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Nick Saban impressed by atmosphere at Texas A&M's Kyle Field

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(Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)Nick Saban wants Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium to be more like Texas A&M’s Kyle Field.

On his Thursday night radio show, the Crimson Tide head coach detailed his impressions of the atmosphere last weekend in College Station, where Alabama won 41-23 in front of more than 105,000 fans.

Saban was impressed with what he saw.

"It was tough over there, but I'll say this about Texas A&M. And I appreciate this and I hope our fans can hear this because this is the kind of place we should be,” Saban said, per Al.com. “You know this is the first place we've played for a long, long time that we never got booed when we came out. First place. Alright, I'm telling you. It was a really nice facility. They had 105,000 people and they cheered their tail off for their team and they made it hard for us to play."

A two-year renovation project at Kyle Field was completed before the start of this season, giving a different feel compared Alabama’s last game there in 2013. The project raised the stadium’s capacity past the 100,000 mark and Saturday’s game drew a sold out crowd of 105,733.

Saban said that huge crowd made a difference in the game, noting that the offense had a few false start penalties and snapping issues.

"Their fans really did affect the game and it says a lot about our players to keep their poise and focus when they got the momentum of the game for us to get it back and continue to stay focused," Saban said.

Saban encouraged Alabama fans to do the same, especially against teams that use a fast-paced offense with a lot of communication at the line of scrimmage before the snap.

"I think these teams, when they go fastball and they try to run no-huddle, I think it really does affect them and slow them down a little bit if we can create a lot of noise when they have the ball," Saban said. "You can really be supportive of our team and I'm anticipating that because I can tell you we practiced this today. We usually use noise for the offense when we play on the road. We did noise for the defense today in anticipation that you will be making noise when they have the ball and our players on defense won't be able to communicate."

The win over A&M improved the Tide’s record to 6-1 on the season with Tennessee making the trip to Tuscaloosa on Saturday.

For more Alabama news, visit TideSports.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!


FSU's Terrance Smith and Tyler Hunter out against Georgia Tech

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Florida State will be missing linebacker Terrance Smith and cornerback Tyler Hunter against Georgia Tech on Saturday.

Coach Jimbo Fisher announced Friday that the two would not play against the Yellow Jackets, who have lost five straight games after starting the season 2-0. Smith is out because of an ankle injury and Hunter will miss the game due to a concussion.

Saturday will be the third game Smith has missed in 2015. He's got 16 tackles in four games and 3.5 tackles for a loss. Hunter has played in all six of Florida State's games in 2015 with one start and has 20 tackles and an interception.

[Check out Dr. Saturday on Tumblr for things you won’t see on the blog]

Florida State is undefeated, largely in part to the strength of its turnover margin. The Seminoles haven't committed an offensive turnover yet this season. Its rush defense has also been a factor as well. FSU's opponents, per Warchant.com, are averaging less than 3.5 yards a carry and the Seminoles have given up one rushing touchdown in the first six games.

Yes, this is where we have our obligatory mention that Georgia Tech runs the triple option. Run defense will be very important on Saturday if Florida State wants to stay undefeated.

"I think it will be business as usual, just because they run the triple-option and that's just [having] discipline," defensive tackle Nile Lawrence-Stample said via Warchant. "They're going to try run the ball God knows how many times a game. I think it's just going to be business as usual. If everyone plays their keys and do what they have to do, we'll be fine."

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

Does UCLA QB Josh Rosen have a hot tub in his dorm? (Photo)

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Does Josh Rosen have a hot tub in his dorm room?

Rosen, UCLA’s star freshman quarterback, posted this video on his Instagram account that appears to show him enjoying a nice meal while relaxing in one of those cool inflatable hot tubs.

Rosen seems to be putting the hot tub to good use, too. An Arizona student posted a photo of herself with Rosen in that very hot tub earlier this week.

She is the same Arizona student who held up a sign with her phone number during the Arizona-UCLA game in Tucson last month.

Rosen put on a show in that game with 284 yards and two touchdowns, so she was clearly impressed. Rosen continued his stellar season Thursday night with 399 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Cal. He now has 1,968 yards and 15 touchdowns through seven games for the 5-2 Bruins.

It must be nice to be Josh Rosen.

For more UCLA news, visit BruinSportsReport.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

3 dead after car crashes into Oklahoma State homecoming parade

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A car crashed into the Oklahoma State homecoming parade Saturday "at a high rate of speed," killing three people and injuring nearly two dozen others.

The police captain said seven of the people injured were seriously hurt.

The accident happened at approximately 10:30 a.m. CT in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The Cowboys are scheduled to play Kansas later Saturday afternoon.

