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SMU in Enemy Territory at Fenway Bowl

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – No. 24 SMU aims for its 10th consecutive win when it treks north to meet future Atlantic Coast Conference foe Boston College in the second-ever Fenway Bowl on Thursday at Boston’s beloved Fenway Park.

The Mustangs are 11-2, beating Tulane 26-14 to win the American Athletic Conference championship — their first crown since 1984 in the Southwest Conference — following an 8-0 record in league play.

SMU has outscored opponents by more than 23 points per game and has logged 466.2 yards of offense per game. The Mustangs’ only two losses came at then-No. 18 Oklahoma and TCU, which played for the national championship last January.

Despite the success, SMU was not selected for a New Year’s Six game.

“The bottom line is we’re still celebrating (a conference championship) and we’re not going to let things that maybe we don’t agree with overshadow that,” SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said of the bowl announcement.

After star sophomore quarterback Preston Stone broke his leg in the regular-season finale against Navy, SMU turned to Kevin Jennings for his first career start in the AAC title game. The redshirt freshman threw for 203 yards and a touchdown.

The Mustangs’ balanced offense has accounted for 32 passing and 28 rushing touchdowns. SMU has eight 300-yard receivers, led by RJ Maryland’s 518 with seven touchdowns. Jaylan Knighton has 720 rushing yards and seven scores.

SMU ranks second nationally in sacks with 47, behind Elijah Roberts’ 10. The Mustangs are sixth in scoring offense at 40.6 points per game.

Lashlee, who was UConn’s offensive coordinator for a 2017 game against Boston College at Fenway Park, knows the significance of finishing the season on a high note.

“We haven’t won a bowl game here (since 2012), we need to try to accomplish that,” Lashlee said. “Getting (win) No. 12 to tie the school record would be big time. Whether or not we win or lose, that game’s not going to really validate or diminish this team’s accomplishment, I think it’s pretty cemented.”

The Eagles (6-6) look to the bowl invitation as a fresh start after losing to Virginia Tech, Pitt and Miami consecutively to end the regular season, following a five-game win streak that was their longest since 2010.

Thomas Castellanos ranks third in the country for rushing yards by a quarterback with 957. The UCF transfer threw for 15 touchdowns – including seven to Lewis Bond – and ran for 11 during the regular year.

Coach Jeff Hafley feels that Castellanos is throwing the ball as well as he has as an Eagle.

“He’s got a chance to be special,” Hafley said. “I think we’re only seeing the very surface of it.”

The bowl will offer a glimpse of Boston College’s future. Team-leading linebacker and captain Vinny DePalma (87 total tackles) is one of only three graduate students listed as a definite starter on the depth chart.

“That’s rare around college football right now,” Hafley said. “The guys that are gonna play in this game, maybe less than five are leaving. I think it’s really important to keep building.”

The Eagles have been bowl eligible four times since 2018, but only the 2020 Birmingham Bowl was actually played due to weather or COVID-19 protocols during that stretch.

Louisville beat Cincinnati 24-7 in the inaugural Fenway Bowl in 2022.

–Field Level Media

Bowl Games Round-Up: USC Victorious

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SAN DIEGO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Miller Moss passed for a Holiday Bowl-record six touchdown passes in his first career start to lead Southern California to a 42-28 victory over No. 15 Louisville on Wednesday night in California.

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Moss got the start due to 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams opting out of the game and he was up to the task, completing 23 of 33 passes for 372 yards with one interception while setting the school’s bowl record for passing touchdowns.

Tahj Washington caught seven passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns for the Trojans (8-5), who won for just the second time in their past seven games. Ja’Kobi Lane also had two scoring receptions, Duce Robinson had one and Kyron Hudson caught one while also blocking a punt.

Isaac Guerendo rushed for 161 yards and three touchdowns and also caught five passes for 42 yards for the Cardinals (10-4), getting extra work after star runner Jawhar Jordan opted out of the game. Jack Plummer completed 21 of 25 passes for 141 yards.

Texas Bowl: No. 20 Oklahoma State 31, Texas A&M 23

Alan Bowman passed for 402 yards and two touchdowns as Oklahoma State defeated Texas A&M 31-23 in the Texas Bowl on Wednesday night in Houston.

