Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Oklahoma blasts West Virginia in Big 12 football showdown

Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon is tackled by West Virginia cornerback Rasul Douglas during the first half of Saturday’s snowy game in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Ray Thompson / Associated Press)
Associated Press

Baker Mayfield threw two touchdown passes and ran for two more scores and No. 8 Oklahoma scored four times off turnovers to beat No. 10 West Virginia 56-28 on Saturday night in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Oklahoma (9-2, 8-0 Big 12, No. 9 CFP) turned a marquee matchup into a rout from the start, building a 28-0 lead early in the second quarter before the Mountaineers tried a late comeback. The Sooners kept their long-shot playoff hopes alive and can win the conference title in their regular-season finale in two weeks.

“It was really a good way to come out, really focused,” Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. “That’s how you want to start an important game on the road.”

West Virginia (8-2, 5-2, No. 14 CFP) was eliminated from the conference race. The Mountaineers entered the game with the league’s top scoring defense but had too many weapons to cover and made far too many miscues.

West Virginia’s Justin Crawford rushed for 331 yards, the third-highest total in school history.

(1) Alabama 31, Chattanooga 3: Jalen Hurts passed for three touchdowns and ran for 68 yards to help the Crimson Tide (11-0) defeat the FCS Mocs (8-3) in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

(4) Michigan 20, Indiana 10: De’Veon Smith ran for two touchdowns in a 3:33 span late in the third quarter, finishing with a career-high 158 yards rushing to help the Wolverines (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten, No. 3 CFP), shake off the Hoosiers (5-6, 3-5) in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

(5) Clemson 35, Wake Forest 13: Deshaun Watson ran for two touchdowns and threw for another score, and the Tigers (10-1, 7-1 ACC, No. 4 CFP) defeated the Demon Deacons (6-5, 3-4) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

(6) Wisconsin 49, Purdue 20: T.J. Watt returned an interception 17 yards for a touchdown, and the Badgers (9-2, 6-2 Big Ten, No. 7 CFP) scored 35 points in the final 8 1/2 minutes of the first half to defeat the Boilermakers (3-8, 1-7) at West Lafayette, Indiana.

(9) Penn State 39, Rutgers 0: Tyler Davis kicked a career-high four field goals and the Nittany Lions (9-2, 7-1 Big Ten) defeated the Scarlet Knights (2-9, 0-8) at Piscataway, New Jersey.

The win kept Penn State tied for first place in the Big Ten East with Ohio State and Michigan, who face each other in Columbus, Ohio. If the Buckeyes win and the Nittany Lions take their home finale against Michigan State, Penn State goes to the title game, having beaten the Buckeyes.

(13) Oklahoma State 31, TCU 6: Mason Rudolph ran for two touchdowns and threw for another score and the Cowboys (9-2, 7-1, No. 11 CFP) defeated the Horned Frogs (5-5, 3-4) in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Cowboys (9-2, 7-1, No. 11 CFP) will be conference champions if they beat No. 8 Oklahoma in their regular-season finale after an open date.

(14) Western Michigan 38, Buffalo 0: Zach Terrell passed for a career-high 445 yards and four touchdowns, helping the Broncos (11-0, 7-0 MAC, No. 21 CFP) defeat the Bulls (2-9, 1-6) at Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Western Michigan needs a win against Toledo next week and a victory in the MAC championship to have a chance at the Cotton Bowl.

(21) Florida 16, (16) LSU 10: Florida stuffed LSU’s Derrius Guice on a do-or-die run from the 1 in the final seconds and the Gators (8-2, 6-2, No. 23 CFP) held on to wrap up the Southeastern Conference’s East Division by defeating the Tigers (6-4, 4-3 SEC, No. 16 CFP) at Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The stop capped a defensive struggle in which LSU converted a fourth-and-10 play on its final drive, only to get stopped on back-to-back runs from the 1 to end the game.

(17) Florida State 45, Syracuse 14: Dalvin Cook ran for 225 yards and four touchdowns to pass Warrick Dunn as Florida State’s career rushing leader as the Seminoles (8-3, 5-3 ACC, No. 17 CFP) defeated the Orange (4-7, 2-5) in Syracuse, New York.

(18) Auburn 55, Alabama A&M 0: Jeremy Johnson accounted for three touchdowns, and the Tigers made the most of its final tuneup before the Iron Bowl with a victory over FCS opponent Alabama A&M (4-7) in Auburn, Alabama.

(19) Nebraska 28, Maryland 7: Terrell Newby ran for a career-high three touchdowns for Nebraska , and Ryker Fyfe passed for 220 yards and a score filling in for injured starter Tommy Armstrong Jr. as the Cornhuskers (9-2, 6-2 Big Ten) defeated the Terrapins (5-6, 2-6) at Lincoln, Nebraska.

(23) Texas A&M 23, UTSA 10: Jake Hubenak threw for 248 yards and a touchdown and Myles Garrett had 4 1/2 sacks to help the Aggies (8-3) defeat the Roadrunners (5-6) at College Station, Texas.

Wyoming 34, (24) San Diego State 33: Josh Allen threw two touchdown passes, including a 29-yarder to C.J. Johnson with 1:07 left, and the Cowboys (8-3, 6-1 Mountain West) stopped a 2-point conversion attempt by the Aztecs (9-2, 6-1) with no time on the clock in Laramie, Wyoming.

Allen completed 16 of 31 passes for 282 yards and also rushed for 56 yards. Brian Hill added 131 yards on 31 carries and two TDs for the Cowboys (8-3, 6-1 Mountain West). Johnson had five catches for 85 yards.

Christian Chapman’s last-minute TD pass was a 23-yard desperation heave that Quest Truxton caught on the rebound with no time left. Aztecs coach Rocky Long elected to go for the win and Chapman’s 2-point pass attempt was knocked away by defensive back Antonio Hull.

Rashaad Penny and Juwan Washington both returned kickoffs for touchdowns for the Aztecs. Penny’s was 93 yards, and Washington’s 92 yards.