The driver of the car has been arrested for DUI. The car, according to police captain Kyle Gibbs, first struck a police motorcycle that was unoccupied and then into the crowd watching the parade.

From the Tulsa World:

A vehicle collided into parade attendees near the intersection of East Hall of Fame Avenue and North Main Street, according to multiple witnesses. The intersection is near the end of the parade route where a large concentration of people were watching the parade.

From the World, continued:

Geoff Haxton, who was about 100 yards away from the incident, said a 4-door vehicle not affiliated with the parade crashed into the crowd. Other witnesses told him the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed.

According to one witness, a motorcycle was involved in the incident.

Oklahoma State released a statement via its Twitter account after the accident. The game against Kansas will be played as scheduled.

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

K-State's Bill Snyder takes sideline hit, pops right back up (Video)

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Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder may be 76 years old, but he can still take a hit.

As Wildcats defensive back Morgan Burns brought back a first half kickoff, he was bumped out of bounds and right into Snyder.

Snyder hit the turf and was down momentarily, but quickly returned to his feet to continue coaching his Wildcats.

Snyder brushed off his fall when asked about it after the game. 

Snyder is no stranger to sideline injuries. He suffered a torn ACL when a lineman fell on him during a practice in 2010. Snyder didn’t even leave practice after he was injured but later testing revealed the extent of the injury: a torn ACL and MCL.

Snyder is one tough guy. 

For more Kansas State news, visit GoPowerCat.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

Alabama to honor Altee Tenpenny with No. 28 helmet sticker (Photo)

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Alabama will honor former Crimson Tide running back Altee Tenpenny during its game against Tennessee on Saturday.

The team will wear No. 28 helmet decals to memorialize Tenpenny, who died in a car accident on Tuesday.

Tenpenny died Tuesday in a one-car accident when his vehicle collided with a highway sign.

Tenpenny wore No. 28 as a member of the Crimson Tide team in 2013 and 2014 before deciding to transfer in January. He first landed at UNLV, but was dismissed from the program for breaking team rules. He then joined FCS Nicholls State, but was recently suspended after an arrest for possession of a firearm and discharging a weapon.”

In two seasons at Alabama, Tenpenny rushed for 218 yards and a touchdown on 48 attempts. He was rated the No. 53 overall prospect in the country in the 2013 recruiting class. 

For more Alabama news, visit TideSports.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

Fake punt helps Pitt win, remain atop ACC Coastal standings

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Facing a fourth-and-seven at your own 48 in a tie game with less than five minutes to go, most coaches would punt the ball away.

Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi had other ideas.

Narduzzi dialed up a fake punt and punter Ryan Winslow hit linebacker Matt Galambos in stride for a 12-yard gain and a first down.

That gutsy move allowed the Panthers to drive down the field and beat Syracuse 23-20 on a Chris Blewitt 24-yard field goal as time expired.

The win improved the No. 25 Panthers’ record to 6-1 and 4-0 in ACC play, keeping them on top of the ACC Coastal Division.

After the successful fake punt, Pitt’s offense used a power rushing attack that had been successful all afternoon. Chris James got it going with rushes of five and four yards, but freshman Qadree Ollison (103 yards, 2 TDs) finished it off with seven straight runs – including a one-yard plunge on a critical third-and-one – to get the Panthers down to the Orange six-yard line.

That set up another clutch kick from Blewitt, whose chip shot capped off a bruising 19-play, 89-yard drive that took the final 9:20 off the clock.

This game was a tight one from the start, with Syracuse holding narrow leads for much of the first three quarters. Pitt scored on a Blewitt field goal early in the first, but did not retake the lead until Ollison’s second score of the game put the Panthers up 20-17 in the first minute of the fourth quarter.

Syracuse responded and tied the game at 20 on its next drive with a 37-yard Cole Murphy field goal, but would never touch the ball again.

The win gives the Panthers a momentary bit of separation at the top of the Coastal with North Carolina and Duke, both 5-1 (3-0 ACC), playing Saturday afternoon.

Pitt won’t get much of a chance to celebrate its dramatic win with the Tar Heels coming into Heinz Field for a primetime matchup on Thursday night.

For more Pittsburgh news, visit Panther-lair.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

Al Golden's time in Miami is running short after 58-0 loss to Clemson

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Al Golden’s time as Miami’s head coach is running short.

Even though Miami athletic director Blake James said last week that he would wait until the end of the season before evaluating whether Golden should remain the Hurricanes’ coach, Saturday’s 58-0 blowout loss to Clemson might force him to evaluate a little earlier.

It was the worst loss in school history, but Blake isn't wavering on his earlier message.

