No. 1 Oklahoma took a giant step toward its first trip to the Big 12 championship by rallying past No. 23 Texas A&M on the road. But the Sooners may have a different title opponent than expected.
No. 4 Nebraska did not fare quite as well in its road test, falling to No. 16 Kansas State 29-28 in snowy Manhattan. The Huskers' BCS hopes were likely shot, while the Wildcats are one win from a virtual home-game rematch against the Sooners at Arrowhead Stadium.
Elsewhere, upsets put two Big Ten teams' Rose Bowl hopes on hold, as Iowa shocked No. 12 Northwestern and Michigan State routed No. 9 Purdue. The Pac-10 seems much more intent on getting to Pasadena, with Oregon, Oregon State and Washington all improving to 9-1.
And in the SEC, Florida and Auburn took important steps toward the conference title. The Gators clinched the East by beating South Carolina, while Auburn overcame Georgia in overtime but still needs some help to get to Atlanta.
| Week 12 Recaps |
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| (1) Oklahoma 35, (23) Texas A&M 31 |
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6-of-7, 44 yards; two carries, 19 yards. Josh Heupel's stats on OU's scoring drive, taking over down 31-21.
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| Player of the Game |
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Torrance Marshall, LB, Oklahoma. His 32-yard interception return for the go-ahead touchdown changed the entire game. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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Oklahoma had been tested before, but this was its biggest obstacle yet: down 31-21 in the fourth quarter to a ranked team in a hostile stadium. The Sooners barely blinked, with Heupel leading a 77-yard touchdown drive (see above) to get within a field goal, then going ahead on Marshall's pick. The Aggies, behind the bruising running of Ja'Mar Toombs and the playmaking of Robert Ferguson, battled back, but OU held on consecutive Oklahoma possessions. Heupel threw an uncharacteristic two interceptions, but still completed two-thirds of his passes (28-of-42).
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| (2) Miami 35 , Pittsburgh 7 |
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31: Yards for Pittsburgh WR Antonio Bryant, who came in averaging a nation's-best 148.9.
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| Player of the Game |
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Phillip Buchanon, CB, Miami. Picked off two passes, running back the first 72 yards for a touchdown. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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Much is made of the Hurricanes' explosive offense, but how 'bout that defense? Going against a Pittsburgh offense that's been putting up yards on everyone, the 'Canes held the Panthers to 77 yards rushing and 266 overall. That, combined with three turnovers, was more than enough for Ken Dorsey and the Miami offense. Dorsey was 22-of-35 and produced three touchdowns.
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| (3) Florida State 35, Wake Forest 6 |
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61: Passing yards for Wake Forest. |
| Player of the Game |
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Chris Weinke, QB, Florida State
Threw five touchdown passes to compensate for two interceptions.
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| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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Not quite the massacre many expected, but a blowout nonetheless. The Seminoles gained only one more first down than the Demon Deacons, but 280 more yards. Weinke (21-of-33, 305 yards), as always, capitalized on exceptional plays by his receivers, including top target Marvin Minnis (six catches, 125 yards, three TDs). FSU now preps for the big one, next week against Florida, and waits to see how its kooky BCS standing fluctuates this week.
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| (16) Kansas State 29, (4) Nebraska 28 |
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39: Passing yards for Nebraska.
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| Player of the Game |
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Quincy Morgan, WR, Kansas State. Made seven catches for 199 yards and two TDs, including the game-winner.
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| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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This was Nebraska's worst nightmare: a game that comes down to Eric Crouch being forced to execute a passing drive to win. As shifty as the Husker quarterback is, throwing isn't his strong suit (2 of 13 Saturday), and when he couldn't connect on a fourth-down pass with less than a minute to go, this one was over. Give credit to the Wildcats' defense, which allowed only 239 total yards, and a timely offense led by Jonathan Beasley.
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| (5) Florida 41, (21) South Carolina 21 |
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3: Florida passing touchdowns, one more than South Carolina had allowed all season.
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| Player of the Game |
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Jabar Gaffney, WR, Florida. Redshirt freshman notched his sixth straight 100-yard game (167) on seven catches. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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The pesky Gamecocks put a real scare into the inhabitants of The Swamp, going up 21-3 in the first quarter on consecutive blocked-punts-for-touchdowns. But Steve Spurrier replaced QB Rex Grossman with Jesse Palmer, and the Fun 'n' Gun wasted no time rolling to 38 unanswered points. South Carolina was only able to muster 161 yards after its only touchdown drive to start the game. The Gators win the SEC East and return to Atlanta, while suddenly "skidding" South Carolina travels to Clemson for another toughie.
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| (6) Oregon 25, California 17 |
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2-of-16: Cal's third-down conversion rate.
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Joey Harrington, QB, Oregon. Completed 20-of-35 for 252 yards, and accounted for three second-half TDs. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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Somehow, Cal always manages to hang around in big games despite producing little or no offense. QB Kyle Boller struggled, as expected, at rowdy Autzen Stadium, completing only 15 of 38 throws for 197 yards. Yet the Bears took a 17-12 lead into the fourth quarter before Harrington hooked up with Keenan Howry for the winning score. Pasadena is awful close now.
