Bo Nix leads No. 6 Oregon past No. 15 Oregon State in rivalry finale, into Pac-12 title game
Oregon running back Bucky Irving, top, is hoisted by Oregon offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson (58) after a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Oregon State, Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Mark Ylen)
Iowa kicker Marshall Meeder, second right, celebrates with Steven Stilianos, from left, Logan Lee and Tory Taylor after Meeder kicked a last-second field goal to win against Nebraska during an NCAA college football game Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)
Oregon running back Bucky Irving, top, is hoisted by Oregon offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson (58) after a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Oregon State, Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Mark Ylen)
Oregon running back Bucky Irving, top, is hoisted by Oregon offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson (58) after a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Oregon State, Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Mark Ylen)
Iowa kicker Marshall Meeder, second right, celebrates with Steven Stilianos, from left, Logan Lee and Tory Taylor after Meeder kicked a last-second field goal to win against Nebraska during an NCAA college football game Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)
Iowa kicker Marshall Meeder, second right, celebrates with Steven Stilianos, from left, Logan Lee and Tory Taylor after Meeder kicked a last-second field goal to win against Nebraska during an NCAA college football game Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Bo Nix threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, securing No. 6 Oregon a spot in the Pac-12 championship game with a 31-7 victory Friday night over No. 15 Oregon State in the final scheduled matchup between the in-state rivals.
The Ducks (11-1, 8-1 Pac-12, No. 6 CFP) will face No. 4 Washington next Friday in Las Vegas, the last conference championship before 10 of the league’s teams bolt next season. The winner has a chance at learning a spot in the four-team College Football Playoff.
It was Oregon’s sixth straight win since a 36-33 loss at Washington on Oct. 14. The rematch next week will mark the first meeting between the teams in the Pac-12 title game.
Nix, among the Heisman Trophy favorites, completed 33 of 40 passes for 367 yards. Troy Franklin caught nine passes for 128 yards and a score.
DJ Uiagalelei threw for 220 yards and a touchdown for Oregon State (8-4, 5-4, No. 16 CFP), which is one of two teams not to leave the Pac-12, along with Washington State. Oregon is heading to the Big Ten next season.
NO. 7 TEXAS 57, TEXAS TECH 7
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Keilan Robinson returned a kickoff 95 yards for one of his two touchdowns, Bert Auburn made five field goals and Texas overwhelmed Texas Tech to reach the Big 12 championship game.
Leaving with Oklahoma for the Southeastern Conference after this season, Texas (11-1, 8-1) has won six straight since a loss to Oklahoma. The Longhorns will face an opponent to be determined Saturday in the championship game Dec. 2 in Arlington.
Texas Tech (6-6, 5-4) was outgained 528 yards to 198. Quarterback Behren Morton was 5-0 in games he started and finished this season before Friday. But hounded by a fierce Texas pass rush, he completed 19 of 36 for only 88 yards with three interceptions.
His Texas counterpart, Quinn Ewers, threw for 196 yards and one touchdown with one interception. Ewers was 17 of 26.
Texas Tech’s Tahj Brooks, ranked third nationally in rushing yards per game with 122.5 coming in, gained 95 on 19 carries.
NO. 9 MISSOURI 48, ARKANSAS 14
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Cody Schrader ran for 217 yards and a touchdown and Missouri limited Arkansas to 87 yards in the first three quarters to help the Tigers win their regular-season finale.
Missouri (10-2, 6-2 Southeastern Conference) had it best regular-season record since 2014 to likely secure a berth in a New Year’s Six bowl game.
Schrader ran for 194 yards and a TD in the first half as the Tigers built a 20-0 lead against the overmatched Razorbacks (4-8, 1-7). Brady Cook had a 6-yard run in the half and threw two TD passes.
Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson went down on the first play of the Razorbacks’ second drive. Jefferson took off up the middle for a gain of 22 yards, but was twisted up when he was tackled and had to be helped off the field, nursing a lower-leg injury.
Missouri took advantage of five Arkansas fumbles, including one on Jefferson’s injury, recovering four and turning them into 24 points.
NO. 11 PENN STATE 42, MICHIGAN STATE 0
DETROIT (AP) — Drew Allar threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns and Kaytron Allen ran for a career-high 137 yards as Penn State beat Michigan State.
The Nittany Lions (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten, No. 11 CFP) had 586 yards of offense in a game they controlled from the start.
