College Football Rewind: Florida State is dangerously playing with fire

Welcome back to College Football Rewind. This is your first look back at what happened each week and what it means moving forward. Every Saturday night, I will analyze the week's games and the always colorful world of college football. Check back later for analysis of the late games.

Former Texas coach Mack Brown made a curious statement on ESPN after No. 3 Florida State survived again. In Brown's eyes, the Seminoles' tight 20-17 victory over Boston College is perfect for Jimbo Fisher because it will get his players' attention.

The reality at this point is Florida State is who it is. That is, the Florida State Zombies -- er, Seminoles -- are impossible to kill once they flip the switch in the second half. Don't sell resiliency short.

But this is also a flawed team. (To be fair, there's no great team in college football this season.) It feels inevitable these flaws are going to catch up with undefeated Florida State at some point, whether it's against Florida next week, in the ACC Championship Game against Georgia Tech's option offense that requires disciplined defense, or against much better competition in the College Football Playoff.

The Seminoles have won five games by less than a touchdown. That doesn't count Florida State's fourth-quarter rallies against NC State and Louisville. The past three teams to win the national title (Florida State and Alabama twice) had a combined two games decided by one touchdown or less in the regular season.

There is precedent for Florida State to prevail with so many tight games. Auburn won the national title in 2010 with six games decided by one touchdown or less entering the postseason, though those Tigers faced a more difficult regular-season schedule than these Seminoles.

The more concerning area for Florida State is its on-again, off-again difficulties running the ball and stopping the run. On Saturday, Boston College only attempted 11 passes and ran for 240 yards on 51 carries (4.7 yards per carry).

Late in the fourth quarter, Boston College had a stretch of 14-straight running plays. The Seminoles didn't so much stop the Eagles as they got fortunate Boston College misfired on a trick play and then missed a field goal.

Florida State is averaging 126.6 rushing yards per game (ranked 102nd in the country entering Saturday) and allowing 148.8 yards on the ground (36th entering Saturday). Over the past 10 years, no team played for the national title ranked that low in rushing offense and just two teams reached the championship game with that low of a rushing defense (both Auburn and Florida State in 2013).

The Seminoles have won five games with a go-ahead score in the fourth quarter. The ability to never be out of a game is an impressive trait for a team on a 26-game winning streak.

But Florida State is playing with fire. It feels like the Seminoles are going to get burned at some point.

What We Learned in Week 13

1. Another week, another rushing record. It took 15 years for LaDainian Tomlinson's FBS single-game rushing record to get broken. It took one week for Melvin Gordon's mark of 408 yards to get surpassed. Oklahoma freshman Samaje Perine ran into the record books with 427 yards on 34 carries in a 44-7 victory over Kansas. Perine, who ran for five scores, didn't even start the game for Oklahoma. He is the first FBS player ever to rush for more than 200 yards in both halves of a game. The last time the FBS single-game rushing record was set twice in the same season was 1991 by Marshall Faulk and Tony Sands. This is the year of the running back across the country as records continue to fall. Entering the night games, six running backs ran for at least 225 yards on Saturday: New Mexico State's Larry Rose III, Indiana's Tevin Coleman, Colorado State's Dee Hart, Toledo's Kareem Hunt, Texas State's Robert Lowe and Perine. Running games are running wild in college football.

2. Big Ten championship picture is clearer. No. 6 Ohio State clinched the Big Ten East title with a closer-than-expected 42-27 victory over Indiana. The Buckeyes took control near the end of the third quarter with four-straight touchdowns, all of them by freshman Jalin Marshall. One week after Marshall lost two fumbles against Minnesota, he scored on a 54-yard punt return and added receiving touchdowns of 6, 15 and 54 yards. Meanwhile,Minnesota rallied from a 14-point deficit in the third quarter to win 28-24 at Nebraska. The Golden Gophers did without injured star running back David Cobb. The Minnesota-Wisconsin winner next week will meet Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game on Dec. 6. Minnesota has back-to-back seasons with at least eight wins for only the second time since 1935. The Golden Gophers' success continues to be good news for No. 5 TCU, which beat Minnesota 30-7 early in the year. No. 7 Baylor doesn't have a comparable non-conference victory, though the Bears have the head-to-head advantage over TCU that could eventually flip the teams' spots.

