “It’s just a truly a great win for our program.”
The Spartans (8-1, 5-1) lost to Purdue for the first time since 2006 and trail Ohio State in the East by one game.
Struggling USC had no answers on offense during the fourth quarter, falling 31-16 to Arizona State Saturday night in Tempe.
O’Connell went 40 for 54, including a 39-yard touchdown to Jackson Anthrop on a beautifully executed trick play that put Purdue ahead 21-7 in the second quarter. Anthrop began the play in motion, took a handoff and gave the ball to a wide receiver on a reverse who then pitched the ball back to O’Connell. The quarterback tossed an easy screen pass back to Anthrop, who followed a convoy of blockers into the end zone.
“We run a multitude of trick plays. You guys have seen that,” Brohm said. “This is one we do, kind of double-reverse stuff, you know, throw it behind the line of scrimmage. To be honest with you, I stole it from a YouTube video of a high school team years ago and the first time we ran it, it went for a touchdown.”
Boilermakers wide receiver David Bell hauled in 11 passes for 217 yards and a touchdown. He posted his 15th career 100-yard receiving game, breaking John Standeford’s Purdue record.
Even another strong showing by Kenneth Walker III — 23 carries for 146 yards and a score — couldn’t keep the Spartans on track. Michigan State, No. 3 in the College Football Playoff rankings, spent most of the day playing catch-up.
“We weren’t able to move the chains and convert when we needed to,” Spartans coach Mel Tucker said.
The Spartans got within 21-14 at halftime and tied the score on their third play of the second half when quarterback Payton Thorne ran 39 yards for a touchdown.
King Doerue broke the tie with a one-yard touchdown run on the ensuing series, and the Boilermakers extended the margin to 37-21 with three field goals. The Spartans closed to 37-29 on Thorne’s second touchdown pass to Tre Mosley and a two-point conversion pass from Thorne to Maliq Carr.
Purdue sealed it with a 22-yard field goal with 41 seconds left.
The Spartans haven’t been 9-0 since 1966 and again failed to follow up a big, emotional victory — last week over Michigan — with another win. Michigan State must win out to have a chance to play for its first Big Ten crown since 2015.
Purdue coach Jeff Brohm pulled off a rare feat — beating two top-five teams in the same season for the first time since 1960. The fans, fittingly, rushed the field to celebrate.
Up next, Michigan State hosts Maryland next Saturday, while Purdue will face its second straight top-10 foe when it visits Ohio State.
Travis Dye rushed for a career-high 211 yards and a touchdown, Anthony Brown ran for a score and passed for another, and the Ducks (8-1, 5-1 Pac-12) overcame a sluggish start to beat the Huskies (4-5, 3-3).
A year after the border rivals didn’t play because of a COVID-19 outbreak within the Washington program, Oregon fell behind early before running off 21 consecutive points in beating the Huskies for the seventh time in the last eight games played in Seattle.
“Proud of the way our guys came out and showed our prowess in handling inclement weather,” Oregon coach Mario Cristobal said. “We continued to play hard throughout the entire game, making sure every critical situation our team responded really well.”
Brown threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Devon Williams late in the first half to take a 10-9 lead at the break and scored on a two-yard run early in the third quarter. Dye appeared to provide the capper when he rumbled 19 yards for a score on the first play of the fourth quarter to give the Ducks a 24-9 lead.
Washington’s languishing offense that had done nothing all night suddenly went the length of the field and pulled to within 24-16 with 11:13 remaining on Sean McGrew’s second touchdown run.
Oregon was able to grind nearly nine minutes off the clock even though it didn’t score. The drive was helped by a long run from Dye and Brown hitting Johnny Johnson III for 13 yards on third and 10. It was Johnson’s only catch after he was suspended for the first half following a targeting ejection last week.
Washington got the ball back with 2:14 left and 90 yards to go but had two dropped passes and an incompletion, and when coach Jimmy Lake opted to punt the snap went over Race Porter’s head for a safety.
On a miserable, chilly night with breezes blowing off Lake Washington and unrelenting, heavy rain pelting the field, players and fans, the Ducks avoided the kind of stumble that befell Michigan State earlier in the day and should give Oregon the chance of moving up in the College Football Playoff rankings. Oregon was No. 4 in the first rankings and remained in control of the Pac-12 North.
