Freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts threw for 158 yards and ran for 146 more, but it was unlikely touchdowns from Jonathan Allen, Da’Ron Payne and Eddie Jackson that proved to be the biggest plays for the Crimson Tide (3-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference).
Ole Miss (1-2, 0-1) looked as if it might be on its way to a third straight win over the Tide late in the second quarter. Instead, it was the Rebels’ second collapse in three games.
Ole Miss took a 24-3 lead with 2:47 remaining in the first half after defensive end Marquis Haynes’ big hit on Hurts, forcing a fumble that fellow defensive lineman John Youngblood scooped up and ran 44 yards for a touchdown.
But Alabama responded. The Tide needed just three plays and 37 seconds to pull to 24-10. Ole Miss was forced to punt on the next drive and Jackson returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown, evading several tacklers before bolting down the right sideline for the touchdown.
In just 65 seconds, Alabama had turned a 21-point deficit into a manageable 24-17 game at halftime.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Lamar Jackson ran for four touchdowns and threw for another score and Louisville routed Florida State in what was billed as an Atlantic Coast Conferenceshowdown game.
Jackson ran for 146 yards and passed for 216 yards. The defense chipped in with nine sacks.
The Cardinals (3-0, 2-0) topped 60 points for the third straight game. The Seminoles (2-1, 0-1) suffered one of the worst losses in school history.
Jeremy Smith ran for two TDs for the Cardinals, and Jackson was nearly unstoppable in piling up 362 yards of offense. He also added to his collection of highlights as he faked one defender and spun off another en route to his final TD run of 47 yards. He has 18 TDs in three games.
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Cam Pedersen kicked a 37-yard field as time expired and North Dakota State beat Iowa for its sixth straight victory over an FBS opponent.
The Bison went for a 2-point conversion down 21-20 with 3:41 left, but couldn’t punch it in. North Dakota State’s defense then held, and quarterback Easton Stick’s 29-yard run put the Bison (3-0) in position for the winning field goal.
The loss was just the fourth by a ranked FBS team to an FCS school. North Dakota State isn’t just another Football Championship Subdivision team, though. The Bison have won the last five FCS titles.
CLEMSON, S.C. – Deshaun Watson threw three early touchdown passes in Clemson’s rout in the game that both coaches decided to shorten.
The game was such a mismatch that the Tigers (3-0) scored two touchdowns in the first quarter with no time running off the clock. An NCAA rule allows for games to be shortened by time if the coaches agree.
Clemson led 45-0 at the half against the FCS Bulldogs (0-3), and the third- and fourth quarters were 12 minutes each instead of the usual 15 minutes.
STANFORD, Calif. – Christian McCaffrey showed off his trademark versatility, slipping out of the backfield for a 56-yard touchdown reception and diving over the pile for a 1-yard score, and Stanford beat Southern California.
The AP player of the year and Heisman Trophy runner-up had a routine 260 all-purpose yards. Michael Rector went 56 yards for a touchdown on a reverse with 3:26 left in the third quarter to make it 27-10.
Stanford (2-0, 1-0 Pac-12) has won seven of nine against the Trojans, the best nine-game stretch for the Cardinal in the history of a rivalry.
SEATTLE – Jake Browning threw three touchdown passes in the first 16 minutes and Washington closed out its uninspired nonconference schedule with a victory over Portland State.
Browning and the Huskies (3-0) led 14-0 after less than 3 minutes and coasted way past the lower division opponent. Browning threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Chico McClatcher on Washington’s opening drive, and added TD tosses of 11 yards to Darrell Daniels, 13 yards to McClatcher on the second play of the second quarter and a 4-yard TD pass to Myles Gaskin early in the fourth quarter.
Browning finished 12 of 19 for 163 yards.
MADISON, Wis. – Backup quarterback Alex Hornibrook led Wisconsin on three scoring drives in the second half, helping the sluggish Badgers beat Georgia State.
Hornibrook took over for Bart Houston late in the third quarter with Wisconsin (3-0) stuck in an offensive malaise. The freshman finished 8 of 12 for 122 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Penniston with 7:25 left to give the Badgers the lead for good, 20-17.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Tyler O’Connor threw for two touchdowns, Gerald Holmes ran for two more, including a 73-yard score, and No. 12 Michigan State beat Notre Dame.
