2023-11-26 05:54:16
Brennan Armstrong threw three touchdown passes while North Carolina State’s defense dominated North Carolina’s Drake Maye-led offense on the way to a 39-20 rivalry win Saturday night in Raleigh.
Kevin “KC” Concepcion had two scoring catches in the latest strong performance for the Wolfpack’s freshman receiver, part of an efficient offense that kept control of the ball while leaving Maye and the Tar Heels’ high-powered attack on the sideline much of the night.
Then again, N.C. State (9-3, 6-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) was in just as much control on defense en route to a fifth straight win. The Wolfpack is 22nd in the College Football Playoff rankings but is barely outside the AP Top 25, though that could change with Sunday’s poll release.
“It’s been one heck of a five-week window,” Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren said, adding: “Everything I asked these kids to do, they did.”
Maye is a high NFL draft prospect who has been among the nation’s passing and total-offense leaders, while UNC’s Omarion Hampton entered the game tied for the national rushing lead. Yet the Tar Heels (8-4, 4-4) started with little push to match N.C. State’s aggressive Senior Night edge, with Maye not completing a pass until early in the second quarter and Hampton finding little space to run.
“It’s on me, completely,” UNC coach Mack Brown said. “You can’t play as bad as we did in the first half without the head coach doing a poor job.”
By the time Maye directed a quick TD drive, the Wolfpack led 23-0 in the second quarter.
“I think it’s just momentum,” Armstrong said. “My take on it was to hit them in the mouth quick and early, and we did that.”
The defensive performance included star linebacker Payton Wilson tallying 15 tackles and a diving interception of a deflected pass by Maye.
Maye ultimately threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns to go with running for 106 yards — 56 on one keeper — and another score. But Hampton ran for just 28 yards after entering this game as the first UNC player since 1970 to put together six straight 100-yard rushing performances.
UNC didn’t force a punt until late in the third quarter.
Armstrong won again in his third start since getting another shot at the starting QB job, which came when MJ Morris — who replaced Armstrong after a rough start — opted not to play again to preserve his redshirt. The Virginia graduate transfer looked assertive in sticking multiple downfield throws, completing 22 of 31 passes for 334 yards.
Kentucky 38, No. 9 Louisville 31: Ray Davis broke free for a go-ahead, 37-yard touchdown run with 1:02 remaining and caught two second-half touchdown passes, helping visiting Kentucky win the Governor’s Cup.
Davis’ third score capped a wild second half for the Wildcats (7-5) in which the Bluegrass State rivals combined for 42 points and closed with alternating touchdowns. The winner came after Louisville tied the game at 31 on Jack Plummer’s 21-yard touchdown pass to Ahmari Huggins-Bruce with 2:33 remaining. Jarvis Brownlee Jr. set up that improbable opportunity for Louisville by intercepting Devin Leary’s floating pass as he was hit by Ashton Gillotte.
Kentucky took the kickoff and quickly drove into Louisville territory, and Davis found room on the left side and was gone for his 20th score that broke Benny Snell’s season record. Davis carried 14 times for 76 yards and caught four passes for 51 yards, including two 20-yard TDs from Leary.
Plummer completed 24 of 33 passes for 242 yards and two scores for Louisville (10-2).
Kentucky’s Dane Key catches a touchdown pass while being defended by Louisville’s Storm Duck during Saturday’s game in Louisville, Kentucky. (Andy Lyons/Getty)
No. 1 Georgia 31, Georgia Tech 23: Kendall Milton ran for a career-high 156 yards and two touchdowns in Atlanta as Georgia capped its third consecutive undefeated regular season with its sixth straight victory in the rivalry.
Georgia (12-0, No. 1 CFP) extended its school-record winning streak to 29 games. The Bulldogs have won 19 of the last 22 against Georgia Tech (6-6), but this was more competitive than most recent battles for the Governor’s Cup Trophy.
Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King had two touchdown runs and Jamal Haynes also ran for a score. Eric Singleton Jr. had four catches for 96 yards as the Yellow Jackets gained 363 yards, including 205 on the ground.
King’s 5-yard scoring run with 3:46 remaining cut Georgia’s lead to 31-23. Georgia recovered an onside kick and ran out the clock.
No. 5 Florida State 24, Florida 15: Trey Benson ran for three touchdowns, including a 26-yarder on third down with less than three minutes to play in Gainesville, as Florida State extended its winning streak to 18.
Benson finished with 95 yards on 19 carries and helped take pressure off new quarterback Tate Rodemaker as the Seminoles (12-0) moved a victory from a potential spot in the College Football Playoff.
With star quarterback Jordan Travis watching from the visiting athletic director’s suite with his left leg in a walking boot, Rodemaker came up huge when it mattered. He completed a dart to Ja’Khi Douglas with cornerback Jaydon Hill in tight coverage on a fourth-and-3 play from the Florida 34 in the fourth quarter. It set up a short field goal that put the Seminoles ahead for good.
Rodemaker was knocked out of the game for four plays on the ensuing possession, but he returned in time to hand off to Benson for the game-sealing score. Kalen Deloach squashed any thoughts of a late-game miracle when he intercepted Max Brown’s pass on the next drive.
Brown finished 9-of-16 passing for 86 yards. Montrell Johnson led the Gators (5-7) with 107 yards rushing.
Clemson 16, South Carolina 7: Clemson defensive back Khalil Barnes returned a lateral 42 yards for his team’s lone touchdown, and kicker Jonathan Weitz made the three longest field goals of his career in Columbia as the Tigers (8-4) won their fourth straight game.
Barnes and the Clemson defense held South Carolina (5-7) to 169 yards, including just 57 rushing, to beat the Gamecocks for the eighth time in the past nine meetings. The Tigers will wait for a bowl bid while coach Shane Beamer’s South Carolina squad has to see if it can slip in as a five-win team.
The Gamecocks punted eight straight times after their touchdown in the first quarter. Weitz hit from 50, 49 and 42 yards, all longer than his previous career best of 41.
Duke 30, Pittsburgh 19: Grayson Loftis threw for two touchdowns as Duke snapped a two-game skid to end the regular season and secure a second straight winning season.
Loftis threw for 248 yards, with 106 of those to Jordan Moore and 72 to Jalon Calhoun. Both those receivers had touchdown catches as Duke (7-5, 4-4) snapped a two-game skid to complete its first undefeated conference home slate since 1989.
Nate Yarnell threw for two touchdowns and an interception for the Panthers (3-9, 2-6).
Syracuse 35, Wake Forest 31: Garrett Shrader threw for three touchdowns and ran for another, Daniel Villari threw for one and rushed for one, Damien Alford had two scores and Syracuse (6-6, 2-6) became bowl-eligible for the second straight season, defeating Wake Forest (4-8, 1-8) at home.
With Wake Forest trailing 35-31 and headed for a potential game-winning score, Syracuse’s Jason Simmons intercepted Michael Kern at the 1-yard-line with two minutes remaining to secure the win.
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