Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

Archives for November 17, 2024

NFL Monday Night Football: Preview

by

Houston Texans (6-4) at Dallas Cowboys (3-6), 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC

Edge rusher Micah Parsons returned from injured reserve to post two sacks last week and could be the key to collapsing the Texans’ offensive line to make C.J. Stroud uncomfortable. Stroud hasn’t thrown an interception in three of the past four games and Houston has benefited from a vintage Joe Mixon. He has six games with 90-plus yards from scrimmage and a touchdown, tied for the most in the NFL this season.

Embed from Getty Images

Stroud has WR Nico Collins back from a hamstring injury to threaten Dallas over the top. The same can’t be said for the Cowboys and CeeDee Lamb after backup QB Cooper Rush had just one pass completion of 10 yards in his first start of the season last week. Rush gets the call again and shares the backfield with Rico Dowdle, the decided No. 1 back for Dallas. Lamb has been up to the task in primetime games with Dak Prescott, catching 25 passes for 306 yards and three TDs.

–Field Level Media

NFL Sunday Night Football: Preview

by

Cincinnati Bengals (4-6) at LA Chargers (6-3), 8:20 ET, NBC

The Chargers have won the past three meetings in the series with Cincinnati and put their league-leading defense (13.1 points per game allowed) on display against Joe Burrow. The Bengals QB is putting up MVP-caliber numbers and pumping the ball to WR Ja’Marr Chase, who put on a memorable show last week: 11 receptions, 264 yards, three TDs. Los Angeles has held opponents under 18 points the past six consecutive games and only one team — the Steelers in September — has put up 20.

Embed from Getty Images

The Chargers are not a flashy offensive outfit and operate behind a physical offensive line that sets the tone in the running game to soften defenses to play-action threats from QB Justin Herbert. The Bengals are familiar with the Los Angeles RB duo of Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins, offseason imports from the Ravens’ scrap heap who had a few stories to tell in scouting meetings this week. They’ve combined for 838 rushing yards and Dobbins has six touchdown runs.

Notre Dame Climbs to No. 6

by

INDIANAPOLIS – (Wire Service Report) – A lack of upsets at the top of college football resulted in little movement at the top of the Associated Press Top 25 poll on Sunday, as Oregon remained undefeated and keeps its hold on the No. 1 ranking after avoiding an upset at Wisconsin.

The Ducks (11-0) prevailed 16-13 in Madison, Wis., while No. 2 Ohio State (9-1), No. 3 Texas (9-1) and No. 4 Penn State (9-1) all won as well, preserving the top four. Indiana (10-0) remained No. 5 after a bye week.

Previous No. 6 Tennessee lost to Georgia, and previous No. 7 BYU was upset by Kansas, opening the door for Notre Dame (9-1) to move up to No. 6 with its 35-14 blowout of Virginia.

The Fighting Irish have barely been tested since their shocking upset loss to Northern Illinois in Week 2, only once winning by less than 18 (31-24 vs. Louisville on Sept. 28). That could change soon with next weekend’s game against No. 18 Army (9-0).

Four SEC schools round out the Top 10 with identical 8-2 records: No. 7 Alabama, No. 8 Georgia, No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 10 Tennessee.

BYU (9-1) fell seven spots to No. 14 after losing for the first time this season, landing one spot below a team it beat earlier this year, SMU (9-1), who survived an upset bid from visiting Boston College.

Arizona State (8-2) rejoined the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2021 at No. 21 after its 24-14 road win at previous No. 20 Kansas State. Other newcomers included No. 22 Iowa State (8-2), No. 23 UNLV (8-2) and No. 24 Illinois (7-3).

Kansas State, LSU, Louisville and Missouri all fell from the rankings following losses.

The third in-season edition of the College Football Playoff committee’s rankings will be released Tuesday night.

The AP Top 25 poll after Week 12:
1. Oregon
2. Ohio State
3. Texas
4. Penn State
5. Indiana
6. Notre Dame
7. Alabama
8. Georgia
9. Ole Miss
10. Tennessee
11. Miami
12. Boise State
13. SMU
14. BYU
15. Texas A&M
16. Colorado
17. Clemson
18. Army
19. South Carolina
20. Tulane
21. Arizona State
22. Iowa State
23. UNLV
24. Illinois
25. Washington State

–Field Level Media

BOLD – Theoretical CFB Playoff Teams

Dallas Wins WNBA Draft Lottery

by

NEW YORK – (Wire Service Report) – The Dallas Wings will pick first in the 2025 WNBA Draft after winning the draft lottery for the first time in franchise history.

