HOUSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Michigan’s Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards each rushed for two touchdowns and No. 1 Michigan completed an undefeated season with a punishing 34-13 victory over No. 2 Washington in the College Football Playoff national championship game on Monday night in Texas.

Corum had 134 yards on 21 rushes and Edwards added 104 on just six carries as Michigan (15-0) won its first national title since winning in split fashion in 1997. The Wolverines racked up 303 yards on the ground while limiting Washington to 46.

Mike Sainristil returned a key interception 81 yards to set up Michigan’s final touchdown and Will Johnson also had a pick.

Michael Penix Jr. completed 27 of 51 passes for 255 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions for Washington (14-1). Jalen McMillan had a touchdown catch and Rome Odunze had five receptions for 87 yards for the Huskies.

Washington’s Dillon Johnson played despite injuries to his left knee and right foot. He had 33 yards on 11 carries and caught two passes for 24 yards.

J.J. McCarthy completed 10 of 18 passes for 140 yards for the Wolverines, who outgained the Huskies 443-301.

Michigan led by seven when it took over with 9:44 left in the game.

On the first play of the drive, McCarthy connected with Colston Loveland for a gain of 41 to the Huskies 30-yard line. Four plays later, Corum scored on a 12-yard run to give Michigan a 27-13 lead with 7:09 remaining.

Penix lofted a 44-yard pass to Odunze with 6:18 left to get Washington in scoring range. But the Huskies soon faced fourth-and-13 from the Wolverines 30, and Sainristil picked off the ball and raced the other way, setting up Corum’s 1-yard TD run with 3:37 remaining.

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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.

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.

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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

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ANN ARBOR – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Foundation for Teamwork, owners and creators of the Joe Moore Award which honors the most Outstanding Offensive Line Unit in College Football, today announced that it is believed to be the first post season college award program to launch a Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) program for its recipients. Timing is everything and the Joe Moore Award is excited to create a partnership with nine members of the 2021 award winners, the offensive line at the University of Michigan. Michigan was awarded the trophy in a ceremony last week in Ann Arbor and will play the University of Georgia in the College Football Playoffs semifinal at the Orange Bowl on Dec 31.

“We have seen the great amount of exposure that both winners and finalists of all the major college football awards receive throughout the years, but the actual and immediate benefit from winning the award typically goes to the presenter, not the presentee,” said Aaron Taylor, CBS college football analyst and co-founder of the Joe Moore Award. Taylor, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, played guard and tackle at the University of Notre Dame for the Award’s namesake, the legendary offensive line coach Joe Moore.

“We want to begin to change that dynamic with the growth of NIL for these athletes, and the Joe Moore Award is proud to be what we believe to be the first of the major awards to begin a program which will have long-lasting benefits and a financial upside for our winners, and in many cases for the causes which will be tied to the program. On the field, we’ve always known that when the o-line wins, we all win, and we’re excited to help Michigan’s O-line extend that same principle in our communities.”

The members of the Michigan offensive line will receive 100% of net t-shirt sales, with a portion going to a philanthropic beneficiary. Additionally, the Joe Moore Award will match the players’ charitable gift, up to $10,000, to help further the reach of the winning unit’s impact on their communities. The t-shirts and limited edition merchandise are designed by Make Your Move, an automated digital on-demand order processing and fulfillment partner and are available starting at $20.00 at gomym.com/collections/joe-moore-award.

The charity beneficiaries for the 2021 season are: The Seal Legacy Foundation which is dedicated to providing support to families of wounded and fallen United States Navy SEALs, educational assistance for SEALs and their families, and other charitable causes benefiting the SEAL community; and The AthLife Foundation, a national platform works to ensure that deserving kids from our nation’s most challenged, yet promising communities, can achieve in their future careers beyond sport.

Under offensive line coach Sherrone Moore, Michigan’s starting O-line has featured guard/tackle Karsen Barnhart (2 starts), guard Chuck Filiaga (4 starts), left tackle Ryan Hayes (13 starts), tackle Trente Jones (1 start), left guard Trevor Keegan (10 starts), right tackle Andrew Stueber (13 starts), center Andrew Vastardis (13 starts), and right guard Zak Zinter (11 starts). In addition, tight end Joel Honigford, a converted O-lineman, warrants mention as a key contributor to Michigan’s success.

Michigan led the Big Ten and lists 10th nationally in rushing (223.8 yards per game). The unit has conceded the fewest tackles for loss (27) and third-fewest sacks (10) in the nation this season. Only Army and Air Force, with a combined 204 pass attempts, have allowed fewer sacks. Michigan’s line has paved the way for a 1,000-yard back in Hassan Haskins (1,288 yards) and have another back in range in Blake Corum (939 yards). All five positions earned all-conference honors, with four of the five starters earning first or second-team accolades: Stueber (1st team), Hayes, Vastardis and Zinter (2nd) and Keegan (honorable mention).

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