We're in the thick of college football season with Week 9 action underway.
Here's a look at the results from Saturday:
No. 14 Texas A&M upsets No. 8 LSU, climbs to top of SEC
No. 14 Texas A&M came back to beat No. 8 LSU behind a 31-point second-half performance, taking down the Tigers, 38-23. Backed by an elite run game and smothering defense, LSU's early answers to the Aggies’ attempts faded away as the contest continued.
Texas A&M’s heartbeat was faint in the first half. Giving up 17 points, the Aggies produced less than 150 scrimmage yards, scored seven points and turned it over twice by the break. LSU looked like itself from two weeks ago where they beat then-No. 9 Ole Miss on the road.
The script flipped on its head after the break, though, when coach Mike Elko turned to freshman quarterback Marcel Reed and benched starter Connor Weigman. From there, TAMU gained a new life.
The home team crossed the pylon on four straight drives and forced four turnovers, turning Kyle Field’s energy from a zero to a 10.
LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier threw three interceptions for the first time in his career. All five of the Aggies' touchdowns were on the ground, including three from Reed.
Marcel to the house ‼️
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball)
📺 ABC |
The 15-point win moves TAMU to 5-0 in SEC play and first in conference standings. The Tigers fall to 6-2, and similar to their loss to Southern California on Sept. 1, succumbed to the offense stalling as the game continued.
Texas outlasts Vanderbilt, snaps three-game win streak
No. 5 Texas shut down the party in Nashville on Saturday, defeating No. 25 Vanderbilt 27-24. The loss ended the Commodores' three-game win streak jump-started behind their win over then-No. 1 Alabama.
Vanderbilt showed promise out the gate, intercepting Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers on the first possession of the game and scoring less than three minutes later. Texas bounced back with authority, though, outscoring the Commodores 21-3 by the end of the half.
Vanderbilt still showed signs of life after cutting the Longhorns’ lead to a one-score game, 24-17, midway through the third quarter. However, quarterback Diego Pavia's interception in the fourth quarter resulted in a 10-point lead for Texas with five minutes remaining.
Pavia and the Commodores attempted to mount a comeback behind a receiving touchdown with less than a minute left to play, but couldn’t recover the onside kick.
The Longhorns are now 6-0 and haven't lost since 2022, while Vanderbilt falls to 5-3.
Indiana remains undefeated
Indiana continued its perfect start, outlasting Washington, 31-17, to improve to 8-0 in front of a raucous home crowd. The Hoosiers capitalized on early defensive stops and a clutch 67-yard pick-six by D'Angelo Ponds, who jumped a screen pass in the first quarter, giving Indiana a 7-0 edge that it never surrendered.
Tayven Jackson, stepping in as quarterback, connected on a 42-yard strike to Omar Cooper Jr. in the second quarter, extending the lead to 14-0. Washington responded with a quick touchdown drive, but Indiana’s defense forced critical stops, holding the Huskies to a field goal late in the fourth quarter to keep a two-score lead intact.
Justice Ellison led the charge offensively with a late third-quarter touchdown, capping an eight-play drive where he was the focal point. The Hoosiers added a fourth-quarter touchdown on a short run from Jackson, making it 31-14 and sealing the victory. Indiana’s balanced attack totaled 318 yards, while its defense disrupted Washington’s rhythm, tallying three sacks and forcing two turnovers.
Indiana’s undefeated record remains intact as it marches toward a potential appearance in the Big Ten title game.
No. 12 Notre Dame routs No. 24 Navy
One of the most intriguing matchups heading into Week 9 of the college football season was No. 12 Notre Dame vs. unbeaten No. 24 Navy. A fast start by the Irish crushed any hopes for a potential upset on the neutral site field at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey with the Irish defeating the Midshipmen, 51-14.