3. SEC divisions still undecided. For the second straight year, both SEC division races will come down to the final weekend. Prior to last year, both divisions had not been decided in the last week since 2003. In the West, if Alabama beats Auburn, the Crimson Tide goes to Atlanta. If Alabama loses and Mississippi State beats Ole Miss, the Bulldogs go. In the East, if Missouri beats red-hot Arkansas next Friday, the Tigers will go to their second-straight SEC Championship Game after joining the league just three years ago. Should Mizzou lose, Georgia goes to Atlanta. Enough with the “poor Georgia” narrative if the more-talented Bulldogs don't win the East. It's simple: Don't lose twice in the weak East. Missouri could win the division without beating a single team with a winning SEC record. If Missouri wins the division, its opponents would have a combined 16-35 SEC record. Still, all Missouri does is compete for titles after getting mocked by SEC fans when it arrived from the Big 12. Missouri has a chance for its fourth division title since 2007 (two in the Big 12 and one or two in the SEC). Only Florida State and possibly Alabama could have four division titles in that time period.

4. Is UCLA a playoff sleeper? The Bruins didn't just beat crosstown rival USC. They beat down the Trojans 38-20 and have won three straight in the series for the first time since 1998. UCLA and USC have been playing since 1929. This is only the fourth time the Bruins have had a three-game winning streak in the series, compared to eight instances for USC. If UCLA beats Stanford on Friday, the Bruins will win the Pac-12 South and face Oregon for the conference championship. If the Bruins lose, then the Arizona-Arizona State winner on Friday wins the South. With Ole Miss losing to Arkansas, UCLA figures to be the highest-ranked two-loss team in the next playoff committee rankings. The Bruins likely need help. But they're a sleeper candidate to make the playoff if they beat Stanford and Oregon. UCLA would have wins over Arizona State, Arizona, Oregon and USC, plus nonconference wins over possible bowl teams Texas, Virginia and Memphis. Likely? No. But stranger things have happened in college football.

5. Don't forget about Kansas State. Lost in the playoff debate of TCU vs. Baylor is this inconvenient fact: It's still possible neither team wins the Big 12. Kansas State is the third wheel in the three-way tie for first in the Big 12. If TCU loses (and a loss at Texas is possible), Baylor falls to Kansas State, and Kansas State also beats Kansas, it will be Kansas State that wins the Big 12 outright. Jake Waters threw for a career-high 400 yards in Kansas State's 26-20 win over West Virginia.

Stat of the Week I

Arkansas' 30-0 victory over No. 8 Ole Miss means the entire SEC West is bowl eligible -- the first time that's happened for one SEC division. The Razorbacks shut out SEC opponents in consecutive games for the first time in their history.

Stat of the Week II

In likely his final home game, Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota set a Pac-12 record by reaching 42 total touchdowns this season. Mariota broke Matt Barkley's record of touchdown responsibility of 41 set in 2011. Mariota threw for 323 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 73 yards and another score. He has been consistently excellent all year and done nothing yet to lose his status as the Heisman Trophy favorite.

Stat of the Week III

East Carolina wide receiver Justin Hardy became the FBS career receptions leader with 355, breaking the record by Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles, who had 349. Hardy was not named among the 10 semifinalists this week for the Biletnikoff Award, causing American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco to issue a statement expressing his disappointment in the snub.

Score of the Week

Wake Forest 6, Virginia Tech 3 in double overtime. This woeful contest became the first scoreless FBS game at the end of regulation since 2005 between Arkansas State and Florida Atlantic. Wake Forest (3-8) got its first win over the Hokies since 1983 in a result that will continue to alienate Frank Beamer with his fans. The Hokies (5-6) will need to beat rival Virginia to be bowl-eligible for the 22nd straight year. Meanwhile, Ohio State continues to potentially get hurt by Virginia Tech, which lost by two touchdowns at home to the Hokies on Sept. 6.