Sunday’s lottery awarded the No. 1 overall selection to Dallas, which had 227 chances out of 1,000 to have its number called.

The Los Angeles Sparks, who had the best odds for the No. 1 pick, will draft second for the second straight year. The Chicago Sky will pick third and the Washington Mystics will be fourth.

The four teams to miss the 2024 postseason were assigned number combinations based on their combined records from the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Los Angeles (25-55) had the most assigned combinations (442 out of 1,000), while Chicago was tied with Dallas after having identical 31-49 records since 2023.

The Wings are currently in the market for a new head coach after they parted ways with Latricia Trammell following a 9-31 campaign this past season. The team hired former Sparks and Connecticut Sun head coach Curt Miller as its new general manager earlier this month, and he will lead the search for a new coach.

UConn star guard Paige Bueckers is atop WNBA draft boards as the college season gets in motion. Other options for the Wings could include Southern California forward Kiki Iriafen and Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles.

In 2024, the Wings picked fifth and ninth overall and drafted Ohio State guard Jacy Sheldon and French guard Carla Leite. The Sparks picked Stanford forward Cameron Brink second overall last April and the Sky also went third, taking South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso before adding LSU’s Angel Reese at No. 7.

The expansion Golden State Valkyries will pick fifth in each of the draft’s three rounds. The Valkyries also have an expansion draft on Dec. 6.

–Field Level Media

NFL: Week 11 Previews

by

Green Bay Packers (6-3) at Chicago Bears (4-5), 1 p.m. ET, FOX

Green Bay hopes to roar out of the bye week and keep its dominance of the Bears on trend. Head coach Matt LaFleur is 10-0 against the Bears and counterpart Matt Eberflus is 0-4 in his career against the Packers. Since their bye week, the Bears played three games and dipped from 4-2 and contender conversation to hot water, dropping all three games with a total of 27 points. Eberflus made a change at offensive coordinator and promoted Thomas Brown to the play-caller role. While a yo-yo of personnel contributed, Chicago hasn’t been committed to running the ball — 43 attempts in the past two games — compared to the Packers, who have games with 53, 37, 38 and 39 rushes. In turn, No. 1 pick Caleb Williams has been sacked 15 times with zero TDs the past two games. The Bears will know where they stand in the NFC North division by the end of the month. Sunday is the first division game for the Bears. They host the Vikings (7-2) next week and spend Thanksgiving with the Lions (8-1).

Jacksonville Jaguars (2-8) at Detroit Lions (8-1), 1 p.m. ET, CBS

Aaron Glenn has been masterful in helping Detroit rack up nothing but wins since Week 2. One prized pupil is hybrid defensive back Brian Branch, a playmaker and the heartbeat of the group since Aidan Hutchinson (knee) was lost for the season. Branch is the only player in the league with 25-plus passes defensed and 10 tackles for loss since the start of 2023. He’ll get in on the assignments of slowing a two-headed monster at running back with Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby, while also trying to prevent rookie WR Brian Thomas from getting behind the defense. Backup QB Mac Jones makes another start with Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) banged up. Jones passed for 111 yards last week. The Lions found a way to win with Jared Goff at his season’s worst — five interceptions — in Week 10. He passed for 340 yards and two TDs in his last game against the Jaguars. No. 1 WR Amon-Ra St. Brown is going for his eighth consecutive game with a TD catch.

Las Vegas Raiders (2-7) at Miami Dolphins (3-6), 1 p.m. ET, CBS

With one tackle for loss, Raiders DE Maxx Crosby would become the third player in since 2000 with 100 TFLs, and he notched a sack in the last go-round with Miami. He’s the menace in the trenches that worries Miami the most, even as the Dolphins are finding success with the short passing game and explosive RB De’Von Achane. The Raiders are searching for answers that didn’t come from Luke Getsy, the offensive coordinator fired before Las Vegas took a bye in Week 10 to get new play-caller Scott Turner and his more prominent dad, Norv Turner, comfortable with existing personnel. QB Gardner Minshew received a soft endorsement from head coach Antonio Pierce — “what do we have to lose, we’re 2-7” — and starts again after being replaced by Desmond Ridder in a blowout loss at Cincinnati before the bye.

