Colin Simmons ties program-record with 5 sacks as No. 1 Texas beats No. 14 Tennessee

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Colin Simmons tied the program record with five sacks as top-ranked Texas held off No. 14 Tennessee 20-17 Saturday with President Donald Trump on hand in the Longhorns’ first visit to Neyland Stadium.

Raleek Brown ran for 67 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and his 4-yarder with 5:41 left gave the Longhorns the winning margin in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams. Giannis Spetic had a pair of field goals.

It was a defensive day with Texas (4-0) dominating with 10 sacks, led by Simmons. The linebacker’s day for the record books also will be remembered for his vulgar celebration after one sack. He was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct with the referee saying Simmons was “simulating” using the restroom.

Tennessee quarterback Brandon Faizon made it interesting late, capping an 80-yard drive with a 30-yard TD pass to Mike Matthews with 1:22 left. Linebacker Arion Carter recovered the onside kick, and Jelani McDonald batted away Brandon’s pass to Travis Smith Jr. on the final play in the end zone.

NO. 2 GEORGIA 41, OKLAHOMA 13

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Chris Cole scored on a 85-yard fumble return as Georgia took advantage of three first-half turnovers by John Mateer and overwhelmed struggling Oklahoma.

Mateer lost two fumbles, each recovered by Cole, and threw an interception in the first half as Oklahoma (2-2, 0-1 Southeastern Conference) fell behind 28-0. K.J. Bolden picked off a pass from Mateer in the second quarter.

While Mateer struggled with turnovers, Gunner Stockton was almost perfect in the first half for Georgia (4-0, 2-0). Stockton completed his first nine passes, including a 35-yard touchdown throw to Talyn Taylor.

The Sooners finished with four turnovers, including a fumble by tight end Rocky Beers in the third quarter.

Mateer’s second lost fumble, forced by Raylen Wilson, was returned 23 yards by Cole late in the first half to set up Chauncey Bowens’ second touchdown run.

Georgia rolled despite holding out its top running back, Nate Frazier, due to injured ribs. Bowens had touchdown runs of 2 and 6 yards as the fill-in starter. Dwight Phillips added a 54-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.

NO. 3 NOTRE DAME 49, PURDUE 10

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — CJ Carr threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score, linebacker Drayk Bowen scored his first career TD on a 15-yard fumble return and Notre Dame beat Purdue.

Carr was 14 of 22 for 237 yards and threw his first interception of the season. It’s the second straight week Carr has had a TD pass and a TD run in the same game. Aneyas Williams carried 14 times for 80 yards with one TD as the Fighting Irish (4-0) produced a season-high 177 yards rushing.

Notre Dame has won 14 straight and will start October with a perfect record for the first time since 2021.

It was another miserable day for the struggling Boilermakers (1-3). Ryan Browne was 18 of 28 for 111 yards and lost the fumble that Bowen returned for the touchdown. Purdue had only 12 yards rushing in the first half and finished the game with only 218 total yards as it lost its third straight.

NO. 21 FLORIDA 52, NO. 4 MISSISSIPPI 28

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jadan Baugh ran for 142 yards and three touchdowns, Duke Clark added 126 yards and a score on the ground, and Florida manhandled Mississippi to reach 4-0 for the first time since 2019.

The Gators (4-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference), installed as 3 1/2-point favorites, proved Las Vegas oddsmakers right by leading from start to finish. They scored touchdowns on five consecutive drives in the second half.

The Rebels (3-1, 1-1) insisted that last week’s victory against LSU, the one that spoiled former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin’s return, was not their “Super Bowl.” But they failed to build off that emotional win.

Florida had a lot to do with it.

The Gators jumped on the Rebels early, leading 10-0 before Heisman Trophy front-runner Trinidad Chambliss even threw a pass, and set the pace the rest of the afternoon. Florida was unstoppable running the ball.

NO, 6 MIAMI 52, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 3

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Darian Mensah passed for 338 yards and three touchdowns, plus ran for another score as Miami capped an unbeaten September by topping Central Michigan.

