Other College Top 25 Football Capsules: Stanford stuns USC at Coliseum again, 55-21

LOS ANGELES — While Toby Gerhart rampaged through the Southern California defense in an awfully quiet Coliseum, the star tailback and his Cardinal teammates flattened a bunch of recent college football certainties as well.

USC’s streaks of seven straight BCS bowls, 11-win seasons and top-four AP poll finishes? Those are all finished.

The Trojans’ Pac-10 dominance over the past seven years? It’s all but over after Stanford paved the way for a new West Coast champion.

Gerhart took time on the Coliseum field to savor the moment after rushing for 178 yards and three touchdowns in No. 25 Stanford’s 55-21 victory Saturday over the 11th-ranked Trojans, who allowed the most points in school history.

"To do that against a storied program, a perennial power, it’s the greatest feeling in the world," said the Pac-10 rushing leader, whose Heisman Trophy hopes are gaining momentum. "It was just will. The offensive line just moved people. We got after them and got downhill, and it was just a good offensive day."

How good? The loss was the Trojans’ worst since a 51-0 defeat at home against Notre Dame in 1966. Coach Pete Carroll lost in November for the first time at USC after 28 straight victories. And for the second time in three weekends, Carroll endured the worst loss of his nine seasons.

"I’m not sure I have the right words to describe being humbled like this," Carroll said. "I don’t really know where to put it. ... We have fallen apart and given our opponents the opportunity to do whatever they want, but you have to give Stanford a lot of credit."

Andrew Luck threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score for the Cardinal (7-3, 6-2 Pac-10), who followed up their surprising rout of Oregon last week with a strong start and a big finish at the Coliseum. The Trojans (7-3, 4-3) haven’t lost to any other opponent at home since 2001, going 47-2.

Richard Sherman returned an interception 42 yards for a score with 11:41 to play, part of a 27-point fourth quarter for the Cardinal. After the postgame handshsake, the Cardinal raised their helmets and raced to their cheering section for their second celebration at the Coliseum in three years.

Stanford’s 24-23 victory as a 41-point underdog in 2007 was a major shocker, yet this win barely even qualified as an upset. That might be the most incredible thing of all about the Trojans’ downward slide, which will end with a minor bowl berth — and with more than two losses — for the first time since 2001.

"We came out there, and there was something wrong," USC safety Taylor Mays said. "It is very disappointing. It’s almost sickening. To be a senior and leave a legacy like this, it’s sickening."

Luck soundly outplayed fellow freshman quarterback Matt Barkley, while Gerhart steamrolled the once-vaunted USC defense. Stanford piled it on late, scoring four touchdowns in the fourth quarter after leading 28-21.

And the Cardinal did it on USC’s homecoming, no less, in front of 90,071 somnolent fans.

"We were just consistent," Luck said. "Starting fast in both halves really helped us. Once we got rolling, we kept doing good things. "

Two weeks after USC’s 47-20 loss at Oregon, the Trojans’ defense was again embarrassed, giving up 469 yards.

Barkley went 21 of 31 for 196 yards with three interceptions in his third straight unimpressive game for the Trojans. Carroll has stuck with the freshman all season, but Barkley made turnovers on USC’s first two drives to put the Trojans in an early 14-0 hole.

When Sherman jumped on Barkley’s short pass and returned it down the USC sideline to put the Cardinal up 42-21, Coliseum fans headed for the exits with unfamiliar emotions.

"This isn’t what we grew up watching," Barkley said. "I’m not used to this. ... I don’t know what to think right now."

Joe McKnight rushed for 142 yards and a score for the Trojans, who fell behind 21-7 at halftime without top receiver Damian Williams, who has a sprained ankle. Brice Butler caught a scoring pass among his six catches for 96 yards, but USC’s offense rarely found a rhythm after its first drive ended in a fumble by Barkley deep in Stanford territory.

Although USC kept it close through three quarters, the fourth was a long celebration for the Stanford band, a small cheering section and the players who already are bowl-eligible for the first time since 2001. After Gerhart’s third touchdown, Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh even attempted a 2-point conversion, but USC stopped the try at the goal line.

Harbaugh’s explanation for trying to pile on a couple more points: "I just honestly thought there was an opportunity coming off the ball, the way our backs were running and the way we were playing."