Embed from Getty Images

Los Angeles Rams (4-5) at New England Patriots (3-7), 1 p.m., FOX

Rookie QB Drake Maye awakened Demario Douglas and Ja’Lynn Polk, who were nonfactors during Jacoby Brissett’s run as the Patriots’ starter to begin the season. But the Patriots aren’t fully weaponized relative to their opposition Sunday. Matt Stafford has 25-plus completions in three games in a row because of the dynamic route-runners outside, Puka Nacua (9-98 last week vs. Miami) and Cooper Kupp (7-80). Bell-cow RB Kyren Williams is tied for third in the NFL with 10 total touchdowns to maintain offensive balance. Blocking in front of Stafford might have coach Sean McVay perspiring. New England’s DE Deatrich Wise and LB Anfernee Jennings both had two sacks at Chicago last week and DE Keion White is among the league leaders in snap-to-pressure time based on advanced metrics analysis. New England had nine total sacks in Week 10, when Stafford went down four times.

Cleveland Browns (2-7) at New Orleans Saints (3-7), 1 p.m. ET, FOX

Jameis Winston knows his way around New Orleans, and the former Saints quarterback who previously started for division rival Tampa Bay comes to town trying to keep Cleveland out of the NFL cellar. The Browns are one of four AFC teams with two wins. Injuries on the offensive line and the switches at QB and wide receiver have made for a disjointed outfit in Cleveland. The Saints ended a seven-game losing streak in their first game under interim head coach Darren Rizzi last week, a 20-17 surprise takedown of NFC South-leading Atlanta. QB Derek Carr connected for two touchdowns with WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling. New Orleans allowed more than 400 yards for the fourth time this season, including 181 rushing yards, which is sure to catch the attention of Browns play-caller Ken Dorsey. Dorsey doesn’t mind close games and wants to distribute the weight of the offense away from Winston’s shoulders to RB Nick Chubb.

Indianapolis Colts (4-6) at New York Jets (3-7), 1 p.m. ET, CBS

Playoffs? The Colts are still thinking postseason and reversed their decision at quarterback as coach Shane Steichen pushed the reset button on second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson. Steichen sat Richardson days after a 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans on Oct. 27. Richardson not only struggled with accuracy in that game (10-of-32 passing), he tapped out in exhaustion before a key third-down play in the second half. The wake-up call the Colts desired didn’t come from Joe Flacco, who helped steer the Browns to the playoffs after signing in November. Flacco threw a combined four interceptions in losses to Minnesota and Buffalo, including a pick-six in last week’s 30-20 setback to the Bills on Indianapolis’ first play of the game. The Jets’ defense can make life difficult for Richardson, who has completed only 44.4 percent of his 133 passes for 958 yards with four touchdowns and seven interceptions. He’s rushed for 242 yards, second on the team, but has fumbled six times in six games. Which Jets team will show up Sunday afternoon is the mystery. Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich summarized the defensive effort at Arizona last week saying he saw a “criminal, egregious amount” of missed tackles. Aaron Rodgers continues as the New York quarterback but the 31-6 loss at Arizona was a dud. Rodgers had 151 yards on 22-of-35 passing but lost 23 yards while taking three sacks.

Baltimore Ravens (7-3) at Pittsburgh Steelers (7-2), 1 p.m. ET, CBS

For the first time this season the Steelers are staring across the line at an AFC North division opponent and first place is up for grabs when the Ravens come calling. Two new faces make their introduction in the storied rivalry. The Steelers roll out QB Russell Wilson and the Ravens yank the curtain to shine the spotlight on RB Derrick Henry, the NFL’s No. 2 rusher (1,120 yards, 12 TDs) who has a league-leading TD streak of 11 games. The Ravens lead the NFL in total offense (440.2 yards per game). Baltimore is the third team ever with 20-plus points and 375-plus total yards in each of its first 10 games of season. The full story there is the Ravens can’t afford to take their foot off the accelerator because their defense has been user-friendly. The Steelers are giving up only 16.2 points per game, second in the NFL, and have had the number of Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, 1-3 all-time as a starting quarterback against the Steelers.