Rashod Owens caught two of Bowman’s touchdown passes and finished with 164 yards on 10 receptions for the No. 20 Cowboys (10-4), who finished with 570 total yards. Brennan Presley added 16 catches for 152 yards. Ollie Gordon II, the nation’s leading rusher and the winner of the Doak Walker Award, produced 118 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries.

Aggies quarterback Jaylen Henderson injured his right arm on the first play of the game and was replaced by Marcel Reed. The freshman backup completed 20 of 33 passes for 361 yards and amassed 29 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries for Texas A&M (7-6).

Military Bowl: Virginia Tech 41, Tulane 20

Kyron Drones rushed for a career-best 176 yards and accounted for three touchdowns to lead Virginia Tech to a victory over Tulane in Annapolis, Maryland.

The teams combined for eight fumbles (losing five) in wet and slippery conditions. The Green Wave lost all three of their fumbles.

Bhayshul Tuten rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns as the Hokies rolled up 362 yards on the ground. Drones completed 13 of 21 passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for a score.

Duke’s May Bowl: West Virginia 30, North Carolina 10

Lee Kpogba’s 12 tackles led the West Virginia defense as the Mountaineers defeated North Carolina in Charlotte, N.C.

WVU quarterback Garrett Greene was 11-of-22 passing for 204 yards and a touchdown. He also led the Mountaineers with 75 yards rushing. North Carolina lost for the fifth time in its past seven games, and UNC quarterback Conner Harrell was 18-of-27 passing for 199 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

After forcing a North Carolina punt, the Mountaineers went 78 yards in two plays to open a three-score advantage. Jahiem White ran to the end zone from 11 yards out to give West Virginia a 27-10 lead with 12:48 left in the game.

–Field Level Media

Big Day, Big East

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HARTFORD – Saturday’s BIG EAST action began with a thrilling overtime affair and ended with a hotly contested battle between two original league members before a raucous sellout crowd.

In the first game of the day, Providence guard Ticket Gaines hit a 3-pointer with two seconds left in regulation before the Friars (11-2, 2-0 BIG EAST) prevailed 85-75 in OT over Butler. PC’s Devon Carter scored 10 of his game-high 24 points in the extra period. The Friars got double-doubles from Josh O’Duro (18 pts., 12 rebs.) and Bryce Hopkins (14 pts., 13 rebs.). DJ Davis led Butler (10-3, 1-1) with 22 points. Pierce Brooks had 20. The Bulldogs committed only five turnovers.

Xavier used a 14-0 run in the second half to pull away from Seton Hall in a 74-54 victory. The Musketeers (7-6, 1-1) got a game-high 29 points and seven rebounds from

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 Ousmane (16 pts., 10 rebs.) and Dayvion McKnight (15 pts., 10 rebs.) contributed double-doubles. Dre Davis led the Pirates (8-5, 1-1) with 18 points. Kadary Richmond had 13 points and eight boards.

Villanova made it a 2-0 road trip with an 84-48 victory at DePaul. The Wildcats (9-4, 2-0) shot 55.1 percent from the field and built a 46-28 lead by halftime. Hakim Hart came off the bench to post a game-high 20 points. Eric Dixon added 12 points. The Blue Demons (2-9, 0-1) got 11 points each from Chico Carter Jr., Da’Sean Nelson and Jaden Henley.

Fifth-ranked Connecticut and St. John’s engaged in an intense BIG EAST battle at a sold-out XL Center. The Huskies (11-2, 1-1) managed to score eight of the game’s final 10 points and win 69-65. Samson Johnson scored a career-high 16 points. Tristen Newton made all-around contributions with 15 points, nine rebounds and six assists. St. John’s Joel Soriano had his eighth double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Daniss Jenkins added 13 points and four assists.

The BIG EAST holiday break is a little longer than usual this year. Games do not resume until Dec. 30.

NCAA: Two-Time Transfers Eligible

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CHARLESTON, W VIRGINIA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The NCAA has been notifying member schools that two-time transfers will be eligible to participate in their chosen sports, at least temporarily, and bypass the “year in residency” rule.

The change in policy came after a federal judge in Charleston, West Virginia issued a temporary 14-day restraining order against the NCAA, who were denying athletes the chance to compete at their new schools for one year upon second transfer.

The lawsuit was filed by the states of West Virginia, Colorado, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee and stated the requirement of two-time transfers to sit out a year violated antitrust law. The state of Ohio was at the forefront of the suit.

