LSU takes advantage of five missed field goals to beat Auburn

This season, there was no reprieve for Auburn’s John Vaughn.

Vaughn’s 39-yard field-goal attempt in overtime hit the left upright, giving No. 7 LSU a 20-17 win over No. 16 Auburn on Saturday night in Baton Rouge, La.

Last year, Auburn beat LSU 10-9 on Courtney Taylor’s touchdown with 1:14 remaining. Vaughn initially missed the extra point, but a penalty gave him a second chance. In this season’s rematch, he missed five field goals, including a 49-yarder in the final seconds of regulation that would have won it.

Auburn (5-2, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) had won 13 straight against SEC opponents, one short of a school record.

LSU (5-1, 4-1) trailed 17-14 late in the fourth quarter before Chris Jackson’s 44-yard kick tied it with 1:40 remaining.

LSU had the ball first in overtime, but had to settle for Jackson’s 30-yard field goal after Early Doucet dropped a pass in the end zone. The LSU defense then held, setting up Vaughn’s last miss.

Auburn’s Kenny Irons rushed for a career-high 218 yards, the most allowed by LSU since Alabama’s Shaun Alexander had 291 in 1996. Irons’ 74-yard touchdown run in the third quarter gave Auburn a 10-7 lead, but LSU answered with JaMarcus Russell’s 18-yard scoring pass to Dwayne Bowe.

(4) Georgia 23, Arkansas 20

The Bulldogs (7-0, 5-0 SEC) held off the Razorbacks (2-5, 0-4) in Athens, Ga., but may have lost a key piece of their national championship hopes when senior quarterback D.J. Shockley went down with a knee injury in the first half.

Shockley threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Bryan McClendon on Georgia’s first possession, and Joe Tereshinski did just enough in relief to keep the Bulldogs on course for a spot in the SEC championship game.

(5) Alabama 6, (17) Tennessee 3

Jamie Christensen’s 34-yard field goal with 13 seconds left lifted the Crimson Tide (7-0, 5-0 SEC) to a victory over the Volunteers (3-3, 2-3) in Tuscaloosa, Ala., giving Alabama only its second win in 11 seasons over its bitter rival.

It was the first time Tennessee had failed to score a touchdown since a 30-3 Peach Bowl loss to Maryland on Dec. 31, 2002.

(9) Notre Dame 49, Brigham Young 23

Brady Quinn threw for 467 yards and a school-record six touchdowns, four to Maurice Stovall, to lead the Fighting Irish (5-2) to a victory over the Cougars (3-4) in South Bend, Ind., ending a four-game home losing streak.

Quinn broke the mark of five TD passes he set in an overtime loss against Michigan State earlier this season.

It was the first home win for Charlie Weis, who was the first Irish coach to lose his first two home games since Frank E. Hering in 1896.

Stovall, who finished with 14 catches for 207 yards, became the first Irish receiver with four TDs in a game.

(11) Florida State 55, Duke 24

Drew Weatherford threw two touchdown passes and backup Xavier Lee added two of his own to lead the Seminoles (6-1, 3-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) past the Blue Devils (1-7, 0-5) in Durham, N.C.

Greg Carr caught three of the TDs and third-string tailback Antone Smith ran for two scores for the Seminoles.

(12) Penn State 63, Illinois 10

Michael Robinson threw for four touchdowns and ran for two more – in the first half – and the Nittany Lions (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) gave coach Joe Paterno his 350th victory the easy way with a rout of the Fighting Illini (2-5, 0-4) in Champaign, Ill.

The Penn State victory was so decisive that Robinson and most of his fellow starters did not play after the Nittany Lions built a 56-3 halftime lead to spoil Illinois’ homecoming.

(14) Ohio State 41, Indiana 10

Troy Smith ran for two touchdowns and threw for another, and Ohio State had 240 yards rushing and another strong defensive effort as the Buckeyes (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) beat the Hoosiers (4-3, 1-3) in Bloomington, Ind., for their most lopsided victory of the season.

Ohio State won a conference road game for only the second time in seven games dating to November 2003.

(19) Wisconsin 31, Purdue 20

Safety Roderick Rogers returned an interception 84 yards for a touchdown to spark the Badgers (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) to a victory over the Boilermakers (2-5, 0-4) in Madison, Wis.

The win leaves Wisconsin bowl eligible in coach Barry Alvarez’s 16th and final season. Cornerback Jake Ikegwuonu added two interceptions, including a game-sealing pickoff that he returned 62 yards for a score with 3:21 left.

(21) TCU 48, Air Force 10

Jeff Ballard threw for 302 yards and two scores to help the Horned Frogs (7-1, 5-0) beat the Falcons (3-5, 2-4) in Air Force Academy, Colo., and remain the only undefeated team in the Mountain West Conference.

Ballard went 20 for 28 to lift Texas Christian to its sixth straight victory. The Horned Frogs are alone in first place in their first season in the Mountain West.

Northwestern 49, (22) Michigan State 14

Brett Basanez threw for 331 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two more scores to lead the Wildcats (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) over the Spartans (4-3, 1-3) in East Lansing, Mich., for their third straight victory.

The game was billed as a meeting between two of the nation’s best offenses, but miscues by the Spartans allowed the game to turn into a rout.

North Carolina 7, (23) Virginia 5

Ronnie McGill ran for 118 yards, while Cedrick Holt had a key interception late to cap a stellar defensive effort and help the Tar Heels (3-3, 2-1 ACC) upset the Cavaliers (4-3, 2-3) in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Matt Baker connected with Rikki Cook for the game’s only touchdown in the first quarter.