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COVID-19

No. 1 Alabama rolls over No. 22 Auburn 42-13 without coach Nick Saban

Alabama quarterback Mac Jones (10) throws a pass against Auburn during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.  (Associated Press)
Associated Press

Associated Press

Mac Jones passed for 302 yards and five touchdowns, highlighted by two long ones to DeVonta Smith, and No. 1 Alabama rolled over rival No. 22 Auburn 42-13 on Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, without coach Nick Saban.

The Crimson Tide (8-0) continued a dominating march through a schedule of all-Southeastern Conference games even minus their six-time national champion coach on the sideline.

Saban tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday and watched the game feed from home, witnessing the usual array of big plays with offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian running the show.

The result was much of the same against the Tigers (5-3), who suffered the second-most lopsided loss of Gus Malzahn’s coaching tenure.

The only bigger margin was Alabama’s 52-21 triumph in the 2018 Iron Bowl.

Smith had seven catches for 171 yards.

No. 4 Clemson 52, Pittsburgh 17: Trevor Lawrence threw for 403 yards and two touchdowns in his first game in five weeks – and likely last one at Death Valley – and the Tigers (8-1, 7-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) throttled the Panthers (5-5, 4-5) in Clemson, South Carolina.

Lawrence hadn’t seen the field on game day since beating Syracuse on Oct. 24.

He tested positive for the coronavirus the following week and missed Clemson’s next two games, including its only loss this season – a 47-40 double-OT defeat at No. 2 Notre Dame.

Cornell Powell had five catches for 176 yards, including a 43-yard TD catch off a flea-flicker pass from Lawrence. Powell also had an incredible, one-handed grab on a 70-yard pass to the Pitt 5 that set up Chez Mellusi’s 2-yard TD run for a 38-3 lead.

No. 5 Texas A&M 20, LSU 7: Isaiah Spiller ran for 141 yards and a touchdown and Buddy Johnson returned an interception for a score for the Aggies (6-1) in a victory over the Tigers (3-4) in College Station, Texas.

No. 6 Florida 34, Kentucky 10

Kyle Trask threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns and put the Gators (7-1) on the verge of the Southeastern Conference championship game with a one-sided victory over the Wildcats (3-6) in Gainesville, Florida.

Michigan State 29, No. 11 Northwestern 20: Matt Coghlin broke a tie with a 48-yard field goal with 3:35 left and the Spartans (2-3) handed the Wildcats (5-1) their first loss of the season in East Lansing, Michigan.

No. 12 Indiana 27, Maryland 11: Stevie Scott III had three touchdown runs and the Hoosiers (5-1) had three interceptions, three sacks and a game-changing safety to beat the Terrapins (2-2) in Bloomington, Indiana.

No. 13 Georgia 45, South Carolina 16: James Cook ran for 104 yards on six carries and three other Georgia backs had at least 77 yards to help the Bulldogs (6-2) overpower the depleted Gamecocks (2-7) in Columbia, South Carolina.

No. 16 Coastal Carolina 49, Texas State 14: C.J. Marable ran for 157 yards and three touchdowns and the Chanticleers (9-0, 7-0 Sun Belt) wrapped up the Sun Belt East Division title in the rain against the Bobcats (2-10, 2-6) in San Marcos, Texas.

No. 21 Oklahoma State 50, Texas Tech 44: Dezmon Jackson rushed for career highs of 235 yards and three touchdowns and the Cowboys (6-2, 5-2 Big-12) held off the Red Raiders (3-6, 2-6) in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

No. 23 Louisiana-Lafayette 70, Louisiana-Monroe 20: Levi Lewis passed for three touchdowns and ran for two more in less than three quarters, and the Ragin’ Cajuns (8-1, 6-1 Sun Belt) routed the Warhawks (0-9, 0-6) in Monroe, Louisiana.