STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — For the final act in a spectacular performance, J.T. Tuimoloau kept a blocker from cutting his legs, reached up and grabbed a pass intended for a receiver a few yards behind him and casually cruised into the end zone to seal an Ohio State victory.
The interception was the second of the day for the Buckeyes’ defensive end — yes, defensive end — to go along with two sacks, a fumble caused and recovered, and a tipped pass that a teammate came down with for another takeaway.
“This is kind of his coming out party today,” said Ohio State coach Ryan Day, underselling the sophomore’s breakout game.
Tuimoloau’s strip sack and pick-6 in the fourth quarter helped the No. 2 Buckeyes erase a deficit and pull away from No. 13 Penn State 44-31 on Saturday.
The former five-star recruit from Seattle said the last time he intercepted a pass was as a sophomore in high school and he never remembered getting two in one game.
“I mean, it hasn’t hit yet,” Tuimoloau said about having an all-time great game on such a big stage. “I just take it as a great team win right now.”
The 6-foot-4, 270 pounder’s first interception of his career came in the first quarter on a play in which he dropped into coverage and broke quickly on a sideline throw to a running back.
“Brother’s an athlete, you can’t teach that,” said fellow defensive end, Zach Harrison, who had the interception on Tuimoloau’s tipped pass.
Tuimoloau said the tipped pass to Harrison was his favorite of the game-changing plays he made.
Day said Tuimoloau has been playing well this season, getting pressure despite not putting up big stats. He had only one sack coming into the game.
“He been right there,” Day said. “He’s almost been like the unsung hero of the defense.”
On this day, Tuimoloau outshined all the Buckeyes stars.
C.J. Stroud passed for 354 yards and the Buckeyes (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) ran their winning streak in the rivalry to six in a row — none by more than 13 points.
NO. 22 KANSAS STATE 48, NO. 9 OKLAHOMA STATE 0
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Will Howard threw for 296 yards and four touchdowns, Deuce Vaughn ran for 158 yards and another score, and Kansas State dealt Oklahoma State its first shutout loss since 2009.
Kade Warner caught five passes for 97 yards and two scores, and Malik Knowles had eight catches for 113 yards. A late interception gave the Wildcats (6-2, 4-1 Big 12) their first shutout of the Cowboys since a 10-0 win on Nov. 21, 1992.
Oklahoma State’s Spencer Sanders was just 13 of 26 for 147 yards with an interception before landing hard on his shoulder midway through the fourth quarter. The star quarterback did not return to the game.
Kansas State scored touchdowns on its first two possessions and finished with 495 yards of total offense. Oklahoma State (6-2, 3-2), which had been the nation’s No. 3 scoring offense at 44.7 points per game, was held to just 217 yards.
The Cowboys’ most lopsided loss in nearly 18 seasons under coach Mike Gundy was also their first shutout loss to anyone since Nov. 28, 2009, when they lost 27-0 to Oklahoma in the Bedlam game.
NO. 1 GEORGIA 42, FLORIDA 20
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Daijun Edwards and Kenny McIntosh ran for two touchdowns each, and Georgia pulled away following a second-half scare to win in the rivalry dubbed “the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.”
The defending national champion Bulldogs (8-0, 5-0 Southeastern Conference) looked to be in trouble when the Gators (4-4, 1-4) scored the first 17 points of the third quarter and turned a 28-3 deficit into a one-score game.
But the Dawgs answered with consecutive touchdown drives to seal their 10th consecutive victory. Georgia beat Florida for the fifth time in six years.
Stetson Bennett completed 19 of 38 passes for 316 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Tight end Brock Bowers caught five passes for a career-high 154 yards, including a 73-yard score in which he hauled in a ball that tipped off linebacker Amari Burney.
Edwards finished with 106 yards rushing and McIntosh added 90 on the ground as Georgia finished with 555 total yards.
NO. 3 TENNESSEE 44, NO. 19 KENTUCKY 6
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Jalin Hyatt caught five passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns to lead Tennessee.
Hyatt broke the school record for touchdown receptions in a season with 14 en route to setting up the Volunteers (8-0, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) for their showdown with No. 1 Georgia next Saturday. Tennessee is off to its best start since winning the national championship in 1998.
The Wildcats (5-3, 2-3) struggled in the border rivalry battle. Will Levis, projected as one of the top quarterbacks in the upcoming NFL draft, had limited success while being intercepted three times.
The Kentucky offense had just 1 of 6 third-down conversions in the first half and finished with 2 of 13. Levis had 16 completions for 98 yards.
Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker completed 19 of 25 passes for 245 yards and three scores. Hooker also ran for a TD.
NO. 4 MICHIGAN 29, MICHIGAN STATE 7
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Blake Corum ran for 177 yards and scored twice, and Jake Moody made five field goals to help Michigan remain unbeaten.
The Wolverines (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) scored 26 straight points after falling behind briefly late in the first quarter.
The Spartans (3-5, 1-4) went 0 for 2 on fourth down in the first half. They turned it over on downs after a review of a spot and after coach Mel Tucker chose to go for it instead of kicking a short field goal to tie the game midway through the second quarter.