The decision applies to all student athletes under NCAA jurisdiction in the United States.

“As a result of today’s decision impacting Division I student-athletes, the Association will not enforce the year in residency requirement for multiple-time transfers and will begin notifying member schools,” the NCAA said in a statement to The Athletic.

 

 

One athlete immediately impacted is West Virginia men’s basketball player RaeQuan Battle, who transferred from Montana State after playing two seasons for the Big Sky school. Battle began his college career playing two seasons for Washington of the Pac-12.

He had applied for a waiver under the NCAA’s mental-health provision but was denied in late October. Wednesday’s ruling will potentially allow Battle to play Saturday when the Mountaineers play UMass in Springfield, Mass.

West Virginia would be happy to see Battle on the court as he averaged 17.7 points last season while leading Montana State to the NCAA Tournament.

 

 

“Very pleased our state-based coalition was able to achieve a temporary restraining order against the NCAA’s transfer rule,” West Virginia attorney general Patrick Morrisey posted on social media. “Big win for RaeQuan Battle!”

A second hearing will be heard when the restraining order expires in two weeks when a preliminary injunction potentially could be issued. That would keep athletes in question eligible until a potential trial takes place.

According to The Athletic’s report, Ohio attorney general Dave Yost said that at least 99 athletes had been denied a waiver to compete immediately upon a second transfer and that another 44 are awaiting a decision on a waiver.

–Field Level Media

NCAA Football: Let’s Go Bowling

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ATLANTA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Alabama QB  Jalen Milroe passed for two touchdowns and No. 8 Alabama rolled to a crucial upset by dispatching top-ranked Georgia 27-24 in the Southeastern Conference title game on Saturday in Georgia.

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Jermaine Burton and Jamarion Miller caught touchdown passes and Roydell Williams scored on a run as the Crimson Tide (12-1) won their 11th consecutive game. The victory snapped Georgia’s SEC record 29-game winning streak and greatly bolsters Alabama’s hopes of crashing the four-team College Football Playoff field.

Kendall Milton rushed for two touchdowns and Carson Beck added one for Georgia (12-1). Beck completed 21 of 29 passes for 243 yards. Bulldogs star Brock Bowers played despite an ankle injury but was largely ineffective, with five receptions for 53 yards.

Milroe was 13-of-23 passing for 192 yards for the Crimson Tide and was named MVP of the game. The two-time defending national champion Bulldogs lost to Alabama for the eighth time in the past nine meetings.

No. 7 Texas 49, No. 18 Oklahoma State 21

Quinn Ewers passed for a record 452 yards and four touchdowns, and the Longhorns’ defense did the rest in a shellacking of the Cowboys in the Big 12 championship game in Arlington, Texas.

Texas (12-1) captured its first Big 12 title since 2009. Ewers completed his first 12 passes of the game to eight different receivers and finished 35-for-46 while throwing for the most yards ever in a Big 12 championship game.

The Longhorns’ defense did not allow Oklahoma State (9-4) to broach the 200-yard barrier until the 10-minute mark of the fourth quarter. Cowboys quarterback Alan Bowman threw for 250 yards and three touchdowns, but star running back Ollie Gordon, the Big 12’s offensive player of the year, managed only 34 yards on 13 carries.

SMU 26, No. 22 Tulane 14

Kevin Jennings threw a touchdown pass in his first college start, the Mustangs’ defense dominated and SMU defeated the Green Wave in the American Athletic Conference championship game in New Orleans.

Jennings, a redshirt freshman who had thrown just 24 passes this season, stepped in for injured Preston Stone and overcame three turnovers by passing for 203 yards and rushing for 63. The Mustangs (11-2) won the conference title in their last season before departing for the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Michael Pratt passed for 238 yards, but Makhi Hughes, the AAC’s leading rusher who rushed for at least 100 yards in seven of his past eight games entering Saturday, managed just 44 yards on 11 carries for the Green Wave (11-2), who had won 10 straight games.

–Field Level Media

Florida State Makes a Statement

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CHARLOTTE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – No. 4-ranked Florida State relied on a smothering defense and a two-headed ground attack to defeat No. 14 Louisville 16-6 in the ACC championship game Saturday night in North Carolina.

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Now the Seminoles (13-0) will await their postseason fate as the College Football Playoff committee weighs where to rank them without their injured star quarterback, Jordan Travis.