“The ‘W’ means everything to me,” Dye said. “The performance is just a plus.”
Stetson Bennett passed for 255 yards and two touchdowns before giving way to former starter JT Daniels, leading the Bulldogs (9-0, 7-0 Southeastern Conference) to the victory over the Tigers (4-5, 1-4).
The game opened new questions for Georgia at quarterback while affirming the Bulldogs’ season-long defensive dominance. Missouri was held to 273 total yards in Georgia’s seventh game of the season giving up no more than 10 points.
The Tigers’ Tyler Badie, the SEC’s leading rusher, was held to 41 yards on the ground.
It remains to be seen how playing time might be split between Kedon Slovis and Jaxson Dart, but USC’s chance for success likely rests in the run game.
Georgia was impressive in scoring 40 unanswered points after Missouri’s early 3-0 lead. The Bulldogs began the day leading the nation with their average of 6.6 points allowed per game.
Bryce Young passed for 302 yards, and the defense came up with enough big plays for the Crimson Tide (8-1, 5-1 SEC) to earn a victory over the heavy underdog Tigers (4-5, 2-4).
Alabama preserved its national championship hopes in a game that was as tight as some meetings when both teams were nursing such ambitions. Injury-depleted LSU and lame-duck coach Ed Orgeron didn’t act like 29½-point underdogs.
It wasn’t over until the final play, a Hail Mary attempt that fell incomplete in the end zone. The Tigers came up empty in three fourth-quarter trips into Crimson Tide territory, including that quick venture to the 30-yard line in the final minute.
Young, the Heisman Trophy front-runner and a former Santa Ana mater Dei standout, completed 24 of 37 passes with a couple of touchdown throws, including a 58-yarder to Jameson Williams. Williams caught 10 passes for 160 yards. LSU harried Young all night and held Brian Robinson Jr. to 18 yards in 13 carries.
But Alabama returned the favor with Will Anderson Jr. racking up 12 tackles, 1½ sacks and four tackles for loss.
Max Johnson completed 16 of 32 passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns with an interception for LSU. Tyrion Davis-Price ran for 104 yards.
Alabama had five sacks and LSU four.
C.J. Stroud threw for 405 yards and two touchdowns, Ohio State’s defense came up with a pair of stops after Nebraska had pulled within six points, and the Buckeyes (8-1, 6-0 Big Ten) got out of Memorial Stadium with a victory over the Cornhuskers (3-7, 1-6).
Ohio State’s nation-leading offense managed only two field goals in the second half, allowing Nebraska — a two-touchdown underdog, according to FanDuel Sportsbook — to make it a one-score game until Noah Ruggles kicked a 46-yard field goal with 1:29 left.
The Buckeyes won their 24th straight game against a conference opponent but couldn’t have impressed the committee that put them No. 5 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings.
“We’re going to watch it and think we could have won by three touchdowns or more if we clean some things up,” Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said. “But [Nebraska] is a good team, this is a good defense. We knew that coming in. I said that, and I believe that. It’s great to get wins on the road. It’s not easy to do.”
The Cornhuskers dropped their fourth straight game and are assured of a fourth consecutive losing season under Scott Frost and a fifth in a row overall.
“I hate losing more than anybody in that locker room,” Frost said. “But I just love being the coach here, I love these kids. They battled through a lot. This is going to pop at Nebraska. It just is. We’re doing too many good things right. We have too many good young players. We’re putting ourselves in position to win too many games and just not making a play or catching a break.”
The Buckeyes played without top receiver Garrett Wilson because of an undisclosed reason but got career highs of 15 catches for 240 yards from Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Stroud, a former Rancho Cucamonga High standout, completed 36 of 54 passes, but two were intercepted after he went four straight games without being picked off.
Desmond Ridder threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns, and the Bearcats (9-0, 5-0 American Athletic) held off the Golden Hurricane (3-6, 2-3).
Alec Peirce had five catches for 113 yards and a touchdown to help Cincinnati extend the nation’s second-longest home winning streak to 25 games.
Shamari Brooks rushed for 132 yards for Tulsa, and Anthony Watkins ran for 105.
When Tulsa was stopped short on fourth down at the four-yard line, it appeared the Bearcats would just run out the clock. But Ridder fumbled on a sneak, giving the Golden Hurricane life.