Minnesota Vikings (7-2) at Tennessee Titans (2-7), 1 p.m. ET, CBS

Why is Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell on the defensive about his quarterback? Sam Darnold is three TDs shy of his first NFL season with 20 touchdowns, but he’s already at 10 interceptions after tossing three last week in a palm-sweat performance against the Jaguars. The Vikings won (12-7), and O’Connell said the focus should be on the result. Darnold does have multiple TD passes in three of four starts on the road for the Vikings and the Titans have proven capable of playing the role of easy prey. They’ve lost four of the past five games and are 1-3 in Nashville this season. Sunday provides another chance for the Titans to determine whether Will Levis can be the long-term solution at quarterback. He has seven touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2024 but unlike Darnold, there’s no Justin Jefferson to turn to when times are tough. Tony Pollard leads the Titans with 666 rushing yards and three touchdowns but has been hindered by a foot injury. Calvin Ridley is the team’s No. 1 wide receiver with 32 catches for 483 yards and three scores. Jefferson leads the Vikings with 53 receptions for 831 yards and five TDs.

Atlanta Falcons (6-4) at Denver Broncos (5-5), 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS

If Broncos rookie RB Audric Estime can hold onto the football, he’s likely to assume a leading role in Denver’s youth movement. Estime had a career-high 53 rushing yards last week and Javonte Williams has yet to leave the runway in what some projected to be a breakout season. The Falcons are doing just fine with a timeshare between Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier behind Kirk Cousins in the backfield. Robinson is one of three NFC backs with 1,000 yards from scrimmage already in 2024 and can challenge the Broncos’ underappreciated front seven. Denver’s offense needs more of a spark. The Broncos mustered only 260 total yards in last week’s 16-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, when Will Lutz’s 35-yard field goal attempt was blocked as time expired. The week prior, Denver managed only 10 points against a Baltimore defense that had been torched all season.

Seattle Seahawks (4-5) at San Francisco 49ers (5-4), 4:05 p.m. ET, FOX

QB Brock Purdy had a season-high 353 passing yards last week in Christian McCaffrey’s first game of the season. McCaffrey returns to Levi’s Stadium on Sunday for the first time since January as the 49ers attempt to break up the logjam in the NFC West. McCaffrey has seven touchdowns and an average of 168.4 yards from scrimmage in seven career games against the Seahawks and WR Deebo Samuel averages a TD per game against Seattle. WR DK Metcalf plans to return from a knee injury this week with Seattle coming out of its bye week. The Seahawks have lost five of six games since a 3-0 start. Sagging defensive numbers are not encouraging with McCaffrey in the 49ers’ lineup. In the 12-point defeat by San Francisco on Oct. 10, the Seahawks allowed a season-worst 228 rushing yards and 6.9 yards per carry to a 49ers’ attack powered by Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo.

Embed from Getty Images

Kansas City Chiefs (9-0) at Buffalo Bills (8-2), 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS

At Buffalo’s Highmark Stadium for a matchup of AFC frontrunners and division leaders, the KC Chiefs put their highwire act on display and go for a 10-0 start and 16th consecutive win dating to last season. QB Patrick Mahomes is 4-3 against Josh Allen and the Bills, averaging 289.1 passing yards per game with 16 total touchdowns in seven career starts including the playoffs. Mahomes might have his best detail of skill players yet this season with JuJu Smith-Schuster (hamstring) pegged to play alongside De’Andre Hopkins for the first time. With seven of nine wins coming in one-possession games this season, the Chiefs do have one cause for concern with the third-most reliable kicker in NFL history, Harrison Butker, landing on IR with a knee injury. Untested 25-year-old rookie Spencer Shrader could be called upon in a tight game Sunday in his K.C. debut. Buffalo claimed the past three regular-season games in the series, all of which were played in Kansas City. And the Bills can still tap into a revenge factor. The eventual repeat Super Bowl champion Chiefs eliminated the Bills in the AFC divisional playoffs 27-24 at Buffalo in January. The Bills rank third in points per game (29) — the Chiefs average 24.3 — and Allen didn’t throw two picks in a game until a win over the Indianapolis Colts last week. Buffalo leads the NFL in turnover margin at plus-13. And the Bills bring a respectable defense of their own. The group is allowing just 19.3 points per game and has 19 takeaways, the latter figure ranking second in the league.

