Top 25 roundup: No. 1 Texas holds off No. 14 Tennessee

Sep 27 (Field Level Media) - Colin Simmons tied the school record with five sacks and Raleek Brown rushed for two touchdowns as top-ranked Texas notched a 20-17 victory over No. 14 Tennessee on Saturday afternoon in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams in Knoxville, Tenn.

Arch Manning completed 14 of 19 passes for 201 yards and one interception for the Longhorns during his first visit to Knoxville, where his famous uncle Peyton starred for the Volunteers in the 1990s. The Longhorns recorded 10 sacks as a team while holding Tennessee to 221 total yards. Rasheem Biles tallied a team-high 13 tackles and one sack.

Brown rushed for 67 yards on 17 carries and ​Ryan Wingo caught six passes for 74 yards for Texas (4-0, 1-0 SEC). Simmons, who also forced a fumble, tied the longstanding school mark set by Shane Dronett in 1990 against Texas Tech.

Qua Moss returned a punt for a touchdown. Faizon Brandon was 17-of-29 passing for 145 yards and one touchdown and Mike Matthews caught a touchdown pass for the Volunteers (3-1, 0-1). Tyree Weathersby accounted for 2.5 of Tennessee's six sacks, while Arion Carter had 11 tackles and recovered an onside kick.

No. 2 Georgia 41, Oklahoma 13

The Bulldogs forced four turnovers and Chauncey Bowens rushed for two touchdowns in a victory over the visiting Sooners in a Southeastern Conference matchup.

Gunner Stockton threw for 171 yards and a score, and Dwight Phillips Jr. had 84 rushing yards and a touchdown for Georgia (4-0, 2-0 SEC), which won its second straight game by 28 points. Talyn Taylor caught four passes for 110 yards and a touchdown for the Bulldogs.

John Mateer completed 25 of 34 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns but ‌threw an interception and lost two fumbles for Oklahoma (2-2, 0-1 SEC) in its first trip to Athens, Ga.

No. 3 Notre Dame 49, Purdue 10

CJ Carr completed 14 of 22 passes for 237 yards, three touchdowns and one interception and added another score on the ground as the Fighting Irish cruised past the host Boilermakers in West Lafayette, Ind.

Micah Gilbert had a team-high 83 receiving yards and one touchdown for Notre Dame (4-0). Aneyas Williams had 14 carries for 80 yards and a touchdown, while Cooper Flanagan, Nolan James Jr. and Matt Jeffery each had one receiving touchdown. The Fighting Irish outgained Purdue 444-218, including a 177-40 advantage on the ground.

Ryan Browne completed 18 of 28 passes for 111 yards for the Boilermakers (1-3). Fame Ijeboi ⁠was limited to 41 rushing yards on 12 carries. Backup quarterback Evans Chuba completed 7 of 9 passes for 67 yards and a touchdown. Bisi Owens caught Purdue's lone touchdown.

No. 21 Florida 52, No. 4 Ole Miss 28

Jadan Baugh rushed for 142 yards and three touchdowns, ​Duke Clark rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown, Aaron Philo ran for a score and passed for another and the Gators defeated the Rebels in a Southeastern Conference clash in Gainesville, Fla.

Baugh scored his ninth, 10th and 11th touchdowns of the season, ⁠and Dallas Wilson added a touchdown on his only carry for Florida (4-0, 2-0 SEC), which amassed 302 rushing yards and scored touchdowns on each of its first five second-half possessions. Philo completed 16 of 23 passes for 196 yards and a touchdown.

Trinidad Chambliss, who rushed for a team-high 44 yards and two touchdowns with Kewan Lacy out, passed for 298 yards and a touchdown to Deuce Alexander, who finished with seven catches for 134 yards for Ole Miss (3-1, 1-1 SEC).

No. 6 Miami 52, Central Michigan 3

Darian Mensah delivered another spectacular performance, throwing three touchdown passes and rushing for ‌another to lead the Hurricanes to a comfortable win over the Chippewas in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Miami (4-0) won its first four games ‌for the fourth consecutive season as Mensah completed 23 of 27 passes for 338 yards against Central Michigan (2-2), which was held to 158 total yards, including only 21 yards rushing on 25 attempts. The Hurricanes totaled 201 rushing yards without leading running back Mark Fletcher Jr.

Reserve running back Chris Wheatley-Humphrey led the way with 104 yards on 11 carries, including a 35-yard touchdown run which capped Miami's scoring with 10:29 left in the fourth ⁠quarter. Mensah, who added a 5-yard rushing score, connected with fellow star Malachi Toney for six receptions and 120 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown.

No. 7 Ohio State 42, Illinois 19

Jeremiah Smith caught a career-high four touchdowns, three in the first half, and Julian Sayin threw for four scores and ran for another as the Buckeyes defeated the Illini in Columbus, Ohio.

