What you need to know about college football's Top 25 games for Week 12
College football’s biggest teams continue their 2022 seasons during Saturday's Week 12 action. Here's a rundown of the day.
No. 1 Georgia 16, Kentucky 6
Briefly: Kenny McIntosh rushed for a career-best 143 yards, including a crucial 9-yard score late in the third quarter, and top-ranked Georgia withstood Kentucky’s fourth-quarter rally. The Bulldogs clinched the Eastern Division title last week and sought another perfect finish in league play. They succeeded but not without difficulty, settling for three Jack Podlesny field goals before McIntosh’s TD provided a needed cushion.
One highlight to watch: McIntosh scores the only touchdown of the game for Georgia.
No. 2 Ohio State 43, Maryland 30
Briefly: Dallan Hayden scored three touchdowns in the second half as Ohio State defeated Maryland to set up a monumental matchup of unbeatens next weekend between the Buckeyes and rival Michigan. It wasn't easy. The Buckeyes trailed 13-10 at halftime, and the Buckeyes were up just 33-30 when they turned the ball over on downs at the Maryland 42 with 6:36 remaining in the game. Ohio State forced a three-and-out, however, and Hayden helped the Buckeyes run out most of the remaining time. Noah Ruggles kicked a 45-yard field goal with 42 seconds left, and Steele Chambers added a defensive touchdown with 9 seconds to play.
One highlight to watch: Hayden scores his third touchdown of the second half to provide Ohio State some cushion.
No. 3 Michigan 19, Illinois 17
Briefly: Jake Moody kicked a 35-yard field goal with nine seconds left as the Wolverines kept its perfect season alive ahead of next week's matchup with Ohio State. Blake Corum gained 108 yards and scored a touchdown for Michigan before leaving with an apparent knee injury in the first half.
One highlight to know: Chase Brown turns on the burners for a 37-yard scamper to give the Illini the lead and quiet the Michigan crowd.
No. 4 TCU 29, Baylor 28
Briefly: Griffin Kell kicked a 40-yard field goal as time expired for TCU as the Horned Frogs kept alive its national title dreams. Max Duggan threw for 327 yards and a touchdown, gaining 40 yards of the team's 46 yards on the final drive and the defense withstood Baylor having 501 yards of offense
One highlight to know: Watch as Kell drills the game-winning field goal.
South Carolina 63, No. 5 Tennessee 38
Briefly: Spencer Rattler threw for 438 yards and six touchdowns as South Carolina beat Tennessee all but eliminating the Volunteers from the College Football Playoff race. The Volunteers may have also lost Heisman Trophy candidate Hendon Hooker, who left the game in the fourth quarter with a leg injury, falling and fumbling without being hit.
One highlight to watch: Josh Vann gets behind the Tennessee defense for a score.
No. 6 Southern California 48, No. 16 UCLA 45
Briefly: Caleb Williams passed for a career-high 470 yards and Southern California clinched a spot on the Pac-12 championship game with a defeat of UCLA. Williams completed 32 of 43 passes with two touchdowns and an interception. USC fell behind 14-0 before rallying. The Trojans scored on eight of nine drives, including five in a row.Dorian Thompson-Robinson accounted for all six UCLA touchdowns, but also had three interceptions and a fumble. The final interception came with less than two minutes left and the Bruins driving for a potential game-tying or go-ahead score.
One highlight to watch: Korey Foreman clinches the win with an interception.
No. 7 LSU 41, Alabama-Birmingham 10
Briefly: Noah Cain scored on three short runs, Jayden Daniels had touchdowns rushing and passing, and LSU methodically pulled away from Alabama-Birmingham for its ninth win of the season. Daniels completed 22 of 29 passes for 297 yards and ran for 111 yards on 12 carries. His top target was receiver Malik Nabers. who caught seven passes for 129 yards, including a 47-yarder on LSU’s first touchdown drive.
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No. 8 Alabama 34, Austin Peay 0
Briefly: Jace McClellan ran for 151 yards and two touchdowns for Alabama, and Bryce Young added two touchdowns to Jermaine Burton as Alabama made quick work of FCS opponent Austin Peay.
One highlight to know: McClellan takes the handoff from the shotgun and takes it untouched for nine yards and the score.
No. 9 Clemson 40, Miami (Fla.) 10
Briefly: DJ Uiagalelei threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third as Clemson wrapped up an undefeated ACC regular season and won its 40th in a row at home beating Miami (Fla.). The Tigers have won at least 10 games in 12 consecutive seasons and – for a half – had their most dominant showing on both sides of the ball. Clemson scored touchdowns on three of its first four possessions while Miami was stuffed by the Tigers defense..
One highlight to watch: Davis Allen opens the scoring with a touchdown catch.
No. 13 Oregon 20, No. 10 Utah 17
Briefly: Bo Nix threw for 287 yards and one touchdown despite being hobbled by a leg injury, Oregon intercepted Utah quarterback Cameron Rising three times, and the 12th-ranked Ducks knocked off the 10th-ranked Utes. A week after watching their hopes at the College Football Playoff evaporate, the Ducks rebounded with a gutty effort that preserved their chances of getting back to the Pac-12 championship game for the fourth consecutive season.
One highlight to watch: Bennett Williams makes a key interception in the fourth quarter to preserve the lead.