Week 14 Questions

1. How healthy is Alabama? The No. 1 Crimson Tide had several players get banged up in their win over Western Carolina, most notably wide receiver Amari Cooper, who left with a bruised knee. Fullback Jalston Fowler, offensive tackle Cam Robinson and defensive end A'Shawn Robinson also suffered injuries, though Nick Saban said he expects them all to be fine. Alabama will be out for blood next week to avenge last year's loss to Auburn. For the seventh-straight year, the Iron Bowl will have national championship implications for at least one of the teams. The last time the Iron Bowl had nothing national at stake? George W. Bush was president, Auburn was reveling in Tommy Tuberville's one-for-the-thumb Iron Bowl winning streak, and Nick Saban was college football's only $4-million-a-year coach (there are now 11). The streak continues next week.

2. Can Mississippi State make the playoff? Saturday was a rare day that Mississippi Statefans should have been pulling for Ole Miss. The Bulldogs could have used a top-10 win next week at the Egg Bowl to maintain a spot in the top four of the CFP Rankings. Instead, Ole Miss got routed by Arkansas and looks like a defeated team. Mississippi State may be No. 4 right now, but it's looking like it may need some help to make the playoff.

3. Will TCU survive at Texas? Beware, Horned Frogs. TCU is headed into a hornets' nest on Thanksgiving night at Texas, which has won three-straight thanks to an improved offense. TCU is the more complete team, but the Longhorns have a good enough defense to win this game. Who would have thought before the season that TCU-Texas would be the more compelling game to watch on Thanksgiving than LSU-Texas A&M?

4. Is this the year Dabo Swinney beats South Carolina? Clemson has lost five consecutive games to South Carolina -- the Gamecocks' longest winning streak in series history. Steve Spurrier has rubbed it in the face of Clemson fans for several years. Clemson has achieved some successes under Swinney, but one thing Clemson fans want more than anything is to beat the Gamecocks again. Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson's status is uncertain for next week. The Tigers need him, even against one of Spurrier's worst teams in several years.

5. Should you go shopping on Black Friday? No, no, no, one thousand times no. Friday is setting up to be a very entertaining day of football with divisional races and bowl bids at stake. Start at 2:30 pm ET with Missouri-Arkansas. Then there's UCLA-Stanford and Arizona-Arizona State at 3:30. Finally, there's Virginia-Virginia Tech at 8 in a rivalry game with bowl eligibility on the line for both 5-6 teams

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Lions’ Stingy Defense Faces High-Scoring Pats

It’s no surprise that the New England Patriots lead the NFL in scoring.

In the past four seasons, they’ve done that twice and finished third twice.

But the Detroit Lions allowing the fewest points? Now there’s a surprise.

In the past seven seasons, they gave up the most points three times. In their stingiest season in that period, they were in the middle of the pack, allowing only the 15th fewest.

On Sunday, quarterback Tom Brady leads his prolific offense against tackle Ndamukong Suh and his stout defense.

“He’s a phenomenal player,” Brady said of Suh. “He’s a big, physical presence, and I think he really sets the tone for that defense.”

Defensive end Ziggy Ansah has 4 1-2 sacks and three forced fumbles in the past five games. Linebacker DeAndre Levy has 10 or more tackles in seven games this season. The Lions have allowed the fewest yards in the league, and the secondary is the main reason they’ve given up the fifth-fewest passing.

But the Lions (7-3) haven’t faced an offense such as the Patriots (8-2).

“Obviously, (Brady’s) been doing some great things like he always does,” Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. “They are a very surgical sort of a procedure, where he’s throwing the ball accurately, getting it to all of his playmakers and putting points on the board.”

The AFC East-leading Patriots have averaged 40.5 points in winning their past six games and 32.3 for the season.

The Lions, tied for first in the NFC North with Green Bay, have given up more than 20 points just three times and never more than 24. Opponents have averaged 15.6.

Now they’ll see what they can do against Brady.

“I wouldn’t say I get extra excited,” Suh said, “but I’m always excited to go against any type of quarterback and have an opportunity to have success against them.”

Coach Bill Belichick knows the Patriots will have a huge challenge trying to stop Suh and the defense.

“He’s the marquee guy, but they have a lot of good players on that front,” Belichick said. “They rotate frequently and they’re fresh and they’re active, very disruptive.”

Some things to look for when two of the NFL’s best teams meet.

