College Football: UNLV pulls away from hapless Hawaii, 41-21
LAS VEGAS — It would be fine with Hawaii if this defensive effort stayed in Vegas.
Keith Whitely ran for 124 yards and a touchdown Saturday, Lexington Thomas added 120 more yards with a score, and UNLV earned a 41-21 victory, spoiling interim coach Chris Naeole’s debut and sending the Rainbow Warriors to their seventh consecutive defeat.
“I gave them everything I got this week; put it all in there, put all the effort into it,” Naeole said. “We didn’t make enough plays today.”
Especially defensively.
Taking advantage of big plays in the passing game, UNLV (3-6, 2-3 Mountain West) rolled up 547 total yards. Blake Decker finished with 258 yards and two long touchdown passes for the Rebels, a 75-yard strike to Devonte Boyd and an 85-yard bomb to Aaron Criswell. Boyd finished with 5 catches 120 yards total as UNLV never trailed.
“We come back and score and they hit us with another one,” Naeole said. They got two on us, so it definitely hurt, right there, with two big plays, you know, but that’s the nature of the game and congratulations to them, and they won the game.”
Paul Harris rushed for a career-high 190 yards rushing and a touchdown for the Rainbow Warriors (2-8, 0-6), who were playing their first game after firing head coach Norm Chow.
“He did some good things,” Naeole said. “He got outside. He got away. Obviously, we could’ve have done some things better technically. We’re going to go watch the film, make our corrections and get back at it next week.”
For the second consecutive game, Hawaii allowed more than 500 yards of offense and had two runners surpass 100.
Hawaii quarterback Ikaika Woolsey finished 16 of 33 for 187 yards and an interception.
Woolsey connected with Makoa Camanse-Stevens for a 55-yard completion to set up Melvin Davis 2-yard TD run for Hawaii to cut the deficit to 27-21 with 11:46 remaining, but Thomas and Whitley each scored late in the fourth to put the game away.
One of Naeole’s first moves as coach was to name Woolsey the starter over Max Wittek.
“Ikaika had a good game,” Naeole said. “I think his only real bad play was the flea flicker where he probably should have thrown away the ball.
“Other than that he distributed the ball, and like I said, guys have got to catch the ball. If you don’t catch the ball, it’s hard to call plays and hard to move the ball.”
Hawaii finished the season with three home games. San Jose State comes to the islands next Saturday.
No. 7 ALABAMA 30,
No. 4 LSU 16
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Derrick Henry ran for 210 yards and three touchdowns and No. 7 Alabama’s defense smothered Leonard Fournette in a 30-16 victory over No. 4 LSU on Saturday night.
The Crimson Tide (8-1, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) physically dismantled the previously unbeaten Tigers (7-1, 4-1) in the second half. It was a physical, no-frills performance days after some questioned the team’s No. 4 College Football Playoff ranking. LSU came in at No. 2 in the CFP ranking and in control of its own fate.
Henry led the way with 38 punishing carries in a game where he took second billing. The nation’s leading rusher, Fournette gained only 31 yards on 19 carries. His previous season low was 154 yards against Western Kentucky.
Alabama’s SEC title chances got a boost even before kickoff when Arkansas beat No. 19 Mississippi 53-52 in overtime. The Rebels are the only team to have beaten the Tide.
No. 12 OKLAHOMA St. 49,
NO. 5 TCU 29
STILLWATER, Okla. – Mason Rudolph threw for 352 yards and a career-high five touchdowns, and No. 12 Oklahoma State beat No. 5 TCU 49-29 on Saturday.
James Washington caught five passes for 184 yards and three touchdowns for the Cowboys, who have felt overlooked all season, despite their unbeaten record.
The Cowboys (9-0, 6-0 Big 12, No. 14 CFP) have won their first nine games for only the third time in school history.
TCU’s Trevone Boykin passed for 445 yards and ran for 73 yards and two touchdowns. But he also threw a career-high four interceptions. TCU (8-1, 5-1, No. 8 CFP) gained 663 yards, but the Horned Frogs were held scoreless in the red zone twice.