Said Carroll: "I don’t know what they were thinking with that, but in that situation, they get to do whatever they want."

Few of the Cardinal’s key players remain from their 2007 upset. Tavita Pritchard, the backup quarterback who led that 2007 victory, watched most of this game wearing a headset before playing the final minutes of the blowout.

The 2007 Cardinal couldn’t even manage a winning season, but these Cardinal still have a shot at the Rose Bowl. Stanford finishes its Pac-10 season against California next weekend and would need some help to take the title.

"It’s just an overwhelming feeling now," Luck said.

North Carolina upsets No. 12 Miami 33-24

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Kendric Burney had just grabbed his third interception and returned it across midfield when he saw roommate Melvin Williams to his right near the sideline. Suddenly, the ball came loose and ended up with Williams, who sprinted the final 44 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown for North Carolina.

Was it a fumble? An illegal forward pitch?

"It was definitely a fumble," Burney said with a laugh, "but I just pitched it to him."

Either way, the replay-reviewed score stood and helped the Tar Heels beat No. 12 Miami 33-24 on Saturday, keeping coach Butch Davis unbeaten against his former program and making North Carolina bowl eligible for the second straight season.

Burney returned an interception 77 yards for a score late in the first half for a 20-7 halftime lead, and the disputed score following his third pick gave North Carolina (7-3, 3-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) a 30-17 lead with 9½ minutes left. That was enough margin for the Tar Heels, who sealed it when Casey Barth kicked his fourth field goal with 1:57 left.

The Tar Heels have won three straight overall and five straight against ranked opponents dating to last season. They’ve also won all three meetings against the Hurricanes (7-3, 4-3) since Davis took over in 2007.

Burney finished with 170 interception return yards — a single-game ACC record and a school record for an entire season — and became the first Tar Heel to have three picks in a game since Dre’ Bly in 1996.

But afterward, all anybody wanted to talk about was the Burney-to-Williams return, which began when Burney made the interception at his own 10 and returned it 45 yards. Replays appeared to show the ball slipping from Burney’s hand and officials upheld it as a fumble, not a forward pitch.

Williams said Burney had teasingly said after an earlier interception that he planned to pitch it to him next time, adding that Burney "meant to do it, no matter what."

"I just froze to be honest with you," Williams said. "I was like, ‘OK, let me go ahead and get out of bounds,’ and then everybody was like, ‘Run!’ That’s when I started running and my eyes got big for the end zone."

North Carolina quarterback T.J. Yates saw the replay on the scoreboard and could only shrug.

"I didn’t know whether it was a lateral or it just slipped out of his hands," he said, "but I’m glad the referees made the right call."

Miami coach Randy Shannon had another take on it.

"To me, it looked like he pitched it forward, but I can’t get involved in it," Shannon said. "One play shouldn’t make the difference in the game, but it happened, so we’ve got to accept what it is and move on."

The Hurricanes moved the ball effectively against the nation’s fifth-ranked total defense, racking up 435 yards and getting rushing scores from Graig Cooper and Damien Berry. They even answered Williams’ TD return with a quick touchdown drive of their own to stay in the game.

But the Tar Heels pressured Jacory Harris into a career-high four interceptions, with all three of Burney’s coming deep in North Carolina territory.

"I really can’t explain it," Harris said. "I went out there and made some bad throws. All mental mistakes. I just put my team in the worst-case scenario and North Carolina took advantage of it."

The loss came a short time after the Hurricanes saw their outside chance of winning the ACC Coastal Division title disappear with No. 7 Georgia Tech’s rout of Duke in nearby Durham, sending the Yellow Jackets to next month’s ACC championship game.

As for the Tar Heels, it ended up being an opportunity for redemption.

Three weeks ago, North Carolina led Florida State 24-6 in the third quarter before its defense faltered and its offense did little to help down the stretch in a 30-27 loss. On Saturday, North Carolina led 23-7 in the third, and held on when its offense put together an 11-play, 60-yard drive that took more than 5 minutes off the clock and set up Barth’s final field goal — the kind of drive it couldn’t manage against the Seminoles.

Ryan Houston ran for 76 yards for the Tar Heels, including 33 on that final drive.

