STATE COLLEGE, Pennsylvania — Penn State’s Grant Haley returned a blocked field goal 60 yards for a touchdown with 4:27 left to lift the Nittany Lions to a 24-21 upset victory over Ohio State Saturday in their biggest victory since the departure of coaching great Joe Paterno.
Penn State (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) took its first lead when Marcus Allen leaped high to block Tyler Durbin’s 45-yard field goal attempt and Haley made the scoop and sprint to the end zone. Penn State’s defense closed out the Nittany Lions’ first victory over Ohio State since 2011 with two sacks of quarterback J.T. Barrett.
The Buckeyes (6-1, 4-1) had their 20-game road-winning streak snapped and the Big Ten East race that looked like an inevitable march toward an Ohio State-Michigan showdown took a detour.
Trace McSorley cut Ohio State’s lead to 21-14 early in the fourth quarter with a 2-yard touchdown run, and they got a field goal with 9:33 left that set the scene for the late winner.
There was also a shock result at Dallas, as Southern Methodist easily beat Houston 38-16.
Ben Hicks threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score.
The Cougars (6-2, 3-2 American) lost for the second time after a 5-0 start that included a season-opening win over Oklahoma that had vaulted Houston into the Top 10 rankings.
Oklahoma edged Texas Tech 66-59 in a game that broke the collegiate record for combined offensive yards at 1,708.
Baker Mayfield had seven touchdown passes and 545 yards. That broke the team record of six TD passes. Only one of his seven passes was from inside the 20-yard red zone.
Joe Mixon caught three touchdowns passes and Dede Westbrook had two for the Sooners (5-2, 4-0 Big 12). Mixon also ran for two touchdowns, a 46-yarder and a 42-yarder. He finished with 263 yards rushing and 114 yards receiving. He’s the first Sooner ever to reach 200 yards rushing and 100 receiving in the same game.
Utah’s Joe Williams rushed for a school-record 332 yards and four touchdowns in his second game back from retirement, and the Utes held off pass-happy UCLA 52-45.
Cory Butler-Byrd returned the opening kickoff for a 99-yard touchdown in the Utes’ second straight win at the Rose Bowl.
Williams, who quit football last month before returning last week, had the most prolific rushing performance ever by an UCLA opponent.
Top-ranked Alabama defeated Texas A&M 33-14, sparked by Jonathan Allen returning a fumble 30 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter.
The Crimson Tide (8-0, 5-0 Southeastern Conference) moved on as the powerhouse SEC’s last unbeaten team, getting yet another in a long string of defensive scores.
Allen, a lineman, scooped up the ball after Ryan Anderson knocked it loose from Keith Ford to finally build a cushion over the Aggies (6-1, 4-1), who led 14-13 well into the third.
Michigan’s Wilton Speight threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns in three quarters before watching the Wolverines finish off Illinois 41-8.
Washington’s Jake Browning threw three touchdowns passes to give him 26 for the season, added another rushing TD, and the Huskies used a big first half to roll past Oregon State 41-17.
Louisville’s Lamar Jackson threw three TD passes and run one in himself before halftime, taking his season tally to a school record of 34 with five games still to play, as the Cardinals defeated North Carolina State 54-13.
Nebraska came back from a halftime deficit to beat Purdue 27-14, led by Tommy Armstrong Jr., who accounted for 303 yards of offense and two touchdowns.
Wisconsin’s Corey Clement ran for 134 yards and a touchdown to help Wisconsin win 17-9 against Iowa.