-Field Level Media

Celtics’ Tatum Wins It in OT

by

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jayson Tatum made a 3-pointer as time expired in overtime to give the Celtics a 126-123 victory over the visiting Toronto Raptors on Saturday night.

YouTube player

Tatum had 24 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in the win. Jaylen Brown led Boston with 27 points.

Jakob Poeltl tossed in a career-high 35 points for Toronto, which fell to 0-8 in road games this season. Poeltl, who was 16 of 19 from the floor, also had 12 rebounds.

RJ Barrett added 25 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists for the Raptors, who have lost seven games in a row and 11 of their last 12. A Barrett layup tied the game with 55.1 seconds left in overtime before Tatum connected on the game-winning shot.

Boston’s Al Horford scored a season-high 18 points. The Celtics also received 18 points from Derrick White.

Toronto lost despite having a 76-42 edge in points in the paint.

The Celtics were without Jrue Holiday, who missed the game because of left knee tendinopathy. Before the game Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said he didn’t expect Holiday’s injury to linger. It was the first game Holiday has missed this season.

Boston used a 12-0 spurt to take a 14-4 lead, but the Raptors were within two points, 28-26, after 12 minutes. A Jamison Battle 3-pointer capped a 9-0 run that put Toronto in front 45-44 with 5:37 left in the second quarter, but the Celtics had a 56-54 halftime lead.

A 16-4 run gave the Raptors a 64-58 lead and Toronto led 68-61 after a Poeltl jumper with 8:05 left in the third. The Celtics moved in front 76-74 after an 11-2 run and Boston had an 86-85 lead entering the final quarter.

Toronto was up 114-112 following a Barrett basket with 59 seconds left, but Neemias Queta tied the game on a layup with 42.1 seconds to play. Neither team scored again in regulation.

–Field Level Media

NCAA Football: Top 25 Update

by

PROVO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Kansas’ Devin Neal rushed for two touchdowns and a fluke occurrence on a punt led to the go-ahead score as his Jayhawks notched a 17-13 upset of No. 6 BYU in Big 12 play on a chilly Saturday night in Utah.

Embed from Getty Images

Jalon Daniels completed 12 of 19 passes for 169 yards and one interception, but his biggest contribution was a fourth-quarter punt that struck a member of the Cougars and was recovered by the Jayhawks (4-6, 3-4) at the BYU 3-yard line. Neal scored the winning points on the next play, and Kansas protected the lead.

The setback is a major blow for the Cougars (9-1, 6-1), who dropped into a first-place tie with Colorado and will slip downward when the next College Football Playoff rankings are unveiled on Tuesday.

BYU’s Jake Retzlaff completed 18 of 28 passes for 192 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Hinckley Ropati had a scoring reception for the Cougars.

Neal extended his school record to 45 rushing touchdowns, and his 52 yards rushing made him the first player in program history to top 4,000 on the ground. His total sits at 4,003.

No. 1 Oregon 1, Wisconsin 13

Atticus Sappington’s 24-yard field goal capped a 10-point fourth-quarter rally as the Ducks staved off an upset with a comeback victory over the host Badgers.

Oregon (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten), which entered averaging 35.7 points per game, took over at the Wisconsin 43 after a 12-yard punt return with just under seven minutes left. On third-and-4, quarterback Dillon Gabriel eluded pressure and scrambled 8 yards for the first down at the 8. After Gabriel’s third-down pass was incomplete, Sappington hit his third field goal of the game to put the Ducks up 16-13 with 2:36 remaining.

Wisconsin (5-5, 3-4) lost its third straight. The Badgers need one more victory to keep its streak of 22 consecutive bowl games alive.