On fourth and goal from the one, Tulsa’s Steven Anderson fumbled as he was reaching for the goal line, and Cincinnati’s Jabari Taylor made the recovery for a touchback.
The Bearcats beat Tulsa 27-24 on a last-second field goal in the AAC championship game last season.
Hassan Haskins ran for a career-high 168 yards and a touchdown, helping the Wolverines (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) bounce back from their first defeat with a victory over the Hoosiers (2-7, 0-6).
Michigan was coming off a deflating defeat, blowing a 16-point, third-quarter lead in a 37-33 loss to rival Michigan State last week. The Spartans lost for the first time this season earlier in the day, 40-29 to Purdue.
Indiana has lost five straight games, collapsing in a season that started with it hoping to contend for at least a division title.
Haskins had 27 carries with a heavier burden in the backfield because Blake Corum left the field because of an undisclosed injury early in the game. Corum, who has been among the nation’s leading rushers all season, ran once for four yards and dropped a perfect pass in the flat for the second straight week before leaving the game.
Cade McNamara was 10 for 18 for 168 yards with two touchdown passes to tight end Luke Schoonmaker that helped the Wolverines pull away. Michigan’s Cornelius Johnson had five receptions for 108 yards.
Ty Chandler ran for career highs of 213 yards and four touchdowns to help the Tar Heels (5-4) rally from 18 points down in the third quarter to hand the Demon Deacons (8-1) their first loss in a nonconference matchup of instate Atlantic Coast Conference teams.
Chandler’s big day included a 50-yard breakaway run with 1:12 left. That was the final blow for North Carolina as it rallied from a huge third-quarter deficit to beat Wake Forest for the second straight year, following a 21-point comeback last year by erasing a 45-27 deficit with 7:38 left in the third.
While the loss doesn’t impact the Demon Deacons’ pursuit of their first ACC title since 2006 because it was part of a home-and-home nonconference series, it does likely end their hopes of climbing deeper into the College Football Playoff race, even if they win out in league play and win the ACC championship game.
Sam Hartman threw for 398 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 78 yards and two more scores for Wake Forest.
Jack Coan threw for 269 yards and a touchdown, Kyren Williams ran for two scores, and the Fighting Irish (8-1) shut down the triple-option attack of the Midshipmen (2-7) in a victory.
Coan, a grad transfer from Wisconsin, completed 23 of 29 passes, with a 70-yard scoring pass to Kevin Austin late in the first half for Notre Dame.
Williams, who had a career-high 199 yards rushing last week in a 44-34 shootout victory over North Carolina, scored on runs of one and 20 yards and rushed for 95 yards in 17 carries. The Irish offense totaled 430 yards.
Grad nose tackle Kurt Hinish had a career-high 10 tackles after making just 14 in six games coming in. Notre Dame dominated Navy with its size and physical play. The Midshipmen controlled the clock with 34:33 of possession but completed just one pass for 18 yards and rushed for 166 yards — 73 on 22 carries by fullback Isaac Ruoss.
It was Notre Dame’s fourth straight victory in the series that began in 1927 but was interrupted last year by the COVID-19 pandemic. Notre Dame has an 80-13-1 lead in the series that will continue at least through 2032.
Spencer Sanders threw two touchdown passes, Oklahoma State had eight sacks, and the Cowboys (8-1, 5-1) beat the Mountaineers (4-5, 2-4).
Oklahoma State has won seven straight over West Virginia.
The Cowboys pushed around the Mountaineers’ offensive line all game. Devin Harper and Brock Martin had two sacks apiece for Oklahoma State.
West Virginia, which compiled 492 total yards in a win over Iowa State last week, was limited to 133 total yards Saturday, including 17 yards on the ground against the Big 12’s top rushing defense.
Both of Sanders’ touchdown passes went to Tay Martin.
Chandler Morris threw for 461 yards and two touchdowns in his first start for TCU, and the Horned Frogs (4-5, 2-4 Big 12) beat the Bears (7-2, 4-2) in their first game without Gary Patterson on the sideline since 1997.
TCU snapped a three-game losing streak six days after the school and Patterson mutually agreed to immediately part ways before completing his 21st season as head coach. The Horned Frogs had lost five of their previous six games and were 21-22 since the start of 2018.
Baylor was driving and past midfield after the Frogs missed a field-goal attempt when linebacker Shadrach Banks intercepted a pass thrown by Gerry Bohanon with 1:03 left.
