Klubnick’s late TD run helps Clemson nip Pitt

PITTSBURGH — Cade Klubnick sprinted 50 yards for a go-ahead touchdown with 1:16 remaining and No. 17 Clemson fended off Pittsburgh 24-20 on Saturday.

The Tigers (8-2, 7-1 ACC) had done little on the ground all day before the junior quarterback tucked the ball and raced past a handful of stunned defenders to keep Clemson’s outside hopes of reaching the ACC championship game alive.

Klubnick finished with 288 yards and two touchdown passes through the air and added 41 yards on the ground, almost all the positive yardage coming on his zig-zag through the Pitt secondary just 20 seconds after the Panthers had taken the lead on a 47-yard field goal by Ben Sauls.

Antonio Williams caught 13 passes for 149 yards and two scores for the Tigers, who need No. 12 Miami to lose one of its final two games or No. 14 SMU to drop its last two contests to reach the ACC title game in Charlotte on Dec. 7.

OREGON 16, WISCONSIN 13

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Atticus Sappington broke a tie with a 24-yard field goal with 2:36 remaining and No. 1 Oregon rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Wisconsin 16-13 on Saturday night.

Jordan James rushed for 115 yards and a tying touchdown on 22 carries to help Oregon (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) win its first 11 games for the second time in school history. The Ducks also won their first 11 games in 2010 and went on to reach the BCS championship game before losing to Cam Newton-led Auburn.

Tawee Walker rushed for 97 yards on 20 carries for Wisconsin (5-5, 3-4) in its third straight loss. The Badgers fell to 2-15 in their last 17 games against Top 25 teams, going 0-6 mark in Luke Fickell’s two-year coaching tenure.

Oregon won by outscoring Wisconsin 10-0 in the fourth quarter. The Ducks also erased fourth-quarter deficits in victories over Boise State and Ohio State this season.

“We can handle critical moments,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “We can handle when it’s tough. At some point, that experience is going to pay off for us. It certainly paid off for us tonight.”

After Sappington put Oregon ahead, Wisconsin got the ball two more times but failed to capitalize.

Wisconsin lost the ball on downs at its own 26 with 2:03 remaining. The Badgers got one last chance after Oregon couldn’t convert a fake field-goal attempt, but Jamaree Caldwell tipped Braedyn Locke’s pass and Matayo Uiagalelei picked it off at Wisconsin’s 24 with 1:32 left to seal it.

Locke was 12 of 28 for just 96 yards with a touchdown and interception.

No. 2 OHIO ST. 31, NORTHWESTERN 7

CHICAGO — Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate celebrated his Chicago homecoming with two touchdown receptions against Northwestern at Wrigley Field.

It was Tate’s first game in his hometown since his mother, Ashley Griggs, 40, was killed in a drive-by shooting in Chicago in July 2023.

With the Buckeyes facing a second-and-8 at the Northwestern 25 late in the first half, Will Howard dropped back and lofted the ball in Tate’s direction down the sideline. The 6-foot-3 sophomore made a diving grab in the end zone for his third TD of the season.

Tate added an 8-yard touchdown reception on Ohio State’s first possession of the second half, capping a five-play, 90-yard drive and lifting the Buckeyes to a 28-7 lead. He also made a tough 14-yard catch over the middle that set up the Buckeyes’ first TD in the second quarter.

No. 3 TEXAS 20, ARKANSAS 10

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Quinn Ewers threw for 176 yards and two touchdowns and No. 3 Texas’ defense clamped down on Arkansas’ final two possessions to help the Longhorns win 20-10 on Saturday.

Ewers’ 1-yard pass to Matthew Golden ended an eight-play, 75-yard drive that provided the Longhorns (9-1, 5-1 SEC, No. 3 CFP) with a two-score lead with 9:05 left. Ewers, who finished 20-of-32 passing, also connected with Golden for the game’s first touchdown.

Ewers entered the game with Heisman Trophy hopes, and though his numbers did not suggest his candidacy getting a boost, he and Texas have bigger goals, coach Steve Sarkisian said.

