AP Top 25 poll preview: ACC opens up with Louisville, Virginia losses, paving way for Georgia Tech
The biggest winner in Week 11 of college football didn’t touch the field this week. Despite being idle, Georgia Tech is set to reclaim the Atlantic Coast Conference lead after losses by No. 12 Virginia and No. 14 Louisville. Texas Tech defeated BYU 29-7, taking the lead in the Big 12. Indiana narrowly avoided a loss to Penn State with a last-minute win. Iowa played a tough game against Oregon but lost with a game-winning field goal. Memphis lost to Tulane, and Miami's big win over Syracuse could boost their rankings. Missouri lost to Texas A&M, marking its third loss. James Madison's win over Marshall might help it crack the AP Top 25.
Omar Cooper Jr's toe-tap TD keeps No. 2 Indiana's undefeated season alive vs Penn State in 27-24 win
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Omar Cooper Jr. jumped to catch a pass from Fernando Mendoza in the back of the end zone, sweeping his inside foot within the field of play to save No. 2 Indiana from its first loss of the season. A downtrodden Penn State team almost denied the Hoosiers their first Happy Valley win in school history. Mendoza connected with the leaping Cooper with 36 seconds remaining to put Indiana ahead 27-24 on Saturday. Penn State rallied to take a 24-20 lead late in the fourth quarter after being down by 13 points in the third. The Nittany Lions couldn’t put together a response following Cooper’s touchdown.
Harrington's 5 field goals, Rodriguez's takeaways lead No. 9 Texas Tech past No. 8 BYU 29-7
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Stone Harrington kicked a school-record five field goals and Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez had two takeaways as the No. 9 Red Red Raiders beat eighth-ranked BYU 29-7. Behren Morton passed for 219 yards and threw a 9-yard touchdown to Caleb Douglas and Cameron Dickey ran for 121 yards and a 1-yard score Saturday for the 9-1 Red Raiders, who played in a top-10 matchup for the first time since 2008. BYU dropped to 8-1 and snapped its overall 10-game winning streak.
No. 6 Oregon escapes with 18-16 win over Iowa on Sappington's field goal with 3 seconds left
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Atticus Sappington kicked a 39-yard field goal with 3 seconds left, and No. 6 Oregon escaped with an 18-16 win over Iowa on a rainy Saturday. Dante Moore led a 10-play, 54-yard drive to set up Sappington’s third field goal of the game. He connected with Malik Benson for 24 yards to get the Ducks into range for the winning kick. Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski’s 3-yard touchdown run capped a 12-play, 93-yard drive that gave the Hawkeyes their first lead, 16-15 with 1:51 to play. Gronowski’s 2-point conversion pass was incomplete. Noah Whittington had 118 rushing yards for the Ducks, who extended their road winning streak to 11 games.
No. 3 Texas A&M's dominant defense overwhelms No. 19 Missouri's freshman QB in 38-17 victory
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Marcel Reed throws for 221 yards and two touchdowns as No. 3 Texas A&M defeats No. 19 Missouri 38-17. The Aggies remain undefeated, improving to 9-0. Rueben Owens II adds 102 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter on Saturday. Missouri freshman Matt Zollers struggles in his first start, completing just 7 of 22 passes for 77 yards. Despite strong rushing performances from Jamal Roberts and Ahmad Hardy, the Tigers fall short. Texas A&M capitalizes on a key fumble late in the first half to build momentum. The Aggies will face South Carolina next, while Missouri hosts Mississippi State.
White House says naming new Washington Commanders stadium after Trump would be 'beautiful'
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The White House says it would be “beautiful” to name the new stadium for Washington’s NFL team after President Donald Trump. The remarks on Saturday came following an ESPN report that an intermediary has told the Commanders’ ownership group that he wants it to bear his name. Trump could deliver the message in person on Sunday when he is expected to watch the Commanders play the Detroit Lions at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. American veterans are scheduled to be honored at halftime.
Gunner Stockton throws for three touchdowns as No. 5 Georgia beats Mississippi State 41-21
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Gunner Stockton threw for 264 yards and three touchdowns and No. 5 Georgia beat Mississippi State 41-21. Georgia (8-1, 6-1 SEC) surrendered a touchdown on the opening drive of the game and then scored 38 straight points. It was a complete mismatch on both sides of the ball as the Georgia Bulldogs held the Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-5, 1-5 SEC) scoreless on six consecutive possessions while scoring five straight touchdowns themselves. Everything worked for Georgia offensively as Stockton finished 18 of 29 passing for 264 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 31 more yards.
Messi leads Inter Miami to East semifinals with 2-goal, 2-assist showing in 4-0 win over Nashville
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are three wins away from an MLS Cup title. Messi scored two goals and added two assists, leading Inter Miami to a 4-0 victory over Nashville SC on Saturday night. Tadeo Allende scored twice in the second half, both set up by Messi. Inter Miami outscored Nashville 8-3 in the series, with Messi involved in all eight goals. Inter Miami will face FC Cincinnati in an East semifinal match on November 22 or 23. This is the first time Inter Miami has reached this stage in the MLS playoffs. Messi is a favorite for his second straight MLS MVP award.
Garrick Higgo shoots 61 to match course record and take lead into final round in Mexico
LOS CABOS, Mexico (AP) — Garrick Higgo matched the El Cardonal at Diamante course record with an 11-under 61 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over Carson Young into the final round of the World Wide Technology Championship. Already a winner this season, Higgo chipped in for eagle on the par-5 first, parred the second and followed with five straight birdies in a 7-under 29 on the front nine. The 26-year-old left-hander from South Africa added four birdies on the back, the last on the par-5 18th to get to 22-under 194. Young had 11 birdies and two bogeys in a 63. The 30-year-old former Clemson player is winless on the PGA Tour. Ryder Cup rookie Ben Griffin, Trevor Cone and Chad Ramey were two strokes back.
Nebraska QB TJ Lateef comes home to beat UCLA in his first college start at the Rose Bowl
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Nebraska quarterback TJ Lateef stood out in his first college start, leading the Cornhuskers to a 28-21 victory over UCLA. Lateef completed 13 of 15 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns, filling in for Dylan Raiola, who went down with a season-ending injury last week. Playing near his hometown of Compton, Lateef impressed with his poise and skill, directing the team to scores on their first four possessions. Coach Matt Rhule praised Lateef's confidence and readiness. Running back Emmett Johnson also exceled, contributing 232 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns. The win boosted Nebraska's hopes for a top-tier bowl game with two regular-season games remaining.