"My heart goes out to Miami, because I've been on the other side of that, too," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said after the game. "They're a much better team than they played today."

The team also might have lost starting quarterback Brad Kaaya, who suffered a head injury in the second quarter and did not return.

Miami was outmatched from the opening snap. It gave up 42 points in the first half, the most the Hurricanes have given up in the first 30 minutes since allowing 45 points in a 66-13 loss to Syracuse during quarterback Donovan McNabb’s last home game in 1998.

Clemson felt so in control that Swinney decided to do his halftime speech on the field.

“Got beat from top to bottom,” Golden said. “They outplayed us, they outcoaches us, and I just told the team that’s completely my responsibility for not getting them ready to play.”

Fans have been calling for Golden’s ouster for the past couple years. Airlplane banners with the hashtag “#FireAlGolden” have been flying over the home and away stadiums where Miami is playing.

Early in the season, it looked like Golden was going to prove his naysayers wrong with a 3-0 start, which included a win against Nebraska. However, losses to Cincinnati and Florida State increased the disenchantment and Saturday’s loss will only fuel a smoldering fire.

Several former Miami players took to Twitter to voice their frustrations, including 1994 All-American tackle Warren Sapp and offensive lineman Leon Searcy, who was part of three national championship teams in 1987, '89 and '91.

“It’s a very passionate fan base and so when they’re not happy, they’re going to make me aware of that, and no one’s happy after a loss,” James said last week. “That starts in our locker room. Al’s not happy with a loss. Our team isn’t happy with a loss. Our leaders aren’t happy with a loss.

“A lot of people in the fan base want to continue to see this team get better. People want to see us win every week and those are the Hurricane fans. I guess I struggle to hear people say they’re Hurricane fans and don’t want to see us win. To me, that doesn’t sound like a fan, but there’s definitely a passionate group that wants to see us do well.”

Golden is 32-24 midway through his fifth season at Miami, and in those five seasons most of the Hurricanes’ win have come against lesser competition. Golden’s Hurricanes are 0-5 against rival Florida State and they have struggled against other ranked foes.

However, it must be noted that Golden did have to deal with some self-imposed sanctions, a sordid NCAA case looming over the program. Through that, however, Miami has been able to secure some high-level recruiting classes and last year's team had seven players taken in the 2015 NFL draft.

But those good recruiting classes might ultimately doom Golden’s tenure because the question always will be — especially after Saturday’s embarrassment — how could a team with so much talent have so few positive results?

And then there’s the issue of money. While Miami fans would like to see a new coach on the sidelines, the school doesn’t have the money to attract one of the bigger names and so the chances of a quick turnaround after parting ways with Golden might be unrealistic.

For more Miami news, visit CaneSport.com.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!

And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook


Baylor QB Seth Russell suffers broken neck against Iowa State (Updated)

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Baylor quarterback Seth Russell suffered a broken neck injury late in Saturday’s 45-27 win against Iowa State.

The injury, which occurred on a four-yard run on third down with 5:36 left in the fourth quarter, didn’t initially look serious. Following the game, coach Art Briles didn't know the extent of the injury, but said it was severe enough that the Bears would not have put Russell back in the game had the contest been closer.

Backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham played the next series.

"We're going to evaluate Seth in the next few days," Briles said. "If he's cleared, he'll play, because he's a tough hombre now."

The Bears have a bye next week before traveling to Kansas State for a Thursday night game on Nov. 5. Russell has 29 touchdown passes to just six interceptions this season.

For more Baylor news, visit SicEmSports.com.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!

And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook

Bowling Green's Roger Lewis made two incredible catches vs. Kent State (GIFs)

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Bowling Green's Roger Lewis had himself a day against Kent State on Saturday.

Lewis, one of the most underrated wide receivers in the country, made two spectacular catches in his team's 48-0 blowout win over the Golden Flashes.

Here's the first:

And here's the second.

They're both nominees for catch of the week, don't you think?

Lewis, a sophomore, finished the game with four catches for 102 yards. He has 58 catches for 1,122 yards and 11 touchdowns through eight games in 2015 as Bowling Green has averaged nearly 44 points per game. As a freshman last season, Lewis had 73 catches for 1,093 yards.

The Falcons, 6-2 and 4-0 in the MAC, look to be the most formidable opponent for Toledo in the MAC. The two teams meet Tuesday, November 17.

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

Toledo scored on a play where its linemen didn't block (GIFs)

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No. 19 Toledo cut into UMass’ third quarter lead on a peculiar touchdown play.

Rockets quarterback Phillip Ely went with a hard count on a first down play at the UMass 15 and drew Minutemen defensive end De’Sean Downey offside.

