It was about 6:15 p.m. on the East Coast on Saturday, and this rabid college football watcher was left in a quandary: What to watch. Air Force had just taken Notre Dame into overtime, Drew Brees was leading Purdue back against Ohio State, Virginia Tech was trying to hold off Pittsburgh without Michael Vick and Georgia Tech had undefeated Clemson on the ropes.
To find out how all these cliffhangers ended, you'll have to read below. Just knows that on this most dramatic of Saturdays, none was even the biggest story. That, of course, would be resurgent Oklahoma reaching a new pinnacle in its comeback, drilling Nebraska 31-14 to become the nation's new top-ranked team.
| Week 10 Recaps |
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| (3) Oklahoma 31, (1) Nebraska 14 |
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15: Nebraska's total yards in the second quarter, in which it was outscored 24-0. |
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Rocky Calmus and Torrance Marshall, LBs, Oklahoma. Sooners' defensive studs clamped down on the Huskers' runners, combining for 28 tackles and two sacks. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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In Oklahoma's most impressive win yet, the Sooners withstood two long Nebraska touchdowns right off the bat, including an impressive 37-yard dash by Eric Crouch, then dominated the rest of the way. Josh Heupel was his usual magnificent self, throwing for 300 yards. But Oklahoma also took advantage of special teams (a blocked punt at 14-14) and turnovers (Nebraska's last real chance was shot when Derrick Strait returned an Eric Crouch 3rd-and-29 interception for a 34-yard-TD). After topping giants Texas, Kansas State and Nebraska consecutively, four less-challenging games stand between OU and the Big 12 title game.
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| (2) Virginia Tech 37, Pittsburgh 34 |
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14: Consecutive Big East wins by Virginia Tech, a new league record. |
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Lee Suggs, RB, Virginia Tech. Stepped up big in Michael Vick's absence, gaining 164 yards and three touchdowns. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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Last year, it was West Virginia that made the Hokies fight to the finish for 8-0. This time, Michael Vick wasn't around to bail out Va. Tech, having been knocked out in the first half with an ankle sprain. His replacement, Dave Meyer, calmly led the Hokies down the field to set up the winning field goal with less than one minute left. QB John Turman had another fantastic day for the Panthers, throwing for 311 yards and four TDs.
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| (4) Miami 42, Louisiana Tech 31 |
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5: Career punt-return TDs for Santana Moss, breaking a Big East record he had previously shared with Quinton Spotwood.
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James Jackson, RB, Miami. Came through with a big game, rushing for 185 yards and a pair of TDs.
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| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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This wasn't how the Hurricanes wanted to enter next week's showdown with Virginia Tech. Miami looked sloppy throughout the game, turning the ball over four times, committing 12 penalties and allowing Louisiana Tech to gain 485 yards. Moss and Jackson were about the only positives for Miami, which also saw still-learning quarterback Ken Dorsey picked off three times by a group of Bulldogs not known for their defensive abilities.
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| Georgia Tech 31, (5) Clemson 28 |
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550: Georgia Tech's total offense against the nation's No. 4-rated defense.
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Kelly Campbell, WR, Georgia Tech. An eye-popping 14 catches for 209 yards and a TD. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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A monumental win for the Yellow Jackets, who have hardly missed a beat in the first year post- Joe Hamilton. Tech QB George Godsey got great protection against Keith Adams and the Clemson front, enabling him to throw for 454 yards and three touchdowns. The Tigers were without Woodrow Dantzler for the second half, yet surged ahead 28-24 with 1:52 remaining only to see Godsey drive the Jackets back down the field for the winning score, which Kerry Watkins grabbed with one hand. Clemson's national title hopes aren't completely shot, but they'll need to beat Florida State next week.
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| (6) Florida State 58, (21) N.C. State 14 |
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4: Touchdowns in the second quarter for Florida State.
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Travis Minor, RB, Florida State. Carried the load with 129 yards and two touchdowns. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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The Seminoles concentrated on the ground game (324 yards rushing) -- the better to keep N.C. State's quick-strike offense off the field -- and it worked to perfection. Led by Minor, Florida State controlled the ball and the clock, and still managed to pull out some big plays itself. As for the Wolfpack, it was clear freshman QB Philip Rivers hadn't seen a defense like this all year, and he struggled, but it should serve him and the team well down the road.
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| (7) Oregon 56, Arizona State 55 (2OT) |
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1,232: Combined total offense, 667 for ASU, 565 for Oregon.