-- Aaron Beard

James runs for 3 TDs in Oregon’s win

EUGENE, Ore. — LeGarrette Blount waited for his chance. It never came.

Blount suited up and was ready to play for the first time since his suspension for punching an opponent was lifted — but only watched as No. 14 Oregon defeated Arizona State 44-21 on Saturday night.

Instead LaMichael James, who took over at running back while Blount missed eight games, ran for 150 yards and three touchdowns.

"He wants to get out there so bad," Oregon receiver Ed Dickson said about Blount. "Being one of my best friends, I felt for him."

The Ducks (8-2, 6-1 Pacific-10) sit alone atop the conference standings as the only team with just one conference loss. Oregon fell 51-42 last weekend to Stanford.

Arizona State (4-6, 2-5) started true freshman quarterback Brock Osweiler, who left the game after being hit hard in the first half. Sophomore Samson Szakacsy replaced him and completed 13 of 22 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown.

"Brock could have come back," Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson said. "It was a coach’s decision to keep him out partially because of how Samson was playing."

The Sun Devils’ run defense, the best in the Pac-10 going into the game, allowed the Ducks to gain 268 yards on the ground.

Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli completed 10 of 20 passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns. He was intercepted once.

Blount, who ran for 1,002 yards last season, was listed at the bottom of the Ducks’ depth chart. Oregon coach Chip Kelly said there was no thought of bringing him in.

"No. We didn’t get to our fifth running back. Andre (Crenshaw) had one or two carries, Remene (Alston) got in for one or two carries. Couldn’t get the ball back," he said.

A day after he punched Boise State defensive end Byron Hout in the opener, Blount was suspended for the season, although he was allowed to practice with the team and retain his scholarship.

Last month, Kelly announced that Blount could return if he met certain academic and behavior requirements. The coach reinstated him on Monday.

Blount watched as his replacement ran for touchdowns of 4 and 2 yards in the first quarter against the Sun Devils. After Morgan Flint’s 27-yard field goal in the second quarter, James added a 4-yard scoring run. Masoli found Ed Dickson with a 9-yard touchdown pass to give Oregon a 31-7 lead at halftime.

James, who was averaging 115.9 yards going into the game as the Pac-10’s third best rusher, ran for 119 yards in the first half alone.

"LaMichael had a great game and showed again why he’s one of the best in the nation. We’re going to ride him as long as we can," Kelly said.

Arizona State’s James Brooks intercepted Masoli, which led to Dimitri Nance’s 2-yard scoring run for the Sun Devils’ lone touchdown of the first half.

The 6-foot-8 Osweiler replaced Danny Sullivan last weekend in the second half of Arizona State’s 14-9 loss to USC. He was the first true freshman to start for the Sun Devils since Jake Plummer in 1993.

But the Sun Devils got a scare in the second quarter when Osweiler was hit in the shoulder by Oregon linebacker Eddie Pleasant. While he was looked to by trainers on the Arizona State bench, he was replaced by Szakacsy.

Osweiler completed 5 of 10 passes for 14 yards before he left.

Szakacsy started the second half, although Osweiler stayed in uniform on the sideline, and he led the Sun Devils on a drive that ended with his own 1-yard scoring run to make it 31-14.

Szakacsy found Kyle Williams with a 15-yard scoring pass later in the third quarter to narrow it, but Oregon answered with Masoli’s 21-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Maehl.

"I thought we were making a comeback," Szakacsy said. "We cut it to 10 and stalled on some drives. We could have played a lot better. We kept fighting and scrapping. We didn’t just put our heads down."

Flint added 43 and 41-yard field goals in the fourth quarter. By that time, Oregon had pulled James. The crowd chanted "We want Blount!" several times.

Late in the game, the announcer at Autzen announced that Blount was entering the game, but it was actually fourth-string running back Alston. Blount’s No. 9 and Alston’s No. 5 look similar on Oregon’s uniforms.

Going into the game, the Sun Devils’ run defense was ranked sixth in the nation, allowing an average of 87.44 yards rushing.

But Oregon couldn’t be stopped, Erickson said.

"This offensive team is as good as any I’ve seen in college football," he said.

