Back-to-back losses knock Lane Kiffin and Kentucky out of College Football Playoff contention
Kentucky and LSU played their way out of the College Football Playoff with consecutive losses. The No. 13 Wildcats and 24th-ranked Tigers suffered their third and fourth losses of the season, respectively, in Southeastern Conference action. Arch Manning threw a touchdown pass with 3 seconds remaining, rallying No. 8 Texas to a 22-21 win against slightly favored LSU in Baton Rouge. The Tigers lost to Alabama last week at home. Unranked Florida, one of the most up-and-down teams in the country, dealt Kentucky a second straight loss, 21-14 in Lexington. The Cats lost last week at Tennessee.
Arch Manning leads No. 8 Texas to a late score and a dramatic 22-21 win over No. 24 LSU
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Arch Manning — like his grandfather and uncle before him — has a Death Valley comeback story to tell. Manning found Raleek Brown for a 4-yard touchdown pass along the left sideline with 3 seconds left, and No. 8 Texas escaped Tiger Stadium with a 22-21 victory over No. 24 LSU. Manning overcame three interceptions in the state where he was raised to keep Texas firmly in contention for a College Football Playoff spot. LSU is virtually eliminated with its fourth loss this season and second straight at home. In 1968, Manning’s grandfather, Archie, led Mississippi to a comeback victory at Tiger Stadium. So did his uncle, Eli, in 2001.
Ole Miss defends handling of travel issues after Oklahoma AD blasts postponement
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — The Southeastern Conference has announced that Mississippi's game at Oklahoma will be delayed to Sunday. The FAA's decision to ground all flights prevented the Ole Miss team from leaving Oxford on Friday night. The SEC said a late-night departure couldn't be arranged. The Rebels will now travel to Oklahoma on Saturday afternoon. The game, originally set for Saturday, will kick off at 1 p.m. Eastern on Sunday. Oklahoma's athletic director criticized the decision, saying it was unfair to their athletes and fans. He said the SEC threatened Oklahoma with a forfeit if they didn't agree to the change.
US sports scramble back to normal after FAA ground stop upends team travel
Sporting events across the country are slowly returning to normal after the Federal Aviation Administration grounded all flights nationwide for several hours. Friday's disruption affected travel plans for professional and college teams. Most college football teams playing Saturday travel the day before their games. A number of games were delayed by hours to give visiting programs more time to arrive and prepare. Utah's game at Arizona and Arizona State's game at Central Florida were both pushed back three hours. NFL teams playing Sunday typically travel the day before their games. They were expected to fly as planned on Saturday.
No. 7 Alabama survives a sloppy 21-6 win over Vanderbilt behind Keelon Russell
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Keelon Russell threw for 217 yards and three touchdowns and No. 7 Alabama beat Vanderbilt 21-6 in an ugly game that did little to help the Crimson Tide’s stock for the College Football Playoff. Alabama came in third in the CFP rankings but struggled in the first half against a team that recently snapped a five-game skid in the Southeastern Conference. The Crimson Tide led only 7-3 at halftime. Alabama finished with five sacks and held Vanderbilt to a season-low in total offense. Vanderbilt forced two turnovers. The Commodores also turned it over on downs on three of its final four drives, twice inside the Alabama 15.
Georgia marks return to No. 1 by routing Missouri 48-21 behind Frazier and Stockton
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Nate Frazier ran for three touchdowns, Gunner Stockton accounted for a pair of scores and Georgia marked its return to No. 1 by racing to a 31-0 lead on the way to a 48-21 victory over Missouri. The Bulldogs improved to 9-1 by scoring on their first five possessions, ensuring this trip to the top of the rankings will last more than one week. A month ago, Georgia moved up to No. 1 for the first time this season — and promptly took a shocking home loss to unranked Auburn. No such issues with another set of Tigers.
Mensah, Mallory lead No. 5 Miami past Duke 36-25 as Hurricanes close in on ACC title game berth
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Darian Mensah passed for 382 yards and a touchdown against his former school, Javian Mallory scored three times and No. 5 Miami moved closer to wrapping up a trip to the Atlantic Coast Conference title game by beating Duke 36-25. Mark Fletcher Jr. also rushed for a score for Miami, which tied a school mark with its 11th consecutive ACC victory. Former Duke receiver Cooper Barkate had his first 100-yard game for Miami, catching eight passes for 134 yards. Nate Sheppard rushed for two scores to lead Duke and had a pair of 47-yard carries in the game.
Grant Wilson throws 2 TD passes, No. 6 Indiana beats No. 15 USC 27-13
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Grant Wilson threw two touchdown passes in his first start for No. 6 Indiana, Khobie Martin scored on a 1-yard run and the Hoosiers had two late interceptions to preserve a crucial 27-13 victory over No. 15 USC on Saturday. The victory helps Indiana (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten, No. 9 CFP) solidify its postseason resume after falling five spots in this week’s playoff rankings. Indiana has won three straight since losing to then-No. 2 Ohio State, and this time they did it with Wilson filling in for Josh Hoover. Coach Curt Cignetti said Hoover was healthy but he went with Wilson anyway. The Trojans (7-3, 4-3, No. 18) needed a victory to keep their playoff — and Big Ten title hopes alive
Kayla Harrison taps out Amanda Nunes to retain 135-pound title in co-main event of UFC 334 at MSG
NEW YORK (AP) — Kayla Harrison retained her 135-pound championship when she choked out Amanda Nunes in the fourth round and spoiled the comeback bid of the woman widely recognized as the greatest female fighter in the co-main event of UFC 334 on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. Ciryl Gane is set to defend his UFC heavyweight championship against Josh Hokit in the main event. Harrison had spinal fusion surgery in January for a neck injury that delayed this anticipated fight until Saturday night at the Garden. Her neck held up. Nunes lost her first fight since she ended a three-year retirement.
Kosovo fans boo and whistle Israeli national anthem before 0-0 Nations League draw
PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Kosovo supporters booed and whistled Israel's national anthem before the 0-0 Nations League draw in Pristina as the visitors were given another hostile reception because of their country’s actions in Gaza. Some of the Kosovan players also bowed their heads while the anthem was played. Israel’s players and coaching staff sang passionately, apparently in defiance of the home fans. The supporters continued to boo and whistle the Israel players during the game, which ended in a draw despite Kosovo midfielder Veldin Hodža’s sending-off in the 67th minute. Israel last month played two contentious games against Ireland, when the Irish players bowed their heads during the Israeli anthem and avoided shaking hands with their counterparts.
