Top 25: TCU whips Utah, makes case for shot at title
As a smattering of TCU fans chanted his name, quarterback Andy Dalton ran into the visitors locker room satisfied that the Horned Frogs had made a statement.
“We showed we can play with anybody,” he said.
Dalton passed for a career-high 355 yards and three TDs and the fourth-ranked Horned Frogs turned the biggest game in Mountain West Conference history into 47-7 rout of No. 6 Utah on Saturday in Salt Lake City.
From the opening drive, TCU looked every bit like a team worthy of busting into the BCS title game.
Dalton passed for two first-quarter TDs and receiver Jeremy Kerley also threw a TD pass as TCU (10-0, 6-0) jumped out to an early 20-0 lead, quieting a sellout crowd.
By halftime, the Horned Frogs had outgained Utah 328-72 en route to a 23-0 lead.
“They smoked us. It’s disheartening. We got killed,” Utah defensive end Christian Cox said.
The loss snapped Utah’s 21-game home winning streak and dashed any hopes the Utes (8-1, 5-1) had at being a BCS buster for the third time.
(3) Auburn 62, Chattanooga 24: Cam Newton passed for a career-high 317 yards and four TDs and ran for a fifth score, all in the first half as the Tigers (10-0) cruised past the Moccasins (5-4) in Auburn, Ala.
(12) LSU 24, (5) Alabama 21: LSU twice rallied from second-half deficits and coach Les Miles employed a little trickery on fourth down, allowing the Tigers (8-1, 5-1 SEC) to beat the Crimson Tide (7-2, 4-2) in Baton Rouge, La.
The Tigers trailed 14-13 when Miles called an audacious reverse on fourth-and-1 in the fourth quarter. The 23-yard gain set up Stevan Ridley’s go-ahead 1-yard plunge.
(7) Wisconsin 34, Purdue 13: Montee Ball ran for a career-high 127 yards and two TDs and the Badgers (8-1, 4-1 Big Ten) beat the Boilermakers (4-5, 2-3) in West Lafayette, Ind.
(9) Nebraska 31, Iowa State 30 (OT): Eric Hagg intercepted a pass by Iowa State holder Daniel Kuehl on a fake conversion kick in overtime and the Cornhuskers (8-1, 45-1 Big 12) held off the Cyclones (5-5, 3-3) in Ames, Iowa.
Nebraska played without injured star QB Taylor Martinez.
Texas A&M 33, (11) Oklahoma 19: Ryan Tannehill threw for 225 yards and two TDs, Cyrus Gray added 122 yards rushing and a TD and the Aggies (6-3, 3-2 Big 12) broke a seven-game losing streak to the Sooners (7-2, 3-2) with a win in College Station, Texas.
Texas Tech 24, (14) Missouri 17: Taylor Potts came off the bench and threw for 188 yards and three TDs to lead the Red Raiders (5-4, 3-4 Big 12) to an upset win over the Tigers (7-2, 3-2) in Lubbock, Texas.
Potts didn’t start for the first time this season but came in late in the first half and threw TD passes on three straight possessions.
(15) Iowa 18, Indiana 13: Ricky Stanzi threw a 52-yard TD pass to Marvin McNutt with 2:50 left, rallying the Hawkeyes (7-2, 4-1 Big Ten) to a win over the Hoosiers (4-5, 0-5) in Bloomington, Ind.
The Hoosiers had a chance to win it with 28 seconds left when Ben Chappell threw an 18-yard pass to Damarlo Belcher in the end zone. But Belcher dropped the ball and the Hoosiers turned it over on downs.
(16) Michigan State 31, Minnesota 8: Edwin Baker ran for 179 yards and four TDs, and the Spartans (9-1, 5-1 Big Ten) bounced back from their first loss of the season with a win over the Golden Gophers (1-9, 0-6) in East Lansing, Mich.
(17) Arkansas 41, (18) South Carolina 20: Ryan Mallett threw for 303 yards, Knile Davis ran for 110 yards and three TDs and the Razorbacks (7-2, 4-2 SEC) handed the Gamecocks (6-3, 4-3) a loss in Columbia, S.C.
The Gamecocks can still take the SEC East title and reach their first league title game by beating Florida at The Swamp next Saturday.
(19) Oklahoma State 55, (22) Baylor 28: Justin Blackmon had 173 yards receiving and a TD and also scored on a 69-yard run, leading the Cowboys (8-1, 4-1 Big 12) past the Bears (7-3, 4-2) in Stillwater, Okla., with first place in the Big 12 South on the line.
Brandon Weeden threw for a school-record 435 yards and three scores and Kendall Hunter rammed in a pair of 1-yard TD runs for OSU, which jumped out to a 34-0 lead.
Clemson 14, (23) North Carolina State 13: Kyle Parker threw for 214 yards and a TD and the mistake-prone Tigers (5-4, 3-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) edged the Wolfpack (6-3, 3-2) in Clemson, S.C.
Clemson fumbled five times, losing two of them, threw an interception, had a TD called back on a holding penalty and missed two short field goals.
North Carolina 37, (24) Florida State 35: T.J. Yates threw for 439 yards and three TDs and Casey Barth kicked his third field goal of the game with 55 seconds left to lift the Tar Heels (6-3, 3-2 ACC) over the Seminoles (6-3, 4-2) in Tallahassee, Fla.