-- Anne M. Peterson

California beats No. 18 Arizona 24-16

BERKELEY, Calif. — Shane Vereen scored on a 61-yard run after an odd penalty thwarted a potential go-ahead drive for No. 18 Arizona and California went on to a 24-16 victory Saturday without star running back Jahvid Best.

Giorgio Tavecchio kicked four field goals, giving Cal (7-3, 4-3) an 18-16 lead with a 22-yarder with 4:46 remaining. But Arizona wasn’t done.

After Tavecchio made a key tackle on the ensuing kickoff, the Wildcats (6-3, 4-2) drove the ball down to the Cal 25. On third-and-3, Nick Foles’ pass was batted at the line. Foles caught the ricochet and tried to throw it again. That was a penalty for an illegal forward pass and the ball moved back to the 39 and Arizona lost the down.

Foles threw an incompletion on the next play, dealing a blow to Arizona’s hopes to make the Rose Bowl for the first time. The Wildcats can still clinch a berth by winning their final three games against Oregon, Arizona State and USC. But this loss removed any margin for error.

Vereen then ran it in on the next play, giving him a career-high 159 yards on a day where he had to shoulder all of the running load while his close friend Best could only watch.

The Bears got an emotional boost from Best’s presence on the sideline. He was introduced before the opening coin toss, getting a warm ovation from the crowd. He then joined the captains at midfield, getting hugs from the Arizona players.

Best was injured in last week’s 31-14 loss to Oregon State when he hurdled a defender at the end of a 7-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Best vaulted into the air over safety Cameron Collins and then was bumped even higher by another defender before falling on his back and head from about 8 feet in the air. Best’s helmet came off on impact and he briefly lost consciousness. The team has not said when he will play again.

Arizona had taken a 16-15 lead on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Foles to A.J. Simmons with 12:26 to go. Cal coach Jeff Tedford stuck to the ground after that after watching Kevin Riley throw two interceptions earlier in the half. Cal ran on 10 of 12 plays to move the ball from its 23 to the 5, setting up Tavecchio’s short field goal.

Tavecchio then made a big play on the ensuing kickoff, tripping up Travis Cobb at the 38 on a return that could have gone much longer.

Cal took advantage of a shanked punt by Keenyn Crier to take the lead in the third quarter. The Bears took over at the Arizona 27 after the 14-yard punt and Riley connected with Verran Tucker on the long pass for the touchdown. Tucker made the leaping grab despite being interfered with by Devin Ross.

Arizona was also without its starting running back as Nic Grigsby has been slowed by a shoulder injury. Keola Antolin got the start and lost a fumble late in the first quarter that helped set up Tavecchio’s second field goal of the first half to give the Bears a 6-0 lead.

Antolin, who ran for 78 yards on 19 carries, atoned with a 1-yard run late in the second quarter. Alex Zendejas and Tavecchio then traded field goals in the final minute to give the Wildcats a 10-9 halftime lead.

-- Josh Dubow

No. 19 Penn St. holds off Indiana, 31-20

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Most teams don’t win games after four turnovers in one half, let alone one game.

When those turnovers come against Indiana though, anything is possible.

Linebacker Navorro Bowman returned an interception 73 yards for a touchdown, tailback Evan Royster scored twice and No. 19 Penn State overcame its four first-half miscues — including two fumbles on special teams — to defeat Indiana 31-20 on Saturday.

The Nittany Lions (9-2, 5-2 Big Ten), who still have an outside chance for a Bowl Championship Series berth, averted a disastrous upset on Senior Day thanks in large part to two top juniors — Bowman and Royster.

"It was an emotional game, a game of poise," said Penn State coach Joe Paterno, who notched his 392nd career win. "We just didn’t play very well in the first half."

Luckily for Penn State, the defense bounced back after getting caught off-guard against Indiana’s no-huddle offense to fall behind 10-0 in the first quarter.

It was a familiar theme for the Hoosiers (4-7, 1-6) — hanging tough on the road before slipping up late. They have led at Michigan, Northwestern and Iowa this season before finding ways to lose down the stretch.

It happened again Saturday in Happy Valley.

"Playing hard and competing the way we are, that needs to be the norm," Indiana coach Bill Lynch said. "That’s the expectation, and we’ve got to make the plays within it."

