BLOOMINGTON, Ind.: Michael Penix forced overtime with a 2-point conversion run with 22 seconds left, then scored on a diving 2-point conversion to give Indiana a season-opening 36-35 upset victory over No. 8 Penn State on Saturday ending the Big Tens longest streak of consecutive losses to Top 10 teams at 42.
The winning play went to a replay review before the officials announced the initial call stood.
Indiana beat the Nittany Lions for the second time in 24 matchups, and beat a Top 10 foe for the first time since a 31-10 victory at Ohio State on Oct. 10, 1987.
And it took every trick in the book to get it done.
After Indiana failed to gain a first down after Sean Clifford threw a go-ahead 60-yard touchdown pass to Jahan Dotson with 2:30 left, coach Tom Allen instructed his defense to let Penn State score.
Devyn Ford obliged with a 14-yard run with 1:42 to go. Penix then took the Hoosiers down the field, scored on a 1-yard TD run with 22 seconds to go, added the 2-point conversion and eventually wound up in overtime after Jordan Stouts 57-yard field goal came up short with 3 seconds left in regulation.
Penn State made it 35-28 when Clifford hooked up with Parker Washington in overtime, but Whop Philyor caught a 9-yard TD pass for the Hoosiers and Penix won it when he dove for the goal line and the ball hit the pylon.
NO. 1 CLEMSON 47, SYRACUSE 21
CLEMSON, S.C.: Trevor Lawrence threw two touchdown passes, Travis Etienne ran for three scores and Clemson shook off a sluggish performance to win its 27th straight Atlantic Coast Conference game and put away pesky Syracuse.
The Tigers opened 6-0 for the sixth straight season, but it took a late burst to get it done just like usual against Syracuse (1-5, 1-4). The Orange were the last ACC team to beat the Tigers (5-0 ACC) with a 27-24 victory in 2017. A year later at Death Valley, Syracuse again looked primed for the upset as it held a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter before Clemsons 27-23 escape to keep its national championship season intact.
Syracuse kept the Tigers out of synch much of the game and was down just 27-21 late in the third quarter. But Andrew Booth Jr.s fumble recovery and touchdown run after Rex Culpepper was sacked late in the third quarter turned the game in Clemsons favor for good.
Etienne added rushing TDs of 9 and 1 yard. Lawrence threw for 289 yards with scoring passes of 25 yards to Cornell Powell and 18 yards to Davis Allen.
The Tigers broke fast for a 17-0 lead less than 11 minutes into the game. Thats when things got away from the five-time defending ACC champion. Syracuse freshman Drew Tuazama blocked a punt and four plays later Sean Tucker scored on a 7-yard run. Then right before half, Orange cornerback Garrett Williams caught a pass off Amari Rodgers hands and took it 39 yards for a pick six.
Syracuse made it a one-score game when Nykeim Johnson caught an 83-yard TD pass from Culpepper to draw to 27-21 and stun the crowd of about 19,000 before Booths defensive score got the Tigers rolling to victory.
NO. 2 ALABAMA 48, TENNESSEE 17
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.: Mac Jones threw for 387 yards and ran for a touchdown, and Najee Harris ran for three more scortes to help Alabama rout Tennessee for its 14th straight win in the rivalry.
The Crimson Tide (5-0) outgained Tennessee 587-302. But playing the Vols proved costly for Alabama a second straight season. A year ago, Tua Tagovailoa hurt an ankle in the second quarter and missed the next game against Arkansas. On Saturday, wide receiver Jaylen Waddle rolled his right ankle as he was tackled on the opening kickoff. He was taken by cart to the locker room, and coach Nick Saban said at halftime that Waddle will be out the rest of the year and that the junior likely will need surgery.
Tennessee (2-3) forced Alabama to punt on its opening drive. That was as close as the Vols would get in losing their seventh straight in this series in Neyland Stadium.
NO. 3 NOTRE DAME 45, PITTSBURGH 3
PITTSBURGH: Ian Book passed for 312 yards and three touchdowns two of them long catch-and-runs to graduate transfer Ben Skowronek and Notre Dame overwhelmed reeling Pittsburgh.
A week after scuffling its way past Louisville, Notre Dame (5-0, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) had no such issues while handling the Panthers (3-4, 2-4) their fourth consecutive loss.
Book hit Skowronek for a 34-yard score on Fighting Irishs first possession and Pitt playing without injured senior quarterback Kenny Pickett for a second straight week simply could not keep up.
Notre Dames massive offensive line held its own against one of the nations best pass-rushing teams and when Book had time, he had no trouble finding teammates open downfield. Book averaged 19.5 yards per completion and often had to do little more than flip the ball up and let his playmakers do the rest. He connected with Skowronek for a 73-yard score in the second quarter, with the 6-foot-3 Skowronek doing most of the work as he out-jumped 5-9 Pitt defensive back Marquis Williams for the ball then sprinted to the end zone to make it 14-3.