With No. 2 quarterback Tate Rodemaker held out Saturday due to a concussion, true freshman Brock Glenn made his first start and completed 8 of 21 passes for 55 yards.

Lawrance Toafili took 10 carries for 118 yards and the game’s only touchdown and Trey Benson added 67 rushing yards for Florida State.

Meanwhile, Louisville (10-3) was held to 188 total yards, with Jack Plummer going 14-for-36 for 111 yards and an interception. Braden Fiske had three of Florida State’s seven sacks, including one on fourth down with 2:35 to play. Jared Verse recorded two sacks.

The teams combined to start 0-for-9 on third downs as defense dominated the first quarter. A premature snap spoiled the Seminoles’ fifth third-down attempt, but Ryan Fitzgerald got them on the board with a 45-yard field goal with 10:32 before halftime.

Later, a 24-yard Louisville punt set Florida State up at the Cardinals’ 38-yard line for a 2-minute drill. But after Glenn lost 9 yards on a sack, Fitzgerald’s second 45-yard field-goal attempt of the night missed wide left, and it was just 3-0 at halftime.

The Cardinals went 56 yards in 13 plays on their first drive of the second half, ending in Brock Travelstead’s 36-yard field goal to tie the game. Jamari Thrash had two 11-yard receptions to power the drive.

But the Seminoles immediately responded when Toafili took a direct snap, hung back momentarily, then ran 73 yards down the right sideline to the Louisville 2. Toafili powered into the end zone on the next play at the 6:20 mark of the third quarter.

After Travelstead’s 33-yard field goal cut it to 10-6 with 13:36 left in regulation, Louisville forced a three-and-out. The Cardinals broke through the Seminoles’ punt protection and Jimmy Calloway tackled punter Alex Mastromanno at the 12-yard line.

But on third down, Plummer forced a throw in the middle of the end zone and Tatum Bethune intercepted it to quash Louisville’s golden opportunity.

Louisville’s final three drives netted a loss of 15 yards. Fitzgerald converted from 33 yards and 40 yards during the final 3:13 for the Seminoles’ final margin.

–Field Level Media

NCAA Football: Ohio St Drops to No. 6

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NEW YORK – (Staff and AP wirev service report) – Ohio State’s loss to Michigan sent the Buckeyes plummeting four spots to No. 6, making room for Oregon to move into the first five of the Associated Press Top 25 poll, released Sunday.

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Georgia held the No. 1 spot for the 24th straight week, gaining 52 of 62 first-place votes. The other 10 votes went to Michigan, who defeated Ohio State 30-24 and rose one place to No. 2.

Washington moved to No. 3, with Florida State also climbing one rung to No. 4.

The top four teams all are 12-0.

Georgia, Michigan, Florida State and Washington all have cemented berths in their respective conference championship games. The Huskies will meet No. 5 Oregon (11-1) in the Pac-12 title game Friday at Las Vegas.

This is the first time the Pac-12, which is set to disband after this season as 10 teams defect to other leagues, had two teams in the top five since the last ranking of the 2016 season.

The College Football Playoff committee ultimately determines the four teams that will compete for the national championship, and its latest rankings will be unveiled on Tuesday.

Following No. 6 Ohio State are two other 11-1 teams — No. 7 Texas and No. 8 Alabama.

No. 9 Missouri and No. 10 Penn State, both 10-2, round out the top 10.

With a loss to Kentucky, Louisville fell out of the top 10 and dropped six places to No. 15. That allowed No. 11 Ole Miss to move up one place, followed by Oklahoma, LSU and Arizona.

Also dropping six spots was No. 21 Oregon State, which lost 31-7 to Oregon.

Out of the Top 25 this week are Kansas State and Tennessee. They were replaced by No. 21 North Carolina State and No. 25 SMU.

–Field Level Media

No. 3 Michigan Beats No. 2 Ohio St

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ANN ARBOR – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Blake Corum rushed for two touchdowns and J.J. McCarthy threw for another to lift No. 3 Michigan to a 30-24 win over second-ranked Ohio State on Saturday in Michigan.

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Corum finished with 88 rushing yards for Michigan (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten), which plays Iowa in the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis next Saturday.

Corum broke a 17-17 tie late in the third quarter with a 22-yard run for a touchdown, one play after center Zak Zinter was carted off with a leg injury.