Michigan led 13-7 at halftime and kept control in the second half, outgaining Michigan State 133-8 in the third quarter.
Moody, the reigning Lou Groza Award winner given to the nation’s top place kicker, made a career-high 54-yarder for his fifth field goal to put the Wolverines ahead 22-7 early in the fourth.
Corum, who started the game with an FBS-high 13 touchdowns, scored for a second time on a 4-yard run after Michigan State had trouble with a snap on a punt.
NO. 7 TCU 41, WEST VIRGINIA 31
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Max Duggan threw three touchdown passes, Kendre Miller ran for 120 yards and a score and TCU used big plays on offense to stay undefeated.
The Horned Frogs (8-0, 5-0 Big 12) didn’t need a comeback from a double-digit deficit like they did in their two previous games. Duggan staked TCU to a 28-21 halftime lead and that held up.
But West Virginia (3-5, 1-4), which was coming off a season-low 282 yards of offense in a lopsided loss at last week at Texas Tech, gave the Horned Frogs a fight.
JT Daniels threw a 23-yard TD pass to Reese Smith with 4:12 left to cut the Mountaineers’ deficit to 34-31. TCU recovered the ensuing onside kick, but Duggan was intercepted by Malachi Ruffin at the West Virginia 16, giving the Mountaineers another chance. West Virginia was forced to punt, and Duggan found Savion Williams with a 29-yard scoring toss on fourth down with 20 seconds left.
NO. 8 OREGON 42, CAL 24
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Bo Nix threw three touchdown passes and ran for three more scores to lead Oregon to its seventh straight win.
Nix threw for 412 of the Ducks’ 586 yards, the most against the Golden Bears in six seasons under coach Justin Wilcox.
The Ducks (7-1, 5-0 Pac-12) broke open the game with three TDs in a span of less than seven minutes of game time spanning halftime and rolled to another win.
Jack Plummer threw for 214 yards and one TD for Cal (3-5, 1-4), which lost its fourth straight game. The Bears have lost 22 of their last 23 games against teams ranked in the top 10.
Oregon scored three TDs in the second quarter to take charge of the game. Nix ran it in from the 4 on the opening play of the quarter.
NO. 10 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 45, ARIZONA 37
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Caleb Williams threw for 411 yards and five touchdowns, and Southern California scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to outlast Arizona.
The Trojans (7-1, 5-1 Pac-12) had an extra week to shake off their first loss of the season, an emotional 43-42 setback at No. 14 Utah.
USC fought off some early missed opportunities — one caused by the officials — against Arizona, racking up 621 total yards to match its best start since 2008. The Trojans have won 10 straight against Arizona.
The Wildcats (3-5, 1-4) nearly kept up with USC offensively, finishing with 543 total yards. Defensively, they struggled with missed tackles and allowed USC to convert 11 of 17 on third down.
Jayden de Laura threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns to Dorian Singer, the last a 5-yarder that cut USC’s lead to 45-37 with 1:26 left. USC recovered the onside kick to seal the victory.
LOUISVILLE 48, NO. 10 WAKE FOREST 21
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Fueled by an opportunistic defense, Louisville used a 35-point third quarter to take control.
The Cardinals (5-3, 3-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) forced eight turnovers, all of which came in the second half. Louisville forced six turnovers in the third quarter as coach Scott Satterfield took his first win against a Top 10 team.
Kei’Trel Clark’s 46-yard interception return for a touchdown gave Louisville a 20-14 lead 47 seconds into the second half. The period ended with a 90-yard pick six by Quincy Riley to provide Louisville with a 34-point lead.
Quarterback Sam Hartman completed 20 of 35 passes for 271 yards and a touchdown while throwing three picks for the Demon Deacons (6-2, 2-2).
Louisville’s Tiyon Evans ran for 106 yards on 11 carries, including a 52-yard touchdown.
NO. 15 MISSISSIPPI 31, TEXAS A&M 28
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Quinshon Judkins rushed for 205 yards, Jaxson Dart passed for three touchdowns and Mississippi beat Texas A&M.
Judkins had a 1-yard touchdown run with 7:18 remaining, helping Mississippi rebound from its first loss of the season. He is up to 1,036 yards rushing on the season.
Dart threw touchdown passes of 18, 1 and 2 yards. He was 13 for 20 for 140 yards, and also had 17 carries for 95 yards on the ground.
Zach Evans, who missed last week’s loss to LSU with a leg injury, returned against the Aggies and rushed for 75 yards. Jonathan Mingo had four catches for 89 yards and a touchdown for the Rebels (8-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference). Ole Miss rushed for 391 yards, including 134 yards in the first quarter, and finished with 530 total yards.
Connor Weigman was 28 of 44 for 338 yards and four touchdowns for Texas A&M (3-5, 1-4). The Aggies lost their fourth straight game for the school’s longest slide since losing four straight at the end of the 2005 season. Devon Achane rushed 25 times for 138 yards, and Moose Muhammad III caught eight passes for 112 yards and a score.
