Arizona uses fast start to roll by Utah
Noah Fifita threw for two touchdowns and No. 19 Arizona used a fast start beat No. 16 Utah 42-18 on Saturday for its first five-game winning streak in nine years.
The Wildcats (8-3, 6-2 Pac-12, No. 17 CFP) manhandled the two-time reigning Pac-12 champions from the opening drive, building a 28-0 lead by the first play of the second quarter.
Utah (7-4, 4-4) tightened up after that despite playing without three of its best defensive players, but Arizona’s defense was just as good in the final Pac-12 game at Arizona Stadium.
The Wildcats intercepted passes by Bryson Barnes twice in their own end and forced a turnover on downs near midfield to beat four AP Top 25 teams in a season for the first time since 1989.
Fifita threw for 253 yards on 22-od-30 passing against a Utah defense missing rover Karene Reid, safety Cole Bishop and defensive end Jonah Elliss.
Still in the mix for a spot in the Pac-12 championship game, the Wildcats charged out of the gate like they still had something to play for.
The Utes, out of the running for a third straight Pac-12 title, did not.
Arizona revved up an alreadycharged crowd by scoring on its opening drive with a trick play. Receiver Tetairoa McMillan caught a backward pass from Fifta and threw to a wide-open Michael Wiley for a 21-yard touchdown.
Anthony Ward then juked a blocker, smothered Jack Bouwmeester’s punt and returned it two yards for another score. Montana Lemonious-Craig’s 32-yard touchdown on a sideline pass made it 21-0 in game’s first 11 minutes.
The Wildcats weren’t done. Wiley turned another sideline pass into a 31-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter.
Oklahoma forces three turnovers to knock off BYU:
No. 14 Oklahoma forced three turnovers and scored 21 points off those takeaways and edged BYU 31-24 on Saturday, despite playing the second half without quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
Gabriel threw for 191 yards and a pair of touchdowns, but he suffered what Oklahoma coach Brent Venables called an upper body injury just before halftime. Gavin Sawchuk led the Sooners on the ground with 107 yards, including the go-ahead 16-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Oklahoma (9-2, 6-2 Big 12, No. 14 in CFP) kept alive its hopes for reaching the Big 12 Championship Game.
Liberty stays unbeaten after Salter accounts for 4 TDs in win over UMass:
Kaidon Salter threw for 225 yards, rushed for 118 and accounted for four touchdowns Saturday as No. 25 Liberty defeated UMass 49-25.
Salter averaged better than 20 yards per pass while completing 11 of 16. He tossed touchdowns of 13 of 5 yards to Austin Henderson and scored on runs of 1 and 12 yards.
The Flames (11-0) struck early, scoring on four straight first-half drives to take a 28-0 lead.
Mississippi routs Louisiana-Monroe:
After struggling in the first half, Jaxson Dart and No. 13 Mississippi put away Louisiana-Monroe.
Dart threw for three touchdowns on three consecutive third-quarter series as No. 13 Mississippi used a strong second half to defeat Louisiana-Monroe 35-3 on Saturday.
“I was super frustrated. We weren’t playing good at all,” Dart said. “But a lot of guys spoke up in the dressing room and I’m happy with how we fixed it in the second half.”
Ole Miss (9-2, 5-2 SEC, No. 13 CFP) struggled to a 7-3 halftime lead over the Sun Belt Conference Warhawks (2-9, 0-8) before Dart capped consecutive touchdown drives of 78, 60 and 60 yards to build a 28-3 cushion.
Pratt throws for 3 TDs to lead Tulane past Florida Atlantic:
Michael Pratt became Tulane’s career passing leader, throwing for three touchdowns in his South Florida homecoming to lead No. 17 Tulane to a 24-8 victory over Florida Atlantic on Saturday.
Pratt, who attended high school in Boca Raton and Deerfield Beach, completed 21 of 28 passes for 252 yards to help Tulane (10-1, 7-0, No. 24 CFP) stay atop the American Athletic Conference. He’s now thrown for 9,239 yards for the Green Wave.
Milroe, Alabama roll past FCS team Chattanooga:
Jalen Milroe launched a 56-yard bomb to Jermaine Burton on Alabama’s first play.
There was no nonconference letdown for the Crimson Tide.
Milroe passed for 197 yards and three touchdowns before sitting out the second half of No. 8 Alabama’s 66-10 rout of Chattanooga on Saturday. The Tide (10-1, No. 8 CFP) won their ninth straight game but got a breather from Southeastern Conference opponents against the Mocs (7-4), an FCS team.