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Joey Harrington, QB, Oregon. Threw two touchdowns in the final 3:21 of regulation to tie it, six overall. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
| Remember all that talk about the Pac-10 being better because of its teams' defenses? Forget about it. This was the kind of headache-inducing shootout you think about when you think of West Coast football. Oregon's previously staunch defense, perhaps fatigued from last weekend's late-night struggle with Arizona, never had an answer for Sun Devils QB Jeff Krohn, who threw for 432 yards and five TDs. But the Ducks defense came through when it mattered most, recovering a Mike Williams fumble when the Devils could have run out the clock.
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| (8) Florida 34, (13) Georgia 23 |
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4: Consecutive 100-yard receiving games for Florida's Jabar Gaffney, who had 138 in this one.
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Rex Grossman, QB, Florida. Despite a horrible first half, went 12 of 24 for 152 yards and two key touchdowns. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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The Bulldogs have been notorious in this series for committing costly turnovers that take them out of the game before they have a chance to make it close. That held true in this one, with Quincy Carter throwing a crucial interception just before the half that the Gators turned into a tying touchdown. It continued in the fourth quarter, when Carter fumbled away any chance Georgia had of making a late comeback. After those two key turnovers, the three interceptions Grossman threw in the opening half before being yanked in favor of Jesse Palmer didn't look so bad.
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| (9) Washington 31, Stanford 28 |
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2: Onside kicks recovered and converted into TDs by Stanford in the final six minutes.
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Marques Tuiasosopo, QB, Washington. Didn't have his sharpest game, but led the key touchdown drive at the end. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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It looked like this one was in the bag with six minutes to play, as Washington led 24-6. But Randy Fasani led the Cardinal back into the lead with a pair of rushing touchdowns late, forcing the Huskies to reawaken and drive for the winning score. Nothing ever comes easy in the wacky Pac-10, but the Huskies just continue to hang around in the conference race with ugly wins like this.
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| Texas A&M
26, (10) Kansas State 10 |
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60: Kansas State streak of consecutive wins over unranked opponents snapped by the Aggies. |
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Jason Glenn, LB, Texas A&M. One of several Aggies defenders key in shutting down the Wildcats' normally potent attack.
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| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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Suddenly that Nebraska-Kansas State game doesn't seem quite so huge. The Aggies wore down Kansas State's defense like few before have, led by three short-yardage touchdowns and 89 yards from fullback Ja'Mar Toombs. Meanwhile, Kansas State QB Jonathan Beasley was limited to 13-of-29 passing for 203 yards, and the Wildcats barely broke 100 yards rushing.
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| (11) TCU 38, Rice 0 |
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12: Consecutive TCU wins, the nation's longest streak following Nebraska's loss.
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LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, TCU. Everyone's favorite marginal Heisman candidate nets 200 yards and two TDs. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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Rice normally puts up big offensive numbers with its wishbone attack, but not against the nation's top-ranked defense. The Horned Frogs held the Owls to 186 total yards. Tomlinson took care of the rest with 41 carries. With all the losses by highly ranked teams Saturday, TCU could crack the nation's top 10. Did the Frogs really go 1-10 just three years ago?
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| (16) Purdue 24, (12) Ohio State 20 |
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16-of-20: Drew Brees' conversion rate on third downs.
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Drew Brees, QB, Purdue. The line: 39-of-65, 465 yards, three TDs. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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Brees may have won himself the Heisman Trophy with his performance on Saturday, even though he almost lost the game himself as well. Brees led the Boilermakers back from 20-10 with magnificent flare. Both of his touchdown passes were highlight material. But OSU's fourth interception of Brees put it up 27-24 in the final minutes. That is, until he led the Boilers right back down the field for a 64-yard clincher. Only Michigan State and Indiana are left for the Rose Bowl frontrunners.
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| (14) Southern Miss 6, Houston 3 |
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17: Consecutive games since Houston had not allowed a touchdown. |
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Brant Hanna, K, Southern Miss. Pretty bad when your kicker misses three field goals and he still scores all your points.
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| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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They blamed the lack offense on the wind, which is as good an explanation as any, considering the Cougars didn't have a defense before taking the field on Saturday. Southern Miss has never been mistaken for an offensive juggernaut, but it usually executes better than this, when 328 yards were almost entirely wasted. Its defense, however, continued its dominating season, lowering its opponent scoring average to 9.3
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| (19) Notre Dame 34, Air Force 31 (OT) |
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265-30: Margin by which the Falcons outgained the Irish in the fourth quarter, in which they came back from 28-10.
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Joey Getherall, WR, Notre Dame. Four catches for 116 yards and the game-winning TD scamper. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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Notre Dame did everything it could to blow the game, only to step up when it absolutely mattered. After watching Mike Thiessen lead Air Force to 18 unanswered fourth-quarter points and after nearly sacking ND's Matt LoVecchio for a safety, the Irish clamped down in time to block AFA's 28-yard field goal try at the end of regulation. The Irish actually scored a prior touchdown in overtime, but it was ruled out-of-bounds.