Toledo snapped the ball while Downey was past the line of scrimmage, so Ely alertly knew he had a chance to take a shot at the end zone because of the penalty.

The Toledo offensive line wasn’t so sure what was happening, but Ely still evaded pressure and found Alonzo Russell in the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown.

It wasn’t pretty, but it sure was effective. Seriously, watch how silly this whole thing looks!

That touchdown cut UMass’ lead to 28-24 midway through the third.

Toledo, which is undefeated and at the top of the MAC standings, trailed 28-10 at halftime before storming back in the second half. The Rockets scored touchdowns on their first five second-half possessions, including four Ely touchdown passes, and went on to win 51-35.

For more Toledo news, visit TheRocketNation.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

Alabama survives Tennessee's upset bid and wins 19-14

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Tennessee's losing streak against Alabama is now nine games.

Saturday was the Vols' best chance to beat Alabama since a 12-10 defeat in 2009, but a late Alabama touchdown and an ensuing Josh Dobbs fumble meant the Tide moved to 7-1 with the 19-14 win in advance of its Nov. 7 showdown with undefeated LSU.

Tennessee took a 14-13 lead with 5:49 remaining on an 11-yard touchdown run by Jalen Hurd. The score woke a lethargic Alabama offense up.

Until its final drive, the Tide offense would seemingly counter each positive play with a penalty or immediately start to sputter. After Hurd's touchdown, quarterback Jacob Coker exploited the one-on-one matchups between his receivers and Tennessee's corners and the Tide covered 71 plays in an efficient eight plays and 3:25.

The drive was capped off by, who else, running back Derrick Henry, who scored his second rushing touchdown of the game. Henry finished with 28 carries for 143 yards and two touchdowns. It was his fourth-straight game with 26 or more carries.

Tennessee had 2:24 to score a potential game-winning touchdown after Henry's score. But after a quick first down, Dobbs took two consective sacks. The second was from Ryan Anderson, who came from Dobbs' right side. Somehow, Dobbs didn't see him or anticipate the hit. The ball popped free and was recovered by Alabama.

The fumble wasn't the only missed opportunity the Volunteers will be lamenting after the game. Tennessee kicker Aaron Medley missed three field goals, including a 51-yarder at the end of the first half that would have tied the game at 10-10. Had any one of those gone in, Tennessee is looking at a field goal to either tie or win the game on its final drive rather than a touchdown.

And while the losing streak is now one away from double digits, the loss should be a barometer of progress for the Volunteers. It was the first time since that 2009 game that Tennessee hadn't lost to Alabama by 14 or more points. And the Vols didn't look overmatched at all; the Tennessee defense had five sacks.

But it was ultimately Alabama's day. Coach Nick Saban said after the game that his team executed when it mattered most and he knows full well that a replication of the display against Tennessee likely won't be good enough to beat LSU in two weeks. The Tide now have a bye week to prepare for the Tigers' visit to Tuscaloosa, a game that could very likely decide the champion of the SEC West and help give us some clarity to the College Football Playoff picture.

For more Alabama news, visit TideSports.com.

For more Tennessee news, visit VolQuest.com.

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

Duke's 4OT win against Virginia Tech keeps it in ACC Coastal hunt

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Duke is not ready to concede its position in the ACC Coastal race.

After four hours of football, Duke quarterback Thomas Sirk weaved his way through a host of Virginia Tech defenders to score a two-point conversion and give the Blue Devils a 45-43 four-overtime win against the Hokies.

The win ensured that Duke would keep pace with Pittsburgh and North Carolina in the ACC Coastal Division race. All three teams are 6-1 after wins on Saturday.

Pitt needed a late field goal for a victory against Syracuse and North Carolina shook off some early struggles to defeat Virginia 26-13.

Pitt has the edge in the Coastal because it’s 4-0 in conference play while Duke and North Carolina are both 2-0, but none of the three teams have played each other yet.

That will change Thursday when Pitt and North Carolina meet.

The ACC Coastal race is far more interesting than the Atlantic between Clemson and Florida State simply because Pitt has been an unexpected player in coach Pat Narduzzi’s first season. Pitt, Duke and North Carolina are head and shoulders better than the other teams in the division, so it will be interesting in the next few weeks to see which of the three reigns supreme.

For more Duke news, visit DevilsIllustrated.com.

For more Pittsburgh news, visit Panther-lair.com.

For more North Carolina news, visit TarHeelIllustrated.com.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!

And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook

Georgia Tech shocks No. 9 Florida State on blocked FG TD in final seconds (Video)

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Another week, another insane ending on a special teams play.

