8th week of college football the season started with No. 2 Ohio State’s win over Iowa, while No. 5 Clemson got back on top of No. 14 Syracuse.
Later, No. 10 Oregon got the best of No. 9 UCLA, defeating its conference rival, 45-30. No. 11 Oklahoma State came back from a 14-point deficit to outlast No. 20 Texas, 41-34.
Currently, No. 8 TCU hosts No. 17 Kansas State and No. 6 Alabama is coming off a 30-6 win over No. 24 Mississippi State.
Here are the best plays from Saturday’s Week 8.
No. 17 Kansas State at No. 8 TCU
That was fast!
TCU QB Max Duggan connected with receiver Derrius Davis, who made this 65-yard touchdown reception flawless.
Moss them
Kansas State receiver Cade Warner went up and outran a TCU defender to not only catch the ball, but turn it into a touchdown to tie the score.
Pushing him in
Will Howard got some help from his Kansas State teammates to get into the end zone to give the Wildcats a 14-10 lead.
Deuces!
Kansas State running back Deuce Vaughn broke free with a 48-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 28-10.
He is in!
Not only did Kendre Miller work his way to pick up a first down on fourth-and-1, he rolled into the end zone to make it a four-point game.
Before the sound
The play worked well for TCU. Duggan found tight end Jared Wiley wide open in the end zone to cut Kansas State’s lead to 28-17 just before halftime.
Hitting the right receiver
Two TCU receivers got past the Kansas State defense, but one had a clear path to the end zone. Duggan’s pass found the right one, connecting with Quentin Johnston for a 46-yard touchdown that put the Horned Frogs ahead, 31-28.
No. 6 Alabama 30, No. 24 Mississippi State 6
All day
Bryce Young had great protection from his line of scrimmage, allowing him to move in the pocket for a few seconds before finding an open receiver in the end zone to put the Crimson Tide up 7-0 in the first quarter.
Jahmir includes jets
Alabama RB Jameer Gibbs made his 19-yard touchdown run look easy by speeding through the Mississippi State defense to reach the end zone untouched.
Care with a number
He didn’t win, but Mississippi State avoided a shutout at the buzzer against Alabama. Not only did he narrowly avoid a shutout, but he scored his first Alabama touchdown since 2014.
No. 10 Oregon 45, No. 9 UCLA 30
Neon Nix
Oregon kicked a field goal on their first possession, and on their second Beau Nix began slicing through the Bruins defense like sliced ham. He drove the Ducks 71 yards in 10 plays for their first TD of the day, connecting with Terrance Ferguson on a 17-yard dime for the score. That put Oregon up 10-3.
Bo Nix finds Terrance Ferguson for a 17-yard TD to give Oregon the lead
Bo Knicks finds Terrance Ferguson for a 17-yard touchdown to give the Oregon Ducks a 10-3 lead over the UCLA Bruins.
Speed tracking
UCLA’s Keegan Jones had a strong answer to the Ducks’ score, snapping a pass on a flat layup and hauling in en route to the tying 36-yard TD.
Keegan Jones turns on the boosters after the reception and scampers 36 yards for a TD
Dorian Thompson-Robinson found Keegan Jones, who took it 36 yards for a TD
Correct placement
In the second quarter, Nix kept the ball rolling with a nice touchdown to Troy Franklin on a fly route to give the Ducks a 17-10 lead.
Oregon takes lead as Beau Nix connects with Troy Franklin for 49-yard TD
The Oregon Ducks took the lead after Beau Nix connected with Troy Franklin for a 49-yard touchdown against the UCLA Bruins.
Oregon went 54 yards in eight plays on its next drive to double its lead, 24-10.
Right before half time
The Ducks continued to score in the first half until the clock nearly hit zero. Nix scrambled into the pocket before hitting Franklin in the end zone on third down. The score put Oregon up 31-13 at halftime.
Feeding into the end zone
Cam McCormick caught a pass from Nix over the middle and lowered his body to make his way into the end zone, extending Oregon’s lead to 22.
Fourth-and-TD
On fourth-and-four, Bucky Irving found himself wide open, getting caught in the flat before picking up speed to run all the way to the end zone untouched. The score gave the Ducks a 45-23 lead in the fourth.
Dominant ducks
When Brian Addison beat Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the end zone midway through the fourth quarter, Oregon State ended any hopes of a UCLA comeback.
No. 11 Oklahoma State 41, No. 20 Texas 34
Two up
Texas’ Bijan Robinson had a montage of broken tackles, and he added to that in the first quarter for the Longhorns with a 42-yard TD run, one of his best runs of the season.
A worthy addressee
Xavier Worthy has been making waves for Texas all year, and the big game unleashed a tsunami on OK. State sprinted after the catch to put the Longhorns up 14-10.
Goodbye, Bijan
The Texas RB came out of the backfield, wide open. Quinn Ewers found him right away, connecting on a short pass that led to a 41-yard touchdown for Robinson.
Spencer stopped
Texas intercepted Spencer Sanders as he and Oklahoma State tried to tie the score in the second quarter.
Run all the way
Roshawn Johnson added a fourth touchdown for the Longhorns before halftime on a 52-yarder.
Draw!