James Turner padded the lead to 27-17 on a 38-yard field goal with 11:57 left in the fourth quarter. Marvin Harrison Jr.’s 14-yard TD at the 8:05 mark of the fourth pulled the Buckeyes (11-1, 8-1) to within 27-24.

Top 25 Reviews:

No. 1 Georgia 31, Georgia Tech 23

Kendall Milton rushed for a career-high 156 yards and scored two touchdowns to lead the Bulldogs over the Yellow Jackets in nonconference play in Atlanta.

Carson Beck was 13-of-20 passing for 175 yards, one touchdown and one interception for Georgia (12-0), which extended its nation-best winning streak to 29 games. The victory established a Southeastern Conference record that Georgia previously shared with Alabama, which twice won 28 games in a row (1978-80, 1991-93).

Haynes King rushed for 24 yards and two touchdowns and went 11-of-20 passing for 158 yards for Georgia Tech (6-6). Jamal Haynes had 81 yards on 15 carries, and Eric Singleton Jr. had four catches for 96 yards.

No. 4 Washington 24, Washington State 21

Rome Odunze caught seven passes for 120 yards with two touchdowns, and his 23-yard run on fourth down helped set up Grady Gross’ game-winning field goal as the Huskies edged the rival Cougars in Seattle.

The Huskies (12-0, 9-0 Pac-12) came into the 115th edition of the Apple Cup having already clinched a berth in Friday’s Pac-12 championship game, but they sought to maintain their inside track on reaching the College Football Playoff.

Facing fourth-and-1 at its own 29-yard line with 1:14 left, Washington went for it and appeared to be stuffed when running back Dillon Johnson ran into the line. But Johnson sold a fake as the wide receiver Odunze went end-around for the long gain. Gross later hit from 42 yards out, nearly the same distance as the 43-yarder he missed earlier in the game.

No. 5 Florida State 24, Florida 15

Trey Benson tied a career high with three rushing touchdowns to lead the Seminoles over the Gators in Gainesville, Fla.

Benson went for 95 yards on 19 carries as Florida State (12-0) leaned on its running game and defense after losing starting quarterback Jordan Travis to a season-ending leg injury last week.

Florida (5-7), which also lost its starting quarterback last week when Graham Mertz suffered a collarbone fracture, came up short of clinching bowl eligibility for the first time since going 4-7 in 2017.

No. 8 Alabama 27, Auburn 24

Jalen Milroe hit Isaiah Bond for a 31-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal with 32 seconds remaining to give the Crimson Tide a 27-24 win against the host Tigers.

Alabama (11-1, 8-0 SEC) converted a fourth-and-1 from the Auburn 10-yard line on a 3-yard run by Roydell Williams, but then on second down, a snap went past Milroe, who recovered it at the Auburn 26-yard line.

Facing a fourth-and-goal from the Auburn 31 after a penalty, Milroe threw a pass into the back left corner of the end zone to Bond, who snatched it out of the air for an improbable touchdown. Milroe completed 16 of 24 passes for 259 yards with two TDs and no interceptions. Payton Thorne threw for 91 yards, a touchdown and two picks on 5-of-16 passing for the Tigers (6-6, 3-5).

Kentucky 38, No. 10 Louisville 31

Ray Davis raced 37 yards for the winning touchdown with 1:02 remaining to lift the visiting Wildcats over the Cardinals.

Davis also caught two touchdown passes and Barion Brown returned a kickoff for a score as Kentucky (7-5) won the Governor’s Cup for the fifth straight time. Devin Leary threw three touchdown passes and J.J. Weaver recovered two fumbles, forced one and also recorded a sack as Kentucky won for just the second time in its past seven games.

Jack Plummer completed 24 of 33 passes for 242 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for Louisville (10-2), which had a four-game winning streak halted. Jahwar Jordan rushed for 67 yards and two scores and Joey Gatewood and Ahmari Huggins-Bruce had touchdown catches.

No. 14 LSU 42, Texas A&M 30

Jayden Daniels threw three of his four touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and the Tigers beat the Aggies in Baton Rouge, La.

Daniels recorded his fourth 100-yard rushing game, finishing with a game-high 120 yards on 11 carries. However, he was held to 72 passing yards through three quarters before passing for 163 in the fourth quarter for the Tigers (9-3, 6-2 SEC). He finished with 235 yards, his second-lowest total of the season.