MEGATRON AND MINI-OFFENSE: The Lions have been inconsistent on offense. Their 18.8 points per game are seventh-fewest in the NFL. But Caldwell wouldn’t blame that on the absence of wide receiver Calvin “Megatron” Johnson, who missed three games with an ankle injury before making 12 catches in the past two games.

“We don’t make any excuses,” Caldwell said. “There have been some times we’ve been up and down a little bit, but haven’t been able to put a complete game together.”

With Johnson back and Golden Tate having 68 catches, third most in the league, quarterback Matthew Stafford has his top options.

“Golden Tate has really taken off this year,” Patriots safety Devin McCourty said. “You put that together with a guy like Stafford who can throw the ball to him any way possible, it’ll be a tough task.”

A WIN IS A WIN: The Lions have won four games by no more than seven points. Their past three wins have come by 1, 1 and 4 before a 14-6 loss to Arizona last Sunday.

“If you don’t know how to close out a game and find ways to get that done,” Suh said, “you are going to lose quite a bit of them.”

The Patriots have had plenty of breathing room with five wins by at least 22 points.

“The final score might not end up being close,” Brady said, “but there is a point in the game where the game is really close, and we’ve found ways to make the plays to kind of pour it on.”

POWER RUNNING: Jonas Gray rushed for 201 yards and four touchdowns with a straight-ahead style in the Patriots’ 42-20 win over Indianapolis last Sunday night. On Thursday, they re-signed another power runner, LeGarrette Blount, cut by Pittsburgh on Tuesday after spending last season with New England.

“Even if he wasn’t here, you never know what your opportunities are going to look like,” Gray said, “so I’m preparing the same way I’ve always prepared.”

HOME AGAIN: The Patriots are back home where they’ve won 14 straight regular-season games and 43 of their past 46. And they’ve won 13 straight against NFC North opponents. The Lions have won three of their past four road games, including one in London where Atlanta was designated as the home team.

REMEMBER WHEN?: Fourteen years ago on Thanksgiving Day at the Pontiac Silverdome, Brady played for the Patriots. He replaced Drew Bledsoe with just four minutes left in a 34-9 loss to Detroit and took five snaps — two incompletions, a 5-yard completion and two penalties.

“I was in mop-up duty,” he said. “It was an inauspicious start.”

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How Roger Federer's Davis Cup win bolsters greatest résumé in tennis history

The most sterling résumé in tennis is finally complete.

With an immaculate drop shot that capped a dominant 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 win over Richard Gasquet, Roger Federer clinched the first Davis Cup in Swiss history, filling in the lone gap on the tennis CV of an all-time great. Federer was sublime on Sunday against Gasquet, who was filling in for an injured Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. And though Gasuqet was far from struggling, the Frenchman never had a chance. This match wasn’t one-way traffic, it was Federer speeding around the Arc de Triomphe, never giving Gasquet room to make a move.

When it was over, Federer fell to the clay, tears in his eyes, then celebrated with his Swiss teammates. Sunday’s was easily Federer’s biggest win since the 2012 Wimbledon final and, arguably, even before that. That last Slam over Andy Murray was simply another notch in his belt. Seventeen instead of 16. It added another digit to his tennis obituary, though it did end speculation about whether Federer could ever win another major, a discussion that preceded 

But the Davis Cup was different. It’s an odd bird in tennis — the tournament is increasingly localized like the World Series and only the countries involved seemed to care once it gets to the final. Not this time. Not with a legend looking to add to his already-epic status against a game squad of charismatic and talented Frenchmen.

The debate about the greatest tennis player ever will always continue and will never have a definitive answer. But Federer’s argument took a big step today. Rafael Nadal won four Davis Cups. Pete Sampras also won four. Novak Djokovic got his in 2010 and used it as a springboard to a now-historic career. No one can ever say Federer never got his.

Part of his Davis Cup struggles was through no fault of his own. The tournament can’t be won alone. It takes at least two, sometimes three or four players to win. Previous partners in Federer’s Davis Cup quests included journeymen Marco Chiudinelli, Michel Kratochvil, Michael Lammer and Ivo Heubergerk. Federer’s previous best showing at the tournament was in 2003 when he dropped a would-be clniching five-setter against No. 7 Lleyton Hewitt. His Swiss partners that year were ranked 129, 130 and 166.