Bohanon finished 14 for 20 for 214 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. Abram Smith ran for 125 yards for Baylor, which saw its three-game winning streak end. Tyquan Thornton had five catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns.
Morris, a redshirt freshman who transferred from Oklahoma and is the son of former Arkansas and Southern Methodist coach Chad Morris, completed 29 of 41 passes. He also led the Frogs with 70 yards rushing and a touchdown in 11 carries. Morris took over in the second half last week for Max Duggan, who had been playing with a fractured bone in his foot since getting hurt Oct. 9 at Texas Tech.
Jerry Kill, the former Minnesota coach who was the best man in Patterson’s wedding and in an off-field role on his staff, took over as interim head coach.
Micheal Clemons scored the game’s only touchdown on a 24-yard fumble return early in the fourth quarter, and the Aggies (7-2, 4-2 SEC) beat the Tigers (6-3, 3-2).
Clemons’ scoop-and-score came after defensive tackle Jayden Peevy poked the ball away from scrambling Auburn quarterback Bo Nix. Clemons, a 6-foot-5, 270-pound defensive end, picked up the ball and sprinted to the end zone, diving to the ground after he crossed the goal line.
Zach Calzada finished 15 of 29 for 192 yards for Texas A&M, shaking off an apparent injury to his non-throwing shoulder in the third quarter. His performance was was good enough for the Aggies to survive a defensive battle between the two highest-ranked two-loss teams in the country.
Auburn’s four-game winning streak in College Station was snapped in front of 109,835 — the second-largest crowd in Kyle Field history.
Jaren Hall threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns, all in the first half, and the Cougars (8-2) demolished the Bengals (1-8).
Baylor Romney took over in the second half for Hall, who finished two yards shy of his fourth 300-yard performance in the last five games.
Puka Nacua had six catches for 120 yards and a touchdown for the Cougars, who debuted at No. 15 in the College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday. Keanu Hill caught four passes for a career-high 92 yards and a touchdown. Hill also blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone for BYU’s final score late in the fourth quarter.
The Cougars finished with 560 yards of offense, averaging 7.4 yards per play, in their third consecutive victory. Idaho State fell to 0-7 all time against BYU.
Matt Corral threw for 324 yards and a touchdown to lead the Rebels (7-2) past the Flames (7-3) and former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze.
Corral continued to build a Heisman Trophy resume, completing 20 of 27 passes, including six completions of 20-plus yards.
The Rebels raced to a 24-0 halftime lead, highlighted by a 70-yard touchdown run by Jerrion Ealy on the game’s second play.
Dannis Jackson had six receptions for a game-high 126 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown catch. John Rhys Plumlee added seven receptions for 110 yards. Ealy rushed for 115 yards in 10 carries and added another four-yard touchdown run as Ole Miss built an insurmountable first-half advantage.
Liberty was led by Malik Willis, who ran for a three-yard touchdown and finished 16 for 25 for 173 yards but threw three interceptions.
Dominique Johnson scored the go-ahead touchdown from four yards with 21 seconds left, and the Razorbacks (6-3, 2-3 SEC) rallied to defeat the Bulldogs (5-4, 3-3).
Mississippi State had an opportunity to tie the score with two seconds left, but Nolan McCord missed a 40-yard field-goal try, giving Arkansas the win. McCord took the kick after the Bulldogs’ first-string kicker, Brandon Ruiz, missed two attempts, including one from 23 yards.
The win makes Arkansas bowl eligible, under non-COVID qualifications, for the first time since 2016 and gives the Razorbacks their second win this season over a team ranked inside the College Football Playoff top 25.
Johnson, who began the year as the fourth-string running back, made his first start of the season and ran for 107 yards in 17 carries with two touchdowns.
Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson completed 19 of 23 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown. Treylon Burks caught six passes for 82 yards and a touchdown.
Hendon Hooker threw a career-high four touchdown passes, including a six-yard insurance score to Cedric Tillman early in the fourth quarter, and the Volunteers (5-4, 3-3 SEC) held off the Wildcats (6-3, 4-3) to halt a two-game losing streak.
Tennessee emerged from a bye to strike quickly in a back-and-forth game between border rivals that totaled 1,073 yards combined. The Volunteers needed just three plays and 37 seconds to score their first two touchdowns, drove 35 yards in 16 seconds for a go-ahead field goal before halftime, and ticked off only 37 seconds on the way to another go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter.
