WACO, Texas (AP) — Griffin Kell kicked a 40-yard field goal on the final play of the game, and fourth-ranked TCU beat Baylor 29-28 on Saturday, scoring nine points in the final 2:07 to avoid a potential playoff-busting loss.
Emari Demercardo scored on a 3-yard TD run with 2:07 left to get the Frogs (11-0, 8-0 Big 12, No. 4 CFP) within 28-26, but he was unable to pull in a pass on the 2-point conversion attempt. TCU used all three of its timeouts while forcing a three-and-out to get the ball back and kick the winning field goal.
TCU, which had already clinched a spot in the Big 12 championship game, hasn’t been undefeated this deep in a season since 2010, when it finished 13-0 with a Rose Bowl victory and No. 2 national ranking.
Baylor (6-5, 4-4) was coming off a 31-3 home loss to Kansas State a week earlier. Bears quarterback Blake Shapen was 21 of 30 passing for 269 yards and a score, while Craig “Sqwirl” Williams ran for 112 yards. Monaray Baldwin had six catches for 123 yards.
NO. 3 MICHIGAN 19, ILLINOIS 17
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Jake Moody made a go-ahead, 35-yard field goal with nine seconds left, lifting Michigan to a win over Illinois.
The Wolverines (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten, No. 3 CFP) played much of the second half without star running back Blake Corum, who grabbed his left knee after being tackled just before halftime.
The Fighting Illini (7-4, 5-3) took a 17-10 lead late in the third quarter on Chase Brown’s 37-yard touchdown run. With a chance to run out the clock, they had to punt to Michigan late in the game and failed to hold on and beat a top-three team for the first time since knocking off top-ranked Ohio State in 2007.
NO. 8 ALABAMA 34, AUSTIN PEAY 0
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama got breakout performances from Jase McClellan and Jermaine Burton against an overmatched FCS team.
McClellan rushed for a career-high 156 yards and two touchdowns and Burton caught a pair of scoring passes from Bryce Young in the win over Austin Peay.
The Crimson Tide (9-2, No. 8 CFP) took awhile to get going against Austin Peay (7-4).
Mike DiLiello passed for 147 yards for Austin Peay, but was intercepted twice. Drae McCray had 12 catches for 92 yards.
NAVY 17, NO. 17 UCF 14
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Fullback Daba Fofana rushed for 114 yards and Navy beat UCF without completing a pass.
Navy (4-7, 4-4 American Athletic) possessed the ball for nearly 40 minutes and gained 248 yards, all on the ground.
The loss dropped UCF (8-3, 5-2) out of first place in the AAC and all but eliminated the Knights’ chances of playing at home in the conference championship game.
Mikey Keene replaced quarterback John Rhys Plumlee in the second half and immediately led the Knights to their only touchdown of the game.
NO. 18 NOTRE DAME 44, BOSTON COLLEGE 0
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Cornerback Benjamin Morrison had three interceptions, the Notre Dame defense forced two fumbles and the Fighting Irish scored on their first eight possessions to beat Boston College.
The Fighting Irish (8-3) won their ninth straight against Boston College (3-8).
The temperature at game time was 27 degrees, making it the coldest game at Notre Dame in nine years, and heavy snow fell through much of the third quarter.
NO. 19 KANSAS STATE 48, WEST VIRGINIA 31
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Will Howard threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score, Cincere Mason returned an interception for a TD and Kansas State moved closer to a berth in the Big 12 championship game by beating West Virginia.
Kansas State (8-3, 6-2 Big 12, No. 15 CFP) can clinch a title game spot alongside No. 4 TCU on Dec. 3 with a win in its regular season finale at home against Kansas. West Virginia (4-7, 2-6) failed to become bowl eligible for the second time under fourth-year coach Neal Brown and for only the fourth time since 2000.
West Virginia’s Garrett Greene threw three TD passes to Sam James and finished 15 of 27 passes for 204 yards. He was intercepted twice. Greene also scored on a 13-yard run.
NO. 20 FLORIDA STATE 49, LOUISIANA 17
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Jordan Travis and Treshaun Ward each had a pair of touchdown runs in the first half and Florida State ran for 251 yards, routing Louisiana.
Florida State (8-3) scored a season high in points, surpassed 200 rushing yards for a sixth straight time and picked up its fourth straight double-digit victory against the Ragin’ Cajuns (5-6).
Louisiana quarterback Chandler Fields completed 19 of 36 passes for 159 yards and a 5-yard touchdown to Michael Jefferson.
NO. 25 OREGON STATE 31, ARIZONA STATE 7
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Damien Martinez ran for 137 yards and two touchdowns in Oregon State’s win over Arizona State.
The Beavers (8-3, 5-3 Pac-12) won for just the second time at ASU since 1972.
The Sun Devils (3-8, 2-6) played their final home game of the season, falling to 2-6 under interim coach Shaun Aguano, who replaced Herm Edwards on Sept. 20.
Quarterback Trent Bourguet went 20 of 32 for 122 yards passing for the Sun Devils. He ran eight times for 26 yards.
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