Ohio State (3-1, ⁠1-0 Big Ten) led 28-10 at the half on the strength of Smith's TDs of 7, 72 and 9 yards and Sayin's 7-yard scamper with 15 seconds left. Smith became the first Ohio State player with three first-half touchdown receptions since Noah Brown at Oklahoma on Sept. 17, 2016. His fourth touchdown later tied the program's single-game record, also last accomplished by Brown in that game.

Quarterback Katin Houser was 21 of 37 for 263 yards and a TD and Hudson Clement made five catches for 87 yards for Illinois (2-2, 0-1). Aidan Laughery ran for 113 yards and Jordan Anderson rushed for a 22-yard TD.

No. 8 Alabama 49, South Carolina 18

Keelon Russell threw for four touchdowns and ran for another as the Crimson Tide rolled over the Gamecocks in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Russell finished 21-of-27 passing for 365 yards with no interceptions. Ryan Coleman-Williams had five catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns for Alabama (4-0, 2-0 SEC).

LaNorris Sellers rallied South Carolina (2-2, 0-2) to within 35-18 early in the fourth and finished 18-of-30 for 185 yards, one touchdown and one pick. Matt Fuller had 19 carries for 112 yards and a touchdown for the Gamecocks, who have lost seven straight conference games dating back to last season.

No. 10 LSU 35, No. 23 Texas A&M 6

Sam Leavitt passed for 312 yards and two touchdowns, with Jackson Harris on the receiving end for 163 yards and both scores, and the Tigers whipped the Aggies in Baton Rouge, La.

Leavitt injured his left calf during the first half and kept playing while hobbled. He completed 17 of 23 passes with one interception, connecting with Winston Watkins Jr. five times for 107 yards for LSU (3-1, 1-1 SEC), which led 14-3 at halftime before taking command of the game by outscoring Texas A&M 21-3 in the third quarter.

Marcel Reed completed 10 of 26 passes for 106 yards with an interception for the Aggies (2-2, 0-2), who managed just 197 yards of offense in their second straight loss after last week's home upset against Kentucky.

No. 11 Texas Tech 49, Sam Houston 14

Linebacker Austin Romaine returned two interceptions for touchdowns on successive plays and Cameron Dickey rushed ‌for 91 yards and two scores as the Red Raiders routed the visiting Bearkats in Lubbock, Texas.

Romaine, a Kansas State transfer, notched his pair of defensive scores just seven seconds apart in the first minute of the second quarter. Romaine grabbed a Brett Holloway pass that was deflected by Texas Tech linebacker Brock Golwas and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown with 14:54 remaining in the quarter. ​Then Romaine swooped in front of a Landyn Locke pass and raced 31 yards for another TD.

Will Hammond was 17-for-29 passing for 224 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions while adding a rushing TD for the Red Raiders, which secured a 4-0 start for the second straight season and 12th time in program history. Meanwhile, Locke was 23-for-37 passing for 195 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for Sam Houston (1-3).

No. 20 Oregon 41, No. 12 Southern California 27

The Ducks overcame the loss of star quarterback Dante Moore to a late hit to the head in the second quarter, earning a Big Ten victory over the Trojans in Los Angeles.

Moore's replacement, Dylan Raiola, completed 19 of 25 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns for Oregon (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten), which totaled 366 yards passing and 138 rushing. Moore hit his head hard on the grass as a result of a shot from Desman Stephens, who hit him late on a slide and was called for targeting and ejected. Moore was taken by ambulance to a local hospital.

Jayden Maiava passed for 326 yards with two touchdowns and a late interception, and also ran for a touchdown for USC (4-1, 1-1). Kayden Wyatt- Dixon totaled seven receptions for 114 yards and a score, while King Miller led the rushing attack with 74 yards.

Wisconsin 24, No. 13 Penn State 20

Colton Joseph threw two touchdown passes in the final four minutes as the Badgers overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to stun the Nittany Lions in University Park, Pa.

The decisive score was Joseph's 72-yard TD pass to Jacob Harris with 1:13 left. Joseph stepped up late in a game where he was intercepted three times and completed 18 of 38 passes for 235 yards for the Badgers (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten).

Penn State's last-minute drive ended at the Wisconsin 33. Rocco Becht (12 of 29, 129 yards, one interception) was sacked on first down before throwing three straight incompletions in the waning seconds for the Nittany Lions (3-1, 0-1).

No. 15 Utah 31, Iowa State 17

Wayshawn Parker ran for a career-high 174 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Utes to a victory over the Cyclones in Ames, Iowa.

