Saturday wrapup: Utah routs No. 3 Oregon; Alabama, Pitt clinch division titles
A look at the key games Saturday, the penultimate Saturday of the regular season.
Utah dominates No. 3 Oregon
Oregon’s hopes for a College Football Playoff bid came to a resounding end Saturday night when No. 23 Utah bludgeoned the third-ranked Ducks 38-7.
Utah (8-3, 7-1 in the Pac-12) clinched the Pac-12 South title and a berth in the league title game. Oregon (9-2, 6-2) still leads the Pac-12 North and a win next week over Oregon State sends the Ducks to the title game for a rematch with the Utes.
This one was over after the Utes scored two touchdowns in the final 27 seconds of the first half to take a 28-0 halftime lead. Tavion Thomas, who rushed for three touchdowns, scored on a 4-yard run for a 21-0 lead with 27 seconds left in the half.
On Oregon’s ensuing drive, Anthony Brown threw incomplete passes on first and second down, then gained 7 yards on third down. Utah called timeout after the run to force a punt — and Britain Covey returned it 78 yards for a TD as the clock ran out to send the crowd at Rice-Eccles Stadium into a frenzy.
While Oregon scored on its first drive of the second half, the Utes answered with a TD on their first possession and there was zero intrigue the rest of the way.
The Ducks had rushed for 300 yards in each of their past two games, but managed just 63 against Utah. Safeties Cole Bishop and Vonte Davis led the way with seven tackles apiece as Utah stuffed the box to stymie the run.
The victory makes Utah’s Kyle Whittingham the winningest coach in school history; he has 142 wins in his 17th season at the school.
Alabama clinches SEC West
Bryce Young threw for a school-record 559 yards and five touchdowns as No. 2 Alabama beat No. 21 Arkansas 42-35 to win the SEC West title and a berth in the league title game against Georgia.
Young threw three TD passes in the first half to lift the Tide to a 24-14 halftime lead, then threw another TD pass on the first possession of the second half for what looked to be a comfortable 31-14 margin. But the Hogs hung around and a TD pass on a fake field goal made it 34-28 early in the fourth quarter. Young threw his final TD pass with 5:39 left for a 42-28 lead and the Tide held on.
Alabama, which plays at Auburn next week, rolled up 671 yards; Arkansas had 468, including 358 through the air. Three receivers had 100-yard games. Arkansas’ Treylon Burks had eight receptions for 179 yards and two TDs, while Alabama’s Jameson Williams had eight catches for 190 yards and three scores and John Metchie had 10 receptions for 173 yards and a TD. Williams’ TD catches covered 79, 32 and 40 yards.
Pitt earns spot in ACC title game
Fifth-year senior Kenny Pickett had a big day in his final home game, throwing for 340 yards and four TDs to help No. 18 Pitt (9-2, 6-1 in the ACC) win the ACC Coastal Division and clinch a berth in the league championship game.
The Panthers downed Virginia 48-38 in a game that featured 1,025 total yards and seven TD passes. The Cavaliers’ Brennan Armstrong threw for 487 yards and three scores. Pitt sacked Armstrong five times.
Panthers wide receiver Jordan Addison had 14 receptions for 202 yards and four touchdowns. The single-game receptions total is third in school history, and the yardage total is sixth. The last touchdown, a 62-yarder, came with 2:10 remaining and finished off the scoring.
Pitt’s foe in the title game remains undecided. It’ll be the Panthers’ second appearance; they lost to Clemson in 2018.
No. 10 Wake Forest falls to Clemson
Wake Forest had a chance to clinch the ACC Atlantic Division title and earn a spot in the league title game Saturday. Instead, the Demon Deacons (9-2, 6-1 in the ACC) will have to wait a week after losing 48-27 at Clemson (8-3, 5-2).
Wake still wins the division if it beats Boston College (6-5) next week. A Wake loss and there’s the possibility of a three-way tie with Clemson and North Carolina State. Wake beat NC State, which beat Clemson.
The Tigers’ offense had its best game of the season, and at least some of that can be attributed to Wake’s poor defense. Saturday was the fourth time in five games the Demon Deacons have allowed at least 42 points and the sixth time in seven games they’ve surrendered at least 34.
Clemson had two running backs reach the 100-yard plateau: Kobe Pace ran for 191 yards and two TDs and Will Shipley had 112 and two scores.
Clemson also had seven sacks, 10 tackles for loss, an interception, 10 pass breakups and three quarterback hurries.
No. 13 Oklahoma holds off Iowa State
Host Oklahoma (10-1, 7-1) relied on its defense in staying alive in the Big 12 title race, beating Iowa State 28-21 despite managing just 305 total yards and 15 first downs.
A 42-yard fumble return for a TD by Jalen Redmond with nine seconds left in the first half was the key play. It gave OU a 14-7 halftime lead, which the Sooners increased to 21-7 late in the third quarter. While Iowa State (6-5, 4-4) threatened in the final 20 minutes, OU’s defense came up with two interceptions and forced a punt to hold on.
Iowa State rushed for just 51 yards, putting way too much pressure on a passing attack that is not that good. OU, meanwhile, rushed for 209 yards, including a 74-yard TD run by Caleb Williams in the first quarter. But that was his lone standout play of the game; he finished with 67 rushing yards and was just 8-of-18 for 87 yards as a passer, though he did throw a TD pass to fellow true freshman Mario Williams in the third quarter.
Iowa State has been one of the nation’s biggest disappointments; the Cyclones opened the season ranked fifth and need to beat TCU next week to finish above .500.
Other key games Saturday
+ No. 9 Oklahoma State set up a huge Bedlam showdown with Oklahoma next Saturday by shutting down host Texas Tech 23-0. The Cowboys (10-1, 7-1 in the Big 12) allowed just 108 total yards. Oklahoma State drove for a field goal on its first possession of the game, and it turns out that was all it needed as its defense — which had four sacks and 12 tackles for loss — was stifling. Texas Tech had 25 rushing yards on 26 carries.
+ No. 11 Baylor (9-2, 6-2 in the Big 12) strolled to a 20-10 victory at Kansas State (7-4, 4-4). If the Bears beat Texas Tech next week and Oklahoma State beats Oklahoma, the Bears will meet OSU in the Big 12 championship game; if OU wins, the Cowboys and Sooners will play again for the league title regardless of what Baylor does. The Bears’ defense stymied Oklahoma last week and did the same to K-State, holding the Wildcats to 263 yards. Baylor backup quarterback Blake Shapen was 16-of-21 for 137 in relief of an injured Gerry Bohanon, but the Bears’ defense did most of the heavy lifting. It was the sixth time this season Baylor allowed 20 or fewer points.
+ No. 22 UTSA (11-0, 7-0 in Conference USA) remained perfect, thanks to a 1-yard TD pass from Frank Harris to 275-pound tight end Oscar Cardenas with three seconds left that beat UAB 34-31. The Roadrunners clinched the C-USA West Division title with the win over the Blazers (7-4, 5-2). UTSA’s winning drive covered 77 yards in seven plays and took 1:03.