Instead, it was Bowman who made the momentum-swinging play.

After Collin Wagner’s field goal bounced off the right upright in the third quarter, Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell engineered a nice drive into Penn State territory — until his screen pass was tipped in the air by running back Trea Burgess.

Bowman snatched the ball at his own 27, then rumbled down the field with an escort of blockers for a touchdown to give Penn State its first lead, 17-10 with 6:54 left in the third quarter.

The junior said he’ll consider skipping his final year of eligibility to enter next spring’s NFL draft. He’s already got quite an impressive highlight reel, including a 91-yard fumble return for a TD earlier this season.

Compared to that return, his 73-yarder was easy — though he was still winded Saturday.

"You can only get better," said a grinning Bowman, who finished with 12 tackles. "God is working with me, cut down the yards for me."

Later, tailback Royster and his backup, Stephfon Green, softened up Indiana’s Big Ten-worst defense on the ground before Royster had a two-yard TD run for a two-touchdown lead with 14:57 left.

Royster finished with 95 yards on 17 carries and 39 yards receiving on four catches.

Indiana responded with a nice drive to the Penn State 21, but the Nittany Lions’ defense came up big on third down when safety Nick Sukay leveled receiver Mitchell Evans at the goal line, forcing the Hoosiers to settle for a field goal.

Royster thanked the defense for playing well and allowing the offense to find its traction.

"They shouldn’t have to do that, but the fact that we have a defense that can do that is a blessing," Royster said. "We need to get better as an offense in these last two games if we want to win."

Senior quarterback Daryll Clark finished 17 for 28 for 194 yards and a 13-yard TD pass to Royster just before the end of the first half to inject confidence into the offense. He also ran for 29 yards and a score on seven carries.

But Clark also threw two picks — including one on a tipped ball — in his last home game didn’t look sharp before regaining some rhythm in the second half.

His defense had to adjust, too, after having trouble early with Indiana’s no-huddle attack. Ben Chappell’s 26-yard touchdown pass to Damarlo Belcher midway through the first quarter gave the Hoosiers a 10-0 lead.

"We weren’t worried, we were happy. We were thinking, ‘Oh, we can move the ball on these guys,"’ Chappell said. "We had to continue to fight, which we did. And continue to make plays, which we didn’t do."

Chappell finished 32 for 51 passing for 298 yards, plus one interception and two TDs, while Belcher had nine catches for 95 yards.

Penn State tried to help Indiana by fumbling away two punt returns in the first half. Defensive end Jerome Hayes also fumbled a short kickoff return to start the second half, though the ball was recovered by Penn State near midfield.

Still, the 100,000-plus fans packed into Beaver Stadium let out a collective groan as they witnessed more special teams mistakes, a season-long theme. The Nittany Lions shored up its porous punt coverage only to have setbacks in other areas.

Bowman, though, provided a game-changing play to send the Hoosiers home with another disappointing road loss.

"Indiana has been a really big first-half football team," Paterno said. "They’ve been down a little bit, might need a few more people. All’s well that ends well."

-- Genaro C. Armas

Taylor leads No. 20 Va. Tech over Maryland 36-9

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Now that Virginia Tech has another winning streak going, the Hokies intend to make the best of a season that once appeared in danger of falling apart.

Tyrod Taylor threw for 268 yards and a career-high three touchdowns, and No. 20 Virginia Tech built an early 24-point lead before coasting past Maryland 36-9 on Saturday.

Despite the victory, the Hokies were eliminated from the Atlantic Coast Conference title chase when Georgia Tech defeated Duke. But Virginia Tech (7-3, 4-2) can still play in a prestigious bowl game and wrap up a sixth consecutive 10-win season.

"Winning two games. That’s our goal now," said Ryan Williams, who ran for 126 yards — his seventh 100-yard game of the season. He also scored his 12th touchdown, a single-season record for a Virginia Tech freshman.

Consecutive losses to Georgia Tech and North Carolina last month sidetracked the Hokies’ march to a possible national championship or a berth in the Orange Bowl. But since then they’ve hammered East Carolina and Maryland.

"We had a couple of tough losses and we’ve hung in there and stayed together," coach Frank Beamer said. "Hopefully we’ll play our best football at the end of the year. That’s what we’re trying to do."