“When you just don’t have as many opportunities, you’ve got to try to maximize them when you get them,” Sarkisian said. “Him taking care of the football, converting on third downs and what a play … on fourth down to kind of seal the game. I was proud of him for that.”

Arkansas (5-5, 3-4) had an opportunity to take the lead on the possession before Texas stretched its lead early in the fourth quarter as the Razorbacks drove to the Texas 26. The Longhorns’ defense stiffened and Arkansas settled for a 44-yard field goal from Matthew Shipley to trim Texas’ lead to 13-10.

Texas ostensibly sealed its win on Arkansas’ next possession. Taylen Green completed a pass to CJ Brown at the Texas 40, but Brown fumbled and Michael Taaffe recovered for the Longhorns. Ewers converted a fourth-and-2 with two minutes left, allowing Texas to run out the clock.

Arkansas entered the game ranked fifth in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total offense, averaging 484 yards per game. The Razorbacks punted on six of their first seven possessions and were intercepted on the other and ultimately finished with just 231 yards.

“To beat the third-ranked team in the country, you can’t turn the ball over or you’ve got to get them,” Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said. “And it was two-nothing. That’s what happened.”

Green finished 17-of-25 passing for 149 yards with an interception. Ja’Quinden Jackson, in his first game since Oct. 19 because of an ankle injury, ran for 56 yards on 11 carries and scored Arkansas’ lone touchdown in the third quarter.

No. 4 PENN ST. 49, PURDUE 10

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Drew Allar threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 4 Penn State to a rout of Purdue.

Allar, who completed his first 10 passes, connected on 17 of 19 passes for the Nittany Lions (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten) in three quarters. His top target was tight end Tyler Warren, who caught eight passes for 127 yards.

Hudson Card completed 11 of 20 passes for 151 yards for the Boilermakers (1-9, 0-7). Purdue was limited to 85 rushing yards.

No. 8 NOTRE DAME 35, VIRGINIA 14

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Riley Leonard passed for three touchdowns and Notre Dame’s defense forced five turnovers as the No. 8 Fighting Irish beat Virginia.

Leonard was 22 for 33 for 214 yards as Notre Dame (9-1) raced to a 35-0 lead and won its eighth straight game.

Leonard’s TD passes came in the first half. He found Jayden Harrison with an 8-yard strike, Cooper Flanagan with a 2-year flare and hit Mitchell Evans with a 16-yard pass.

Notre Dame forced the five turnovers in the first half and four led to touchdowns. Xavier Watts intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble. Adon Shuler and Leonard Moore also had interceptions, while Max Hurleman recovered a fumble. Rod Heard II forced a fumble.

No. 9 ALABAMA 52, MERCER 7

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Jalen Milroe passed for two touchdowns and ran for a third in just over two quarters to help No. 9 Alabama beat FCS team Mercer.

Ryan Williams ran for a 29-yard touchdown and caught a 14-yard score for the Crimson Tide (8-2, No. 9 CFP), who got a reprieve from Southeastern Conference games after re-entering the Top 10 following a dominating win over LSU last week. Now, they’ll go back to focusing on polishing their playoff resume and battling for an SEC title.

The Bears (9-2), playing without injured quarterback DJ Smith, had already clinched a spot in the FCS playoffs and at least a share of the Southern Conference title. Whitt Newbauer started at quarterback for Mercer, going 15 of 22 for 140 yards with an interception. The Bears avoided the shutout with his 31-yard touchdown pass to Kendall Harris late in the first half.

No. 14 SMU 38, BOS COLLEGE 28

DALLAS — Kevin Jennings threw for 298 yards and three touchdowns, Brashard Smith ran for 120 yards with a score and 14th-ranked SMU moved closer to making the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game in its league debut with a victory over Boston College.