The Spartans (2-0) turned what had been a close game at halftime into a 29-point lead with three third-quarter touchdowns. Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer threw for two touchdowns and ran for another and the Irish (1-2) cut the lead to 36-28 with 6:02 left on a 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end Durham Smythe.
On Notre Dame’s next possession, Kizer was sacked for a 5-yard loss by Raequan Williams on third-and-2 and Notre Dame punted with 3:37 left in the game and the Spartans ran out the clock.
O’Connor, a fifth-year senior making his third career start, was 19 of 26 passing for 241 yards and one interception on a deflected pass. Kizer threw for a career-high 344 yards, completing 20 of 37 passes.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Joshua Dobbs threw two 20-yard touchdown passes to Josh Malone and ran for a third score and Tennessee overcame injuries and a suspension to hold off Ohio.
Tennessee (3-0) played without four starters – three were injured and defensive back Malik Foreman was suspended for team rules violations. During the first half, the Volunteers lost two of team captains to injuries – cornerback Cam Sutton and linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin.
Ohio is 1-2.
AUBURN, Ala. – Trevor Knight passed for 247 yards and Daniel LaCamera kicked five field goals to lead Texas A&M past Auburn.
Knight also ran for 42 yards and several first downs in his first Southeastern Conference game for the Aggies (3-0, 1-0). Myles Garrett had two sacks and Texas A&M harassed quarterback Sean White enough to minimize big-play chances for Auburn (1-2, 0-1).
In a matchup of teams trying to defy modest preseason SEC West forecasts, Texas A&M kept that hope firmly intact with a 478-yard offensive performance.
BATON ROUGE, La. – Leonard Fournette returned from a bruised left ankle in powerful form, rushing for 147 yards and two touchdowns, and LSU held off Mississippi State.
Danny Etling completed 19 of 30 passes for 215 yards in his first start for LSU (2-1, 1-0 Southeastern Conference), including a 37-yard touchdown strike to D.J. Chark. But the Tigers nearly squandered a comfortable lead, giving up two touchdowns 4:10 and 3:30 left, the second after the Bulldogs (1-2, 1-1) recovered an onside kick.
Fournette, who sat out last week’s victory over Jacksonville State, exhibited his typical mix of hard-nosed and explosive gains. He ran over tacklers for his 5-yard TD and burst into open field for his 25-yard score. He also had four receptions for 27 yards, but his performance was somewhat tarnished by two fumbles.
LINCOLN, Neb. – Tommy Armstrong Jr. scored on a 34-yard quarterback draw with 2:29 left, and Nebraska held on Oregon’s final series.
Armstrong converted a fourth-and-9r with a 14-yard pass to Jordan Westerkamp before taking off on his winning run for the Huskers (3-0).
The Ducks, playing without star running back Royce Freeman since early in the game, made it to midfield on their last possession, failing to convert on fourth down.
Armstrong finished with 95 yards rushing, and completed 17 of 33 passes for 200 yards and three touchdowns. Devine Ozigbo also ran for 95 yards.
Kani Benoit rushed six times for 100 yards to lead the Ducks (2-1), and Dakota Prukop passed for 146 yards and ran for 87.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida quarterback Luke Del Rio injured his left knee against North Texas on Saturday night, a huge concern as the Gators prepare to play at No. 15 Tennessee next week.
The injury overshadowed a dominant performance by Florida’s defense, which allowed a school-record 53 yards on 50 plays. The previous mark was 59 yards allowed against Western Carolina in 2006.
Defensive lineman Joshua Wheeler hit Del Rio low at the end of incomplete pass late in the third quarter, drawing a personal-foul penalty.
But that was hardly the end of it for Florida (3-0). McElwain, who seemingly believed Wheeler’s hit was dirty, started yelling at the North Texas (1-2) sideline and had to be restrained by officials and then players.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Austin Allen threw for 241 yards and two touchdowns in less than three quarters of action for Arkansas,
The Razorbacks (3-0) were coming off a double-overtime win at TCU.
Rawleigh Williams topped the 100-yard rushing mark for the second straight game for Arkansas, finishing with 121 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries.
BOONE, N.C. – Brad Kaaya threw for 368 yards and three scores, Mark Walton ran for 130 yards and two touchdowns and Miami rolled past Appalachian State.