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| (7) Washington 35, UCLA 28 |
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349: Rushing yards for the Huskies.
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| Player of the Game |
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Rich Alexis, RB, Washington. Carried 21 times for 127 yards. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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The Huskies spread the ball around on the ground, eating up clock and keeping UCLA's offense off the field. Add Willie Hurst's 11 carries for 99 yards and Pat Conniff's two TD runs to Alexis' total, and you can see why the Huskies were successful. Cory Paus had a decent game for the Bruins, throwing for 298 yards, but he and DeShaun Foster couldn't muster enough between them to outpoint Washington.
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| (8) Virginia Tech 44, Central Florida 21 |
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8: Passes attempted by Virginia Tech in the game.
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| Player of the Game |
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Lee Suggs, RB, Virginia Tech. Took over the workhorse role for the Hokies, carrying 30 times for 143 yards and five TDs.
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| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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This trip to the Sunshine State went much better for the Hokies than the last one. With Michael Vick dressed out but remaining on the sidelines, the Hokies didn't let Dave Meyer out of the cage very often. Virginia Tech kept it on the ground, relying on Suggs to do all the dirty work and score the points (he now has 24 TDs this year). Central Florida's pass-oriented attack moved the ball fairly well, but the Knights never could find a way to slow Suggs.
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| Michigan State 30, (9) Purdue 10 |
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487: Total yards by Michigan State, which came in averaging 100 less.
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| Player of the Game |
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T.J. Duckett, RB, Michigan State. Destroyed Purdue's normally stout run defense, finishing with 172 yards on 31 carries.
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| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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Just like usual, as Drew Brees goes, so does Purdue. This time, an agressive Spartans defense forced the one-time Heisman candidate into three interceptions and only one touchdown pass. Unlike against Ohio State, when Brees threw four picks but bailed himself out, his Boilers converted only two of 10 third downs. The Spartans' offense, meanwhile, played it close to the vest, wearing down Purdue with nearly 300 rushing yards. The Boilers, who could have clinched the Rose Bowl with a win, still control their own destiny by beating Indiana next week.
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| (10) Oregon State 33, Arizona 9 |
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6: Years since Arizona had been held without a touchdown in a game. |
| Player of the Game |
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LaDairis Jackson, DE, Oregon State. Sacked Arizona's Ortege Jenkins three times. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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So, how good is Oregon State? Its star player, Ken Simonton, was held to a season-low 73 yards, yet the Beavers still dominated a decent team on the road from start to finish. Their defense was the key, flustering Jenkins into a 6-for-17 night and limiting Arizona to 158 total yards. Oregon State, meanwhile, scored on its first five possessions. But to go to the Rose Bowl, the Beavers are now relegated to hoping that, even if they defeat rival Oregon, Washington loses to mediocre Washington State.
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| (11) Notre Dame 28, Boston College 16 |
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360: Rushing yards for the Irish, compared with 121 for the Eagles. |
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Tony Fisher, RB, Notre Dame. Breakout game for the inconsistent starter, who racked up 195 yards and two touchdowns.
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| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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Many thought Notre Dame gained another lucky break when Boston College lost QB Tim Hasslebeck prior to the contest. But Brian St. Pierre was effective as his replacement. The reason N.D. dominated from the start was its control of the ground game, shattering its previous season high by more than 130 yards. Special teams also played a role, as the Irish gained 130 return yards. Now, only road games against Rutgers and USC stand between N.D. and the BCS.
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| Iowa 27, (12) Northwestern 17 |
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165: Northwestern rushing yards, 100 below its season average. |
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Kyle McCann, QB, Iowa. Took advantage of Wildcats' porous secondary, completing 17-of-27 for 252 yards and two TDs.
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| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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Northwestern's high-powered offense couldn't bail out its defense this time, mostly because the Hawkeyes had a masterful plan to limit the danger. Constantly stuffing RB Damien Anderson (132 yards) at or around the line early on, Iowa made QB Zak Kustok beat them, and the cold weather limited his effectiveness. NU's defense gave up several big plays to the previously lifeless Iowa offense, which won consecutive games for the first time in three years and killed NU's Rose Bowl chances.
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| (13) Ohio State 24, Illinois 21 |
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196: Combined rushing total of Buckeyes tailbacks Jonathan Wells (131) and Derek Combs (65).
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| Player to Watch |
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Dan Stultz, K, Ohio State. Connected on four field goals, including the game-winner (after Illinois called three timeouts). |
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The Buckeyes were very lucky to come away with a victory, clinched on Stultz' 34-yarder as time expired. OSU dominated the game statistically, but trailed 18-14 in the fourth quarter thanks largely to three interceptions thrown by the always-erratic Steve Bellisari. But Illinois suffered a costly loss when QB Kurt Kittner was knocked from the game on a helmet-to-helmet tackle sliding toward the end zone. Illinois went on to score, but was ineffective under Dustin Ward. OSU kept alive its slim Rose Bowl hopes, but must beat Michigan next week.
