Week 11 wrapup: Oregon runs to win; Michigan prevails; Georgia, Ohio State roll
A look at the key games from Week 11.
Oregon runs past Washington State
For the third week in a row, No. 3 Oregon rode its powerful rushing attack to a Pac-12 victory, this one a 38-24 win over Washington State.
Saturday night’s final margin was a little deceiving. Washington State (5-5 overall, 4-3 in the Pac-12) scored its final touchdown with nine seconds left. In addition, two Cougars scores — a field goal and a TD — came on drives that covered a combined 79 yards after Oregon fumbles. One of those was a fumble where quarterback Anthony Brown was heading into the end zone to give the Ducks a 31-14 lead; referees reviewed the play but apparently didn’t think Brown had crossed the plane. A long return by the Couhars led to a short field and a short drive for a field goal.
But the 14-point final margin could give the College Football Playoff selection committee a reason to slide the Ducks behind Ohio State in the next CFP rankings.
Oregon (9-1, 6-1), which plays a huge game next week at Utah, rushed for 306 yards. It was the second week in a row the Ducks reached the 300-yard plateau; they had 329 in last week’s win over Washington. The Ducks have rushed for 891 yards (297.0 per game) and 10 TDs in their past three games.
Three Oregon players ran for at least 88 yards, led by Brown’s 123. Four of the Ducks’ five TDs came on the ground.
Oregon needs one more win to clinch the Pac-12 North title. The Ducks finish the regular season with a home game against Oregon State.
Michigan still alive in CFP race
No. 6 Michigan rallied late to win at Penn State and remain in the hunt for a College Football Playoff berth.
The Wolverines (9-1 overall, 6-1 in the Big Ten) dominated defensively for the first three quarters, but a bad seven-minute stretch in the fourth period enabled the Nittany Lions (6-4, 3-4) — whose season has gone off the rails — to rally from 14-6 down to take a 17-14 lead. But Michigan quickly responded with a TD, then stopped Penn State on a curious fourth-down call from its 33 with 2:51 left to seal it.
Michigan plays at Maryland next week, then welcome in Ohio State on November 27 in a game that likely will determine the Big Ten East title. Maryland’s offense could give the Wolverines’ secondary some issues, but the Wolverines should be able to line up and simply run all over the Terps.
Michigan had seven sacks, with ends Aidan Hutchinson (three) and David Ojabo (two) running around and over Penn State’s tackles all day. Michigan finished with 12 tackles for loss.
All three Michigan touchdowns came on Cade McNamara passes, with two to wide receiver Roman Wilson and the game-winner to tight end Erick All. Wilson, a sophomore, matched his career total with the two scoring catches.
Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson had nine receptions, but for just 61 yards. Michigan’s secondary did a great job of limiting chunk plays, with just one play — a 44-yard catch-and-run to Parker Washington — going for more than 17 yards.
While Michigan remains in the CFP discussion, Penn State now has lost four of its past five, with a road game at No. 7 Michigan State still looming.
Georgia finishes perfect in SEC
Top-ranked Georgia faced a seven-point deficit for the first time a season and gave up a season-high in points. Big deal: The Bulldogs still won by 24 in a game that wasn’t even that close.
James Cook ran for 104 yards and two touchdowns as Georgia won 41-17. The Bulldogs led 24-10 at halftime and increased that to 41-10 before the Vols scored a TD with 3:38 remaining.
The Vols scored on their first possession for a 7-0 lead and later led 10-7. But there was no doubt about the winner in the second half.
Georgia outrushed Tennessee 274-55, and part of that was the Bulldogs finishing with six sacks. Inside linebacker Channing Tindall had three sacks. The Bulldogs also had three quarterback hurries and six pass breakups.
The Bulldogs (10-0 overall) finished 8-0 in the SEC for the first time ever. They close out the regular season with games against Charleston Southern and Georgia Tech, then play in the SEC Championship Game on December 4.
Ohio State blows out Purdue
A week after missing Ohio State’s closer-than-expected victory over Nebraska, Garrett Wilson returned with a vengeance against visiting Purdue. Wilson had 10 receptions for 126 yards and three touchdowns and also ran for a 51-yard score as the fourth-ranked Buckeyes punished the 19th-ranked Boilermakers 59-31.
The victory came in the first of a tough three-game stretch for Ohio State (9-1, 7-0 in the Big Ten), which has No. 7 Michigan State next week at home, then No. 6 Michigan in Ann Arbor to close out the regular season.
Wilson had two TD receptions and the scoring run in the first half, which ended with Ohio State holding a commanding 45-17 lead. His second TD reception gave the Buckeyes a 35-7 lead less than two minutes into the second quarter, and after that, the only question was the final margin of victory over Purdue (6-4, 4-3).
The Buckeyes rolled up 624 yards of offense, with 361 coming through the air. C.J. Stroud threw five TD passes for Ohio State.
No. 15 Ole Miss downs No. 11 Texas A&M
No. 15 Ole Miss’ offense rolled up 504 yards against a tough Texas A&M defense, but the host Rebels’ defense actually stole the show in a 29-19 victory over the 11th-ranked Aggies.
