Ohio State, Georgia start slow, finish fast

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Emeka Egbuka caught three touchdown passes and Jeremiah Smith made another one-handed grab for a score as No. 3 Ohio State sputtered early before burying Iowa, 35-7,

Quarterback Will Howard was 21 for 25 for 209 yards passing and four touchdowns and ran for 28 yards and a score as Ohio State (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) cleaned up its first-half mistakes and put up 21 unanswered points in the third quarter.

The Buckeyes, hanging on to a 7-0 halftime lead, seized the momentum in the second half.

Ohio State had a third-and-6 on their own 43 when Howard threw a long ball to Smith who had outrun two defenders.

No. 5 GEORGIA 31, AUBURN 13

ATHENS, Ga. — Trevor Etienne ran for two touchdowns as No. 5 Georgia bounced back from its first regular-season loss in almost four years with a workmanlike victory over struggling Auburn.

The Bulldogs (4-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) made it eight straight wins in the Deep South’s oldest rivalry, but it was more of a struggle than expected for the team that began the season ranked No. 1 and favored to win its third national championship in four years.

That goal is still within reach, but Georgia didn’t wrack up a lot of style points against the offensively challenged Tigers (2-4, 0-3), who have dropped six consecutive games against Power Four opponents.

Etienne scored on a 2-yard run to cap Georgia’s opening possession, and he added a 1-yard scoring plunge late in the third quarter that led to conflicting calls. One official ruled him down, another said he crossed the goal line — if only by an inch or two. The TD call was upheld after a lengthy video review.

Etienne finished with 88 yards on 16 carries.

No. 7 PENN ST. 27, UCLA 11

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Drew Allar threw for 237 yards with a touchdown and ran for another score to lead the Nittany Lions over the Bruins.

Tyler Warren caught a touchdown pass in the last minute of the first half and Kaytron Allen ran one in from 1-yard out in the third quarter. Allar opened the scoring with a 1-yard run of his own in the second quarter. Ryan Barker made two field goals and the Penn State (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) defense turned in another dominant second half to cap a four-game home stand.

UCLA (1-4, 0-3) made it 7-3 on Mateen Bhaghani’s 25-yard field goal. The Bruins scored a touchdown in the last minute of the game on a 1-yard pass from Justyn Martin to Logan Loya and converted the 2-point try.

Allar completed 17 of 24 passes, while Martin went 22-of-30 passing.

No. 9 MISSOURI 10, No. 25 TEXAS A&M 41

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Le’Veon Moss ran for a career-high 138 yards with three touchdowns and No. 25 Texas A&M handed ninth-ranked Missouri its first loss.

It’s the fifth straight win for Texas A&M (5-1, 3-0 SEC) and first-year coach Mike Elko after a loss to Notre Dame in the season-opener in his debut with the Aggies.

Texas A&M was up 24-0 at halftime and padded the lead when Moss ran 75 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the third quarter. He burst through a hole in the line and evaded one tackle before simply outrunning everyone for his second score of the day.

When he scored his third TD on an 18-yard run early in the fourth quarter that made it 41-7, the crowd of 97,049 broke into chants of: ‘over-rated, over-rated.’

No. 12 MISSISSIPPI 27, SOUTH CAROLINA 3

COLUMBIA, S.C. — J Pegues, a 325-pound nose tackle, ran for two short touchdowns as No. 12 Mississippi bounced back from its first loss of the season to beat South Carolina and give coach Lane Kiffin his 100th career victory.

The Rebels (5-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) took advantage of a pair of early gambles by the Gamecocks (3-2, 1-2) to build a quick lead and take control.

Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer — son of Frank Beamer, a coach known for special teams prowess at Virginia Tech — faked a punt on fourth-and-1 at his own 36 and Ole Miss linebacker Chris Paul Jr. stuffed Maurice Brown II short.

Five plays later, Henry Parrish Jr. ran for a 3-yard touchdown to give the Rebels a 7-0 lead.

On South Carolina’s next series, it lined up with quarterbacks LaNorris Sellers and Robby Ashford in the formation. After Ashford slid in, he fumbled the ball and defensive tackle Walter Nolen recovered.

The Rebels’ subsequent drive ended with the first of Pegues’ two 1-yard rushing scores. The fifth-year senior took the direct snap and pushed through the line for the TD.

No. 16 Iowa State 43, Baylor 21

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Rocco Becht threw for 277 yards and two touchdown to lead No. 16 Iowa State to a 43-21 win over Baylor on Saturday night.

The Cyclones (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) wiped out an early deficit and another in the third quarter and are off to their best start since 1980. Baylor (2-4, 0-3) lost its third straight game.

Becht’s TD passes were 10 yards to Benjamin Brahmer and 11 yards to Jayden Higgins, who extended his streak of games with a touchdown reception to seven. Becht was 16 of 25 for 277 yards.

Jaylon Jackson led the Cyclones rushing attack with 107 yards and his first two touchdowns for Iowa State since transferring from Eastern Michigan.

The Cyclones had a total of 542 yards on offense.

Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson threw for 258 yards and three touchdowns with an interception. His TD passes were 4 yards to Josh Cameron, 8 yards to Michael Trigg and 25 yards to Ketron Jackson Jr.

No. 22 LOUISVILLE 27, SMU 34

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kevin Jennings passed for a career-high 281 yards, Isaiah Nwokobia intercepted an end-zone pass with 2:23 left to seal it, and the Mustangs overcame blowing a double-digit lead to beat the Cardinals.

The Mustangs (5-1, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) rang up another significant win as an ACC newcomer, but only after its 24-13 halftime lead dissolved into a 27-all tie entering the fourth quarter. The Cardinals (3-2, 1-1) had clawed back behind Ja’Corey Brooks’ 86-yard catch-and-run touchdown and a 1-yard TD run by Donald Chaney Jr. in the third.

After missing a third-quarter field goal and punt on its first fourth-quarter drive, SMU took over at its 11 and drove for the winning score with the help of several Louisville penalties and a video review that overturned Brashard Smith’s fumble that Louisville had recovered at the 5. That gave the Mustangs possession at the 13, and Louisville penalties for pass interference and offsides put the ball at the 1.

LJ Johnson took it in for the TD with 6:39 remaining.

No. 23 INDIANA 41, NORTHWESTERN 24

EVANSTON, Ill. — Kurtis Rourke threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns to help No. 23 Indiana stay unbeaten with a victory over Northwestern.

The Hoosiers (6-0) also had 158 yards on the ground with Justice Ellison (68 yards) and Ty Son Lawton (52 yards) each having a rushing TD. Elijah Sarratt had 135 yards on seven catches. The Hoosiers matched their best start to the season with the six wins, equaling the 1967 squad.

Jack Lausch had a bounce-back performance for Northwestern, throwing for 243 yards and two scores. Bryce Kirtz and A.J. Henning were his favorite targets, combining for 195 yards on 16 catches.

Following a slow start, both teams combined for five consecutive scoring drives to end the first half. Indiana took a 17-10 lead into the break, led by Rourke’s 196 yards. Miles Cross made a toe-tapping catch in the back of the end zone to break a 7-7 tie and put the Hoosiers in front for good.