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| (22) Auburn 29, (14) Georgia 26 (OT) |
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2.1: Yards per carry for Georgia, which finished with 55 yards rushing.
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| Player of the Game |
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Rudi Johnson, RB, Auburn. As usual, did the dirty work for the Tigers by carrying 34 times for 152 yards. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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For most of the first half, Auburn could do no right; for most of the second half, Georgia took that mantle. In the end, Georgia backup QB Cory Phillips hooked up with Terrence Edwards to bring the Bulldogs back and force overtime, but the momentum didn't carry into the extra period. Johnson bruised the Georgia defense on a variety of runs, while Ben Leard recovered nicely from a shaky first half and sneaked in the winning score in OT.
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| (15) Mississippi State 29, Alabama 7 |
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26-7: MSU's previous largest victory margin over the Tide. |
| Player of the Game |
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Dicenzo Miller, RB, Mississippi State. One half of the Bulldogs' talented backfield tandem scored twice and gained 104 yards. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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It's becoming a familiar pattern for the Bulldogs. For the fourth time, Miller and Donate Walker (117) each gained 100 yards, and every time they split the carries almost dead even (16 for each.) MSU didn't just succeed on the ground, though. QB Wayne Madkin threw for a career-high 262 yards, while the hapless Tide managed only 31 yards on the ground. Alabama must now win against Auburn in Mike DuBose's final game to avoid its worst record (3-8) in 45 years.
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| (18) TCU 24, Fresno State 7 |
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3-of-17: Fresno's woeful conversion rate on third down.
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| Player to Watch |
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LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, Ohio State.
Don't forget him yet -- 225 yards on 41 carries for L.T.
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| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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TCU rebounded from its loss to San Jose State, and not as close as the score indicated. Prolific Fresno passer David Carr connected with Bernard Berrian for a first-quarter 27-yard touchdown pass, but got shut down after that. The Horned Frogs won in typical fashion, grinding it out and playing stifling defense. TCU now needs to beat UETP in its final game to win the WAC.
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| (19) Texas 51, Kansas 16 |
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45.0: Mind-boggling yards-per-catch average for Texas' Roy Williams (four catches, 180 yards, two TDs).
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| Player of the Game |
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Hodges Mitchell, RB, Texas. Registered his second straight monster game with 261 yards and three TDs on 35 carries. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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What happened? For eight games, Texas could not run the ball. The past two weeks, the Longhorns have put 639 rushing yards on the board. And this week it was a total domination, as the Longhorns notched 647 total yards, led by the return of Chris Simms at quarterback. This despite Kansas jumping ahead 14-0, when it looked like Simms was up to his old tricks, throwing an interception that got returned 43 yards for KU's second score.
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| (20) Michigan 33, Penn State 11 |
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2-of-14: Penn State's third-down conversion rate, wasting 406 yards of offense.
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| Player of the Game |
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Todd Howard, CB, Michigan. Notched two of Michigan's four interceptions. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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Both teams played sloppy, combining for seven interceptions, and Penn State missed three field goals in the first half. Michigan running back Anthony Thomas burned Penn State for 171 yards, and the defense never allowed Lions QB Rashard Casey to get into a rhythm. Joe Paterno eventually elected to go with Matt Senneca, but he threw a pick too. With Northwestern losing to Iowa today, Michigan has to be asking itself, "What if?" regarding its lost Rose Bowl hopes.
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| (24) Georgia Tech 35, Virginia 0 |
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627: Total yards for Georgia Tech, compared to only 290 for Virginia. |
| Player of the Game |
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George Godsey, QB, Georgia Tech. Completed 29 of 37 passes for 323 yards and three touchdowns, giving him 23 touchdowns and only four interceptions this season. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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Joe Hamilton is now a Tampa Bay Buccaneer, but the Yellow Jackets' offense has rarely looked better. Godsey continued his poised play at quarterback in offensive coordinator Ralph Friedgen's scheme, and Georgia Tech dominated Virginia from the outset. The Jackets had four players rush for 45 yards or more (led by Joe Burns' 24 carries for 120 yards and two touchdowns) and they controlled the ball for nearly 38 minutes en route to their first shutout since 1993.
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| (25) Southern Miss 33, UAB 30 (2OT) |
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2: Southern Miss victories at Birmingham's Legion Field this season (21-0 over Alabama). |
| Player of the Game |
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Dawayne Woods, RB, Southern Miss. Accounted for 194 all-purpose yards, including the game-winning touchdown catch. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
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The Eagles made it interesting before holding on to keep alive their slim Liberty Bowl hopes. Woods, in his first game since Derrixk Nix was deemed done for the year, stepped up in a big way, scoring three touchdowns. And QB Jeff Kelly was sharp in the overtime periods, throwing for two scores. He was 25-of-34 for 261 yards on the day.
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