Top-25 College Football Game Capsules

Lexington, KY (SportsNetwork.com) – Nick Saban doesn’t just want wins, he wants quality wins. Alabama didn’t have that consistency in a mistake- filled first quarter, but Saban’s Crimson Tide rolled the rest of the way en route to a 48-7 pummeling of Kentucky. T.J. Yeldon and Kenyan Drake each ran for a pair of touchdowns for top-ranked Alabama (6-0, 3-0 SEC). Yeldon carried the ball 16 times for 124 yards, while Drake added 106 yards on 14 totes for the Crimson Tide, who have outscored their opponents 149-16 in four games since narrowly defeating Texas A&M on Sept. 14. A.J. McCarron completed 21-of-35 passes for 359 yards and a touchdown and Kevin Norwood caught four passes for 81 yards and a score in the triumph. Alabama, which improved to 36-2-1 all-time against Kentucky, outgained the overmatched Wildcats, 668-170. Raymond Sanders had 72 yards rushing and Maxwell Smith was 7-of-16 for 76 yards and a touchdown for Kentucky (1-5, 0-3), which has dropped four straight games. Alabama dropped a pair of sure touchdown passes and Drake fumbled at the Kentucky 23 during a scoreless opening frame. The Crimson Tide, though, turned it on soon thereafter.

Final Score: (2) Oregon 45, (16) Washington 24

Seattle, WA (SportsNetwork.com) – Marcus Mariota had three touchdowns passes and ran one in as No. 2 Oregon blasted 16th-ranked Washington, 45-24, in a Pac-12 battle. Mariota went 24-for-31 with 366 yards for the Ducks (6-0, 3-0 Pac-12), who have scored 147 points in their three conference games. He also had 13 carries for 88 yards. Byron Marshall had 19 carries for 106 yards and two scores, while Bralon Addison had two touchdown catches amongst his eight receptions for 157 yards. Keith Price was 19-for-32 with 182 yards, one touchdown and one interception for the Huskies (4-2, 1-2), who have dropped their past two games after beating Arizona to open conference play. Bishop Sankey had 28 carries for 167 yards and two touchdowns.

Final Score: (3) Clemson 24, Boston College 14

Clemson, SC (SportsNetwork.com) – Tajh Boyd threw for 334 yards and one touchdown while rushing for another, as No. 3 Clemson rebounded from a slow start to overcome Boston College, 24-14, at Memorial Stadium. Boyd completed 30 of his 44 attempts and also rushed for 33 yards, but fumbled twice for the Tigers (6-0, 4-0 ACC), who played an uneven game through nearly three quarters in anticipation of next week’s clash with Florida State. Nonetheless, the hosts finally assumed control with a pair of quick scores early in the fourth and went on to record their 14th win in 15 games dating back to September of last season. Sammy Watkins recorded a 48-yard TD among his 101 yards on seven catches, with Vic Beasley adding a 13-yard fumble return for another score. Chase Rettig finished 13-of-21 for 192 yards, one touchdown and an interception for the Eagles (3-3, 1-2), who put up a valiant fight and held a four-point edge heading into the final period. Alex Amidon ended up with 121 yards — including a 69-yard score — on six receptions, while Andre Williams gained 70 yards on 24 carries and Myles Willis posted a rushing score in defeat.

Final Score: Utah 27, (5) Stanford 21

Salt Lake City, UT (SportsNetwork.com) – Travis Wilson completed 23-of-34 passes for 234 yards with two touchdowns to help Utah upset fifth-ranked Stanford 27-21 at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Bubba Poole led the Utah (4-2, 1-2 Pac-12) rushing attack with 111 yards on 22 carries, while also catching seven passes for 75 yards as the Utes got back in the win column after a 34-27 loss to UCLA. Kevin Hogan went 15-of-27 for 246 yards and a touchdown. Tyler Gaffney carried the ball 16 times for 108 yards and a touchdown as Stanford (5-1, 3-1) had its 13-game winning streak snapped.

