Tennessee routed Kentucky 34-6 at Neyland Stadium on Saturday, Clemson survived at Syracuse without scoring an offensive touchdown, and unbeaten UCLA stayed perfect with a 34-20 win at Minnesota in a packed day of college football.
Kentucky arrived in Knoxville with 18 takeaways — the fourth-most in the country — but forced none against Tennessee, losing two fumbles and an interception in a one-sided defeat, according to Bleacher Report. Clemson, meanwhile, beat Syracuse 18-13 on four Nolan Hauser field goals and a fumble-return touchdown.
UCLA improved to 9-0, their first 9-0 start since 1998, on two consecutive 75-yard touchdown passes in the fourth quarter.
Clemson’s strangest win
Clemson’s 18-13 win at Syracuse was one of the strangest of the season. The Tigers scored no offensive touchdown at all — Hauser kicked four field goals, including a 54-yarder, Jahiem Lawson returned a fumble 22 yards for a touchdown, and an end-zone interception with 6:48 left sealed the win.
Freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds threw for 161 yards and ran for 61, and Clemson improved to 6-3 to become bowl-eligible for a 28th straight season. Head coach Dabo Swinney’s 118th regular-season conference win broke Bobby Bowden’s ACC record of 117. Syracuse fall to 4-5.
UCLA’s perfect season continues
UCLA’s 34-20 win at Minnesota was sealed in style. With the game tied 17-17, quarterback Ty Dieffenbach threw two consecutive 75-yard touchdown passes to Aidan Mizell in the fourth quarter to break the game open.
Dieffenbach finished 8-of-16 for 303 yards and three touchdowns, while Mizell had 150 receiving yards and two scores. UCLA, at 9-0, are one of the stories of the season — and their first 9-0 start in 28 years keeps their playoff dream alive.
South Carolina’s defensive stand
South Carolina beat Texas A&M 17-9 at Williams-Brice Stadium, with quarterback LaNorris Sellers — playing on an injured ankle — sealing the win with a 41-yard touchdown run. Texas A&M racked up 457 yards and committed no turnovers, but scored no touchdowns. The Gamecocks’ defence held firm when it mattered, keeping Texas A&M out of the end zone despite conceding 457 yards — a bend-but-don’t-break performance that won them the game.
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