Jennings was 24-of-35 passing and his 38-yard TD to Jordan Hudson, who caught the ball in stride behind the secondary inside the 5, put the Mustangs (9-1, 6-0 ACC) ahead to stay with 8:52 left in the third quarter as they won their seventh game in a row. Smith’s run for the 2-point conversion made it 28-21.

SMU is the only of the 17 ACC teams without a league loss, while No. 12 Miami and No. 17 Clemson both have one. The ACC champion is guaranteed a spot in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.

No. 18 COLORADO 49, UTAH 24

BOULDER, Colo. — Shedeur Sanders overcame a shaky start to throw three touchdown passes, LaJohntay Wester returned a punt 76 yards for a score and the Buffaloes pulled away late to beat the Utes.

Winners of four straight, the Buffaloes (8-2, 6-1 Big 12, No. 17 CFP) remain in the driver’s seat for an appearance in the conference title game and possibly a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Sanders threw an interception on his first pass of the game and later lost a fumble. But he settled down and finished 30 of 41 for 340 yards. He connected twice on TD passes with Will Sheppard. Sanders has thrown 27 TD passes, one away from matching the single-season school record set by Sefo Liufau in 2014.

STANFORD 38, No. 19 LOUISVILLE 35

STANFORD, Calif. — Emmet Kenney made a career-long 52-yard field goal as time expired to give Stanford a victory over No. 22 Louisville, ending the Cardinal’s six-game losing streak.

Down 35-21 in the fourth quarter, Stanford (3-7, 2-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) tied it on Emmett Mosley V’s two touchdown passes, the second a 25-yarder from backup quarterback Justin Lamson with 45 seconds left.

After forcing a turnover on downs, Stanford got the ball at its own 45, then benefited from two penalties. Louisville (6-4, 4-3) was called for unsportsmanlike conduct after a short swing pass, putting Stanford in position for the field goal.

Kenney, who earlier converted from 41 and 24 yards, lined up for a 57-yard kick, but Louisville’s Quincy Riley was offside. That moved the ball 5 yards closer, and Kenney split the uprights.

Ashton Daniels passed for 298 yards and three touchdowns — two to Mosley, who had 13 catches for 168 yards.

Louisville’s Tyler Shough passed for 270 yards and a touchdown.

FLORIDA 27, No. 22 LSU 16

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — DJ Lagway threw for a touchdown and set up another with a long completion in his return from a strained left hamstring, and Florida upset No. 21 LSU to give the Gators their first series victory since 2018.

Jadan Baugh’s 55-yard scoring scamper with 3:48 remaining essentially sealed it and put the Gators (5-5, 3-4 Southeastern Conference) on the verge of becoming bowl eligible.

Florida had dropped eight in a row against ranked opponents and was 1-10 under coach Billy Napier in rivalry games.

Former Florida coach Steve Spurrier suggested all week that fans should rush the field named after him if the Gators win. But it didn’t happen.

Florida’s defense, though, deserved to be celebrated. The unit sacked Garrett Nussmeier seven times — one more than LSU (6-4, 3-3) allowed in its first nine games combined.

No. 23 S. CAROLINA 34, No. 24 MISSOURI 30

COLUMBIA, S.C. — LaNorris Sellers threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Raheim Sanders with 15 seconds left and No. 23 South Carolina beat No. 24 Missouri for its third straight victory over a ranked opponent.

Sellers had career highs of five TD passes and 353 yards, completing 21 of 30 attempts.

The Gamecocks (7-3, 5-3) have won four straight Southeastern Conference games for the first time since Steve Spurrier was coach in 2012. But it’s now one of Spurrier’s hires with the Gamecocks in Shane Beamer who has South Carolina as the hottest team in the powerhouse conference.

This one looked as if it would be another runaway the past three wins over Oklahoma (35-9), Texas A&M (44-10) and Vanderbilt (28-7) when Sellers threw three first-half touchdown passes for a 21-6 lead.

But the Tigers (7-3, 3-3) twice battled back to take the lead in the fourth quarter, the final time on Brady Cook’s 37-yard TD pass to Luther Burden III with 1:10 to go for a 30-27 lead.