Final Score: (25) Missouri 41, (7) Georgia 26

Athens, GA (SportsNetwork.com) – The 25th-ranked Missouri Tigers snapped the seventh-ranked Georgia Bulldogs’ 15-game home winning streak with a 41-26 victory, but lost quarterback James Franklin to an injury in the process. Franklin completed 18-of-27 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown before leaving early in the fourth quarter with a right shoulder strain. The senior quarterback, who added a score on the ground, was seen on the sidelines in the final minutes with a sling over his shoulder. X-rays came back negative. Maty Mauk replaced Franklin and completed 3-of-3 passes for 23 yards for the Tigers (6-0, 2-0 SEC), who are off to a 6-0 start for the first time since beginning the 2010 campaign 7-0. L’Damian Washington caught seven passes for 115 yards and two scores for Missouri. Wide receiver Bud Sasser threw a touchdown pass to Washington in the fourth stanza. Aaron Murray connected on 25-of-45 passes for 290 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions for the Bulldogs (4-2, 3-1), who lost at home for the first time since Sept. 10, 2011 against South Carolina. Georgia played without running backs Todd Gurley (ankle) and Keith Marshall (knee) and wide receivers Justin Scott-Wesley (knee) and Michael Bennett (knee). Marshall and Scott-Wesley each suffered a torn ACL in last week’s overtime win over Tennessee. Bennett suffered a torn meniscus in the Tennessee game.

Final Score: (9) Texas A&M 41, Ole Miss 38

Oxford, MS (SportsNetwork.com) – The aura of Johnny Football began in Oxford a little over a year ago. Texas A&M needed Johnny Manziel’s heroics again on Saturday. Josh Lambo’s 33-yard field goal as time expired helped No. 9 Texas A&M down Ole Miss, 41-38, at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Trailing 38-31 after Bo Wallace found a streaking Jaylen Walton on a wheel route along the right sideline with 6:05 remaining in the fourth, Manziel helped the Aggies (5-1, 2-1 SEC) post the last 10 points of the game. Manziel sprinted up the middle for a 13-yard gain on 4th-and-7 before hitting Mike Evans on a crossing route for 26 yards down to the Rebels’ 6-yard line on Texas A&M’s ensuing touch. Manziel rolled right a play later, put the brakes on, reversed field and took off toward the left pylon before diving in for the score to tie it with 3:07 left. Following a Rebels (3-3, 1-3) three-and- out, Texas A&M regained possession with 2:33 to play. Manziel ran for gains of 12 and 13 yards before Tra Carson picked up eight yards on 3rd-and-1 later in the drive to set up Lambo’s boot. Manziel rallied the unranked Aggies from a 10-point fourth-quarter hole last year as he led a pair of touchdown drives to improve Texas A&M to 4-1 following a 30-27 triumph over the Rebels on Oct. 6. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner was 31-of-39 passing for 346 yards and an interception and added 113 yards rushing and two scores on 18 carries for the Aggies, who have won three straight since losing to top-ranked Alabama on Sept. 14.

Final Score: (10) LSU 17, (17) Florida 6

Baton Rouge, LA (SportsNetwork.com) – A solid defensive effort propelled the 10th-ranked LSU Tigers to a 17-6 home victory over the 17th-ranked Florida Gators. The Tigers (6-1, 3-1 SEC) came into Saturday’s game allowing foes to put up 24.7 ppg, while yielding 367.0 yards of total offense. The LSU defense responded on Saturday by limiting the Gators to just six points and 240 yards of total offense. Zach Mettenberger completed 9-of-17 passes for 152 yards for the Tigers, who have won two in a row since a loss at Georgia on Sept. 28. Jeremy Hill carried the ball 19 times for 121 yards. Tyler Murphy connected on 15-of-27 passes for 115 yards for Florida (4-2, 3-1), which had a three-game winning streak snapped.

Final Score: (11) UCLA 37, California 10

Pasadena, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – A pair of key injuries didn’t slow Brett Hundley and No. 11 UCLA down on Saturday. Hundley threw for a career-high 410 yards and tossed three touchdowns in the Bruins’ 37-10 thrashing of California. UCLA lost its starting left tackle Torian White for the season after he suffered a broken bone near his ankle to go along with a slight ligament tear in last Saturday’s win over Utah. Running back Jordon James also went down with an ankle injury in that triumph. Hundley completed 31-of-41 passes for the Bruins (5-0, 2-0 Pac-12), who continued the school’s best start since the 2005 squad won their first eight tilts. Devin Fuller caught six passes for 98 yards and a touchdown, Thomas Duarte had three receptions for 76 yards and a score and Shaquelle Evans hauled in six balls for 68 yards and a touchdown in the victory. Jared Goff was 26-of-43 for 215 yards and an interception for Cal (1-5, 0-3), which has dropped four straight tilts.

