Week 5 of college football saw ranked vs. ranked matchups, second half rallies and more. Here's what you need to know from the final weekend of action in September.
No. 4 Alabama holds off No. 2 Georgia in SEC thriller
No. 4 Alabama outlasted No. 2 Georgia 41-34 in a thrilling SEC showdown at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday night.
After the first quarter, it looked like Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart was going to suffer his worst lost to the Crimson Tide yet — Alabama had Tuscaloosa on Cloud 9. They jumped out to an early 28-0 scoring on four straight drives to start the game. Quarterback Jalen Milroe accounted for three touchdowns, including two rushing scores, while the defense forced a safety in the second quarter.
Georgia turned the page, though, in the second half. Behind three straight scoring drives in the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs were on the verge of completing the largest comeback in program history, erasing the 28-point deficit and taking the lead 34-33 with less than three minutes left in the contest.
Milroe answered a play later with a 75-yard touchdown pass to freshman wideout Ryan Williams, while freshman defensive back Zabien Brown intercepted Beck's pass in the end zone on the next possession to seal the deal — Beck's fourth turnover of the game.
ABSOLUTE SCENES IN TUSCALOOSA!!!
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter)
RYAN WILLIAMS WITH A 75-YARD TD TO RETAKE THE LEAD!
The loss snapped Georgia's 42-game regular season win streak and Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer secured his first-ranked win at Alabama.
Kentucky upsets No. 6 Ole Miss, earns biggest road win since 1977
Kentucky outlasted No. 6 Ole Miss, 20-17, to earn the program's highest-ranked road win since 1977. The victory was also the first in Oxford since 1978 — the two have met six times in Oxford since then.
Ole Miss started the scoring with a 1-yard rush TD by Henry Parrish early in the first quarter. Kentucky responded with a 27-yard field goal to finish the quarter and added a 5-yard passing TD in the second to gain a 10-7 lead.
The third quarter saw a back-and-forth struggle as the Rebels leveled the score with a 31-yard field goal before the Wildcats regained their lead with a 48-yard field goal. With 10 seconds left in the third — and on 4th and seven — Ole Miss’ Tre Harris made a massive catch off a 48-yard pass to reclaim the Rebel lead heading into the fourth.
The Wildcats weren’t done, though.
Just when it looked like the drive was over, Brock Vandagriff threw a 42-yard pass to Barion Brown to complete a 63-yard play — Kentucky's longest of the year. Then, an 8-yard rush and chaos on the goal line resulted in Josh Kattus catching the fumble out of midair and crashing into the end zone to give the Wildcats the final margin.
KENTUCKY GETS ITS HIGHEST-RANKED ROAD WIN SINCE 1977 🤯
— ESPN (@espn)
With 53 seconds to go, Ole Miss' failed 48-yard field goal attempt solidified the monumental win for the Wildcats.
FBS scoreboard: See every score from Week 5 games
No. 9 Penn State tops No. 19 Illinois in Big Ten opener
No. 9 Penn State secured a 21-7 victory over No. 19 Illinois in the Big Ten conference opener at Beaver Stadium Saturday night.
The Nittany Lions leaned heavily on their rushing attack, with running backs Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton combining for 196 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Penn State opened the second half with a 12-play, 74-yard drive capped by Singleton's 4-yard touchdown run to break a 7-7 tie.
Allen ran 5 yards for the final touchdown with less than two minutes left in the game.
To begin the game, Illinois took an early lead with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Luke Altmyer to Carson Goda. The Illini then missed a key opportunity before halftime when they came up empty after reaching the Penn State 2-yard line.
Penn State’s defense delivered, sacking Altmyer seven times and forcing an interception late in the fourth quarter. Allen's 5-yard touchdown run with under two minutes remaining sealed the win for the Nittany Lions, who held Illinois to just 34 rushing yards on the night.
Penn State improves to 4-0, while Illinois falls to 4-1 after a hard-fought contest under the lights in Happy Valley.
No. 16 Notre Dame beats No. 15 Louisville
No. 16 Notre Dame put on a first-half clinic against No. 15 Louisville, leading to a 31-24 victory. It was the Fighting Irish’s second-ranked win of the season.