Malachi Toney caught six passes for 120 yards and a touchdown for Miami (4-0), and all four of Mensah’s touchdowns came in the second quarter. Cooper Barkate and Daylyn Upshaw also caught scoring passes from Mensah, who completed 23 of 27 throws.

Even with only four incompletions, Mensah’s completion percentage for the season dipped. It’s now 88.7%, down slightly from the 89.9% clip he had entering Saturday.

Mensah — whose scoring run capped a 97-yard TD drive late in the second quarter for a 35-3 halftime lead — has 14 touchdown throws, 12 incompletions and zero interceptions this season.

NO. 7 OHIO ST. 42, ILLINOIS 19

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Jeremiah Smith tied an Ohio State record with four touchdown catches and also had career highs with 12 receptions for 217 yards as the Buckeyes beat Illinois.

According to Sportradar, it is the 23rd time since 2000 a FBS player has had double-digit catches for at least 200 yards and four scores in a game. The last to do it was Western Michigan’s Sky Moore against Northern Illinois in 2021.

It is the fifth time an Ohio State receiver has had four touchdowns. The last time it happened before Saturday was Noah Brown at Oklahoma in 2016.

It also tied for the sixth-most receiving yards in an OSU game and tied for sixth-most receptions.

Smith tied the mark with 10:07 remaining in the fourth quarter when he was wide open on a 26-yard touchdown to extend the Buckeyes’ lead to 35-13.

Smith also became the third receiver since 2015 from a Power Four conference to have at least three games with at least 150 receiving yards and two touchdowns in one half. DeVonta Smith had four at Alabama and Ja’Marr Chase did it three times at LSU.

NO. 8 ALABAMA 48, SOUTH CAROLINA 18

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Keelon Russell threw for 365 yards and four touchdowns and ran for another score as Alabama beat South Carolina.

Ryan Coleman-Williams caught two TD passes, and Red Morgan returned an interception for a score for the Crimson Tide (4-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference).

Russell completed 21 of 27 passes as Alabama answered a sluggish third quarter with two fourth-quarter touchdowns. The Gamecocks (2-2, 0-2) pulled within 35-18 before Alabama regained control.

Daniel Hill’s 1-yard touchdown run capped a 10-play, 74-yard drive that consumed 6:43 and stretched the lead to 42-18. Russell added a 9-yard scoring run after Dijon Lee Jr. forced a fumble that Luke Metz recovered.

NO. 10 LSU 35, NO. 23 TEXAS A&M 6

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Sam Leavitt hit Jackson Harris twice for touchdowns — once for 57 yards on a Lane Kiffin fourth-and-short special — and LSU defeated Texas A&M.

Kiffin started sprinting down the sideline while Leavitt’s fourth-down pass was in the air, having seen the Aggies freeze on a play fake as Harris sprinted into the open down the middle of the field.

The LSU coach then put both hands over his shoulder and swung them down vigorously as if wielding a sledge hammer.

The play put LSU (3-1, 1-1 SEC) ahead 21-3 in the third quarter and the Aggies (2-2, 0-2) did not threaten after that en route to their second straight defeat.

NO. 11 TEXAS TECH 49, SAM HOUSTON 14

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Texas Tech linebacker Austin Romaine became the first FBS player in 13 years to return two interceptions for touchdowns on consecutive throws, Cameron Dickey ran for two scores and the Red Raiders beat Sam Houston.

Both pick-6s by Romaine came in the opening minute of the second quarter, and were against different quarterbacks.

The Red Raiders (4-0) extended their home winning streak to 11 games, their longest since 12 in a row from 2007-09.

A nearly five TD favorite, Texas Tech led only 21-14 at halftime before Dickey’s second scoring run, a 13-yarder, and Will Hammond’s 21-yard TD to Coy Eakin in the first five minutes after the break.

Hammond finished 17-of-29 passing for 224 yards, but threw three interceptions in the final 5 1/2 minutes of the first half — though Sam Houston (1-3) got only seven points off those. Hammond added a 23-yard TD run in the fourth quarter.

NO. 20 OREGON 41, NO. 12 SOUTHERN CAL 27

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dylan Raiola passed for 289 yards and two touchdowns after star Oregon quarterback Dante Moore’s frightening injury, leading the Ducks to a stirring victory Southern California.