NEBRASKA 39,
NO. 6 MICHIGAN St. 38
LINCOLN, Neb. – Tommy Armstrong drove Nebraska 91 yards in 38 seconds, hitting Brandon Reilly with a 30-yard touchdown pass that survived a video review with 17 seconds left to hand Michigan State a loss that likely will ruin the Spartans’ playoff hopes.
Armstrong rallied the Cornhuskers from 12 points down in the last 4 1/2 minutes. He scored on a short touchdown run with 1:47 left to make it 38-33. After Michigan State (8-1, 4-1 Big Ten, No. 7 CFP) went three-and-out, he led the winning drive.
Starting the Nebraska 9, Armstrong hit Jordan Westerkamp for passes of 28 and 33 yards. Two plays later, Armstrong found Reilly for the winning score. Reilly went out of bounds and came back in to make the catch, but officials ruled it was legal because cornerback Jermaine Edmondson forced him out.
Michigan State’s Connor Cook passed out of bounds from the Nebraska 41 as time ran out.
NO. 1 OHIO STATE 28,
MINNESOTA 14
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ezekiel Elliott ran 15 yards for a touchdown on Ohio State’s only lengthy drive, and the Buckeyes weathered Minnesota’s two fourth-quarter touchdowns.
The Buckeyes (9-0, 5-0 Big Ten) struggled with Cardale Jones back at quarterback, but got a solid performance by their defense and just enough from everyone else to win their 22nd in a row.
Up next for the Buckeyes: A game at Illinois followed by the two teams from the state up north — No. 6 Michigan State and No. 16 Michigan.
Minnesota (4-5, 1-4) managed only 110 yards through three quarters before getting Mitch Leidner’s two touchdown passes, the last with 2:10 to go. The onside kick went out of bounds, and Jones ran 38 yards untouched for a touchdown off a fake handoff to clinch it.
NO. 3 CLEMSON 23,
NO. 17 FLORIDA STATE 13
CLEMSON, S.C. – Deshaun Watson threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Deon Cain, Wayne Gallman came through with a game-sealing score and Clemson held off Florida State and Dalvin Cook to wrap up the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Atlantic Division.
The win came after the Tigers (9-0, 6-0) were No. 1 in the first College Football Playoff ranking.
Watson led three long scoring drives in the second half for the Tigers’ first win over the Seminoles 7-2, 5-2, No. 16 CFP) since 2011. Cook had 194 yards rushing, but only 37 came in the second half.
NO. 8 NOTRE DAME 42,
PITTSBURGH 30
PITTSBURGH – DeShone Kizer threw five touchdown passes and ran for another scored to help Notre Dame bolster its College Football Playoff resume with a victory over Pittsburgh.
Kizer completed 19 of 26 passes for 262 yards with no turnovers for the Irish (8-1) in their fourth straight. Will Fuller caught seven passes for 157 yards and three scores and Josh Adams ran for 147 yards and hauled in Kizer’s final touchdown pass.
Notre Dame never trailed and rolled up 435 total yards in its first game since being ranked fifth in the initial CFP poll. Nate Peterman passed for 223 yards and a touchdown for Pitt (6-3).
NO. 9 STANFORD 42,
COLORADO 10
BOULDER, Colo. – Kevin Hogan threw two touchdown passes and had a scoring run in Stanford’s victory over Colorado.
With his 32nd win, Hogan surpassed Andrew Luck as the school’s winningest quarterback.
Christian McCaffrey, who grew up in nearby Denver, where his father, Ed, starred for the Broncos in the 1990s, had 220 all-purpose yards, and threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to tight end Austin Hooper. McCaffrey had 147 yards rushing, 15 receiving and 58 on returns.
The Cardinal (8-1, 7-0 Pac-12, No. 11 CFP) bounced back from a scare at Washington in which they escaped with a two-point win on a shanked field goal as time expired. Colorado (4-6, 1-5) has lost 21 consecutive games to ranked teams.
