Top 25 roundup: Alabama Tide escape upset bid

Trailing on the road against one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, No. 1 Alabama escaped by doing what it does best: making big plays on defense and giving the ball to Mark Ingram.

The Heisman Trophy winner ran for 157 yards and scored on a 1-yard run with 3:18 to remaining in the fourth quarter, and two first-year starters in the ’Bama secondary made late interceptions to help the top-ranked Crimson Tide rally from a 13-point deficit and beat No. 10 Arkansas 24-20 on Saturday in Fayetteville, Ark.

Robert Lester set up the winning score with his second interception of the day against Ryan Mallett, and Dre Kirkpatrick’s pick put the Tide (4-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) in position to run out the clock on their 18th straight victory.

“We just had our focus on going out there and executing, and we played with a lot of heart and a lot of intensity and determination,” Ingram said. “It’s big for this team to have a situation like that and persevere like that.”

The young secondary, with Mark Barron as the only returning starter from last season’s national title team, had been surrounded by question marks leading up to a showdown with Mallett, the nation’s leading passer.

Mallett put up 357 yards on 25 for 38 passing but it was the Tide’s defense – as usual – that came up with the big plays down the stretch.

Lester returned his second interception 33 yards to the Arkansas 12, and Nick Saban gave the ball to his Heisman-winning running back on three straight plays to get the go-ahead score.

“We’re going to finish,” said Lester, who has four interceptions. “We’re never going to lay down and just let them beat us. We’re always going to play until that final whistle blows.”

The Crimson Tide were able to run out the final 1:48 after Mallett threw his third interception, which came when Kirkpatrick kept his feet inbounds while reaching to catch Mallett’s attempted throw-away on the right sideline. Alabama faced fourth-and-inches in its own territory, but Greg McElroy picked it up with a sneak with 54 seconds left.

“If it takes this to be a champion, that’s what we’ve got to do,” Kirkpatrick said.

That sent Arkansas (3-1, 1-1) and its record home crowd of 76,808 away disappointed in the biggest game on campus in decades.

(2) Ohio State 73, Eastern Michigan 20: Dane Sanzenbacher tied two school records by catching four touchdown passes from Terrelle Pryor, and the Buckeyes (4-0) poured it on to beat the Eagles (0-4) in Columbus, Ohio.

It was the most points scored by the Buckeyes in 60 years.

Pryor completed 20 of 26 passes for 224 yards and the four scores, rushed seven times for 104 yards and a touchdown and also caught a 20-yard scoring pass from his former high school teammate, Jordan Hall, late in the third quarter. Sanzenbacher had nine catches for 108 yards.

(6) Nebraska 17, South Dakota State 6: Rex Burkhead and Kyler Reed scored on consecutive series in the first half, but the Cornhuskers (4-0) turned in an uninspired performance in a win over the Jackrabbits (0-3) – a Football Championship Subdivision team – in Lincoln, Neb.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Taylor Martinez, coming off three straight 100-yard rushing games, fumbled his first snap, threw two interceptions, was wildly off the mark with other passes and was flagged for taunting. He finished with 75 yards on 13 carries but was just 6-of-14 passing for 140 yards.

(8) Oklahoma 31, Cincinnati 29: Landry Jones threw for 370 yards and two touchdowns, and the Sooners (4-0) withstood a late rally and beat the Bearcats (1-3) in Cincinnati.

Jones completed a career-high 36 passes in 51 attempts with one interception. Ryan Broyles had his seventh straight 100-yard receiving game for Oklahoma.

(9) Florida 48, Kentucky 14: Trey Burton scored six touchdowns, breaking former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow’s school record, and the Gators (4-0, 2-0 SEC) beat the visiting Wildcats (3-1, 0-1) for the 24th consecutive time.

Burton became the fourth player in SEC history to score six times in a single game and first since Auburn’s Cadillac Williams in 2003.

Florida coach Urban Meyer became the sixth fastest coach in NCAA history to reach 100 career wins.

(11) Wisconsin 70, Austin Peay 3: Freshman James White rushed for four touchdowns, Scott Tolzien threw for three more scores and the Badgers (4-0) steamrolled the Governors (2-2) – an FCS team – in Madison, Wis.

(17) Auburn 35, (12) South Carolina 27: Cam Newton rushed for 176 yards and three touchdowns and passed for two more scores, leading the Tigers (4-0, 2-0 SEC) to another come-from-behind victory, this one against the Gamecocks (3-1, 1-1) in Auburn, Ala.

The Tigers overcame a double-digit halftime deficit for the second straight week after falling behind 20-7. Both of Newton’s scoring passes came in the fourth quarter after fumbles by South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia.

(15) LSU 20, (22) West Virginia 14: Patrick Peterson returned a punt 60 yards for a score and blocked a field goal, and the Tigers (4-0) held on for a victory over the Mountaineers (3-1) in Baton Rouge, La.

The Tigers (4-0) once again had to rely heavily on defense and special teams play to remain unbeaten. Quarterback Jordan Jefferson had a third straight game throwing for fewer than 100 yards and no touchdowns. He was also intercepted twice and briefly pulled in the fourth quarter.

(18) Iowa 45, Ball State 0: Ricky Stanzi threw for 288 yards and three touchdowns and the Hawkeyes (3-1) bounced back from last week’s loss at Arizona by trouncing the Cardinals (1-3) in Iowa City, Iowa.

Adam Robinson added 115 yards rushing and a pair of TDs for the Hawkeyes.

(21) Michigan 65, Bowling Green 21: Quarterbacks Denard Robinson and Tate Forcier were injured but the Wolverines (4-0) had no trouble beating the Falcons (1-3) in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Robinson twisted his left knee after a 47-yard run in the first quarter and didn’t return to the game. Forcier left the game in the fourth quarter after also appearing to hurt his left knee.

(23) Penn State 22, Temple 13: Collin Wagner tied a school record with five field goals, Evan Royster ran for 187 yards and the Nittany Lions (3-1) defense dominated in the second half in a win over the Owls (3-1) in State College, Pa.

The Nittany Lions had little trouble moving the ball until they got inside the 40, but Wagner’s right leg bailed them out. His 21-yarder with 1:38 left in the third quarter finally gave Penn State a 15-13 lead.

Temple had been outscored 154-9 in its previous four games with Penn State.