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| (20) Mississippi State 61, Middle Tennessee State 35 |
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527: Yards allowed by Mississippi State's supposedly stout defense to the Blue Raiders. |
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Wayne Madkin, QB, Mississippi State. Passed at will, completing 13-of-18 for 213 yards. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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Out of the three SEC schools who scheduled Homecoming cupcakes this weekend, MSU fared the best -- and that's not saying much. Alabama inexplicably fell to Central Floirda, and Ole Miss needed overtime to finish off UNLV. But the Bulldogs weren't exactly happy with their effort, the second straight game their once-mighty defense got torched. At least last time it was by an SEC school, LSU. On offense, Dicenzo Miller and Dontae Walker each cracked 100 yards.
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| Tennessee 17, (17) South Carolina 14 |
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24: South Carolina rushing yards, 158.5 below its season average. |
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Travis Henry, RB, Tennessee. Workhorse carried for 115 yards and the game-winning TD. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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In a game that typified South Carolina's season, it was low scoring, ugly and a barn-burner till the end. Tennessee scored its first touchdown after a muffed punt by Derek Watson put the ball at the 1. The Gamecocks scored their first touchdown after a Clasey Clausen interception. And back and forth it went, 'till the Vols' 16-play, 76-yard drive sealed things on Henry's run with 0:26 left. Good thing S.C. clinched that bowl bid already -- Florida and Clemson remain.
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| (18) Oregon State 38, Washington State 9 |
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36: Years since OSU was 7-1, also its last Rose Bowl season. |
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Ken Simonton, RB, Oregon State. 169 yards, two touchdowns and three straight 1,000-yard seasons.
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| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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Oregon State may just be the most complete team this side of Norman, Okla. Against WSU, it wasn't just Simonton and the explosive Beavers offense getting the job done. It was also a stingy defense, limiting the Cougars to 240 yards and holding Pac-10 passing leader Jason Gesser to 104 on 11-of-29 passing. The cross-state Ducks may be getting all the press, but they still have to go through Corvallis to get to Pasadena.
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| (22) Texas 48, Baylor 14 |
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10: First downs for Baylor, compared with 25 for Texas.
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B.J. Johnson, WR, Texas.
Another super Longhorn frosh catches nine balls for 162 yards and a TD.
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| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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Considering the misery of Baylor, this was not as impressive a victory for Texas as the score might indicate. The Longhorns settled for four Kris Stockton field goals. Major Applewhite became UT's all-time passing leader, but was only 18-of-42 during the game. And the 'Horns' on-again, off-again running game was off, accounting for only 89 yards. Texas may not have a shot at the Big 12 title, but with its light remaining schedule, could still manage a nine-win season.
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| (23) Northwestern 41, Minnesota 35 |
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27: Consecutive points scored by Northwestern to end the game.
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Zak Kustok, QB, Northwesrtern. Led the Wildcats back by leading four touchdown drives, including the game-winning Hail Mary. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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While Northwestern's Damien Anderson rolled up 230 rushing yards, the Wildcats almost didn't convert enough points for it to matter. An NU fumble near the goal line and a fake punt for a touchdown by the Gophers negated the Wildcats' early momentum, and they fell behind 35-14. But Kustok helped produce four touchdowns in the Cats' final five series, and Minnesota hurt itself with penalties. The game appeared headed to overtime until NU's pefectly executed 45-yard Hail Mary at the final gun, in which Knule Patrick tipped the ball to a wide-open Sam Simmons in the end zone.
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| UCLA 27, (24) Arizona 24 |
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8: Consecutive road losses for UCLA before this game.
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Cory Paus, QB, UCLA. The young quarterback threw for a touchdown, then ran in for the winning score with 48 seconds left. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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The Wildcats were sloppy from the beginning in this one, as Ortege Jenkins threw four interceptions, including one as Arizona was driving in the waning moments. Ricky Manning had two of those picks, leading the way for a rejuvenated Bruin defense. UCLA held the Wildcats scoreless in the second half, and Paus put together just enough offense to lift his team over the top.
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| (25) Auburn 21, Arkansas 19 |
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0-for-2: Fourth-down conversions for Arkansas.
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Rodney Crayton, CB, Auburn. Broke up three passes and registered one of Auburn's two key fourth-quarter interceptions. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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It was battle of who wanted to lose less. The game featured three turnovers in the final 2:31, as Auburn clung to its 21-19 lead for dear life. The Tigers got big games from RB Rudi Johnson (29 carries, 114 yards) and QB Ben Leard (240 yards), but the Razorbacks stayed close thanks to 161 yards for Fred Talley in his first career start. Arkansas has now lost eight consecutive SEC games on the road.
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