The Spartans (4-8, 2-7) closed a tumultuous season that was stunted by Mel Tucker getting suspended and fired. It also hurt that a slew of injuries left them with about 50 scholarship players healthy enough to play in the finale at Ford Field.
Allar completed 17 of 26 passes, a week after getting knocked out against Rutgers with a hard hit to his right shoulder.
Nicholas Singleton had 118 yards rushing and a touchdown along with two catches for 68 yards for the Nittany Lions, representing a balanced offense that had 303 yards on the ground and 283 through the air.
Michigan State’s Katin Houser was 11 of 19 for 87 and threw an interception to Detroit native Jaylen Reed at the Penn State 9, ending his team’s first drive that wasted its only opportunity to score.
No. 13 OKLAHOMA 69, TCU 45
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Dillon Gabriel passed for 400 yards and three touchdowns to help Oklahoma defeat TCU and improve its chances of reaching the Big 12 championship game.
Oklahoma (10-2, 7-2, No. 13 CFP) entered the day in a three-way tie with Kansas State and Oklahoma State for second place in the Big 12. Those teams have games on Saturday, so the Sooners will have to wait to learn whether they will play for a 15th Big 12 title the following weekend.
Drake Stoops caught a career-high 12 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. Both Stoops and Gabriel were honored on Senior Day before the game, and they got loud ovations as they came off the field in the final minutes.
Gavin Sawchuk ran for 130 yards and three touchdowns for the Sooners, who won their final regular-season Big 12 game. They will join the Southeastern Conference next season.
Josh Hoover passed for 344 yards and four touchdowns and Emani Bailey ran for 150 yards, caught a touchdown pass and ran for a score for TCU (5-7, 3-6). The Horned Frogs failed to become bowl eligible a year after playing for the national championship.
NO. 18 TULANE 29, UTSA 16
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Makhi Hughes rushed for a career-high 166 yards and a touchdown and Tulane beat UTSA to secure the right to host the American Athletic Conference title game for a second straight season.
The Green Wave produced five turnovers and a fourth-down stop on its own 10 to preserve the win.
Chris Brazzell caught five passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns to prop up a Green Wave passing game missing leading receivers Lawrence Keys and Jha’Quan Jackson.
Tulane (11-1, 8-0 AAC) has won 10 straight, with its only loss coming in Week 2 against No. 12 Mississippi — a game Green Wave starting quarterback Michael Pratt missed with a leg injury.
AAC newcomer UTSA (8-4, 7-1) came up one victory short of advancing to the league championship game after winning the Conference USA title the previous two seasons. SMU can secure a spot in New Orleans on Dec. 2 by beating Navy on Saturday.
NO. 21 IOWA 13, NEBRASKA 10
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Backup kicker Marshall Meeder barely cleared the crossbar with a 38-yard field goal as time ran out after Ethan Hurkett’s interception gave Iowa a final possession with 15 seconds left, and the Hawkeyes beat Nebraska.
Meeder, a senior transfer from Central Michigan, was given his first opportunity to kick for Iowa at the most pressure-packed moment after Drew Stevens had two field-goal tries blocked in the first half.
Teammates hoisted Meeder on their shoulders, and he held the Heroes Trophy that goes to the winner of the rivalry game as the Hawkeyes celebrated at midfield while officials determined whether any time remained on the clock.
The Hawkeyes (10-2, 7-2, No. 17 CFP), who clinched the Big Ten West title last week, earned a 10th win for the fourth time since 2015 and eighth under 25th-year coach Kirk Ferentz.
The Cornhuskers (5-7, 3-6) lost four straight to end Matt Rhule’s first season as coach. Their bowl drought will stretch to seven years, the longest among Power Five schools.
No. 23 TOLEDO, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 32-17
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (AP) — Peny Boone rushed for 186 yards and two touchdowns, and Toledo beat Central Michigan.
The Rockets (11-1, 8-0 Mid-American Conference) have won 11 in a row since their 30-28 loss at Illinois in their season opener on Sept. 2. It’s the longest win streak for the program since 1971.
Next up for Toledo is Miami (Ohio) in the MAC championship on Dec. 2 at Ford Field in Detroit. Another win and the Rockets could be in line for a New Year’s Day bowl game, possibly as the highest-ranked team from a Group of Five conference.
Jase Bauer passed for 182 yards and a touchdown for Central Michigan (5-7, 3-5).
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