Moore left the Coliseum field in an ambulance in the second quarter after USC linebacker Desman Stephens hit him late on a slide. Stephens was ejected for targeting, and the game was delayed for 15 minutes while Moore — a Heisman Trophy candidate and likely high NFL draft pick — received medical attention.

Raiola, the two-year Nebraska starter who transferred to Oregon last January, threw a 3-yard TD pass to Evan Stewart on his second snap. He then led the Ducks to 270 yards and four touchdown drives in the second half, including Dakorien Moore’s go-ahead, 29-yard TD catch with 8:35 to play and Jordon Davison’s clinching 2-yard run with 2:03 left.

Dierre Hill Jr. rushed for two touchdowns after halftime for Oregon (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten), which generated 504 total yards in a strong Big Ten opener. Oregon had a rocky start to the season in which it barely beat Boise State and then lost to lowly Oklahoma State to plummet from a preseason No. 2 ranking.

WISCONSIN 24, NO. 13 PENN ST. 20

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Colton Joseph hit Jacob Harris on a 72-yard touchdown pass with 1:13 to play and Wisconsin scored twice in the last four minutes to beat Penn State.

Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht, who was 12-for-29 passing for 129 yards and an interception, tossed a final deep ball out of the back of the end zone as time expired, setting off a celebration by Wisconsin defenders.

Joseph, who threw a pair of costly interceptions earlier in the game, rebounded to lead two long scoring drives for the Badgers (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten), who snapped their six-game losing streak to Penn State and won in State College for the first time since 2003. Wisconsin earned its first road win against a ranked opponent since beating No. 25 Purdue on Oct. 23, 2021. It was the Badgers’ largest comeback victory since rallying from 18 points down against Illinois in 2006.

Joseph ran for a touchdown and threw an 11-yard TD pass to Eugene Hilton Jr. to cap a 10-play, 75-yard drive with 3:31 remaining in the fourth quarter. Gavin Lahm added a field goal for the Badgers, who were sluggish and mistake-prone in the first two periods and trailed 17-7 at halftime.

Ryan Barker kicked field goals of 22 and 37 yards, and Josiah Zayas returned an interception 51 yards for a score to lead the Nittany Lions, who lost for the first time under coach Matt Campbell.

NO. 15 UTAH 31, IOWA ST. 17

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Wayshawn Parker broke a 54-yard run on the game’s opening play from scrimmage for the first of his three touchdowns and Utah held off Iowa State in the second half to beat the Cyclones.

Parker rushed for a career-high 174 yards and two TDs on 18 carries and caught five passes for 65 yards and a score for the Utes (4-0, 1-0 Big 12).

Jaylen Raynor got the Cyclones (2-2, 0-1) within 24-17 early in the fourth quarter, scoring on an 8-yard run and throwing a 22-yard touchdown pass to Dominic Overby after Overby had stretched the ball over the line to convert a fourth-and-12 on the previous play.

The Utes punted on their first three series of the second half and then put away the Cyclones with a 61-yard drive ending with Devon Dampier’s 13-yard TD pass to Parker and Jackson Bennett’s interception on the first play of Iowa State’s ensuing possession.

Parker led a Utah rushing attack that finished with 206 yards, and Dampier was 18 of 27 for 206 yards and two TDs.

WAKE FOREST 30, NO. 16 LOUISVILLE 27

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Connor Calvert kicked three field goals, including a 32-yarder with 6:20 remaining, to lift Wake Forest to a 30-27 upset win over Louisville.

Gio Lopez threw for 225 yards and a touchdown on 12 of 19 passing for the Demon Deacons (3-1, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), who scored their first conference win of the season. Carlos Hernandez caught nine of those for 194 yards, just three yards off the career best he set last season against Delaware.

Ty Clark III carried the ball 21 times for 91 yards and two touchdowns.

Louisville (2-2, 1-1) played without two starting defensive backs, and Lopez and Hernandez took full advantage. The duo connected on a 77-yard touchdown pass to put the Demon Deacons up 17-14 with 5:49 left in the first half. After the defense picked off Louisville quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, their 31-yard pass led to Clark’s second score, a 6-yard run that made it a 10-point lead with 1:19 to go in the half.