The Rebels (8-2, 4-2 in the SEC) are alone in second place in the SEC West, a game behind Alabama in the loss column. But the Tide owns the tiebreaker and just needs to beat either Arkansas or Auburn to win the division and advance to the SEC title game against Georgia. Ole Miss finishes the season with games against Vanderbilt and archrival Mississippi State.
While Ole Miss rolled up the big yardage number, the offense didn’t do too much in the second and third quarters and scored just one second-half TD. But the defense notched a safety and a pick-six in keeping the Aggies at bay.
Texas A&M (7-3, 4-3) struggled for much of the game to get much going on the ground; the Rebels stacked the box and dared A&M to throw, and it paid off as Zach Calzada threw two picks and was just 24-of-41.
Wake Forest gets key ACC win vs. NC State
No. 12 Wake Forest (9-1, 6-0) took a big step toward winning the ACC Atlantic Division title with a 45-42 win over No. 16 NC State (7-3, 4-2). The host Demon Deacons, who own a two-game lead in the division, need one win in their final two regular-season games (Clemson next week, Boston College on November 27) to clinch the division title and a berth in the league title game.
Wake is the only team in the nation to score at lest 35 points in every game this season. Saturday’s game was the Demon Deacons’ fifth in a row scoring at least 40.
Wake quarterback Sam Hartman certainly was not sharp — he was 20-of-47 and threw three picks — but he did throw for 290 yards and three touchdowns and also rushed for a score. He was outgunned by NC State’s Devin Leary, who threw for 408 yards and four TDs. But Leary threw two interceptions and NC State’s rushing attack managed just 74 yards.
Two fourth-quarter touchdowns (one on a reception, one on a run) by Demon Deacons running back Justice Ellison, who started because of an injury to Christian Beal-Smith, helped keep the Wolfpack at bay.
No. 16 Auburn collapses against Mississippi State
No. 17 Auburn (6-4, 3-3 in the SEC) blew a 28-3 lead and saw its SEC West title hopes all but end in a 43-34 loss to Mississippi State (6-4, 4-3). Both technically remain alive in the division title race, but so much has to happen for either to win that it would be rather miraculous.
Quarterback Will Rogers was 44-of-55 for 415 yards and six TDs in helping the Bulldogs rally. He threw his first scoring pass with 1:55 left in the first half, then tossed TD passes on each of Mississippi State’s first five possessions of the second half to help the Bulldogs overcome their 25-point second-quarter deficit.
Auburn scored TDs on its first four possessions, then managed 115 yards total on its next five possessions — two of which ended with missed field goals — as the Bulldogs took control.
Badgers, Hawkeyes tied in Big Ten West
No. 18 Wisconsin (7-5, 5-2 in Big Ten) won its sixth in a row with a 35-7 rout of visiting Northwestern (3-7, 1-6). The Badgers rushed for 268 yards, with true freshman Braelon Allen leading the way with 173 yards and three TDs. Wisconsin remains tied with Iowa atop the Big Ten West standings heading into next week’s home game with Nebraska. The Badgers finish the regular season with a game at Minnesota. Wisconsin owns the tiebreaker over Iowa.
Meanwhile, No. 20 Iowa won for the fifth time this season when gaining 305 or fewer yards, holding off Minnesota 27-22 and remaining in a tie atop the Big Ten West. The Hawkeyes (8-2, 5-2) managed just 276 yards and had the ball for just 19:41. Minnesota (6-4, 4-3) was just 7-of-19 on third down and suffered some breakdowns in the secondary. Iowa scored on its first two possessions of the game, then on its first possession of the second half, which gave it the lead for good at 17-13.
Other key Week 11 games
+ No. 2 Alabama (9-1) had no problems in hammering woeful New Mexico State (1-9) 59-3. The Tide rolled up 580 yards of total offense, with Bryce Young going 21-of-23 for 270 yards and five TDs. Alabama punted on its first drive, then scored TDs on its next seven possessions. New Mexico State rushed for 9 yards.
+ No. 7 Michigan State (9-1, 6-1 in the Big Ten) built a 27-7 second-quarter lead and cruised from there in downing visiting Maryland 40-21. Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III ran for 143 yards and two TDs, and Payton Thorne threw for 287 yards and four TDs as the Spartans handed the Terps (5-5, 2-5) their fifth loss in six games. Michigan State is at Ohio State next week.
+ No. 9 Notre Dame (9-1) rode three TD passes from Jack Coan and a strong defensive effort to beat host Virginia 28-3. The Cavaliers (6-4) were without quarterback Brennan Armstrong, who is second nationally in passing yards per game. Coan was 15-of-20 for 132 yards and the three touchdowns; two of the scoring passes came in a six-minute stretch of the first half that gave the Irish a 14-0 lead, and the Cavs never really threatened. The Irish close the regular season with games against Georgia Tech and Stanford, so an 11-1 regular season seems a given.
+ Houston (9-1, 7-0 in the AAC) clinched a spot in the AAC title game with a 37-8 victory over host Temple (3-7, 1-5). True freshman RB Alton McCaskill rushed for 129 yards and two TDs for the Cougars, who likely will play Cincinnati in the league championship game. The fifth-ranked Bearcats, who beat USF on Friday night, need one more win (against SMU or East Carolina) to clinch their spot.