No. 2 Ohio State 31, Northwestern 7

Chicago native Carnell Tate had two touchdown catches and Quinshon Judkins ran for two short scores as the Buckeyes overcame a slow start to defeat the Wildcats at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Tate, who had four receptions for 52 yards, made an 8-yard TD catch on the first drive for the Buckeyes (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten) in the second half to make it 28-7 before a pro-Ohio State crowd. The score was set up by a 68-yard catch-and-run by Jeremiah Smith, who finished with four catches for 100 yards. Ohio State made it 31 straight points on a 28-yard field goal by Jayden Fielding with 44 seconds left in the third.

Northwestern (4-6, 2-5) quarterback Jack Lausch was 21-of-35 passing for 201 yards with Bryce Kirtz making seven catches for 92 yards.

No. 3 Texas 20, Arkansas 10

Quinn Ewers passed for 176 yards and touchdowns early and late to Matthew Golden as the Longhorns did just enough on the road to beat the Razorbacks in a key Southeastern Conference clash in Fayetteville, Ark.

The game was the first for the two programs as league foes since 1990 when they were a part of the now-defunct Southwest Conference. The intensity still was high as the Longhorns (9-1, 5-1 SEC) stayed on track for a spot in the SEC Championship Game in their inaugural season in the conference. Jaydon Blue rushed for 83 yards on 14 carries as Texas outgained the Razorbacks 315-231 in total yards.

Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green had 149 yards passing but absorbed six sacks for 48 yards in losses and threw an interception for the Razorbacks (5-5, 3-4).

No. 4 Penn State 49, Purdue 10

Drew Allar passed for three touchdowns and Tyler Warren found the end zone twice as the Nittany Lions rolled over the host Boilermakers in West Lafayette, Ind.

Allar finished with more touchdowns than incompletions, as he went 17 of 19 for 247 yards without a turnover for the Nittany Lions (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten). Warren totaled eight catches for 127 yards and a score and also had a 48-yard scoring run.

Hudson Card passed for 151 yards and Max Klare had 91 receiving yards and a touchdown for Purdue (1-9, 0-7), which has not won since Week 1 and has not beaten Penn State since 2004. The Boilermakers have faced three top-five opponents in the last month, losing those games by a combined margin of 129-10.

Embed from Getty Images

No. 12 Georgia 31, No. 7 Tennessee 17

Carson Beck completed 25 of 40 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns as the Bulldogs kept their Southeastern Conference Championship Game and College Football Playoff hopes alive by beating the Volunteers in Athens, Ga.

Beck also added a rushing score for the Bulldogs (8-2, 6-2), who bounced back from last week’s 28-10 loss at Ole Miss. Nate Frazier ran for 68 yards and a touchdown, while Oscar Delp caught four passes for 56 yards and two touchdowns. Georgia beat Tennessee for the eighth straight year.

Nico Iamaleava completed 20 of 33 passes for 167 yards for Tennessee (8-2, 5-2), which had its four-game winning streak snapped. Dylan Sampson led the Volunteers with 101 rushing yards and a score.

No. 8 Notre Dame 35, Virginia 14

Jeremiyah Love ran for 137 yards and two touchdowns and Riley Leonard threw three touchdown passes to lead the Fighting Irish past the Cavaliers in South Bend, Ind.

Notre Dame won its eighth consecutive game and inched closer to securing a playoff berth. Love has scored at least one touchdown in 10 straight games, making him the program’s fourth running back to do so. He also broke loose for a 76-yard score in the third quarter to put the Irish ahead 35-0.

Virginia (5-5) was unable to carry over the momentum from last week’s upset up Pitt. The Cavaliers benched quarterback Anthony Colandrea, who completed only 8 for 21 passes for 69 yards with three interceptions, and replaced him with Tony Muskett in the second half. Muskett scored the Cavaliers’ only two touchdowns.

No. 10 Alabama 52, Mercer 7

Jalen Milroe threw a pair of touchdown passes and Ryan Williams scored one rushing and one receiving TD as the host Crimson Tide cruised past the Bears in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

The 10th-ranked Crimson Tide (8-2) received a collective effort from its offense, defense and special teams and was able to incorporate several reserve players into the game in the second half after taking a commanding 38-7 lead over the Bears (9-2). Milroe completed 11 of 16 passes for 186 yards, didn’t throw an interception and ran for 43 yards and a touchdown on six carries to lead Alabama.