NO. 5 OHIO STATE 51, NEBRASKA 17
COLUMBUS, Ohio: Justin Fields completed 20 of 21 passes for two touchdowns and ran for another score, Master Teague III rushed for a pair of scores and Ohio State rolled over Nebraska in the Big Ten teams’ pandemic-delayed opener.
Fields completed his first 12 passes and threw for 276 yards. He ran for another 52 yards including a stunning 17-yard third-quarter touchdown scramble around the left side that saw him spin past a defender into the end zone.
The Ohio State defense took most of the first half to figure out a way to contain quarterback Adrian Martinez, who marched the Huskers down for a touchdown in the opening 2 minutes of the game.
Nebraska tied it at 14 in the second quarter, but Ohio State had a field goal, a defensive stop and Teagues second TD run to lead 24-14 at the half. Then came Fields nifty touchdown run and a 55-yard scoop and score by Buckeyes cornerback Sevyn Banks, and Ohio State had it under control.
NO. 6 OKLAHOMA STATE 24, NO. 17 IOWA STATE 21
STILLWATER, Okla.: Spencer Sanders passed for 235 yards and ran for 71 and a touchdown in his return from injury and Oklahoma State beat Iowa State.
Sanders had been out since injuring his right ankle in the season-opener against Tulsa.
Chuba Hubbard ran for 139 yards and a touchdown to help Oklahoma State (4-0, 3-0 Big 12) join Kansas State as the only remaining undefeated teams in conference play.
The Cyclones (3-2, 3-1) vaulted onto the national radar by beating Oklahoma in the month and were seeking their first ever 4-0 start in league play. Iowa States Breece Hall, who was second nationally in yards rushing per game, ran for a career-high 185 yards.
NO. 14 NORTH CAROLINA 48, NO. 23 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 21
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.: Javonte Williams ran for 160 yards and three touchdowns and North Carolina beat North Carolina State in the renewal of the longtime state rivalry.
Michael Carter ran for 106 yards and a score of his own for the Tar Heels (4-1, 4-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), who used a run-through-and-over-tacklers ground game that helped them take control in the third quarter. UNC ran for 326 yards and finished with 578 overall, bouncing back from an upset loss at Florida State to beat the Wolfpack (4-2, 4-2).
Sam Howell threw for 252 yards and a TD for the Tar Heels, while Dyami Brown had 105 yards on a career-best seven catches.
WAKE FOREST 23, NO. 19 VIRGINIA TECH 16
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.: Walk-on freshman safety Nick Andersen had three interceptions, Christian Beal-Smith ran for 129 yards and Nick Sciba kicked three field goals to help Wake Forest beat Virginia Tech.
Andersen stopped two deep Hokies drives and the third ended their final possession.
Beal-Smith set the tone for the Demon Deacons (3-2, 2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) with a 58-yard run on the games first series. He later added runs of 26 and 19 yards.
Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman threw only 17 times, completing 12 for 110 yards. But he scrambled 9 yards for the games first score. Hendon Hooker threw for 223 yards and ran for another 98 for the Hokies (3-2, 3-2). They had won six of the previous seven games between the schools.
NO. 20 KANSAS STATE 55, KANSAS 14
MANHATTAN, Kan.: Phillip Brooks returned a pair of punts for touchdowns, Kansas State took advantage of an embarrassing day of special teams by its biggest rival, and the Wildcats rolled past Kansas,
Will Howard threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns while Justin Gardner returned an interception 25 yards for another score, helping the Wildcats (4-1) improve to 4-0 in the Big 12 for the first time since 2014.
Deuce Vaughn added 71 yards rushing and another touchdown as Kansas State beat the Jayhawks (0-5, 0-4) for a series-record 12th straight time. Kansas has not beaten its Interstate 70 rival since Nov. 1, 2008, in Lawrence.
The Jayhawks were playing their first game since coach Les Miles returned from a positive COVID-19 test.
NO. 22 MARSHALL 20, FLORIDA ATLANTIC 9
HUNTINGTON, W.Va.: Brenden Knox rushed for 101 yards and caught one of redshirt freshman Grant Wells two touchdown passes to lead Marshall over pandemic-depleted Florida Atlantic.
Marshall (5-0, 3-0 Conference USA) managed enough offense to hold off the pesky Owls (1-1, 1-1).
FAU brought 57 players on its first trip of the season, just above the mandated minimum of 53 available scholarship players during the pandemic. The Owls even held a third-quarter lead before Marshall scored the final 13 points. With FAU missing both of its starting offensive tackles due to the virus, the Owls were limited to 234 yards of offense.
NO. 25 COASTAL CAR0LINA 28, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 14
CONWAY, S.C.: Backup quarterback Fred Payton three three touchdown passes and Coastal Carolina won its first game as a ranked team with a victory over Georgia Southern.
The Chanticleers (5-0, 3-0 Sun Belt) played without starting passer Grayson McCall, who has an upper-body injury. Payton threw a 24-yard TD pass to running back C.J. Marable with 8:53 remaining to break tie.
Georgia Southern dropped to 3-2 overall and 1-2 in the Sun Belt.
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