Hooker’s final touchdown pass to Tillman with 11:40 remaining proved to be the biggest as Kentucky got within a field goal on Will Levis’ 24-yard touchdown toss to Izayah Cummings. The Wildcats had one last chance after Chase McGrath’s missed field goal but couldn’t take advantage, turning the ball over on downs with 29 seconds left.
It was Tennessee’s first win over a ranked opponent since 2018, also against Kentucky.
Hooker completed 15 of 20 passes for a career-best 316 yards with touchdown throws to Javonta Payton, Velus Jones Jr., tight end Jacob Warren and Tillman. Jabari Small rushed for a 37-yard touchdown as Tennessee bounced back from losses to Mississippi and Alabama, avoiding consecutive losses to Kentucky for the first time since 1976-77.
Levis threw for 372 yards and three touchdowns for Kentucky.
Devin Leary threw for 314 yards and four touchdowns, and the Wolfpack (7-2, 4-1 ACC) jumped ahead of the Seminoles (3-6, 2-4) early and held them off for a victory.
Leary connected with Trent Pennix, C.J. Riley, Christopher Toudle and Ricky Person on touchdowns — one in each quarter — for N.C. State. Three of the touchdowns were big plays, with connections of 62 yards to Riley, 45 yards to Pennix and 43 yards to Person.
McKenzie Milton filled in as Florida State’s starting quarterback with Jordan Travis out. Milton completed 22 of 44 passes for 233 yards and scrambled to complete an eight-yard touchdown pass to Keyshawn Helton, but the Seminoles were also hampered by drops from the start.
Chase Brown rushed 33 times for 150 yards, and the Fighting Illini (4-6, 3-4 Big Ten) delivered six sacks and two interceptions of Gophers quarterback Tanner Morgan on the way to a victory over Minnesota (6-3, 4-2).
Kerby Joseph picked off a Morgan pass at Illinois’ 45-yard line with 38 seconds left to halt the too-little-too-late rally by the Gophers, whose four-game winning streak that catapulted them into sole possession of first place in the Big Ten West Division was stopped.
Morgan scored on a fourth-and-one bootleg with 4:56 to go after going seven for eight for 68 yards on that drive to pull the Gophers within one score.
The Illini finished the game with seven consecutive punts, except for a kneel-down at the end of each half.
Graham Mertz threw a season-high three touchdown passes, and the Badgers (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten) won their fifth straight game and became bowl eligible for the 20th straight year with a victory over the Scarlet Knights (4-5, 1-5).
Chez Mellusi, Braelon Allen and Jackson Acker each ran for a touchdown, and cornerback Caesar Williams highlighted a dominant performance by the Badgers’ top-ranked defense by returning an interception 29 yards for a touchdown.
Mertz’s touchdown passes covered one yard to John Chenal, 25 yards to Kendric Pryor and 72 yards to Danny Davis as the Badgers had their biggest point production since scoring 61 against Central Michigan early in 2019.
Coupled with No. 20 Minnesota’s loss to Illinois, Wisconsin will have a share of first place in the conference’s West Division after opening the season with a 1-3 start, its worst since 1990.
Rutgers lost for the fifth time in six games in seeing its hopes for a first bowl bid since 2014 take another hit after a 3-0 start.
Alex Padilla took over for the struggling Spencer Petras and led three scoring drives, Tyler Goodson ran for 141 yards and a touchdown, and the Hawkeyes (7-2, 4-2 Big Ten) defeated the Wildcats (3-6, 1-5) to stop a two-game losing streak.
Iowa got the bounce-back win it was seeking coming off lopsided losses to Purdue and Wisconsin, though it wasn’t exactly a breeze.
Northwestern pulled to within 17-12 with 2:21 remaining on Andrew Marty’s 31-yard touchdown pass to Evan Hull and quickly got the ball back after Iowa went three and out. But Dane Belton immediately sealed it with his second interception, sending the Wildcats to their third straight loss.
Padilla led two touchdown drives in the first half after Iowa went nowhere on its first three possessions. And the Hawkeyes won for the first time since beating Penn State on Oct. 9 after getting outscored 51-14 over the previous two games.
