Brett Hundley passed for 234 yards and a touchdown and rushed for two more scores as No. 17 UCLA beat No. 21 Southern California 38-28 yesterday in Pasadena, Calif., clinching the Pac-12 South title and emphatically snapping a five-game losing streak in their crosstown rivalry.
Eric Kendricks blocked a punt and made a fourth-quarter interception for the Bruins (9-2, 6-2 Pac-12), who overcame intermittent second-half rain and USC’s star-studded lineup for a gutsy victory that puts them atop Los Angeles football.
A year after USC obliterated the Bruins 50-0 in a game that led to a coaching change in Westwood, UCLA punctuated its one-year revitalization under Jim Mora with its first win over the Trojans (7-4, 5-4) since 2006 — just their second in 14 years.
Matt Barkley passed for 301 yards and two touchdowns, but threw two interceptions in the Trojans’ third loss in four games.
LSU 41, Mississippi 35
It took a punt return reminiscent of Billy Cannon’s and much more for No. 8 LSU to survive its 101st meeting with Ole Miss.
Jeremy Hill scored his third touchdown with 15 seconds left to lift the Tigers (9-2, 5-2 SEC) to victory over relentless but mistake-prone Mississippi (5-6, 2-5) in Baton rouge, La., in a classic encounter between the rivals.
The game included seven turnovers, numerous momentum swings and long touchdowns, perhaps none better than Odell Beckham Jr.’s 89-yard punt return for a score — tying the game at 35-35 — that evoked memories of Cannon’s famous return against the same team, along the same sideline, for the same yardage back in 1959.
Notre Dame 38, Wake Forest 0
In South Bend, Ind., Everett Golson threw touchdown passes of 50, 34 and 2 yards, Cierre Wood scored on a 68-yard run and third-ranked Notre Dame (11-0) beat Wake Forest (5-6) to finish undefeated at home for the first time since 1998 and keep its national championship hopes alive.
The Fighting Irish improved to 11-0 for the first time since 1989 and need to beat Southern California on Saturday in Los Angeles to finish a regular season undefeated for the first time since 1988, the last time they won a national title.
Ohio St. 21, Wisconsin 14 (OT)
In Madison, Wis., Carlos Hyde scored on a 2-yard run in overtime, giving No. 6 Ohio State (11-0, 7-0 Big Ten) the victory over Wisconsin (7-4, 4-3) and keeping the Buckeyes’ hopes of a perfect season alive.
The win gave the Buckeyes the Leaders Division title outright, but they are ineligible for the Big Ten title game and a bowl as part of their punishment for NCAA violations under former coach Jim Tressel.
Wisconsin’s Montee Ball tied the major-college career record with his 78th touchdown, a 7-yard run in the second quarter. But he fumbled on what would have been the record-breaker with 2:46 left in regulation.
Texas A&M 47, Sam Houston St. 28
In College Station, Texas, Johnny Manziel threw for 267 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for 100 yards and two more scores as No. 9 Texas A&M (9-2) beat Sam Houston State (8-3).
Manziel, the redshirt freshman with the cool nickname of Johnny Football, threw an 89-yard touchdown pass to Uzoma Nwachukwu on A&M’s first offensive play of the second half. The dual-threat quarterback, who set NCAA freshman QB rushing and total offense records, then attempted the extra point, but it sailed wide right, ending the Heisman hopeful’s day with A&M leading 40-0.
Florida 23, Jacksonville St. 0
In Gainesville, Fla., No. 7 Florida (10-1) used a strong defensive effort to overcome a sluggish offensive performance, in which Mike Gillislee’s first-quarter rush from 7-yards out was their only offensive touchdown, and beat FCS foe Jacksonville State (6-5).
In other games, No. 4 Alabama shut out Western Carolina, 49-0; No. 5 Georgia overcame a slow start to clobber Georgia Southern, 45-14; No. 10 Florida State blitzed Maryland, 41-14; No. 11 Clemson rolled over North Carolina State, 62-48, on eight total TDs by quarterback Tajh Boyd; No. 12 South Carolina topped Wofford, 24-7; No. 16 Nebraska beat Minnesota, 38-14; Utah State shocked No. 19 Louisiana Tech, 48-41 in overtime; No. 23 Michigan routed Iowa, 42-17; Oklahoma State upset No. 23 Texas Tech, 59-21; and No. 25 Kent State edged Bowling Green, 31-24.