Max Johnson, making his first career start at quarterback, combined with a something-to-prove defense to lead Louisiana State to a 37-34 upset of No. 6 Florida on Saturday night in Gainesville.
Johnson, who had been backing up TJ Finley, helped beat the Gators (8-2, 8-2 SEC) with his arm and legs as he ran for 52 yards and went 21-for-36 passing for 239 yards and three touchdowns.
Kayshon Boutte had five catches for 108 yards and a touchdown for the Tigers (4-5, 4-5).
The LSU defense, meanwhile, gave up big yardage to Florida’s passing game and its Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Kyle Trask, but also forced Trask into two interceptions — one for a 68-yard pick six by Eli Ricks in the first half — and a fumble.
No. 1 Alabama 52, Arkansas 3
The visiting Crimson Tide (10-0, 10-0 SEC) got an 84-yard touchdown on a punt return from DeVonta Smith in the first quarter and never looked back on the way to completing their fifth undefeated regular season since 2008.
Najee Harris rushed for two touchdowns and the Alabama defense sacked Arkansas (3-7, 3-7) quarterbacks eight times, led by Christian Barmore and Will Anderson Jr. with two each.
Next up for the top-ranked Tide is a matchup with No. 6 Florida in the SEC championship game next Saturday in Atlanta.
No. 9 Georgia 49, No. 25 Missouri 14
JT Daniels passed for 299 yards and three touchdowns as the Bulldogs scored 35 unanswered points in rolling past the Tigers in Columbia, Mo. Overall, Georgia held a pronounced advantage in total yards (615-200) and first downs (28-11).
George Pickens caught five passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns as Georgia (7-2, 7-2 SEC) won its third consecutive game. Zamir White rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown, Daijun Edwards ran for 103 yards and a score, and James Cook had both a receiving and rushing touchdown.
Connor Bazelak passed for 139 yards and ran for a touchdown for the Tigers (5-4, 5-4).
No. 13 Coastal Carolina 42, Troy 38
The Chanticleers completed an undefeated regular season when Grayson McCall atoned for a late mistake by finding Jaivon Heiligh for a 23-yard game-winning touchdown pass with 35 seconds remaining in Troy, Ala.
CJ Marable rushed for 120 yards and scored three total touchdowns and McCall threw for three touchdowns and ran in another for Coastal Carolina, which finished the regular season 11-0 (8-0 Sun Belt Conference).
Troy (5-6, 3-4 Sun Belt) scored 15 points in the last five minutes to go ahead 38-35 in a surge that included Carlton Martial intercepting a McCall pass with 2:31 remaining. Jacob Free then capped Troy’s 40-yard drive by hitting Tray Eafford with a 6-yard touchdown pass to give the Trojans the lead for the first time.
No. 14 Northwestern 28, Illinois 10
The host Wildcats (6-1, 6-1 Big Ten) racked up 411 rushing yards on a wet field and won for the sixth straight time against the rival Fighting Illini (2-5, 2-5).
Evan Hull led the way with 149 yards and one touchdown on 13 carries. Cam Porter ran 24 times for 142 yards and two touchdowns, and Peyton Ramsey had 47 yards on nine carries in addition to his 82 passing yards.
The teams combined for just 34 pass attempts because of the weather.
No. 15 USC 43, UCLA 38
Amon-Ra St. Brown caught an 8-yard touchdown pass with 16 seconds left to lift the Trojans to a win against the Bruins in a Pac-12 game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.
Nicholas Barr-Mira made a 43-yard field goal with 52 seconds left to give UCLA (3-3, 3-3) a two-point lead.
USC (5-0, 5-0) quarterback Kedon Slovis, a preseason all-conference first-team pick, completed 30 of 47 passes for 344 yards and five touchdowns. Tyler Vaughns caught eight passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. Drake London and St. Brown caught two touchdowns each.
No. 16 Iowa 28, Wisconsin 7
Ihmir Smith-Marsette had seven receptions for a career-high 140 yards and two second-half touchdowns to help the Hawkeyes run their winning streak to six games by beating the Badgers in Iowa City.
Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras was 14 of 25 for 211 yards and two TDs, while Tyler Goodson had 80 of his 106 yards on a late scoring run for the Hawkeyes (6-2, 6-2 Big Ten). Iowa has not lost since falling to both Purdue and Northwestern to open the season by a combined five points.
Iowa held short-handed Wisconsin to 225 total yards. The Badgers (2-3, 2-3), minus leading rusher Jalen Berger and key receivers Kendric Pryor and Danny Davis, have scored 20 total points during a three-game losing streak. Wisconsin’s Graham Mertz was 20 of 38 for 169 yards with an interception.
No. 17 North Carolina 62, No. 10 Miami 26
Michael Carter and Javonte Williams combined for 544 rushing yards and five touchdowns as the Tar Heels beat the Hurricanes every which way for a victory over the host in an ACC game.
UNC (8-3, 7-3) produced 778 yards of total offense — the most yards Miami (8-2, 7-2) has ever allowed. Carter ran for 308 yards (12.8 average) and two touchdowns. Williams ran for 236 yards (10.3 average) and three touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Tar Heels quarterback Sam Howell scored a hat trick, passing for a touchdown, running for a touchdown, and catching a touchdown pass on a trick play. He passed for 224 yards as North Carolina amassed 31 first downs.
No. 18 BYU 28, San Diego State 14
Zach Wilson passed for 310 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Cougars past the Aztecs in a nonconference game in Provo, Utah.
Wilson completed 25 of 34 passes as the Cougars (10-1) reached double digits in victories for the first time since 2011. Isaac Rex caught two touchdown passes, Dax Milne had seven receptions for 87 yards and a score, Neil Pau’u caught eight passes for 117 yards, and Lopini Katoa rushed for 83 yards.
Jordon Brookshire completed 21 of 31 passes for 230 yards, one touchdown and one interception for San Diego State (4-4). Kaegun Williams rushed for a career-best 92 yards and scored a touchdown, but he also lost a pivotal fumble, while Elijah Kothe caught a touchdown pass for the Aztecs.
Utah 38, No. 21 Colorado 21
The host Buffaloes (4-1, 3-1) missed out on a chance to win the South Division and earn a spot in the Pac-12 Championship game despite 258 passing yards and two touchdowns from Sam Noyer.
Ty Jordan ran for 147 yards and two touchdowns, and Jake Bentley threw for 240 yards and two touchdowns while completing 20 of 32 passes in the upset for the Utes (2-2, 2-2).
Britain Covey made nine catches for 76 yards and a touchdown for Utah.
No. 22 Oklahoma State 42, Baylor 3
Dillon Stoner caught eight passes for a career-high 247 yards and three touchdowns and true freshman Dominic Richardson rushed for 169 yards and three touchdowns as the Cowboys cruised to a 42-3 victory over the short-handed Bears in Waco, Texas.
Spencer Sanders completed 20 of 30 passes for 347 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions for Oklahoma State (7-3, 6-3 Big 12), who won in Waco for the first time since 2009 and also the first time ever at McLane Stadium. The Cowboys, who jumped out to a 28-0 lead in the first 19 minutes, outgained the Bears 608-156, including a 261-70 edge on the ground.
Charlie Brewer completed 13 of 26 passes for 68 yards before leaving late in the third quarter with an injury and John Mayers kicked a 40-yard field goal for Baylor (2-7, 2-7), which played the game despite closing its football facility on Thursday because of a COVID-19 outbreak. The Bears were without 47 players, coaches and staff members due to injuries, COVID-19 cases and contact tracing.
–Field Level Media