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Tiger Woods hires little-known biomechanics student Chris Como as new swing coach

Tiger Woods has appointed a biomechanics student as his new swing coach as he prepares to relaunch his competitive career.

There have been raised eyebrows at the news because many had expected Woods to go it alone after he and Sean Foley parted companyin the summer.

Yet having been introduced to Chris Como by his friend Notah Begay, Woods decided he needed a fresh perspective as he gets ready for his first event in almost four months in Florida in the first week of December.

Como is relatively unknown within the trade as shown by the fact that when Woods announced on Twitter that “Chris will consult and work with me during the year”, the rush to discover more about the 36-year-old from Texas caused his personal website to crash.

He was recently named as one of America’s best young teachers in a list compiled for the magazine, Golf Digest, and has worked with, among others, Aaron Baddeley on the PGA Tour.

However, the most interesting aspect concerning Como is the master’s degree he is in process of completing and the identity of his teacher. According to Golf Digest, Dr Young-Hoo Kwon “is widely considered the foremost expert in golf biomechanics and ‘sport injury mechanism’.”

Woods has suffered a catalogue of injuries over the years, the most recent being the back injury on which he required surgery in March and which has caused 2014 to be a write-off in his quest to overhaul Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 majors. It would be a huge positive to Woods and his chances of a prolonged career, if he could develop a swing which would not only win tournaments but also prevent stress to his back and knees. Woods turns 39 in December.

"I was introduced to Chris this summer by Notah and subsequently we had several good conversations about the golf swing," Woods said in a statement released by his agent, Mark Steinberg. "I've worked with him about a month since I started practicing [again]. I’m excited to be back competing.”

Woods stopped short of calling Como his “new coach”, but he has already been depicted as the fourth man to hold the role after Butch Harmon, Hank Haney and Foley. It is obviously the most high-profile and, thus, most pressurised job in golf coaching, but, in this regard, Haney believes Como will have the kindliest ride.

“This is the easiest situation that any coach has been in,” Haney said. “You couldn’t coach Tiger and have a friendlier scenario than Chris Como has. Look at the record Tiger had with Butch [Harmon]; I was following that. Look at the record Tiger had with me; Sean [Foley] was following that. Let’s face it: The expectations are not super high at this point.”

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Aussie skills shock Irish in International Rules clash

AUSTRALIA has clung on to win the one-off Virgin Australia International Rules Test in Perth, holding off a brave Ireland fightback to prevail by 10 points.

The Australians led by 33 points early in the third term but had to withstand a furious Ireland challenge before running out winners 0.17.5 (56) to 2.9.7 (46).

Australia's coach Alastair Clarkson said he was surprised at how well his side started.

"We thought to ourselves if the game could be reasonably even at quarter-time, that would be a really good result for us," Clarkson said.

"Early in games in past series it's taken us some time to get used to the round ball.

"We thought it would be difficult early in the game but we got away to a flyer."

After looking out of sorts in the first half, the Irish sprung to life with the game's first under to Darren Hughes, followed by five quick overs to draw within 13 points.

But the Aussies deserved their win and steadied the ship in a topsy-turvy final term to reclaim the Cormac McAnallen Cup for the first time since 2011.

Goalkeeper Dustin Fletcher had some nervous moments late in the game, but pulled off a brilliant save in the final minute to snuff out a last-gasp Ireland charge.

"We were uncharacteristically wild with our kicking," Ireland's coach Paul Earley said.

"We didn't hit our targets up front.

"Outside of that first quarter we won the game."

IRS should head to New York or Boston, says Clarkson

The Australians thrilled the 38,262 spectators at Patersons Stadium in the first half, kicking the round ball with surprising precision to kick the first seven overs of the match to run up the huge lead.

Steve Johnson was at his clever and creative best, kicking four overs, while St Kilda skipper Nick Riewoldt looked a natural with the different shaped ball, kicking beautifully.

After being humiliated in the past two International Rules Series, the concept of playing an All Australian-only team paid off handsomely for the hosts, who gave Ireland absolutely no space with the ball.