The Cardinals rallied to tie the game, using a 61-yard touchdown pass from Kienholz to Jaleel Skinner to make it a three-point game just 22 seconds after Clark’s last score. Carson Hilbert tied it with 9:37 left in the third on a 41-yard field goal.

Hilbert, who also made a 54-yarder late in the third to tie the game at 27, missed a 42-yarder with 2:29 remaining. Nick Keller lined up for a 57-yarder with 15 seconds remaining, but Gabe Kirschke blocked it to seal the upset.

NO. 17 IOWA 20, NO. 18 MICHIGAN 19

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Hank Brown threw a game-ending, 16-yard touchdown pass to Reece Vander Zee to lift Iowa to a win over Michigan.

The Hawkeyes (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) went 91 yards on the final drive — boosted by an unnecessary roughness penalty against Michigan on a third down at midfield. Brown’s 29-yard pass to Addison Ostrenga set up the final play with 2 seconds on the clock.

Bryce Underwood threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to JJ Buchanan early in the fourth quarter — their second scoring connection of the game — but the Wolverines (3-1, 0-1) could not make enough plays on both sides of the ball to hold on for the win.

NO. 24 MISSISSIPPI ST. 31, NO. 19 MISSOURI 24

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Kamario Taylor threw for 360 yards and three touchdowns, including a tiebreaking, 24-yard pass to Sanfrisco Magee with 3:57 remaining, and Mississippi State rallied past Missouri.

Fluff Bothwell rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown and had six catches for 55 yards and another score for the Bulldogs (4-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference). Anthony Evans III had eight catches for 114 yards, and Magee had two TD receptions.

Taylor, who finished 27 of 38, led the Bulldogs on two long touchdown drives in the first quarter and two more in the fourth. In between, it was all Missouri.

Austin Simmons finished with 295 yards passing and three touchdowns for the Tigers (3-1, 0-1), and Cayden Lee had 11 receptions for 156 yards and two TDs.

NO. 22 SMU 34, MISSOURI ST. 24

DALLAS (AP) — Kevin Jennings threw for 464 yards to become SMU’s career passing leader as the Mustangs overcame an early 10-point deficit for a win over Missouri State and the coach who used to be his offensive coordinator.

Jennings finished 33-of-39 passing, including a school-record 21 consecutive completions, with three touchdowns and an interception. Tight end Theo Melin Ohrstrom had two of the scores, while Yamir Knight had 11 catches for 164 yards with a late 28-yard TD. Jalen Cooper caught eight passes for 125 yards.

With his 722 career completions and 9,162 yards passing, Jennings surpassed the 9,081 yards and 718 completions Ben Hicks had from 2016-18. Jennings also had a 1-yard TD run and his 78 TDs responsible for (67 passing, 11 rushing) broke Tanner Mordecai’s previous school record of 76 in that category.

While Jennings already had 291 yards passing and Knight 125 receiving by halftime, the Mustangs (3-1) had two turnovers in the first quarter that Missouri State (1-3) converted into a 10-0 lead.

NO. 25 HOUSTON 42, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 28

STATESBORO, Ga. (AP) — Conner Weigman threw four touchdown passes and ran for two scores, leading Houston to a win over Georgia Southern in coach Willie Fritz’s return to Statesboro.

Fritz, Houston’s third-year coach, led the Eagles from 2014-15.

Houston (3-1) scored touchdowns on its first six possessions. In addition to his two rushing scores, Weigman threw TD passes to four receivers, hitting tight end Traville Frederick Jr. along with wide receivers Koby Young, Amare Thomas and Trent Walker. He finished 17 of 22 for 239 yards, and Re’Shaun Sanford II led the Cougars on the ground with 120 yards.

Georgia Southern (1-3) overcame an early 14-0 deficit to briefly tie the game 14-all. Max Johnson fired a 40-yard touchdown strike to Alex Taylor, and Ty Cummings scored on a 2-yard rush after the Eagles used a surprise onside kick to regain possession.

____