Final Score: Texas 36, (12) Oklahoma 20

Dallas, TX (SportsNetwork.com) – The Red River Rivalry had become one-sided in recent years and Texas needed to reverse its fortunes against Oklahoma. The Longhorns did so in a big way Saturday with a convincing 36-20 victory over the 12th-ranked Sooners in the annual grudge match at the Cotton Bowl. With three straight losses against Oklahoma, speculation had grown rampant that Mack Brown needed a win to potentially save his job at Texas. He got touchdowns from the offense, defense and special teams in the lopsided victory, giving Texas its first win against OU since a 16-13 triumph in 2009. Case McCoy completed 13-of-21 passes for 190 yards with a pair of long touchdowns and one interception for the Longhorns (4-2, 3-0 Big 12), who have won three in a row — all in conference play. Johnathan Gray ran for 123 yards and Malcolm Brown added 120, as the Longhorns racked up 255 yards on the ground and 445 yards overall. Chris Whaley returned an interception 31 yards for the go-ahead touchdown in the first quarter and an 85-yard punt return by Daje Johnson helped stem any momentum Oklahoma might have had early in the third. Blake Bell struggled mightily in his first start against the Longhorns, throwing for just 133 yards on 12-of-26 passing with a pair of interceptions. Damien Williams ran for a touchdown for Oklahoma (5-1, 2-1), which had a 10-game conference winning streak stopped.

Final Score: (14) South Carolina 52, Arkansas 7

Fayetteville, AR (SportsNetwork.com) – Connor Shaw threw three touchdown passes and ran for another as the 14th-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks dominated the Arkansas Razorbacks, 52-7, on Saturday. Shaw completed 19-of-28 passes for 219 yards for the Gamecocks (5-1, 3-1 SEC), who have won four in a row since a loss at Georgia on Sept. 7. The senior quarterback also carried the ball 14 times for 37 yards. Mike Davis carried the ball 19 times for 128 yards and a score for South Carolina, which won in Arkansas for the first time since the 2005 season. Bruce Ellington hauled in six passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns. South Carolina star defensive end Jadeveon Clowney returned to the lineup after missing last week’s game with a much-debated injury. Brandon Allen connected on just 4-of-12 passes for 30 yards and an interception for the Razorbacks (3-4, 0-3), who have lost four in a row since starting the season 3-0.

Final Score: (15) Baylor 35, Kansas State 25

Manhattan, KS (SportsNetwork.com) – Bryce Petty was 13-of-22 for 342 yards and three touchdowns, leading the 15th-ranked Baylor Bears to a 35-25 win over the Kansas State Wildcats. Tevin Reese caught the decisive score for Baylor as he was one of the two main targets for Petty. Reese caught five passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns and Antwan Goodley made five grabs for 139 yards and a score. Glasco Martin also chipped in a touchdown while running the ball 16 times for 70 yards. Petty also had a rushing touchdown. Leading rusher Lache Seastrunk managed only 57 yards on 12 carries for Baylor (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) . Daniel Sams was 4-for-7 passing for 41 yards and one interception, but he picked up the majority of his yards with his legs. He had 30 carries for 199 yards and three touchdowns. John Hubert ran 15 times for 90 yards for Kansas State (2-4, 0-3). The Wildcats also saw Jake Waters complete 6-of-15 passes for 77 yards.

Final Score: Penn State 43, (18) Michigan 40 (4-OT)

University Park, PA (SportsNetwork.com) – Bill Belton’s 2-yard touchdown run in the fourth overtime session capped off an improbable comeback as Penn State upended No. 18 Michigan, 43-40, at Beaver Stadium. Trailing 40-37 after Brendan Gibbons connected on a 40-yard field goal, Penn State (4-2, 1-1 Big Ten) converted a crucial 4th-and-1 on Belton’s 3-yard run. Three plays later, the Wolverines (5-1, 1-1) were whistled for pass interference in the end zone, setting up Belton’s game-winning touchdown. The Nittany Lions have now defeated Michigan in four straight contests on the heels of a nine-game losing streak.