NOTRE DAME 41, NO. 16 SYRACUSE 24
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Notre Dame’s Brandon Joseph returned an interception 29 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the game, tailback Audric Estimé rushed for 123 yards and scored twice in the fourth quarter to thwart a Syracuse rally.
Notre Dame (5-3) has won five of six since opening the season with two losses and has 26 consecutive regular-season wins against ACC opponents. The Fighting Irish have played their best football on the road, including a 45-32 win at No. 21 North Carolina.
Logan Diggs scored on a 3-yard run in the second quarter and Notre Dame quarterback Drew Pyne threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Thomas with 17 seconds left in the second period. Pyne was 9 of 19 passing for 116 yards.
Syracuse (6-2) star tailback Sean Tucker finished with 60 yards on 16 carries and scored on a 4-yard run in the final minute of the third quarter to pull Syracuse within 24-17.
Starting Orange quarterback Garrett Shrader left in the third quarter after completing 5 of 14 passes for just 35 yards and a 13-yard touchdown pass to Oronde Gadsden II. Babers said in a TV interview at halftime that Shrader was injured but didn’t specify.
NO. 17 ILLINOIS 26, NEBRASKA 9
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Chase Brown rushed for 149 yards and scored on consecutive series in the second quarter to help Illinois take charge.
The Illini (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) beat the Cornhuskers for the third year in a row. They won a sixth straight game for the first time since 2011 and secured their first winning regular-season record since 2007.
Nebraska (3-5, 2-3) lost quarterback Casey Thompson to an injury in the second quarter. The Cornhuskers committed four turnovers and lost their 20th straight against a Top 25 opponent.
Illinois’ Tommy DeVito was 20 of 22 for 179 yards and two touchdowns. His 91% completion rate was a Memorial Stadium record for visiting quarterbacks with at least 20 attempts.
The Illini’s top-ranked defense held Nebraska to 29 yards on 20 plays in the second half and 248 for the game, the fewest by the Huskers since they finished with the same number against Michigan State in 2018.
Brown, the national rushing leader, extended his school-record streak of games with at least 100 yards to nine.
UCF 25, NO. 20 CINCINNATI 21
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — UCF’s RJ Harvey scored the winning 17-yard touchdown run with 48 seconds remaining.
His TD capped a seven-play, 75-yard march directed by backup quarterback Mikey Keene, who went 4-for-4 for 57 yards on the drive.
Harvey’s game winner came after Cincinnati (6-2, 3-1 American Athletic Conference) took the lead on Ryan Montgomery’s 39-yard touchdown run with 3:04 remaining. The Bearcats added the 2-point conversion on Ben Bryant’s pass to Tyler Scott to go up 21-18.
UCF (6-2, 3-1) took a 10-6 lead into halftime on the strength of a 26-yard touchdown run by Harvey. The Knights added a safety in the third quarter when Josh Celiscar sacked Bryant in the end zone.
Harvey had 18 carries for 84 yards for UCF. The Knights finished with 258 yards on the ground and 247 through the air.
UCF quarterback John Rhys Plumlee was 7 of 11 for 71 yards when he was knocked out of the game late in the first half. He also rushed for 31 yards.
Cincinnati had won six in a row since a season-opening loss to Arkansas. Bryant passed for 298 yards and a touchdown, and Montgomery had a team-high 40 yards rushing on three carries.
NO. 21 NORTH CAROLINA 42, PITTSBURGH 24
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Drake Maye threw for five touchdowns and Antoine Green had a career night with 180 yards receiving as North Carolina overcame a 10-point deficit in the second half to beat Pittsburgh.
UNC (7-1, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) is 4-0 in league play for the first time since going 8-0 in 2015. Green, a fifth-year senior, hauled in two touchdowns and set career highs in yards receiving and receptions (10).
The loss was Pitt’s second straight, and the Panthers (4-4, 1-3 ACC) are 1-3 in their last four games after starting 3-1.
UNC went down 24-14 early in the third quarter on the third touchdown of the night by Pitt running back Israel Abanikanda before scoring 28 unanswered points.
Pitt wideout Jared Wayne had a career-best 161 yards receiving.
MISSOURI 23, NO. 25 SOUTH CAROLINA 10
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Brady Cook ran for a touchdown and directed three long, first-half scoring drives as Missouri built a 17-0 lead on the way to its fourth straight win in the series.
Missouri’s Dominic Lovett had career highs with 10 catches for 148 yards while the Tigers’ defense had 11 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and held the Gamecocks (5-3, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) to 203 total yards.
Missouri beat a ranked opponent for the first time since its 45-41 win over No. 17 LSU on Oct. 10, 2020. The Tigers (4-4, 2-3) won their second straight after starting league play 0-3.
Missouri ended South Carolina’s four-game win streak, and the Gamecocks likely will drop out of the Top 25 after getting in this past week for the first time in four years.
The Gamecocks scored their fewest since losing to No. 1 Georgia 48-7 on Sept. 17. Quarterback Spencer Rattler scored the team’s lone touchdown on a 7-yard run right before halftime. Tailback MarShawn Lloyd was held to just 30 yards on seven attempts.