Florida State had a chance to stay unbeaten as Roberto Aguayo lined up for a 56-yard field goal with just a few seconds remaining on the road at Georgia Tech. Aguayo, who had never missed a fourth quarter kick in his career, had his attempt blocked and Georgia Tech’s Lance Austin returned it 68 yards for a game-winning touchdown as time expired in an unbelievable ending. 

Tech’s clutch block and return gave the Yellow Jackets a 22-16 come-from-behind victory and knocked the ninth-ranked Seminoles from the ranks of the unbeaten.

The improbable ending came after the Yellow Jackets, who trailed for almost the entire game, tied things up on a Harrison Butker 35-yard field goal with 54 seconds remaining.

Florida State then regained possession and quickly moved down to the GT 42-yard line. After lineman Wilson Bell was penalized for a false start, the Seminoles made Aguayo’s field goal attempt a little more manageable with a nine-yard catch by Jesus Wilson.

But the trajectory of Aguayo’s lengthy try was low and the Yellow Jackets overwhelmed the FSU line to block the kick – allowing for Austin’s heroics, which comes a week after Michigan State shocked Michigan on a blocked punt touchdown in the final seconds. 

The loss stings for FSU, especially because the Seminoles had a chance to take a two-score lead with just over eight minutes to go. Leading 16-13, FSU drove all the way down to the Tech 4-yard line, but another false start set the goal line possession back five yards. Two plays later, Everett Golson, who was plagued by turnovers when he played for Notre Dame, threw his first interception of the season on third-and-goal. 

Golson had Travis Rudolph on a skinny post, but a Georgia Tech defensive back got a hand in, allowing Jamal Golden to corral the interception off the deflection. 

The teams traded punts after the interception and the Yellow Jackets got another shot at tying or going in front when they regained possession with 4:25 to go. And quickly, Florida State's defense forced the Yellow Jackets to go for it on fourth-and-six from their own 41. 

That's when Tech decided to go to the air for just the eighth time of the game as Justin Thomas hit freshman Brad Stewart in stride down the right sideline behind the defense for a critical 36-yard gain. The big play moved GT down to the FSU 23, and after three short runs, Butker tied things up at 16. 

That field goal, of course, then set up the incredible ending that may doom Florida State's hopes of making the College Football Playoff. The Seminoles, now 6-1 and 4-1 in ACC play, needed to win in order keep pace with No. 6 Clemson in the Atlantic Division. 

Now the Tigers, who demolished Miami 58-0 earlier in the day, sit alone atop the division with a perfect 7-0 (4-0) record. Of course, Florida State still has a chance to win its division if it can knock off the Tigers on Nov. 7, but the loss to a now 3-5 Georgia Tech team could be the nail in the coffin as far as the playoff is concerned. 

For more Georgia Tech news, visit JacketsOnline.com.

For more Florida State news, visit Warchant.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

Ole Miss stifles Texas A&M 23-3

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No. 24 Ole Miss bounced back from its loss to Memphis last week with a convincing 23-3 win over No. 15 Texas A&M Saturday night.

The Ole Miss defense prevented the Texas A&M offense from getting anywhere near the end zone. Or, if you prefer, the Texas A&M offense prevented itself from getting anywhere near the end zone.

A week after quarterbacks Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray threw a combined four interceptions – Allen's three picks were returned for touchdowns – against Alabama, Texas A&M's passing game was utterly out of sorts again. It was so bad that Allen was benched for third-string quarterback Jake Hubenak, a junior college transfer, in the fourth quarter. Murray didn't see the field.

Allen finished 12-34 passing for 88 yards and an interception. Hubenak was 6-12 passing for 46 yards. A&M's deepest drive got to the Ole Miss 24-yard-line.

Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly's statline wasn't pretty either. He threw three interceptions, including one made by star Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett after he deflected the ball to himself. Ole Miss' offensive success was promed by the run game.

The Rebels' ran for 40 yards in the 37-24 loss to Memphis. Saturday night, Ole Miss finished with 230 yards on 50 carries. Perhaps Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze and his offensive staff took a look at Alabama's offensive gameplan? The Tide spread out Texas A&M and gashed the Aggies' defense up the middle with running back Derrick Henry.

The A&M defense, with defensive coordinator John Chavis coming over from LSU, was supposed to be a much improved unit in 2015. But it's hard to survive when you have an offense that's struggling as poorly as A&M's is. In addition to its passing struggles, the Aggies couldn't get anything going on the ground either. RB Tra Carson finished with 14 carries for 48 yards.