The Hokies amassed 289 yards in the first half and 484 overall. Taylor threw each of his TD passes in the opening 23 minutes to help Virginia Tech go up 27-3.

The junior finished 13 for 23 and also ran for 81 yards on eight carries.

"As long as you have Tyrod, you have a chance to be successful every offensive play," Beamer said.

Since joining the ACC in 2004, the Hokies are 4-0 against Maryland and have outscored the Terrapins 142-37. This one was not unlike the previous three.

"This is one of the games that we were very good at being a complete offense," Williams said.

Wearing black and desert camouflage uniforms as a tribute to Army veterans, Maryland (2-8, 1-5) lost its fifth straight — its longest skid since 1998. Sophomore quarterback Jamarr Robinson, making his first college start in place of injured Chris Turner, ran for 129 yards on 24 carries and completed 12 of 32 passes for 104 yards.

"He makes plays with his feet," Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said. "His throwing game has to get better. I don’t think he sees things as he needs to, and that needs to improve. But overall, it was OK."

Kick returner/wide receiver Torrey Smith had four catches for 55 yards and set a single-season Maryland record for all-purpose yards, eclipsing the mark of 1,840 held by LaMont Jordan.

Unfortunately, the injury-riddled Terps lost two more players, defensive back Kenny Tate (ankle) and punter Travis Baltz (broken finger). Friedgen said both probably will miss Maryland’s final two games.

The Hokies took the opening kickoff and promptly moved 71 yards in 10 plays to take a 7-0 lead. Williams scored on a 1-yard run immediately after a 30-yard completion to Jarrett Boykin.

Robinson misfired on his first four passes, and Maryland’s initial two series produced only 1 yard of offense.

Virginia Tech made it 14-0 when Andre Smith caught a 3-yard touchdown pass to cap a 72-yard drive. Taylor then answered a Maryland field goal with a 10-yard TD pass to Dyrell Roberts.

At that point, Virginia Tech held a 209-21 lead in total yardage.

Following another Maryland punt, Taylor threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to Boykin for a 27-3 lead.

In the second half, after two Virginia Tech field goals upped the margin to 30, Maryland’s Jared Harrell recovered a Taylor fumble in the end zone with 11:25 remaining.

When the game ended, Beamer and Friedgen — two longtime friends — met at midfield.

"He told me to hang in there," Friedgen said.

Friedgen will begin the rebuilding process in two weeks. Beamer expects the Hokies to play into January.

"We talk about needing to be as good as we can be," Beamer said. "We’ve got some work to do now and it’s not going to be easy. Whatever happens, happens. I can tell you this: I’m disappointed in the two losses right there in the middle, but I’m not disappointed in how much this football team has tried and cared about being good."

In the second half, after two Virginia Tech field goals upped the margin to 30, Maryland’s Jared Harrell recovered a Taylor fumble in the end zone with 11:25 remaining.

-- David Ginsburg

No. 21 Wisconsin beats Michigan 45-24

MADISON, Wis. — For long-suffering conference rivals looking to throw some grief back at the once-dominant Michigan Wolverines, now’s the time.

Have at it, Badgers.

No. 21 Wisconsin became the latest Big Ten team to get the best of the reeling Wolverines and coach Rich Rodriguez, winning 45-24 Saturday behind four touchdown passes and a TD sneak from quarterback Scott Tolzien.

"Scotty had a big grin on his face walking off the field," Badgers coach Bret Bielema said. "To beat Michigan is a big deal."

It was sweet redemption on Senior Day for the Badgers (8-2, 5-2), who watched last year’s promising season unravel after blowing a big lead in the Big House last year. Wisconsin has regained momentum in what is shaping up to be a better-than-expected 2009 campaign, winning three straight after consecutive losses to Ohio State and Iowa.

It was the sixth straight conference setback for the Wolverines (5-6, 1-6), whose miserable Big Ten season just keeps getting worse — and with a potential bowl bid slipping away, Ohio State awaits next Saturday.

"There’s no question we’ve got one more chance," Rodriguez said. "I’ve asked the team to be extra focused. We’ve been focused all year, but this is the biggest game of the year. Our guys know that."