Georgia Tech 21, No. 11 North Carolina 17
Briefly: Zach Gibson threw for 174 yards and Georgia Tech scored 21 unanswered points for a 21-17 road win that ended any of North Carolina's long shot hopes for the playoff. The Yellow Jackets trailed 17-0 late in the first half, but started to methodically move the ball. All three of its scoring drives were for 68-plus yards and culminated with rushing touchdowns. The Tar Heels had a chance to regain the lead late in the fourth quarter, but Josh Downs dropped a 4th-and-11 pass from quarterback Drake Maye in the end zone with just over four minutes remaining.
One highlight to watch: Hassan Hall gives Georgia Tech the lead for good.
No. 12 Penn State 55, Rutgers 10
Briefly: Sean Clifford ran for a touchdown and threw for another and Penn State scored twice on fumble returns and once on a kickoff return. Freshman Nick Singleton scored on a 100-yard kickoff return, Kobe King gave Penn State the lead for good with a 14-yard fumble return and Ji’Ayir Brown rumbled 70 yards with another fumble as the Nittany Lions blew it open in the second half.
One highlight to watch: Singleton breaks free to score on a kickoff.
Arkansas 42, No. 14 Mississippi 27
Briefly: Rocket Sanders rushed for 232 yards and three touchdowns, including a 68-yarder on the opening drive of the second half, as Arkansas routed Mississippi. The Razorbacks had a 35-6 halftime lead, and the Rebels’ 21 fourth-quarter points made the game appear closer than it was. Sanders averaged 9.7 yards on 24 carries, helping Arkansas snap a two-game skid and become bowl-eligible.
One highlight to watch: Sanders breaks free for one of his three scores.
No. 15 Washington 54, Colorado 7
Briefly: Washington running back Wayne Taulapapa, who transferred from Virginia, rushed for two touchdowns and 107 yards and the Huskies beat Colorado for their fifth consecutive win. Taulapapa, who is mourning three of his former Virginia teammates who were fatally shot last weekend, scored from 8 and 2 yards out to get the Huskies to a 21-0 lead. Cameron Davis added two more scores for Washington, which finished 7-0 at home.
No. 17 Kansas State 48, West Virginia 31
Briefly: Will Howard threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score, Cincere Mason returned an interception for a touchdown and No. 19 Kansas State moved closer to a berth in the Big 12 championship game by beating West Virginia. The Wildcats can clinch a title game spot alongside No. 4 TCU on Dec. 3 with a win in its regular season finale at home against Kansas.
One highlight to watch: Mason takes his theft to the end zone for a touchdown.
Navy 17, No. 18 Central Florida 14
Briefly: Bijan Nichols hit a 45-yard field goal with 8:22 left in the third quarter and Navy’s ball-controlled offense held on to beat the Knights to keep them from clinching a berth in the American Athletic title game for at least one week. Daba Fobana ran for 114 yards as Navy gained all of its 248 total yards on the ground, while keeping the ball for 39 minutes.
One highlight to know: Navy's John Marshall forces the fumble and Colin Ramos pounces on the ball for the recovery, leading to the game-winning field goal minutes later.
No. 19 Notre Dame 44, Boston College 0
Briefly: Benjamin Morrison had three interceptions, the Notre Dame defense forced two fumbles and the Fighting Irish scored on their first eight possessions to beat Boston College. Logan Diggs had 122 yards and a touchdown on the ground as Notre Dame extended its regular-season winning streak against Atlantic Coast Conference teams to 28 games.
One highlight to watch: Morrison goes high in the end zone to make one of his three interceptions.
No. 20 Florida State 49, Louisiana-Lafayette 17
Briefly: Jordan Travis had three total touchdowns in limited work and the Seminoles relied mostly on its run game to blast Louisiana-Lafayette in the first-ever meeting between the schools. FSU won its eight game in a season for the first time since 2016.
One highlight to know: Travis outruns the defense on a short run as the Seminoles increase their lead.
No. 21 Cincinnati 23, Temple 3
Briefly: Jacob Dingel and Bryon Threats intercepted passes, Noah Potter and Dontay Corleone recovered fumbles and Cincinnati beat Temple to move closer to the American Athletic Conference championship game. Cincinnati can guarantee a berth in its fourth consecutive conference title game with a win in its regular-season finale Friday against Tulane.
Oklahoma 28, Oklahoma State 13
Briefly: Dillon Gabriel passed for two touchdowns and ran for another in the first quarter and Oklahoma became bowl eligible after beating Oklahoma State. Eric Gray rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown and Drake Stoops had a career-high six catches for 89 yards for the Sooners, who jumped out to a 28-0 first-quarter lead and held on. Spencer Sanders passed for 381 yards and a touchdown for Oklahoma State, but he threw four interceptions.
One highlight to watch: Drake Stoops makes a great catch for an Oklahoma touchdown.
Louisville 25, No. 25 North Carolina State 10
Briefly: Jawhar Jordan ran for 105 yards and a touchdown and also added a score on a kickoff retutn to help Louisville to its fifth win in six games. Playing without starting quarterback Malik Cunningham, the Cardinals relied on a strong defense that limited North Carolina State to 291 yards and then pulled away by scoring the final 12 points in the fourth quarter.
One highlight to watch: Jawhar Jordan goes 98 yards for a kickoff return touchdown.