LSU bounces ‘Bama in OT

? With an immovable defense and one big play by JaMarcus Russell and Dwayne Bowe, No. 5 LSU bounced Alabama from the national-title picture and asserted itself as a dark horse.

The Tigers ended the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide’s hopes for a perfect season with a 16-13 overtime victory Saturday, culminating a gutsy comeback with Russell’s ad-libbed 11-yard touchdown pass to Bowe.

“It definitely turned out to be the SEC showdown everyone thought it would be,” LSU offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth said. “They’re a great team going at you. It’s a tough loss for them, but a great win for us.”

LSU (8-1, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) seized control of the tightly packed SEC West with the victory, its fourth in five attempts over ranked teams.

The Tigers would clinch it with victories over Mississippi and Arkansas. They were ranked seventh in the Bowl Championship Series standings entering the game.

LSU receiver Dwayne Brown (80) is swarmed by teammates after he caught the game-winning touchdown in overtime to beat Alabama. The Tigers won, 16-13, Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Alabama (9-1, 6-1) saw hopes of contending for anything beyond the SEC title dashed. While LSU players swarmed into the end zone, Tide fans mostly sat stunned by the sudden end to their unexpected bid for perfection.

“We came in to win the SEC and win the national championship,” said Alabama quarterback Brodie Croyle, who was sacked five times playing behind a new center. “That’s what everybody signs at Alabama to do. The fact that we’re not going be able to do either one unless something crazy happens and we had it right in front of us, it’s a tough pill to swallow.”

In the end, an Alabama native dealt the final blow. Russell, who’s from Mobile, hit Justin Vincent on a swing pass for 10 yards to open the overtime possession after Alabama had to settle for a field goal. Then the LSU quarterback was stopped for no gain when he couldn’t find an open receiver against the nation’s top scoring defense.

A reverse to Xavier Carter went for four yards, forcing a third-and-six. Russell rolled right and threw a strike over the middle to Bowe to punctuate an up-and-down day mostly dominated by the defenses.

“We tried to run the post, but things weren’t looking the way they needed to,” Russell said. “(Bowe) was my first read. I kept an eye open for him.”

No. 1 USC 35, California 10

Berkeley, Calif. – Matt Leinart passed for 246 yards and ran for two touchdowns, and LenDale White ran for three more scores in USC’s 32nd straight victory, a rout of slumping California (6-4, 3-4 Pac-10). Reggie Bush ran for 82 yards for the Trojans (10-0, 7-0), while the USC defense intercepted Joe Ayoob four times and kept Cal out of the end zone until 1:34 remained.

No. 3 Miami 47, Wake Forest 17

Winston-Salem, N.C. – Kyle Wright tied a school record with five touchdown passes, Charlie Jones ran for two more scores, and Miami stayed on track for a spot in the first ACC championship game. A week after a surprisingly easy victory at Virginia Tech, the Hurricanes (8-1, 5-1 ACC) used a quick-strike offense to avoid a letdown in their first visit to Groves Stadium since 1971. The Demon Deacons (4-7, 3-5) completed their third straight losing season with an inspired effort, taking a 17-14 lead late in the second quarter.

No. 7 Notre Dame 42, Navy 21

South Bend, Ind. – Brady Quinn passed for four touchdowns, three to Maurice Stovall, to lead Notre Dame to its NCAA-record 42nd straight victory over Navy. The Irish (7-2) need to win their final two games against Syracuse and at Stanford to remain eligible for a Bowl Championship Series berth. Navy (5-4) still needs a win over either Temple or Army to become bowl-eligible.

No. 15 Auburn 31, No. 9 Georgia 30

Athens, Ga. – Devin Aromashodu turned a fourth-down pass into a 63-yard gain, setting up John Vaughn’s 20-yard field goal with six seconds remaining that gave No. 15 Auburn (8-2, 6-1 SEC) a thrilling victory.

Georgia (7-2, 5-2) actually is in better shape despite the loss. Helped by South Carolina’s upset of Florida, the Bulldogs still can claim a spot in the SEC’s Dec. 3 championship game with a victory Saturday over lowly Kentucky.

In a wild game featuring eight lead changes, Auburn came through when it counted. On fourth-and-11 at their own 34, Brandon Cox found Aromashodu breaking free over the middle.

No. 10 Ohio State 48, No. 25 Northwestern 7

Columbus, Ohio – Troy Smith ran for two touchdowns, and linebacker A.J. Hawk returned a blocked punt for another score, leading Ohio State to its fifth consecutive victory. The Buckeyes (8-2, 6-1) need to win next week’s annual showdown with rival Michigan to clinch at least a share of the Big Ten title. Brett Basanez was limited to just 121 yards passing for Northwestern (6-4, 4-3).

No. 14 UCLA 45, Ariz. St. 35

Pasadena, Calif. – Drew Olson threw for 510 yards and five touchdowns as the Bruins (9-1, 6-1 Pac-10) rebounded from their stunning 52-14 loss at Arizona a week earlier with another explosive offensive performance. The Sun Devils (5-5, 3-4) got a 334-yard, three-touchdown pass performance from freshman Rudy Carpenter, but lost three fumbles.

Clemson 35, No. 17 FSU 14

Clemson, S.C. – Charlie Whitehurst threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns to lead Clemson (6-4, 4-4 ACC) over Florida State (7-3, 5-3), the second time in three meetings that Tigers coach Tommy Bowden has beaten father Bobby.

No. 18 TCU 51, UNLV 3

Fort Worth, Texas – Quentily Harmon caught a TD pass, and Cory Rodgers ran for another before UNLV even gained a yard, and the Horned Frogs (10-1, 8-0 Mountain West) kept their slim BCS hopes alive.

Iowa 20, No. 19 Wisconsin 10

Madison, Wis. – Albert Young ran for 127 yards, and Iowa (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) ruined Barry Alvarez’s going-away party in the coach’s final home game. The win makes Iowa bowl-eligible while ending the slim hopes Wisconsin (8-3, 5-3) had of sharing the Big Ten title in Alvarez’s last season.

No. 21 Michigan 41, Indiana 14

Ann Arbor, Mich. – Chad Henne had three touchdown passes in the first half as Michigan (7-3, 5-2 Big Ten) built a huge lead over the Hoosiers (4-6, 1-6).

UVA 27, No. 24 Ga. Tech 17

Charlottesville, Va. – Marques Hagans led Virginia (6-3, 3-3 ACC) on two scoring drives after it squandered a 17-point lead, and the Cavaliers became bowl-eligible by beating Georgia Tech (6-3, 4-3).