LSU pulls out win over Auburn

Matt Flynn threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Demetrius Byrd with a second left to lift fifth-ranked LSU to a 30-24 victory over No. 18 Auburn on Saturday night in Baton Rouge, La., keeping LSU’s national title hopes alive and well.

With South Florida losing earlier in the week, LSU is certain to move up to at least third in the BCS standings, behind only Ohio State and possibly Boston College, which was idle this weekend.

Flynn finished with 319 yards passing and three touchdowns.

Auburn’s Brandon Cox, taking hits in the pocket but rolling out effectively when necessary, turned in a gutty performance, passing for 199 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

His last scoring pass, a 3-yard TD strike to Rodgeriqus Smith, gave Auburn a 24-23 lead with 3:21 to go.

But Auburn, following a game-long pattern of keeping the ball away from LSU returner Trindon Holliday, squibbed the kickoff, giving LSU the ball on its 42.

Flynn scrambled for 19 yards during the final drive, then took one more shot at the end zone as the clock wound down instead of getting the ball in the middle of the field to set up a potential game-winning field goal. He floated a pass perfectly to the back of the end zone, where Byrd emerged from behind a defender and made a sliding catch, sending Tiger Stadium into a frenzy.

LSU extended its winning streak in Death Valley to 18 games. If that streak had been snapped, it would have been fitting if Auburn was the team to do it. Auburn came in on a three-game winning streak that included impressive road wins over No. 14 Florida and Arkansas.

(1) Ohio State 24, Michigan State 17: Ohio State got a scare, but avoided being yet another upset victim.

The Buckeyes (8-0, 4-0 Big Ten) built a comfortable lead and then gave up two touchdowns off turnovers late in the third quarter – and almost lost another fumble deep in their own territory on the next play – to slip past the Spartans (5-3, 1-3) in Columbus, Ohio.

The Buckeyes rolled for most of the first three quarters, building their big lead on two touchdown passes by Todd Boeckman, the running of Chris Wells and a bruising defense that thoroughly shut down Michigan State.

(4) Oklahoma 17, Iowa State 7: Chris Brown ran for two second-half touchdowns and the Sooners (7-1, 3-1 Big 12) held off the Cyclones (1-7, 0-4) in Ames, Iowa.

D.J. Wolfe’s end-zone interception midway through the fourth quarter helped turn the tide for the Sooners, who won at Iowa State for the 20th straight time.

Oklahoma committed three turnovers and didn’t take the lead until the fourth quarter.

(9) West Virginia 38, Mississippi State 13: Pat White threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score in the first half, leading the Mountaineers (6-1) over the Bulldogs (4-4) in Morgantown, W.Va.

Steve Slaton rushed for 127 yards and a score for the Mountaineers.

West Virginia scored on its first five possessions and wasn’t threatened.

(15) Kansas 19, Colorado 14: The Jayhawks (7-0, 3-0 Big 12) forced three turnovers and stopped Colorado on downs twice in the fourth quarter to escape with a victory over the Buffaloes (4-4, 2-2) in Boulder, Colo.

It was the Jayhawks’ first win in Boulder since 1995. Kansas has won seven straight to start the season for only the second time since 1968. The team also started 7-0 in 1995.

(15) Missouri 41, (22) Texas Tech 10: Chase Daniel threw for 210 yards and a touchdown and the Tigers (6-1, 2-1 Big 12) intercepted Graham Harrell four times, returning one for a score while throttling the nation’s top offense in a victory over the Red Raiders (6-2, 2-2) in Columbia, Mo.

The scoring total was by far a season low for Texas Tech, which entered the game first in points per game (50) and yards per game (582).

(19) Texas, 31, Baylor 10: Colt McCoy overcame two interceptions, missing a wide-open receiver in the end zone and a personal foul penalty with 293 yards passing and a touchdown as the Longhorns (6-2, 2-2 Big 12) routed the Bears (3-5, 0-4) in Waco, Texas.

Michael Machen threw three interceptions while completing 25 of 44 passes for 231 yards and a touchdown in his first start for Baylor.

Alabama 41, (20) Tennessee 17: John Parker Wilson passed for a career-high 363 yards and three touchdowns, DJ Hall had a school-record 13 catches for 185 yards and the Crimson Tide (6-2, 4-1 SEC) rolled to a victory over the Volunteers (4-3, 2-2) in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Alabama got its biggest win in the series since a 56-28 victory in 1986 and had lost 10 of the last 12 meetings.

Pittsburgh 24, (23) Cincinnati 17: LaRod Stephens-Howling scored the go-ahead touchdown and was one of two Pittsburgh running backs with more than 100 yards of total offense, helping the Panthers (3-4, 1-1 Big East) upset the Bearcats (6-2, 1-2) in Pittsburgh.

Pitt, which had lost four in a row coming into the contest, didn’t take the lead until Stephens-Howling carried the ball for the fifth consecutive play during a fourth-quarter drive that ended with a 7-yard score.

(24) Michigan 27, Illinois 17: Carlos Brown ran for 113 yards filling in for Mike Hart and Mario Manningham scored two touchdowns to give the Wolverines (6-2, 4-0) a win over the Illini (5-3, 3-2) in Champaign, Ill.

Hart, the nation’s leading rusher with 152 yards a game, watched from the sideline in street clothes after hurting an ankle last weekend in a win over Purdue.

Oklahoma State 41, (25) Kansas State 39: Jason Ricks kicked a 26-yard field goal with 2 seconds remaining and the Cowboys (5-3, 3-1 Big 12) overcame the best passing performance of Josh Freeman’s career to beat the Wildcats (4-3, 2-2) in Stillwater, Okla.

Freeman threw for a career-best 404 yards and three touchdowns to star receiver Jordy Nelson.