Final Score: Wisconsin 35, (19) Northwestern 6

Madison, WI (SportsNetwork.com) – Joel Stave threw three touchdown passes to help a rested Wisconsin Badgers team knock off the 19th-ranked Northwestern Wildcats, 35-6, at Camp Randall Stadium. Stave overcame two interceptions to finish with 241 yards on 17-of-28 passing for the Badgers (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten), who had been idle since losing at Ohio State on Sept. 28. The Wildcats (4-2, 0-2) were coming off their own loss to the Buckeyes at home last week. Melvin Gordon and James White both eclipsed the century mark in rushing for Wisconsin. Gordon had 172 yards on 22 carries, scoring on a run of 71 yards, and White ran the ball 19 times for 101 yards and one touchdown. The Wildcats’ two-quarterback system became a one-man show following an injury to Kain Colter. Trevor Siemian took the bulk of the snaps and completed only 13-of-34 passes for 163 yards. Northwestern running back Venric Mark also missed significant time because of injury. The Wildcats, who had scored at least 30 points in a school record seven straight games, mustered only 10 first downs and converted just 2-of-17 third-down opportunities.

Final Score: (20) Texas Tech 42, Iowa State 35

Lubbock, TX (SportsNetwork.com) – True freshman Davis Webb threw for 415 yards and three touchdowns in his first collegiate start to lead 20th-ranked Texas Tech to a 42-35 win over Iowa State. Webb went 35-for-56 and showed no signs of having never started a college game. He started in place of another true freshman, Baker Mayfield, who injured his knee in the Red Raiders’ win last week over Kansas. The Red Raiders (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) had three backs rush for 80-plus yards and a touchdown apiece in a 251-yard team effort. SaDale Foster, who had the game-winning touchdown, had nine carries for 87 yards, DeAndre Washington had 13 carries for 88 yards and Kenny Williams had 17 carries for 80 yards. Texas Tech also had three receivers with a touchdown apiece. Eric Ward had seven catches for 61 yards, Bradley Marquez had six catches for 50 yards and Jakeem Grant had five catches for 90 yards. Jace Amaro led the team with nine receptions and 143 yards. Iowa State (1-4, 0-2) was led by a rushing score apiece from Aaron Wimberly, Shontrelle Johnson and Jeff Woody. Sam B. Richardson was 15-for-38 with 168 and one touchdown in defeat.

Final Score: (23) Northern Illinois 27, Akron 20

DeKalb, IL (SportsNetwork.com) – Jordan Lynch threw for 220 yards and a touchdown while also running for a score as 23rd-ranked Northern Illinois defeated Akron, 27-20, at Huskie Stadium. Lynch went 16-of-35 through the air while picking up 83 yards on 15 carries for the Huskies (6-0, 2-0 MAC), who have now won their 23rd straight home game. Cameron Stingily rushed for 80 yards on 21 attempts with a touchdown, while Tommylee Lewis had six catches for a total of 58 yards. Akron quarterback Kyle Pohl was 24- of-56 for 262 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while Jawon Chisholm carried the ball 21 times for 70 yards and two touchdowns in the Zips’ (1-6, 0-3) 30th straight road loss.

Final Score: (24) Virginia Tech 19, Pittsburgh 9

Blacksburg, VA (SportsNetwork.com) – Logan Thomas threw a touchdown pass, Cody Journell kicked four field goals and the 24th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies posted a 19-9 victory over the Pittsburgh Panthers. Thomas had 239 yards on 19-of-34 passing for the Hokies (6-1, 3-0 ACC), who have won six straight since opening the season with a loss to No. 1 Alabama. Virginia Tech snapped a four-game losing streak in this series between former Big East-now-turned- ACC foes. Pittsburgh quarterback Tom Savage was continuously hounded by the Hokies defense, which accumulated eight sacks. Savage completed 13-of-28 passes for 187 yards, with Devin Street accounting for 104 yards on five receptions. The Panthers (3-2, 2-2) were seeking their first four-game winning streak since 2009.

Categorized in: NCAA Football