Parker also had 65 yards receiving and added another touchdown on five catches. He averaged 9.7 yards per carry while putting together his sixth career 100-yard game. Devon Dampier threw for 206 yards and two touchdowns as Utah (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) tallied 411 total yards.

Jaylen Raynor threw for 205 yards and a touchdown and also ran for a score to lead Iowa State (2-2, 0-1). Raynor struggled with consistency, completing just 21 of 40 of his passes (53%) and throwing two interceptions.

Wake Forest 30, No. 16 Louisville 27

Ty Clark III ran for ​two touchdowns and the Demon Deacons (3-1, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) relied on a stout second-half defense to upset the host Cardinals. Connor Calvert kicked his third field goal -- a 32-yarder -- with 6:20 remaining to break a 27-all tie.

Wake Forest's Gabe Kirschke blocked a 57-yard field-goal attempt from Nick Keller with 18 seconds left to preserve the outcome. Quarterback Gio Lopez completed 12 of 19 passes for 225 yards and a touchdown. Nine of those completions went to Carlos Hernandez for 194 yards. Clark gained 91 yards on 21 carries.

Louisville (2-2, 1-1) had a chance to pull even earlier, but Carson Hilbert missed a 42-yarder with 2:29 left. Hilbert had drilled a 54-yarder with 42 seconds to go in the third quarter for 27-all. Lincoln Kienholz ‌ran for two ‌touchdowns and threw for another. He was 27 of 36 for 324 yards in the air with an interception.

No. 17 Iowa 20, No. 18 ⁠Michigan 19

Hank Brown's 16-yard touchdown pass to Reece Vander Zee as time expired lifted the Hawkeyes to a dramatic win over the Wolverines in Ann Arbor, Mich. Vander Zee, who also had a touchdown reception earlier in the game, caught the well- placed back-shoulder throw and dragged his right foot just before falling out of bounds.

Brown completed 21 of 35 passes for 227 yards and two touchdown passes for Iowa (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten). Vander Zee caught five passes for 66 yards. Braeden Jackson returned a kickoff 99 yards for Iowa's only touchdown of the first half.

Bryce Underwood led Michigan (3-1, 0-1), completing 17 of 28 passes for 276 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Underwood threw both touchdowns to JJ Buchanan, who finished with 130 yards on five catches. Andrew Marsh also caught seven passes for 106 yards.

No. 24 Mississippi State 24, No. 19 Missouri 24

Kamario Taylor threw three touchdown passes and Fluff Bothwell added 177 yards of offense and two scores to lead the Bulldogs to a comeback victory over the Tigers in Starkville, Miss.

Taylor completed 27 of 38 passes for 360 yards, including a go-ahead 24-yard score to Sanfrisco Magee with 3:57 left in the game. Mississippi State (4-0, 2-0 SEC) scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth. Magee finished with two touchdown catches and 76 yards, and Anthony Evans III had 114 receiving yards.

Austin Simmons threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Cayden Lee, for Missouri (3-1, 0-1). Daeden Hopkins had 3 1/2 sacks and Lee finished with 156 receiving yards for the Tigers.

No. 22 SMU 34, Missouri State 24

Kevin Jennings threw for a career-high 464 yards and three touchdowns as the Mustangs held off the Bears' upset bid in Dallas.

Jennings hit on 33 of 39 passes with an interception for the Mustangs (3-1). The senior became ‌SMU's career passing leader with 722 completions and 9,162 yards, completing a school-record 21 straight passes during the game. Yamir Knight ​caught 11 passes for 164 yards and a touchdown for the Mustangs.

Missouri State jumped ahead 10-0 after Joel Boamah returned an interception of Jennings 60 yards for a touchdown. Skyler Locklear completed 15 of 19 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown for Missouri State (1-3) before being knocked out in the fourth quarter with an injury. ‌The Mustangs outgained the Bears 592-239 but hurt themselves with a spate of mistakes. SMU was flagged 12 times for 106 yards.

No. 25 ⁠Houston 42, Georgia Southern 28

Quarterback Conner Weigman had a hand in all six of the Cougars' touchdowns as they rebounded from ​a Big 12 loss last weekend to beat the Eagles in Statesboro, Ga.

After slipping three spots in the latest Associated Press poll following a 28-26 loss to then-No. 13 Texas Tech, Houston (3-1) held a two-touchdown lead after one quarter, but Weigman's standout play helped the Cougars pull away over the final three. The senior was 17 of 22 for 239 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for two scores.

In losing its third straight game, Georgia Southern (1-3) got a strong outing from Max Johnson, a 2023 Texas A&M teammate of Weigman's. The left-hander was 26 of 38 for 284 yards and three touchdowns. Teammate ​Alex Taylor had six catches for 119 yards and two scores.

(--Field Level Media)

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