SEATTLE – Matt Leinart completed 20 of 26 passes for 201 yards and four touchdowns, and Reggie Bush returned a punt 84 yards for another score to lead top-ranked Southern California to its 29th straight win, 51-24 over Washington on Saturday.

Leinart and Dwayne Jarrett combined for three touchdowns for the second time this season. Jarrett caught seven passes for 95 yards and the three scores, and now has 25 touchdown receptions in 20 career games.

Bush’s electric, spinning punt return and two Washington turnovers – two more than the undermanned Huskies (1-6, 0-4) could afford – propelled USC (7-0, 4-0 Pac-10) to a 37-point first half.

The Trojans’ school-record road winning streak is at 14. They won a record-tying 19th consecutive conference game.

No. 2 Texas 52, No. 10 Texas Tech 17

AUSTIN, Texas – Vince Young threw for two touchdowns and ran for another and No. 2 Texas handed the 10th-ranked Red Raiders their first loss of the season in a victory that should do nothing but help the Longhorns in their run for the Rose Bowl.

Looking to start 7-0 for the first time since 1976 and move into national title contention, the high-scoring, pass-happy Red Raiders (6-1, 3-1) couldn’t keep up with Young and the Longhorns (7-0, 4-0).

No. 4 Georgia 23, Arkansas 20

ATHENS, Ga. – Georgia senior quarterback D.J. Shockley went down with a knee injury in the first half, marring the Bulldogs’ victory and making it unlikely he will play in a crucial game against Florida.

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 (7-0, 5-0 Southeastern Conference) on course for a spot in the SEC championship game. They can clinch the Eastern Division title as early as next weekend with a win over rival Florida.

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No. 5 Alabama 6, No. 17 Tennessee 3

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Jamie Christensen’s 34-yard field goal with 13 seconds left gave No. 5 Alabama only its second win in 11 seasons over its bitter rival.

It was Christensen’s second straight game-winner, but it was a fumble by Tennessee near the end zone on the Volunteers’ previous possession that proved to be the key.

No. 7 LSU 20, No. 16 Auburn 17

BATON ROUGE, La. – 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.

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.

No. 9 Notre Dame 49, Brigham Young 23

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Brady Quinn threw for 467 yards and a school-record six touchdowns, four to Maurice Stovall, and No. 9 Notre Dame ended a four-game home losing streak.

The Fighting Irish (5-2), who were beaten by BYU last season when they were held to 11 yards rushing, didn’t try to run the much against the Cougars (3-4), instead depending on Quinn’s passing to open up the BYU defense.

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No. 12 Penn State 63, Illinois 10

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Michael Robinson threw for four touchdowns and ran for two more – in the first half – and 12th-ranked Penn State gave coach Joe Paterno his 350th victory the easy way with a 63-10 rout of Illinois on Saturday night.

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. The win keeps Penn State (7-1, 4-1) in a tie with Wisconsin at the top of the Big Ten standings and moves Paterno’s record to 350-117-3 in 40 seasons, second on the all-time Division I-A coaching victory list.

No. 11 Florida State 55, Duke 24

DURHAM, N.C. – Drew Weatherford threw two touchdown passes and backup Xavier Lee added two of his own to help No. 11 Florida State bounce back from its first loss of the season.

Greg Carr caught three of the TDs and third-string tailback Antone Smith ran for two scores for the Seminoles (6-1, 3-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), who still struggled to generate a running game against the outmanned Blue Devils (1-7, 0-5). Smith was the leading rusher with 76 yards, and 45 of those came on a spectacular run early in the fourth quarter with the outcome no longer in doubt.

No. 14 Ohio St. 41, Indiana 10

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Troy Smith ran for two touchdowns and threw for another, Ohio State had 240 yards rushing and another strong defensive effort led the Buckeyes to their most lopsided victory of the season.

For the Buckeyes (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten), there was one major change: They won a conference road game for only the second time in seven games dating to November 2003 – albeit in a friendly environment that appeared to have more Buckeyes fans than Hoosiers supporters.

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No. 15 Oregon 28, Arizona 21

TUCSON, Ariz. – Linebacker Brent Haberly returned a fumble 34 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter and No. 15 Oregon beat Arizona 28-21 Saturday despite the Ducks’ top two quarterbacks being knocked out of the game on consecutive possessions.

Blair Phillips, another linebacker, had a sack and recovered another fumble late in the game to stop Arizona’s final scoring threat, and Oregon (7-1, 4-1 Pac-10) won for the fourth straight time since losing to No. 1 Southern California. The Ducks also won their seventh in a row over the Wildcats.

No. 19 Wisconsin 31, Purdue 20

MADISON, Wis. – Safety Roderick Rogers returned an interception 84 yards for a touchdown that sparked No. 19 Wisconsin (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten), which became 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.

No. 21 TCU 48, Air Force 10

AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Jeff Ballard threw for 302 yards and two scores to help No. 21 TCU remain the only undefeated team in the Mountain West Conference.

Ballard went 20-for-28 to lift the Horned Frogs (7-1, 5-0) to their sixth straight victory and remain alone in first place in their first season in the Mountain West. Air Force (3-5, 2-4) used its triple option to hold the ball for nearly 35 minutes, but mistakes hurt the Falcons. They had a punt blocked, committed 90 yards in penalties, missed two field goals and Shaun Carney threw an interception in the TCU end zone.

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Northwestern 49, No. 22 Michigan State 14

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Brett Basanez threw for 331 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two more scores to lead Northwestern to its third straight win.

The game was billed as a meeting between two of the nation’s best offenses, but miscues by the Spartans (4-3, 1-3 Big Ten) allowed the game to turn into a rout. Michigan State has now lost three straight, while the Wildcats (5-2, 3-1) remain in the middle of the conference title race.

North Carolina 7, No. 23 Virginia 5

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Ronnie McGill ran for 118 yards while Cedrick Holt had a key interception late to cap a stellar defensive effort and help North Carolina hold off Virginia.

Matt Baker connected with Rikki Cook for the game’s only touchdown in the first quarter, which ultimately proved to be all the Tar Heels (3-3, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) would need to bounce back from a humiliating loss at Louisville two weeks ago.

No. 24 Fresno State 40, Idaho 10

MOSCOW, Idaho – Fresno State’s Joe Fernandez returned a punt 72 yards for a touchdown, and Jaron Fairman returned a blocked punt for another score in a game that was determined by special teams play.

The Bulldogs (5-1, 3-0 WAC) started slowly in the first half, but scored 24 straight points and held Idaho scoreless in the second half to get the win.


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