The Aggie offense has shown flashes in 2015. No matter who plays quarterback there are plenty of weapons to succeed with freshman receiver Christian Kirk, Carson and WRs Speedy Noil and Ricky Seals-Jones. But not only has A&M struggled against what could be the two best defenses in the SEC over the past two weeks, it's looked downright incompetent.

And it's why A&M is now out of the conference title hunt barring November madness. While it has an identical record (6-2) to Ole Miss, the Rebels are in a much preferred position with just one conference loss. If Ole Miss can keep running the ball successfully to take pressure off Kelly, the SEC West, and a trip to Atlanta, is still in play.

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!


USC ruins Utah's perfect season with 42-24 win

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Utah’s dream undefeated season is over thanks to the team many originally predicted to be the power in the Pac-12 South.

USC, a team that has lost its last two games and its head coach, played inspired Saturday night and defeated the Utes 42-24.

It was the first win by an unranked USC team over a Top 3 program since 1975 when the Trojans defeated Texas A&M in the Liberty Bowl.

While on the surface, the number No. 3 team losing to a 3-3 USC team would appear like an upset, but the Trojans actually came into this game almost favored by a touchdown. That’s probably because despite Utah’s 6-0 record coming in, its best win came against Michigan at the beginning of the year.

It barely scraped by a Cal team that was thrashed by UCLA this week and its 62-20 win against Oregon — the win that got the nation to take notice of the Utes — doesn’t look nearly as good now as it did at the time.

Utah’s strength all season had been its defense. And while the defense did play well against the Trojans, it couldn’t sustain its intensity with Utah's offense failing to mount lengthy drives. Eventually, the Utah defense wore down thanks to a nice mixture of playcalling by USC interim coach Clay Helton and some up-tempo offense that left an already tired defense gasping for air.

Utah quarterback Travis Wilson started the game completing nine consecutive passes and throwing for a touchdown. After that, Wilson struggled with USC’s varied defensive looks and was especially susceptible to the play of true freshman defensive lineman Cameron Smith, who intercepted Wilson three times, including one he ran back for a score. Wilson came into the game with just three interceptions all season. Against USC, Wilson completed 24 of 36 passes for 254 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions.

Running back Devontae Booker, who had been the Utes offensive workhorse, managed just 14 carries for 62 yards and no touchdowns.

For USC, this game was a bit of a renaissance. The Trojans finally played like the team that started the season and the team many expected to see throughout the year. In the preseason, it was supposed to be the team in the national conversation and competing for a spot in the College Football Playoff. However, slips against Stanford, Washington and Notre Dame derailed the Trojans' dream season pretty quickly.

Despite the loss, Utah still has at least a one-game lead in the Pac-12 South. USC, UCLA and Arizona State are 2-2 in the league, but the Trojans have two of the three tiebreakers with wins against the Sun Devils and Utes and could pull off a miracle comeback if it wins all of its remaining games – including a contest against UCLA – and Utah loses one more time along the way.

For more Utah news, visit Utezone.com.

For more USC news, visit TrojanSports.com.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!

And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook

Winners and losers: And then there were 12 undefeated teams

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The ranks of the undefeated fell by two on Saturday.

For a while, Week 8 appeared to be a relative snoozer; a Saturday relatively free of the chaos we've seen through the first half of the college football season. But Saturday evening marked the end of perfection for two top-10 teams and eliminated the College Football Playoff hopes of a highly-ranked one-loss team.

Let's start with Utah. The Utes had risen to No. 3 largely off wins vs. Michigan and Oregon and a turnover margin that was one of the best in the country. Turnover regression hit hard Saturday night as quarterback Travis Wilson threw four interceptions. One of those was a pick-six that USC LB Cameron Smith returned 54 yards.

As Wilson turned the ball over more than the Utah offense had in any game all season, the Utah defense didn't force a single one. The result? A 42-24 loss to the Trojans – one that's not an upset because USC was nearly a touchdown favorite – and a spot near the bottom of the top 10.

While Utah's loss was a bludgeoning, No. 9 Florida State's was an unexpected kick in the nether regions. The Seminoles lost 22-16 to Georgia Tech as the Yellow Jackets returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown with no time left.Travis Wilson, Utah. (Getty)

And there's a notable turnover tidbit in FSU's loss too. Quarterback Everett Golson threw his first interception of the season.

In the SEC, No. 15 Texas A&M established that it's not a contender for the College Football Playoff in a 23-3 loss to Ole Miss. The Rebels' defense, missing top defensive player Robert Nkemdiche, absolutely handcuffed the Texas A&M offense as coach Kevin Sumlin inserted 3rd-string QB Jake Hubenak in the third quarter in an attempt to create any semblance of offense for his team.