Padilla came in late in the first quarter and completed 18 of 28 passes for 172 yards. The sophomore helped get the offense going after Petras went two for four for four yards.
Hull had 89 yards receiving and 41 rushing. The Wildcats’ defense took a hit when defensive end Samdup Miller exited in the first half with a lower-body injury, and Northwestern remained winless since beating Rutgers on Oct. 16.
Hank Bachmeier passed for 283 yards and a touchdown, and the Broncos (5-4, 3-2 Mountain West) had five sacks and forced three turnovers to mute Fresno State’s high-scoring offense in a victory over the Bulldogs (7-3, 4-2).
Boise State dominated in the rematch of the 2018 Mountain West championship game. The Broncos lost that snow-filled game in overtime and had to wait three years to get their revenge, but they never trailed and took advantage of a sloppy night by the Bulldogs.
George Holani rushed for 117 yards in 21 carries. Jonah Dalmas matched his career best with four field goals.
Jake Haener passed for 279 yards and two touchdowns for Fresno State but threw three interceptions — one in the end zone.
The Bulldogs had all sorts of problems and were held to their lowest point total of the season while playing in front of their first sellout at home since 2017.
Kenny Pickett threw three touchdown passes and ran for a score, and the Panthers (7-2, 4-1 ACC) pulled away for the win against the Blue Devils (3-6, 0-5).
Pickett passed for 405 yards as Pittsburgh bounced back from a home loss to Miami a week earlier. The Panthers have their best nine-game record since an 8-1 mark in 2009.
Sam Scarton kicked four field goals for Pittsburgh, which leads the ACC’s Coastal Division and improved to 4-0 in road games. Jordan Addison, who scored on a reception and a rush, racked up 171 yards receiving on seven catches.
Duke lost its fifth game in a row. Quarterback Gunnar Holmberg exited because of an upper-body injury on the team’s final possession of the first half after throwing for 174 yards and a touchdown.
Jordyn Law recovered teammate Christian Anderson’s fumble at the goal line for an overtime touchdown, and the Black Knights (5-3) defeated the Falcons (6-3) in Arlington, Texas.
After Law’s game-saving recovery, Army denied Air Force the end zone when Jabari Moore broke up Haaziq Daniels’ fourth-down pass.
The victory means the Black Knights can do no worse than a tie for the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy, which goes to the service academy with the best record in round-robin competition. Army will retain the prize whether it wins or loses against Navy in December, as Air Force defeated the Midshipmen earlier this season. Army came in having won three of the last four trophies.
The Wildcats (1-8, 1-5 Pac-12) ended the nation’s longest losing streak at 20 games, beating the COVID-19-depleted Bears (3-6, 2-4) on Michael Wiley’s 10-yard touchdown run with 2:17 left.
Wiley capped a 55-yard drive — the longest by either team in a game that featured 18 punts — that was set up by Stanley Berryhill III’s 25-yard punt return.
Arizona quarterback Will Plummer had 197 yards of total offense, and the Wildcats held Cal to 122 yards while winning for the first time since a 35-30 victory over Colorado on Oct. 5, 2019. The Wildcats won their sixth straight in the series.
Tavion Thomas rushed for four touchdowns in the first half, TJ Pledger scored on a school-record 96-yard run, and visiting Utah ran past Stanford 52-7.
Cal played without starting quarterback Chase Garbers. He was one of seven starters and 24 players and coaches who were unavailable. Cal announced Thursday that “multiple” players were in COVID protocols and would not play, but federal and state laws prohibit Cal from commenting on individual players.
Cal backup quarterback Ryan Glover, who had not taken a snap this season, completed 11 of 29 passes for 94 yards.
Oregon State kicker Everett Hayes missed a 38-yard field-goal try in the second overtime after nailing a 60-yarder at the end of regulation, and Cole Becker’s 43-yarder gave the Buffaloes (3-6, 2-4 Pac-12) a win over the Beavers (5-4, 3-3).
The homecoming crowd rushed the field when Becker’s field goal sailed high through the uprights.
Colorado won for the first time in four multi-overtime games in program history, and the Buffaloes denied bowl eligibility for Oregon State, which hasn’t won six games since 2013.
The teams exchanged touchdowns in the first overtime with Brendon Lewis scoring on a nine-yard quarterback keeper for Colorado and running back B.J. Baylor snaring a high direct snap with his left hand and trotting into the end zone.
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