Navy entered the day averaging a whopping 44.8 points per game to rank third in the nation. Notre Dame’s defense kept Navy’s high-powered offense at bay, holding the Midshipmen to just 14 points. Turnovers also proved crucial, with the Irish recovering five Navy fumbles on the day that helped lead them to the blowout win.
Notre Dame’s offense also continued to soar since their Week 2 home loss to Northern Illinois. Quarterback Riley Leonard put together an efficient day both on the ground and through the air rushing for 83 yards and going 13-for-21 with 173 yards passing and 3 total touchdowns.
Notre Dame looks to continue its winning streak next weekend against a struggling Florida State team in South Bend.
No. 4 Ohio State escapes Nebraska in nail-biting finish
After a tough one-point loss to Oregon snapped its win streak, Ohio State sought redemption at home.
Nebraska, however, had other plans. With a fierce second-half surge, the Huskers turned the Buckeyes' bounce-back bid into a dogfight. Even so, Ohio State held strong, clinching a 21-17 victory.
After Nebraska scored its first touchdown to take a late 17-14 lead in the fourth quarter, the Buckeyes answered with a touchdown drive to reclaim the lead at 21-17.
As time dwindled, Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese was called for targeting, giving Nebraska the ball near midfield and a chance to spoil the Buckeyes' redemption. But Ohio State’s cornerback Jordan Hancock clinched a game-sealing interception with just 1:16 left on the clock.
OHIO STATE PICKS OFF RAIOLA 😱
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX)
The defense does it again! 🔒
This victory propels Ohio State to a 6-1 record, keeping them in the Big Ten and national title race. However, with an undefeated Penn State awaiting next week, the Buckeyes will need to make key adjustments to keep their championship hopes alive.
No. 1 Oregon rolls No. 20 Illinois
No. 1 Oregon has found its footing in the Big Ten, cruising past No. 20 Illinois, 38-9
The Ducks continue to impress after their one-point win over Ohio State two weeks ago. Dan Lanning's squad is in the driver's seat of the Big Ten.
Oregon averaged almost 8 yards per play in the win, including 14.9 yards per completion. The offense as a whole was clicking, tallying over 200 rushing yards and almost 300 passing yards.
Dillion Gabriel continued to build up his Heisman case today, completing 69% of his passes for 291 yards and three touchdowns as well as adding a score on the ground.
Illinois (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) will face a tough Minnesota team next week as the Fighting Illini look to stay in the top half of the conference.
Oregon (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) will have their toughest remaining matchup next week when they travel to the Big House to take on a struggling Michigan squad. If Oregon continues to play at this caliber, we will be watching Gabriel and company competing for a Big Ten championship and a national title in its first year in its new conference.
Other Top 25 results:
No. 3 Penn State stays perfect
- The Nittany Lions move to 7-0 on the season, defeating Wisconsin 28-13. Penn State quarterback Drew Allar left the game late in the first half, but James Franklin's squad overcame a 10-7 halftime deficit without him. The Nittany Lions will have their toughest test of the season next week at home against Ohio State as they will look to take down the Buckeyes for the first time since 2016.
No. 6 Miami (Fla.) moves to 8-0 with win over Florida State
- Miami took care of business against Florida State, winning 36-14, and moving to 8-0 for the first time since 2017. Quarterback Cam Ward and the offense had a field day, scoring on seven of their eight drives, including a receiving touchdown for Ward. The 22-point win is the team’s first victory over seven points since Sept. 21.
- BYU improved to 8-0 on the season, taking down UCF, 37-24. The victory marks the program's best start through eight games since 2020. The Cougars' offense put on a show at home, producing 480 total yards with 228 passing yards and a season-high 252 rushing yards.
No. 15 Alabama shuts out No. 21 Missouri
- The Crimson Tide got back on track against a Brady Cook-less Tigers offense, beating Missouri 34-0. Without Cook, who left the game in the first quarter due to an upper-body injury, the Tigers punted seven times and turned the ball over four times. The loss marks the first time Missouri has been shut out since 2019.