Though undefeated seasons are now out of the question for Utah and Florida State, the two teams still have legitimate playoff hopes. The Utes are still in control of the Pac-12 South and Florida State has the right-of-way in the ACC Atlantic if it beats Clemson on November 7.

We still don't have any clue how the top four will be organized when the College Football Playoff committee releases its first rankings on November 3. With six weeks to go in the season, there's plenty of time for either Utah or FSU to work its way back into the discussion for the top four. But because of each team's losses Saturday night, we're sure they won't be in the immediate mix.

Here are the rest of our Week 8 Winners and Losers:

WINNERS

Ka'imi Fairbairn, UCLA: How was your Thursday? Fairbairn spent a portion of his booting a school record 60-yard field goal to close out the first half of a 40-24 win over Cal. Fairbaim is having a stellar season after a slow start as a Bruin. He’s 13 of 14 on the season, putting him in good company with the top kickers in the nation after going 11 of 22 on tries of 40 yards or longer before this season.  He’s also put himself within the school record for career points. John Lee holds the mark of 373, which he set in 1985, and Fairbairn is just 17 points shy. 

Keyarris Garrett, Tulsa: The Golden Hurricane lost 66-42 to No. 18 Memphis, but good lord did Garrett ever have himself a night, catching 14 passes for a career-high 268 yards and 3 touchdowns. The 268 yards were also an AAC record, and a return to the form Garrett had against Oklahoma in 52-38 loss. Garrett gave the Sooners’ secondary fits, as well, catching 14 balls for 189 yards and a score in that game. 

(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)AAC: The conference’s heavy hitters all went to work this week. As previously mentioned, Memphis beat Tulsa 66-42, Houston blew out UCF 59-10, and Temple staged a furious fourth quarter run to top East Carolina 24-14. Things start to get interesting for the undefeated trio next week, though. Temple hosts Notre Dame and Houston hosts Vanderbilt. The former looks a lot tougher than the latter, but games against P5 schools are always tricky. Memphis hosts Tulane, so expect nothing to change for the Tigers, but it will be tougher for all three to remain undefeated through next week. 

Washington State: Fear the Cougars. Wazzu is 5-2 after a 45-42 win at Arizona. It's the first three-game winning streak in the Pac-12 for the Cougars since the 2003 season. That season, WSU finished 10-3 and in the top 10 of the AP Poll. Are the 2015 Cougars on that track? Probably not after a season-opening loss to FCS Portland State, but the Cougars are now one win away from bowl eligibility. And with games against Arizona State, Colorado and Washington remaining, an 8-4 season suddenly doesn't seem too farfetched.

Christian Hackenberg, Penn State: Hackenberg has faced quite a bit of criticism over the past few seasons, but he was a big reason Penn State came away with a win over Maryland on Saturday. Hackenberg completed only 13-of-29 passes, but he threw for 315 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-30 win. In the process, Hackenberg, a junior, became the Penn State career leader in completions (608) and passing yards (7,453) as the Nittany Lions improved to 6-2. Hackenberg threw 15 interceptions last year, but has only two this season. 

LOSERS

(Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)

Mizzou's offense: The Tigers haven't scored a touchdown since they played South Carolina. The game against the Gamecocks was on October 3. Yes, it's been a three-week drought for Mizzou, which lost to Vanderbilt 10-3 on Saturday. Freshman Drew Lock, the quarterback many Mizzou fans were clamoring for as Maty Mauk's completion percentage hovered near 50 percent has looked, well, like a true freshman. And the Mizzou running game, which was so strong in 2014, is nonexistant. The Tiger defense could be one of the best in the SEC. It's just that the Mizzou offense is one of the worst in the country. Bowl eligibility is in serious doubt now that Missouri is 4-4.

Massachusetts: After going into halftime up 28-10, Massachusetts had a big opportunity to register a huge upset over No. 19 Toledo, but the Minutemen laid an egg in the second half. The UMass defense allowed Toledo to score on its first seven possessions of the second half – including five straight touchdowns to open the half. The only time the UMass defense stopped Toledo was when the Rockets took a knee to end the game with a 51-35 win. The Minutemen dropped to 1-6 (0-3 MAC) with the loss.

New Mexico State: NMSU dropped to 0-7 on the season on Saturday and did so in blowout fashion for the team's 17th straight loss. The Aggies dropped a 52-7 home decision to a Troy team that had just one win and hadn't scored more than 18 points since Week 2. The Aggies gave up 482 yards in the loss and have allowed 50-plus points in five of its seven losses on the season. Doug Martin, now in his third season as NSMU's head coach, has a 4-27 record leading the program. Not good. 