Mercer had a three-game winning streak snapped, but already clinched a berth in the FCS playoffs and a share of the Southern Conference championship. Whitt Newbauer completed 15 of 22 passes for 140 yards and an interception as Mercer was held to 202 yards of total offense.

No. 13 Boise State 42, San Jose State 21

Ashton Jeanty ran for three touchdowns and the Broncos overcame a 14-0 first-half deficit to the host Spartans to continue its march toward a hopeful playoff berth.

The victory keeps the Broncos (9-1, 6-0 Mountain West) in control of the one open spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff reserved for the highest-ranked Group of 5 team, and in the lead in the Mountain West Conference. Jeanty, who entered Saturday as the nation’s leading rusher, ran for 159 yards in the win. Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen completed 22 of 30 attempts for 286 yards and a touchdown.

The Spartans’ Walker Eget threw for a career-high 446 yards on 34-of-50 passing with three touchdowns and two interceptions in the loss. Justin Lockhart had 10 catches for 172 and a TD and Nick Nash added nine catches for 126 yards and a score for San Jose State (6-4, 3-3).

No. 14 SMU 38, Boston College 28

Kevin Jennings went 24-for-35 passing for 298 yards and three touchdowns as the Mustangs held off the visiting Eagles in Atlantic Coast Conference action in Dallas.

Jennings found three different receivers for touchdowns as the Mustangs (9-1, 6-0) remained unbeaten in their first ACC season. Jordan Hudson had seven catches for 99 yards and a score. Brashard Smith rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.

In his first start since Thomas Castellanos was benched and entered the transfer portal, Grayson James completed 18 of 32 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown with an interception for Boston College (5-5, 2-4). Kye Robichaux rushed for two touchdowns and 90 yards on 21 carries.

No. 15 Texas A&M 38, New Mexico State 3

Marcel Reed passed for 268 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score to lead Texas A&M to a victory over New Mexico State in College Station, Texas.

Texas A&M (8-2) bounced back after a bye week that followed their first Southeastern Conference loss to South Carolina. Reed completed 20 of 31 passes and threw one interception.

New Mexico State (2-8) dropped its third in a row and suffered its eighth loss in its past nine games. Seth McGowan was one of the few bright spots for New Mexico State, rushing for 75 yards on 14 carries.

Arizona State 24, No. 16 Kansas State 14

Sam Leavitt was 21-of-34 for 275 yards and three touchdowns as the Sun Devils defeated the Wildcats in the first Big 12 Conference matchup between the two teams.

The Sun Devils (8-2, 5-2) built a 24-0 lead in the third quarter before K-State got its offense going. Arizona State reached Kansas State territory on each of its first nine drives and was 9-of-15 on third downs.

Avery Johnson finished 24-of-40 for 258 yards, but he had two interceptions and no touchdowns for Kansas State (7-3, 4-3).

No. 17 Colorado 49, Utah 24

Shedeur Sanders threw for 340 yards and three touchdowns as the Buffaloes withstood a late rally in a win over the Utes in Boulder, Colo.

Sanders connected on 30 of 41 passes and had an interception. Travis Hunter made big plays on offense along with an interception and pass defended on defense. He added five receptions for 55 yards and a 5-yard rushing touchdown. LaJohntay Wester had 10 receptions for 77 yards and a 76-yard punt return for a touchdown. Drelon Miller caught six passes for 108 yards and a touchdown, while Will Sheppard had five catches for 71 yards and two touchdowns for Colorado (8-2, 6-1 Big 12).

Isaac Wilson was 21-of-40 passing for 236 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions for Utah (4-6, 1-6). Utah’s Dorian Singer had five receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown and Caleb Lohner had a touchdown catch.

New Mexico 38, No. 18 Washington 35

Quarterback Devon Dampier rushed for a 1-yard touchdown with 21 seconds left and the Lobos rallied from a 14-point deficit in the third quarter to upset the Cougars in Albuquerque, N.M.

Dampier gained 193 yards on 28 carries and scored three times as the Lobos improved to 5-6 and stayed alive for a bowl bid. He also completed 11 of 25 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown as New Mexico finished with 534 total yards.

John Mateer hit 25 of 36 passes for 375 yards and four touchdowns for Washington State (8-2). His 37-yard strike to Kyle Williams, the wide receiver’s third touchdown catch of the night, gave Washington State a 35-31 edge with 3:12 left. Williams finished with nine catches for 181 yards.