The Cardinals set the tone from the jump behind Devyn Ford’s 55-yard kickoff return to Notre Dame’s 24-yard line. The offense scored three plays later.
And the Fighting Irish matched that energy, scoring on their first offensive possession, and better yet tripled it. Behind the defense’s forced fumble and turnover on downs, coach Marcus Freeman’s offense scored on back-to-back-to-back drives in the first quarter. Although Notre Dame allowed another touchdown in the second quarter, the defense added an interception and another turnover on downs to their stout first half resume. By halftime, the Fighting Irish led 24-14.
Louisville wasn’t done yet, though. The Cardinals cut Notre Dame’s lead to seven points nearing the final five minutes of the fourth quarter behind wide receiver Ja’Corey Brooks' one-handed receiving touchdown. And after forcing a three-and-out on the following defensive drive, Louisville had the opportunity to mount the comeback.
Tyler Shough drops a DIME to Ja’Corey Brooks and Louisville aren’t done yet. 👀
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports)
📺 Peacock
However, the offense couldn’t execute the third and final step. Picking up a delay of game penalty to turn 4th-and-1 into 4th-and-6, Notre Dame broke up Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough’s pass to wideout Caullin Lacy to force the defense’s fourth, and final, turnover on downs.
No. 13 USC rallies past Wisconsin in Big Ten home debut
No. 13 USC defeated Wisconsin 38-21 in its first-ever Big Ten conference home game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday.
Miller Moss led the Trojans' offense, throwing for 308 yards and three touchdowns, while Woody Marks added 63 rushing yards. Ja’Kobi Lane was the top target through the air, hauling in 10 receptions for 105 yards and two touchdowns.
USC took a 7-0 lead early, but Wisconsin quickly responded with a 63-yard touchdown pass from Braedyn Locke to Vinny Anthony. The Badgers took the lead in the second quarter after a muffed punt led to a touchdown run by Tawee Walker. USC cut the deficit with a field goal before halftime but still trailed 21-10.
In the second half, the Trojans rallied with two touchdowns, including a 15-yard pass from Moss to Lane and a seven-yard quarterback keeper from Moss. Mason Cobb sealed the victory with a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown.
USC dominated time of possession, controlling the ball for nearly 45 minutes, while the defense forced three Wisconsin turnovers, including two fumbles and Cobb’s pick-six. The Trojans improved to 3-1 on the season.
No. 23 Kansas State takes down No. 20 Oklahoma State
No. 23 Kansas State topped No. 20 Oklahoma State in a pivotal win as both programs fight for survival in the Big 12 title race.
The Wildcats got out to a 7-0 lead behind an 11-yard run from quarterback Avery Johnson to secure a touchdown in the first.
But Cowboys quarterback Alan Bowman threw a dart to wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling for a 77-yard score to put Oklahoma State ahead 10-7 early in the second quarter. Kansas State didn’t back down, rattling off two more touchdowns before halftime to extend their lead to 21-13.
In the second half, the Wildcats went on a dominant 21-0 run, scoring three touchdowns and grabbing two key interceptions to shut out the Cowboys. It wasn't until the game's final three minutes that the Cowboys finally managed to break through with a touchdown.
Avery Johnson came through with five total touchdowns and 259 passing yards for the Wildcats.
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FRIDAY: No. 7 Miami hangs on after overturned Hail Mary against Virginia Tech
On Friday night, No. 7 Miami (Fla.) overcame a late scare and held off Virginia Tech, 38-34, in a thrilling ACC opener on Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium. Virginia Tech got into position for one final play with a Hail Mary attempt from the Miami 30. Quarterback Kyron Drones lofted a pass that ended up in a crowd of players. After the Hokies' Da'Quan Felton was ruled as making a touchdown catch, officials overturned the call following a review.
Click or tap here for more on the Friday night thriller.
HAIL MARY NO GOOD 😳
— ESPN (@espn)
No. 7 Miami outlasted Virginia Tech after the Hokies' final play was ruled incomplete.