Trailing for most of the game, Oklahoma State tied the score early in the fourth quarter when Sanders threw a touchdown to Braylin Pressley.
For leadership!
Bryson Green caught Sanders’ pass over the middle and made several tackles before seeing nothing but daylight for a 41-yard run that gave Oklahoma State a 41-34 lead in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
Ball game
For the second time in a row, Oklahoma State selected Ewers. In the second game, Ewers and the Longhorns drove down the field in the final minute to try to tie the score. But Ewers’ pass bounced off the hands of a Texas receiver and landed in the hands of Kendall Daniels.
No. 2 Ohio State 54, Iowa 10
oh!
It only took one play for Ohio State to seize the game’s momentum.
Oklahoma State transfer Tanner McCallister jumped in front of Spencer Petros’ throw for an easy layup, giving his team possession on the Iowa side of the field. The Buckeyes capitalized on the TO with a 46-yard FG to go up 3-0.
Boomerang
Ohio State’s momentum immediately turned into a deficit. Coming off an INT on their first defensive play, the Buckeyes scored a defensive TD on the opening play of their second drive. Joe Evans broke through the Buckeyes’ O-line and hit C.J. Stroud behind the strip, snapping the ball for an 11-yard TD.
Iowa’s Joe Evans recovers a fumble and returns it for an 11-yard touchdown
CJ Stroud was dismissed by Joe Evans. Evans recovered the ball and returned it for an 11-yard touchdown.
Bring it back!
Ohio State went 75 yards in 10 plays on his next kill, which relied heavily on running. The team’s defense gave them a chance to extend their lead midway through the first, forcing Petras into another layup for his second TO of the day.
An fake punt attempt fails from Iowa on its next drive led to another Ohio State FG that gave it a 16-7 lead.
1…2…3!
Three marks for the number of turnovers suffered by Iowa in the first half. Third: Tommy Eichenberg’s big pick six gives the Buckeyes a 26-10 lead.
Ohio State returns interception for TD to extend lead over Iowa
The Ohio State Buckeyes’ defense easily grabbed six picks to extend their lead over the Iowa Hawkeyes. Tommy Eichenberg gets the grade.
Making a name for himself
After more than one, but two more forced early in the second half, Stroud and Marvin Harrison Jr. rewarded their defense with another TD connection, Harrison Jr.’s 10th of the season.
CJ Stroud connects with Marvin Harrison Jr. for a 6-yard touchdown
CJ Stroud found Marvin Harrison Jr. in the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown.
Stroud completed a Emeka Egbuki’s goal kick from 13 yards for his second TD throw of the day, giving the side a 40-10 lead in the third.
A shrug
Julian Fleming did his MJ best when he celebrated a huge 79-yard TD early in the fourth.
C.J. Stroud throws a 10-yard pass to Julian Fleming for a 79-yard TD
C.J. Stroud throws 100 cents to Julian Fleming for a 79-yard TD as the Ohio State Buckeyes continue to pile on the Iowa Hawkeyes.
The pass and catch was Stroud’s third TD, and he followed it up with another — this time 3-yarder to fullback Mitch Rossi – to have four.
No. 5 Clemson 27, No. 14 Syracuse 21
Flying by
Syracuse RB Sean Tucker vs. Clemson DE KJ Henry — We think we know who wins this race. And as it played out in real time, the former drove past the latter for a short yardage score. TD tied things up at seven early.
Scoop it up. Assessment.
Syracuse’s defense held steady in the first half, and after picking up an INT, kept the Tigers out of the end zone on their next possession in flawless fashion with a 90-yard fumble return TD. Ja’Had Carter was the man of the moment in the play.
Musical team
The Orange offense came up big again as the second quarter came to an end, crossing the pylon on Garrett Schrader to cap off an eight-play, 68-yard drive. In the short term, Syracuse went up 21-7.
Is the change worth it?
Syracuse continued its dominance in the second half, coming away with a #3 (strip and fumble recovery) and a #4 (second INT by DJ Uiagalelei). Dabo Sweeney saw enough after the second pick and benched Uyagalelei for Cade Strawberry late in the third quarter.
He left!
The Clubnik insert sparked a critical transformation for Clemson. He led the Tigers on a 15-play, 80-yard drive for their first TD since the first drive before Will Shipley broke off a 50-yard run to give the Tigers a 24-21 lead early in the fourth.
Clemson added another FG to go up 27-21, and on Syracuse’s final drive, RJ Mickens jumped in front of the ball to snag a key INT. The win marked the Tigers’ 38th straight home win.
Clemson’s defense came up clutch with a game-ending interception
Clemson’s defense comes up clutch with an interception to remain undefeated
BEST OF THE REST:
Jumping ahead
Indiana found the end zone the first time it touched the football against Rutgers when Jaylin Lucas burst past the Scarlet Knights for 93 yards.
Indiana opens the game with a massive 93-yard TD run by Jaylin Lucas
Indiana opens the game with a 93-yard field goal by Jaylin Lucas to take a 7-0 lead.
Upset!
LSU QB Jaden Daniels scored five touchdowns to lead the Tigers to an upset 45-20 victory over unbeaten No. 7 Ole Miss in Saturday’s game.
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