CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — CJ Carr threw for four touchdowns and ran for another and third-ranked Notre Dame regained control after halftime to beat North Carolina 37-26 on Saturday.
The Fighting Irish (5-0) led 21-14 after the Tar Heels (2-2) turned a goal-line stand into a long touchdown drive right before halftime, then came out of the break with Jaden Jefferson sprinting through the rain for a 98-yard kickoff return for another score.
That’s when Carr and the Irish offense went to work with a series of methodical and physical drives, carrying the ball right into the heart of the defensive front and consistently moving the chains. Notre Dame responded to Jefferson’s big play with a 17-play, 75-yard drive lasting more than nine minutes by the time Carr got around the right side for a fourth-down TD keeper.
Then, after forcing a three-and-out, Notre Dame went to work again in pummeling fashion. Nolan James Jr. did most of the work on the ground, then caught Carr’s short pass in the left flat and juked a would-be tackler off his feet to go in for a 6-yard TD and a 34-20 lead to open the fourth quarter.
Notre Dame finished with a season-best 241 yards rushing, with freshman Jonaz Walton posting a team-high 120 yards and James adding 65 more. The Irish’s ground output included 122 yards in the third quarter alone in stymieing UNC’s momentum.
Carr threw for 234 yards, with Jordan Faison making eight catches for 132 yards and two scores.
NO. 2 GEORGIA 38, VANDERBILT 14
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Gunner Stockton threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns as Georgia cruised to win over Vanderbilt.
Georgia scored an opening drive touchdown for the fourth time this season as Stockton found Landon Roldan for a two-yard TD.
A Vanderbilt team led by backup quarterback Blaze Berlowitz showed some fight, answering back two drives later as Berlowitz found Junior Sherrill for a 60-yard touchdown and tied the game 7-all. It was the first first-quarter score for a Georgia opponent all season. The Bulldogs (5-0, 3-0 SEC) had outscored opponents 63-0 in the first quarter through the first four games.
Georgia pulled ahead with back-to-back rushing scores by Chauncey Bowens and Jaden Redell before halftime. The Bulldogs took advantage of good field positioning on the latter after blocking a Vanderbilt field goal attempt midway through the second quarter.
NO. 7 ALABAMA 56, NO. 16 MISSISSIPPI ST. 23
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Keelon Russell passed for 285 yards and three touchdowns to go with another TD rushing, and Alabama routed Mississippi State in a matchup of previously unbeaten teams.
Trae’shawn Brown ran for two touchdowns, Rico Scott caught two scoring passes and Dijon Lee Jr. returned an interception 30 yards for a score during a game that saw Alabama (5-0, 3-0 SEC) reinforce its credentials as contenders.
Alabama outgained Mississippi State (4-1, 2-1) 179-18 in yards rushing in its 17th straight victory in the series — the last seven by 23 or more points.
The game featured two of college football’s most dynamic quarterbacks this season, but the mobility of the Bulldogs’ Kamario Taylor appeared limited by an ankle injury last week and he struggled Saturday. His early fumble and two interceptions set up Alabama touchdown drives.
Taylor was sacked five times and pulled from the game with the Bulldogs down by 26 early in the fourth quarter.
Leading Bulldogs receiver Anthony Evans III had 12 catches for 166 yards and two touchdowns, one of his team’s few bright spots.
NO. 20 HOUSTON 27, UCF 17
HOUSTON (AP) — Conner Weigman threw for 239 yards and rushed for three second-half touchdowns, and Houston rallied to beat Central Florida.
Weigman rushed for 50 yards, Re’Shaun Sanford II ran for 62 yards and Patrick Overmyer caught six passes for 76 yards for Houston (4-1, 1-1 Big 12).
Trailing 17-0, Weigman had a 19-yard touchdown run with 3½ minutes left in the third.
On the next UCF drive, Latreveon McCutchin intercepted Keyone Jenkins and returned it 17 yards to the UCF 2. Two plays later, Weigman rushed it in from a yard out to cut the lead to three.
After the Knights went three-and-out, Weigman capped an 11-play, 62-yard drive with a 1-yard score with 10:15 remaining to give the Cougars a 21-17 lead. Jonathan Dimas made two field goals to push the margin to 10.
NO. 21 SMU 25, BOSTON COLLEGE 16
DALLAS (AP) — Kevin Jennings threw for two touchdowns and ran for a score and SMU beat Boston College in a soggy defensive struggle.
Jennings, the FBS passing leader at 357 yards per game coming in, had only 160 while going 20 of 30. His passing yardage was his lowest since the week Jennings took over as the starter early in the 2024 season.
Marques White had three of SMU’s five sacks, including one that forced a fumble by Mason McKenzie and was returned 34 yards by Aakil Washington to the Eagles’ 13-yard line. It set up Jennings’ 14-yard scoring pass to Randy Pittman Jr.
Jennings’ other TD toss also came on a short drive when SMU (4-1, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) returned a punt to the BC 41. After a roughing the passer penalty on third down, Jennings threw a 20-yard scoring pass to Derrick McFall. Kendrick Raphael had a 2-yard TD run.
The Eagles (2-3, 0-2) had a chance to get within two points early in the fourth quarter, but Cameron Kossmann dropped a pass when he was wide open and probably would have scored easily on fourth-and-inches from the SMU 8.
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