Jaylen Henderson passed for 294 yards and two touchdowns for Texas A&M (7-5, 4-4).

No. 15 Arizona 59, Arizona State 23

Noah Fifita passed for a school-record 527 yards and five touchdowns, and Tetairoa McMillan had 266 yards receiving, as the Wildcats unloaded on the rival Sun Devils to retain the Territorial Cup trophy in Tempe, Ariz.

The visiting Wildcats (9-3, 7-2 Pac-12) won their sixth consecutive game as Fifita completed 30 of 41 passes with one interception, also setting a record for most passing yards in the history of the 97-game series. McMillan caught 11 passes, including a 50-yard touchdown, and set a Territorial Cup record for receiving yards.

Arizona State (3-9, 2-7) ended its first season under coach Kenny Dillingham by giving most of the quarterback snaps to true freshman Jaden Rashada, who had been out since the second game of the season due to injury. He was 10 of 22 for 82 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

No. 18 Notre Dame 56, Stanford 23

Audric Estime rushed for 238 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Fighting Irish to a win against the host Cardinal in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Estime has 18 rushing touchdowns on the season, breaking the single-season school record. Sam Hartman passed for 140 yards and two touchdowns for Notre Dame (9-3), which has won four of its past five games.

Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels completed 15 of 25 passes for 152 yards and an interception. Justin Lamson rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown for the Cardinal (3-9). The second half belonged to the Fighting Irish, who scored touchdowns on their first three drives.

Iowa State 42, No. 19 Kansas State 35

Abu Sama III rushed for 276 yards and three long touchdowns as the Cyclones defeated the Wildcats, with the points coming despite a heavy snowstorm in Manhattan, Kan.

The Cyclones had five scoring plays of at least 60 yards, including four of at least 70. Three of those long plays were runs of 71, 77 and 60 yards by Sama. Rocco Becht threw for 230 yards and three touchdowns despite throwing just 12 passes for Iowa State (7-5, 6-3 Big 12).

Will Howard was 24-of-48 passing for 288 yards with a touchdown and an interception for Kansas State (8-4, 6-3).

No. 20 Oklahoma State 40, BYU 34 (2OT)

The Cowboys rallied from an 18-point deficit to clinch a spot in the Big 12 championship game with a win over the Cougars in rainy Stillwater, Okla.

Ollie Gordon II rushed for 166 yards and five touchdowns, including scores in the final minute of regulation and in each OT session, to help secure Oklahoma State (9-3, 7-2 Big 12) a championship showdown with No. 7 Texas next Saturday in Arlington, Texas.

BYU (5-7, 2-7) led much of the way — including a 24-6 halftime lead — and then forced overtime with a gritty, last-minute drive for a game-tying field goal as time expired. The Cougars’ first season in the Big 12 ended on a turnover and with five consecutive losses in conference action.

No. 21 Tennessee 48, Vanderbilt 24

Joe Milton III threw for 383 yards and accounted for six touchdowns as the Volunteers blasted the Commodores in their annual rivalry game in Knoxville, Tenn.

The Volunteers (8-4, 4-4 SEC) never trailed and held a 617-306 edge in total offense. Vanderbilt (2-10, 0-8) ended the season on a 10-game losing streak.

Tennessee took a 31-10 halftime lead and held a 347-189 edge in total yards, with Milton accounting for 252 passing yards, three passing touchdowns and a rushing score. On the Volunteers’ first possession of the second half, Milton hit Ramel Keyton for a 46-yard touchdown, Keyton’s second score of the day.

No. 22 North Carolina State 39, North Carolina 20

Brennan Armstrong threw for three touchdowns and the Wolfpack used a dominant first half to go on to defeat the Tar Heels in Raleigh, N.C.

Drake Maye threw for two touchdowns and two interceptions as North Carolina (8-4, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) lost for the fourth time in six weeks. Maye rushed for a career-high 106 yards, but the conference’s leading rusher, Omarion Hampton, was limited to 28 yards on nine carries.

NC State (9-3, 6-2), which won its fifth straight game, scored on its first eight possessions — four field goals, four touchdowns — to build a 39-14 lead.

No. 24 Clemson 16, South Carolina 7

Jonathan Weitz kicked three field goals, and the Tigers relied on their defense to stymie the Gamecocks in the 120th version of the Palmetto Bowl in Columbia, S.C.