Wisconsin’s 45 points were the most the Badgers have ever scored against Michigan.

After the Badgers blew a 19-point lead in a loss to Michigan last year, Badgers defensive end O’Brien Schofield said he wasn’t comfortable celebrating the win until the clock hit zero.

"I didn’t want to think about that," Schofield said. "Because last year, I was like, ‘We are killing these guys, these guys are terrible.’ ... That was bad. I had to eat my words."

Tolzien was 16 of 24 for 240 yards with an interception despite spending much of the game under pressure from defensive end Brandon Graham, who had a pair of sacks and forced a fumble that was returned for a touchdown to give the Wolverines a 17-14 lead just before halftime.

But this time, the second-half letdown that has become this Michigan team’s dubious trademark actually began just before halftime, when it allowed the Badgers to drive for a 1-yard touchdown by John Clay.

"We’ve got to stay focused on what we need to do," Graham said. "Most of the games we were out of our gaps and let big plays happen. It’s been killing us."

Nick Toon caught two of Tolzien’s touchdown throws for the Badgers, who went to the air early on after putting together monster rushing performances in their previous two games.

Leading 21-17, Wisconsin received the second-half kickoff and marched to the Michigan 15-yard line, where Tolzien threw toward Toon in the end zone. Toon, son of former Badgers and NFL receiver Al Toon, jumped and came down with his second TD of the day despite being interfered with on the play.

Tate Forcier was a solid 20 of 26 for 188 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, but it wasn’t enough. After a 4-0 start to the season, the Wolverines are reeling heading into their biggest rivalry.

"If I have to spend 10 hours this week watching film, I’m going to do that," Forcier said. "We’re going to get the seniors to a bowl game. We’re going to come out and do what we need to do to beat Ohio State."

Forcier kept Michigan in the game after Toon’s acrobatic touchdown catch, converting a fourth-and-9 play to set up a 10-yard touchdown pass to Roy Roundtree that cut Wisconsin’s lead to 28-24 midway through the third.

But the Wolverines defense just couldn’t get the stop it needed.

With Wisconsin facing third-and-7 at the Michigan 19, linebacker Stevie Brown burst through the line and Tolzien got rid of the ball just before taking a crunching hit, delivering a 12-yard pass to tight end Garrett Graham to set up first-and-goal at the 7. Tolzien threw a touchdown to tight end Lance Kendricks two plays later, putting Wisconsin up 35-24.

The Badgers were coming off impressive rushing performances in victories over Purdue and Indiana but had a hard time finding yards on the ground against Michigan’s defense early on. Michigan held Wisconsin to 53 yards rushing in the first half but couldn’t keep it up, as John Clay got 109 of his 151 yards on the ground after halftime.

"Defensively, we are reaching to find an answer to stop people," Rodriguez said.

-- Chris Jenkins

Hall ties Detmer, No. 22 BYU tops New Mexico 24-19

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Max Hall passed for two touchdowns and got his 29th win at BYU to match Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer’s school record, and the No. 22 Cougars survived a sloppy fourth quarter to beat winless New Mexico 24-19 on Saturday.

The Cougars (8-2, 5-1 Mountain West) held off a focused effort by the Lobos (0-10, 0-6), who were desperate to give fans something good to talk about after a tough season that has been worsened by first-year coach Mike Locksley’s problems off the field.

New Mexico made a game of it with 4:07 remaining when Donovan Porterie’s 20-yard TD pass to Victor James finished a drive that started in BYU territory after an ugly 30-yard punt by BYU’s Riley Stephenson. Bryan Kariya fumbled on BYU’s next possession, but the Lobos turned it over on downs at midfield.

New Mexico dropped its 14th in a row, the second longest losing streak in school history, and will remember this one for 10 points that never reached the scoreboard because of kicking game mistakes.

Kicker James Aho whacked the uprights three times — on field goal attempts of 35 and 42 yards and on a PAT try, all in the second half. He also had a 46-yard field goal attempt blocked by BYU’s Andrew Rich just before halftime.

Hall, meanwhile, completed 21 of 33 attempts for 314 yards passing with one interception. He connected with Andrew George on a 27-yard TD pass late in the first half and found Luke Ashworth for a 13-yard scoring strike on the final play of the third quarter — just enough cushion, as it turned out.