Stanford 38, No. 19 Louisville 35

Emmet Kenney kicked a 52-yard field goal as time expired to lift the host Cardinal to an upset of the Cardinals.

The senior’s heroics led to the crowd rushing to the field and snapped a six-game skid for the Cardinal (3-7, 2-5 ACC). It also capped a sensational comeback for Stanford, which trailed by 14 with less than 10 minutes remaining. Stanford got a season-high 298 yards passing and three touchdowns from Ashton Daniels, while freshman receiver Emmett Mosley V had 13 catches for 168 yards and three TDs.

Duke Watson ran for 117 yards and three scores on 11 carries for the Cardinals (6-4, 4-3), who rallied and appeared to take control of the game in the second half.

No. 20 Clemson 24, Pittsburgh 20

Cade Klubnik broke two tackles and scrambled up the field for a 50-yard go-ahead touchdown as the Tigers kept their College Football Playoff hopes alive by escaping Pittsburgh with a road victory.

Pitt used a 13-0 scoring run in the fourth quarter to take a 20-17 lead with 1:36 remaining after a 47-yard field goal from Ben Sauls capped off an eight-play, 26-yard drive that burned nearly three minutes off the clock. Clemson (8-2, 7-1 ACC) needed three plays to move back in front. Klubnik dropped back to pass and took off at midfield zig-zagging and then sprinting up the field for the longest touchdown of the game.

Nate Yarnell, starting in place of an injured Eli Holstein for Pitt, completed 34-of-54 passes for 350 yards and a touchdown. Panthers tight end Gavin Bartholomew had the TD reception during Pitt’s fourth-quarter comeback. Klubnik completed 27 of 41 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns for the Tigers. Antonio Williams hauled in 13 of Klubnik’s passes for 149 yards and both of Clemson’s scores through the air.

No. 21 South Carolina 34, No. 23 Missouri 30

LaNorris Sellers passed for 353 yards and five touchdowns as the Gamecocks edged the Tigers 34-30 in Columbia, S.C.

Rocket Sanders scored the decisive touchdown on a 15-yard shovel pass reception with 15 seconds left as the Gamecocks (7-3, 5-3 Southeastern Conference) kept their College Football Playoff hopes alive. Sellers completed 21 of 30 passes and also rushed for 45 yards.

Missouri quarterback Brady Cook returned from ankle and wrist injuries to complete 21 of 31 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown. Nate Noel rushed for 150 yards and a touchdown for the Tigers (7-3, 3-3 SEC), and Blake Craig kicked field goals from 38, 37 yards and 25 yards.

Florida 27, No. 22 LSU 16

DJ Lagway passed for 226 yards and a touchdown and the Gators handed the Tigers their third consecutive loss in Gainesville, Fla.

Lagway returned from a one-game absence due to a strained hamstring to complete 13 of 26 passes and Florida (5-5, 3-4 Southeastern Conference) moved within one victory of bowl eligibility with two games to play. Elijhah Badger caught six of Lagway’s passes for 131 yards and a touchdown.

Garrett Nussmeier completed 27 of 47 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown for LSU (6-4, 3-3), but he was sacked seven times.

No. 25 Tulane 35, Navy 0

Makhi Hughes rushed for two touchdowns and the Green Wave defense smothered the Midshipmen in Annapolis, Md., in their American Athletic Conference showdown.

Darian Mensah threw for 138 yards and two scores and also ran for a TD for Tulane (9-2, 7-0 AAC), which clinched a berth in next month’s conference title game against No. 24 Army. Hughes finished with 82 yards on 22 carries. He capped a 65-yard drive to open the third quarter with a 1-yard scoring run to extend Tulane’s lead to 21-0.

The Midshipmen (7-3, 5-2) played most of the game without star quarterback Blake Horvath, who left with a rib injury after a 9-yard rush during Navy’s third possession. Braxton Woodson, who came on for Horvath, turned the ball over twice in a rough outing. He completed 3 of 10 passes for 13 yards with an interception and rushed 13 times for 24 yards while fumbling the ball away deep in Navy territory.

–Field Level Media