Weitz made kicks from 50, 49 and 42 yards, while safety Khalil Barnes returned a fumble for a touchdown as Clemson (8-4) won its fourth straight game and its eighth in the past nine meetings with South Carolina (5-7).

Gamecocks quarterback Spencer Rattler completed 16 of 32 passes for 112 yards with an interception. Xavier Legette had six catches for 68 yards.

No. 25 Liberty 42, UTEP 28

Quinton Cooley ran for three touchdowns as the Flames completed an undefeated regular season by defeating the Miners in El Paso, Texas.

Liberty (12-0, 8-0 Conference USA) will try to stay in line for the Group of Five spot in the CFP’s upper tier when it hosts New Mexico State in Friday night’s conference championship game.

UTEP (3-9, 2-6) lost its third game in a row, managing just 50 yards on the ground.

–Field Level Media

Big East: ‘Nova Beats UNC, 83-81

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NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS – Behind a monster performance by Eric Dixon, Villanova defeated No. 14 North Carolina 83-81 in overtime in the second round of the Battle 4 Atlantis on Thanksgiving Day. Butler, Creighton and Seton Hall lost their Turkey Day battles.

Dixon poured in a career-high 34 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to pace the Wildcats (5-1). Justin Moore added 16 points – all after halftime – and put Villanova ahead to stay 76-74 with a 3-point play with 2:08 left in OT. Dixon has 53 points in the first two games of the tournament.

Butler got off to a slow start against No. 19 Florida Atlantic in the first round of the ESPN Events International, but made it a battle until the end, dropping a 91-86 decision. The Bulldogs (3-2) cut a double-digit deficit to one on a 4-point play by Posh Alexander, which made the score 78-77 with 4:40 remaining. Jahmyl Telfort led five Bulldogs in double figures with 19 points.

The usually efficient Creighton offense struggled against undefeated Colorado State in a 69-48 loss in the title game of the Hall of Fame Classic. The Bluejays (5-1) shot 22.9 percent from the field in the first half and trailed 27-19 at the break. Baylor Scheierman scored a team high 13 points.

Seton Hall slashed a 20-point deficit to three, but could not complete the comeback in a 71-63 loss against No. 23 USC in the Rady’s Children’s Invitational. The Pirates (4-1) were led by Kadary Richmond, who finished with 18 points and six rebounds.

On a six-game Black Friday slate, Villanova plays for its third Battle 4 Atlantis title when it meets Memphis at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. Butler takes on Penn State at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN+. Seton Hall meets Iowa at 6 p.m. on FOX.

Three BIG EAST teams return to non-tournament play. Xavier hosts Bryant at noon followed by Manhattan at UConn at 2 p.m. FS1 will telecast both games. At 7 p.m., Lehigh plays at Providence on FS2.

It’s Georgia and Ohio State as No. 1 and 2

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DALLAS – Ohio State overtook Michigan to capture the No. 2 spot in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, released Sunday, as the bitter rivals prepare to meet next weekend in Ann Arbor, Mich.

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The Wolverines, without suspended coach Jim Harbaugh, earned their 1,000th program victory on Saturday against Maryland but dropped one spot to No. 3.

Georgia, which has sat atop the poll all season, remained No. 1 and earned 61 of 62 first-place votes, with the remaining vote going to the Buckeyes.

Washington, after a 22-20 win over then-No. 10 Oregon State, rose a spot to No. 4, trading places with No. 5 Florida State. The Seminoles defeated North Alabama on Saturday but lost their starting quarterback, Jordan Travis, to an apparently serious left leg injury.

Each of the teams in the top five is 11-0. The College Football Playoff committee, which ultimately determines the four teams that will contest for the national championship, will issue its updated rankings on Tuesday.

This week, the CFP had Georgia at No. 1, followed by Ohio State, Michigan, Florida State and Washington.

The AP Top 25 ranking for the No. 6 through 9 teams remained unchanged Sunday, with No. 6 Oregon followed by Texas, Alabama and Louisville — a quartet of 10-1 teams.

Oregon State (8-3) plummeted five spots to No. 15.

Moving up one spot to No. 10 was Missouri, followed by Penn State, Ole Miss and Oklahoma, all 8-2. LSU (9-3) stands at No. 14.

With losses Saturday, James Madison (10-1) plunged six spots to No. 24, with Tennessee falling four positions to No. 25.