Kansas State: Kansas State’s 23-9 loss to Texas marked the Wildcats fourth consecutive loss of the season and the first time that’s happened since 2005. The Wildcats first two loses in that streak were close against Oklahoma State and TCU, but were dominated by Oklahoma last week Oklahoma and against Texas, the Wildcats never really got their offense going. Kansas State is 3-4 to start a season for the first time since 2004 and there’s not much relief in sight with Baylor up next on Nov. 5.

Kent State’s defense: Kent State knew it was going to allow some points to Bowling Green, after all the Falcons are the Mid-American Conference’s top offensive team. However, the Golden Flashes came into the game as the conference’s top defensive team and thought it would hold its own.

It was wrong.

Kent State allowed 602 totals yards and 31 first downs in a 48-0 Bowling Green win. Bowling Green quarterback Matt Johnson torched the Kent State secondary for 430 yards and five touchdowns.

While this was not a stellar effort by Kent State, the Golden Flashes can take comfort knowing the Falcons have put up similar numbers against nearly every team they’ve faced this season.

Oregon State DB Treston Decoud moving extremities after helmet-to-helmet hit

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Oregon State defensive back Treston Decoud was coherent and moving all of his extremities after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit by a teammate during the second quarter of Saturday’s game against Colorado.

Decoud did not show any signs of movement when he was initially injured as his head and neck were stabilized on the field. He was ultimately transported to the Good Samaritan Hospital in Corvallis for evaluation.

Oregon State officials later announced the positive news regarding Decoud's condition.

Decoud, a junior transfer from Northwest Mississippi Community College, has started six of the Beavers games this season. He has 28 tackles and four pass breakups.

For more Oregon State news, visit BeaverBlitz.com.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!

And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook

Clemson moves to No. 3 in AP poll

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After Utah's loss to USC Saturday night there was going to be a new team at No. 3 in the Week 8 AP poll. And it's a team that wasn't in the top five a week ago.

Clemson ascended three spots to No. 3 after its 58-0 blowout win over Miami. The Tigers leapfrogged TCU (off in Week 7) and LSU (beat Western Kentucky). Utah fell all the way to No. 13, behind undefeated teams Iowa (No. 10) and Oklahoma State (No. 12). Florida State, which lost on a last-second blocked field goal to Georgia Tech, dropped to No. 17.

TCU and LSU swapped spots. The Tigers were No. 5 last week and moved up to No. 4. The top two teams in the AP poll, Ohio State and Baylor, were unchanged. Baylor, which beat Iowa State on Saturday, lost quarterback Seth Russell for an undetermined amount of time. Russell, who was hurt in the fourth quarter, suffered a fractured vertebra in his neck.

UCLA and Mississippi State were the two newcomers to the AP poll. The Bruins, who beat Cal on Thursday, are at No. 24 and MSU moved to No. 25 after beating Kentucky. Here's how the top 25 looks

1. Ohio State (39 first place votes) [No. 1 LW]
2. Baylor (7) [2]
3. Clemson (6) [6]
4. LSU (5) [5]
5. TCU (3) [4]
6. Michigan State [7]
7. Alabama [8]
8. Stanford [10]
9. Notre Dame [11]
10. Iowa [12]
11. Florida [13]
12. Oklahoma State [14]
13. Utah [3]
14. Oklahoma [17]
15. Michigan [15]
16. Memphis [18]
17. Florida State [9]
18. Houston [21]
19. Ole Miss [24]
20. Toledo [19]
21. Temple [22]
22. Duke [23]
23. Pitt [25]
24. UCLA [NR]
25. Mississippi State [NR]

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

Arkansas RB Rawleigh Williams out indefinitely after neck surgery

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Arkansas running back Rawleigh Williams underwent neck surgery Saturday evening after he was carted off the field with a neck injury against Auburn.

The freshman running back tweeted Sunday that he's expected to make a full recovery.

Arkansas released a statement Sunday afternoon and said the timetable for Williams' return is unclear.

Williams was injured when he was tackled on a third quarter carry. He was grabbed by the facemask as he was tackled by multiple Auburn players and his neck was jerked back. Arkansas eventually beat Auburn 54-46 in four overtimes.

Rawleigh Williams III #22 of the Arkansas Razorbacks is tackled by the face mask by Kris Frost #17 of the Auburn Tigers at Razorback Stadium Stadium on October 24, 2015 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Tigers in 4 OT's 54-46. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Williams was a three-star recruit in the class of 2015 out of Bishop Lynch High School in Dallas according to Rivals. He had four carries for 18 yards against Auburn and has 56 carries for 254 yards and a touchdown in 2015.

For more Arkansas news, visit HawgSports.com.

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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