NO. 10 IOWA 35,
INDIANA 27
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – LeShun Daniels Jr. ran for two scores and injured quarterback C.J. Beathard threw the clinching touchdown midway through the fourth quarter to help keep Iowa unbeaten.
The Hawkeyes (9-0, 5-0 Big Ten, No. 9 CFP) have matched the best start in school history. The last time it happened was 2009.
It was another frustrating finish for Indiana (4-5, 0-5), which got to 21-20 after a 28-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. But Daniels answered with a 1-yard scoring run, and Beathard — battling a groin injury — sealed it with a 10-yard touchdown pass to George Kittle.
NO. 11 FLORIDA 9,
VANDERBILT 7
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Austin Hardin made a 43-yard field goal with 2:22 left and Florida beat Vanderbilt to wrap up a spot in the Southeastern Conference championship game.
The Gators (8-1, 6-1) won the Eastern Division for the first time in 2009, and in coach Jim McElwain’s first season.
Vanderbilt (3-6, 1-4) held Florida to 258 yards, including 57 in the second half.
Vanderbilt had one final chance, but failed to pick up a first down on a fourth-and-25 play.
NO. 13 UTAH 34,
WASHINGTON 23
SEATTLE – Gionni Paul returned a fumble 54 yards for a touchdown, set up another score with an interception and Utah held off Washington to remain in control of the Pac-12 South Division race.
Utah (8-1, 5-1, No. 12 CFP) leaned on big plays from its defense to overcome an inconsistent night offensively against the Huskies (4-5, 2-4). After going two weeks without forcing a turnover, the Utes forced three in the first half and made that stand up against Washington’s second-half rally.
Paul jumped on Dwayne Washington’s fumble midway through Utah’s 24-point second quarter and went untouched to give the Utes a 21-6 lead. Quarterback Travis Wilson ran 3 yards for a touchdown with 3:27 left in the fourth quarter after the Utes had gone scoreless in the second half.
Devontae Booker rushed for 150 yards to help Utah maintain a one-game lead on the chase group in the Pac-12 South. Booker went over the 1,000-yard mark for the season and matched his season high with 34 carries. Wilson finished 12 of 25 passing for 155 yards and added 42 yards on the ground.
NO. 14 OKLAHOMA 52,
IOWA STATE 16
NORMAN, Okla. – Baker Mayfield completed 23 of 31 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns and ran for a score to help Oklahoma beat Iowa State.
Samaje Perine ran for 95 yards and a touchdown on 13 rushes, and Joe Mixon rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown on eight carries for Oklahoma (8-1, 5-1 Big 12, No. 15 CFP). The Sooners have won four straight, outscoring their opponents 232-50.
Joel Lanning completed 26 of 51 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown for Iowa State (3-6, 2-4). The Cyclones have lost four of their last five.
NAVY 45,
NO. 15 MEMPHIS 20
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Chris Swain ran for 108 yards and three touchdowns and Navy upset Memphis, ending the Tigers’ winning streak at 15 games.
The Midshipmen (7-1, 5-0 American Athletic) remained tied with Houston atop the West Division. Memphis (8-1, 4-1) was 13th this week in the first College Football Playoff poll.
DeBrandon Sanders ran for 82 yards and Navy’s triple-option rushing attack had 374 yards against a Memphis defense that had only allowed 118.8 yards a game.
But it was a 75-yard scoring pass from Keenan Reynolds to DeBrandon Sanders with 6:43 left in the third quarter that gave the Midshipmen the lead for good at 24-17. The pass came on the first play from scrimmage after Memphis tied it at 17.
NO. 16 MICHIGAN 49,
RUTGERS 16
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Jake Rudock threw for two touchdowns and a career-high 337 yards and ran for a score and a 2-point conversion to lead Michigan past Rutgers.