"When we did get the ball coming out of defence I think they dropped players back very, very quickly and made it difficult for us to hit our targets in the full-forward line," Earley said.

Hawthorn's premiership captain Luke Hodge added the Jim Stynes Medal for the best Australian on the ground to his recent Norm Smith Medal with another virtuoso display.

His Hawks teammate Sam Mitchell was another steadying influence, while Essendon skipper Jobe Watson also shone.

While the clever kicking was a major feature, so was Australia's smothering defence, with Nick Smith's desperate second-quarter tackle to stop an almost certain goal a prime example.

Conversely, the Irish looked shell-shocked from the outset, spraying passes and unable to hit the scoreboard with some uncharacteristic poor skills.

But led by GAA medalist Conor McManus, they were a new outfit after the main break, and with increased pressure and quicker ball movement, were able to cut into the deficit.

The win was Australia's first on home soil since 2005.

Jim Stynes Medal voting

21 - L Hodge

19 - S Johnson

14 - S Mitchell

5 - J McVeigh

5 - C Wingard

3 - D Fletcher

2 - H Taylor 

1 - N Riewoldt

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Saturday's Top 25: Florida State survives another scare

Tallahassee, Fla. — Quarterback Jameis Winston trotted onto the water-logged field at Doak Campbell Stadium with aspirations of a second consecutive national championship on the line. The top-ranked Seminoles were in a dogfight, once again, and needed their Heisman winner to make a play.

He made several.

Winston led Florida State 66 yards to put Roberto Aguayo in position for a 26-yard field goal with three seconds remaining and the Seminoles remained perfect with a 20-17 victory over Boston College on Saturday.

The Seminoles, who have now won a school-record 26 consecutive games, have already locked up a berth in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game, but there are bigger goals remaining. Florida State hosts Florida in the regular-season finale with a second consecutive undefeated season on the line. The 'Noles have sat at No. 3 in the College Football Playoff rankings despite being the last undefeated team from a Power 5 conference.

Florida State (11-0, 8-0 ACC) had been plagued by slow starts throughout the season and the Seminoles went into the fourth quarter tied 17-17 with the Eagles. But with less than five minutes left, Winston helped engineer another winning drive.

"The majority of the games we've played this year have been like this game," Winston said. "So this isn't anything new.

"We have confidence. So, I told them get ready to score."

Florida State took over on its 26 after Boston College missed a 43-yard field goal with 4:37 left and the Seminoles drove to the Eagles 8. Rashad Greene, who had two big drops in the first half, caught back-to-back passes for 11 and 15 yards to move the Seminoles within field goal range. The drive took 4:34 off the clock.

Greene set a school record for career receptions (254) and yards (3,613). Greene also set the school record with a reception in his 40th consecutive game.

"It's one of those things I don't really dwell on right now because I'm so focused on teammates and this season and our goals," Greene said. "I feel like it'll hit me after everything is over and done with.

"I'm more proud of the win than my own accomplishment."

Winston finished with 281 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception. He has thrown at least one touchdown in 24 consecutive games.

Aguayo, who missed a 40-yarder in the third quarter, said it was the first winner of his life.

"Honestly, I didn't feel the butterflies," Aguayo said. "It was just kick whatever of my career, kick 100 and whatever.

"Yeah, it was to win the game but you can't think of it like that because that's when things will start going through your head, like, 'Oh, this is a game winner I have to make it.'<TH>"

The Seminoles scored on their opening drive for the first time since Oct. 11 against Syracuse. They took a 17-10 lead into halftime after scoring on three of four first-half drives, not including a kneel-down to end the half.

The Eagles (6-5, 3-4) stuck with their run-first philosophy throughout and finished with 240 yards on the ground. Quarterback Tyler Murphy bounced a read-option around the left end for a 21-yard score midway through the third quarter to tie the game at 17. Alex Howell missed a 43-yard field goal with 4:37 left that would have given Boston College the lead.

Jon Hilliman finished with 73 yards rushing on 14 carries and the Eagles averaged 4.7 yards per carry against an FSU defense that couldn't stop the run. Marcus Outlow added 61 yards and Murphy finished with 48 and the touchdown.

"I'm truly disappointed," Boston College coach Steve Addazio said. "I feel like we really had a good opportunity in this game. It's not a lack of effort. We just needed to make some more plays to win this game."