The Cougars improved to 6-0 on the road this season and coach Bronco Mendenhall is 5-0 against New Mexico, where he was defensive coordinator from 1998-2002.

The Lobos came out ready to make news for something other than Locksley’s altercation with an assistant coach and the university’s subsequent investigation.

New Mexico led 7-0 lead after the game’s opening drive, with Porterie’s 3-yard run capping an 80-yard march. BYU answered when Manase Tonga scored on a 1-yard dive, Mitch Payne kicked a 42-yard field goal and Hall threw the TD to George as the Cougars went ahead 17-7 at halftime.

But the Lobos battled back, getting to 17-13 on their first possession of the second half when Porterie beat BYU’s blitz for a 26-yard TD play to Darryl Jones. And New Mexico’s defense played tough against a BYU offense that came in averaging 36.5 points per game.

Porterie finished 28 of 44 for 272 yards and two TDs.

-- Tim Korte

Spiller leads No. 24 Clemson past NC State 43-23

RALEIGH, N.C. — C.J. Spiller actually did pretty much do it all for Clemson.

He ran for a touchdown, caught a scoring pass and threw one of his own to help the 24th-ranked Tigers beat North Carolina State 43-23 on Saturday, putting them in position to go to the ACC title game.

"I’m just proud of C.J. — another ho-hum day for him," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. "I don’t know how many other ‘first evers’ the guy can have."

No one else at Clemson ever had a touchdown pass, catch and run all in the same game.

The do-everything back rushed for 97 yards on 18 carries and made three catches for 48 yards, including a 34-yarder that blew open the game early in the fourth quarter.

Jamie Harper added a 69-yard touchdown run for the Tigers (7-3, 5-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), who won their fifth straight.

The Tigers will clinch the ACC Atlantic Division if Boston College loses at Virginia later Saturday. If not, they’ll have to beat the Cavaliers the following week.

Russell Wilson was 12 of 32 for 183 yards and two touchdowns for the Wolfpack (4-6, 1-5 ACC), who allowed at least 30 points for the seventh consecutive game.

N.C. State squibbed its first three kickoffs in an effort to keep the ball away from Spiller and fellow speedster Jacoby Ford, setting up the Tigers with good field position. Punter Jeff Ruiz aimed his kicks toward the sideline for the same reason, but he shanked one for 6 yards that gave the Tigers the ball at the N.C. State 17 early in the second quarter.

On the next play, Spiller threw the second touchdown pass of his career to give the Tigers a 17-0 lead.

He took a toss to the right and lofted the ball to Xavier Dye, who was open in the end zone after running behind cornerback C.J. Wilson.

"I got a lot of grief on the sideline because it was a duck," he said. "But it got us six points."

It was about the only flaw in his game Saturday. Oh, he also didn’t have a play of over 50 yards for the first time in nine games against Football Bowl Subdivision teams this season.

"They talked him up a lot — I thought maybe too much — coming into the game," N.C. State defensive end Audi Augustin said. "But he proved it."

N.C. State was eliminated from bowl consideration. The Wolfpack had been 7-2 in November games under Tom O’Brien, including a 4-0 mark last season that earned them a bowl berth.

Kyle Parker was 12 of 18 for 183 yards and two touchdowns as Clemson scored at least 38 points for a school-record fifth consecutive game.

N.C. State’s offense sputtered as dropped passes plagued the Wolfpack, particularly in the early going.

"I don’t understand that at all," O’Brien said. "You come out and have a chance to play, and you have to make plays. Too many mistakes to be against somebody as good as Clemson is. We’ve got chances, got guys open. They’ve got to catch it."

N.C. State’s fans, most of whom weren’t around at the end of the game, voiced their displeasure during the second quarter. After watching wide receivers drop three throws, they delivered a loud, sarcastic cheer when Koyal George managed to hang onto one of Wilson’s passes.

George made an 18-yard touchdown reception to end that drive, bringing the Wolfpack within 10 points at 17-7, but they never got closer.

The Tigers, meanwhile, moved one step closer to their goal of winning the ACC and playing in a BCS bowl.

"We’re where we wanted to be," Spiller said. "We control our own destiny."