The Wolverines (7-2, 4-1 Big Ten, No. 17 CFP) were able to coast to an easy victory after wild finishes in their last two games. They beat Minnesota last week on a goal-line stand and botched a punt to lose to Michigan State on the final play the week before.
The Scarlet Knights (3-6, 1-5) have lost three straight, giving up at least 48 points in each of the lopsided setbacks.
NO. 18 HOUSTON 33,
CINCINNATI 30
HOUSTON – Houston overcame Gunner Kiel’s 523 yards passing, forcing four straight incompletions on the final drive to preserve a victory and remain unbeaten.
Greg Ward Jr. led scoring drives after two of three Cincinnati turnovers, finishing 16 of 24 for 161 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran for 119 yards on 16 carries to help Houston improve to 9-0 (5-0 American Athletic Conference) for the first time since 2011 — ahead of a potential matchup between undefeated teams when it plays Memphis next week.
Kiel threw was 28 of 51 with four touchdowns and two interceptions for Cincinnati (5-4, 2-3).
ARKANSAS 53,
NO. 19 MISSISSIPPI 52, OT
OXFORD, Miss. – Brandon Allen threw his sixth touchdown pass and then ran for a 2-point conversion to lead Arkansas to an improbable overtime victory over Mississippi.
Arkansas (5-4, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) won thanks to two wild plays in overtime.
The Razorbacks kept the game alive on fourth-and-25 when Allen completed a pass to Hunter Henry, who flung the ball backward and Alex Collins picked it up on the bounce and ran it for a 31-yard gain.
After Arkansas scored its overtime touchdown, its first attempt at the 2-point conversion failed but Ole Miss’ Marquis Haynes was called for a facemask penalty that gave the Razorbacks another chance.
Allen threw for a career-high 442 yards.
Chad Kelly threw three touchdown passes and ran for two scores for Ole Miss (7-3, 4-2).
NO. 21 N. CAROLINA 66,
DUKE 31
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Marquise Williams threw for 404 of his school-record 494 yards by halftime and North Carolina routed rival Duke.
Williams threw for four touchdowns and ran for another, breaking the school passing mark in the opening minutes of the second half. The senior’s performance was the biggest highlight on an afternoon full of them for the Tar Heels (8-1, 5-0 ACC), who haven’t lost since the opener and firmed up their hold on the Coastal Division race by blowing out the Blue Devils (6-3, 3-2).
Seven players scored for UNC, from Elijah Hood running for three touchdowns to Mack Hollins and Ryan Switzer each hauling in TD catches on 100-yard receiving days.
NO. 22 UCLA 41,
OREGON STATE 0
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Josh Rosen threw two touchdown passes to Thomas Duarte and UCLA beat Oregon State in cold, rainy conditions to keep alive its Pac-12 title hopes.
Rosen was 22 for 33 for 333 yards, with the freshman sitting out the fourth quarter. The Bruins (7-2, 4-2) had 676 yards against the Beavers (2-7, 0-6).
UCLA limited Oregon State to 246 yards and forced four turnovers against redshirt freshman quarterback Nick Mitchell. The Bruins won three straight after consecutive losses to Arizona State and Stanford.
AUBURN 26,
NO. 25 TEXAS A&M 10
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Jovon Robinson ran for 159 yards and a touchdown and Auburn intercepted three passes in a victory over Texas A&M.
Jeremy Johnson wasn’t flashy, but was effective in his first start since Auburn’s third game with Sean White out with an injured left knee. He finished with 132 yards and a touchdown.
Auburn (5-4, 2-4 Southeastern Conference) built a 14-3 lead by halftime, with its second touchdown coming on the drive after the first of Aggies quarterback Kyler Murray’s three interceptions. The Tigers didn’t score a touchdown in the second half, but got four field goals by Daniel Carlson to secure the victory that snapped a two-game skid.
Murray threw for 105 yards for for Texas A&M (6-3, 3-3, No. 19 CFP) before leaving after a hit to the head late in the third quarter.