The game came at the end of a traumatic week in Tallahassee. Players wore ribbon decals on their helmets after an alumnus and attorney shot and wounded three people early Thursday at a school library. Police killed the gunman after he refused to put down his gun.

"A game is nothing compared to what happened the other day," Fisher said. "Our condolences go out to everyone. … Athletics has a way of starting the healing process."

"I really don't know if we really appreciate how much athletics holds a community, universities, cities together because they rally behind them so much," he said. "Hopefully, we can give a little comfort to some folks."

(At) No. 2 Alabama 48, Western Carolina 14: Derrick Henry rushed for two touchdowns and scored a third on a catch, all in the first half, to lead Alabama (10-1), which scored the final 31 points. FCS member Western Carolina (7-5) trailed just 17-14 early in the second quarter.

Blake Sims was 17 of 25 passing for 222 yards and two touchdowns, while throwing an interception in the end zone. Henry had touchdown runs of 10 and 23 yards and a 9-yard scoring reception.

The Tide can clinch a spot in the Southeastern Conference championship game with a victory next weekend over No. 16 Auburn.

(At) No. 3 Oregon 44, Colorado 10: Marcus Mariota threw for 323 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 73 yards and another score in perhaps his last game at Autzen Stadium for the Ducks (10-1, 7-1 Pac-12). Oregon has already clinched the North Division's berth in the conference championship game on Dec. 5.

It was the seventh straight loss for Colorado (2-9, 0-8).

(At) No. 4 Mississippi State 51, Vanderbilt 0: Dak Prescott threw three touchdown passes and ran for another to lead Mississippi State (10-1, 6-1 SEC), who finished undefeated at Davis Wade Stadium for the first time since 1999.

Prescott threw touchdown passes of 9, 27 and 14 yards and Christian Holmes ripped the ball out of Vanderbilt receiver Latevius Rayford's hands before returning it 51 yards for a touchdown as the Bulldogs built a 37-0 lead by halftime.

It was the largest halftime lead for Mississippi State against an SEC opponent in program history. The Bulldogs now have 10 wins in the regular season for the first time.

Vanderbilt (3-8, 0-7) had three turnovers in the first half. The Commodores finished with just 228 total yards, including 49 on the ground.

(At) No. 6 Baylor 49, Oklahoma State 28: Bryce Petty threw touchdowns on Baylor's first two drives and trhe Bears (9-1, 6-1 Big 12) won their 15th consecutive home game, staying in a three-way tie with No. 5 TCU and No. 12 Kansas State for the Big 12 lead with two games left.

Devin Chafin ran for 106 yards and three touchdowns, while Shock Linwood had 113 yards rushing with a score for Baylor. Corey Coleman extended his nation's best streak with a TD catch in his seventh consecutive game.

Oklahoma State (5-6, 3-5) has lost five games in a row. That is its longest losing streak since Mike Gundy's first season as head coach in 2005.

(At) Arkansas 30, No. 8 Mississippi 0: Rohan Gaines returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown, and Arkansas' defense forced six turnovers.

The win earned the Razorbacks (6-5, 2-5 Southeastern Conference), losers of 17 straight SEC games until a win over LSU last week, bowl eligibility for the first time in three seasons.

Led by Martrell Spaight's 11 tackles, Arkansas also earned back-to-back conference shutouts for the first time since joining the SEC in 1992.

Bo Wallace led the Rebels (8-3, 4-3) with 235 yards passing, but he also threw two interceptions. Ole Miss lost its third straight SEC game.

(At) No. 9 Georgia 55, Charleston Southern 9: Georgia scored two touchdowns on its first three snaps, including an 83-yard touchdown run by Nick Chubb.

Hutson Mason played only the first half and threw three touchdown passes, two to Chris Conley. Chubb recorded his sixth straight 100-yard game, with 113 yards rushing and two touchdowns on only nine carries in the first half for Georgia (9-2). The Bulldogs, who have completed their Southeastern Conference schedule, would land in the SEC championship game if Missouri loses to Arkansas next week.

Charleston Southern (8-4), hoping for a spot in the FCS playoffs, was held to 211 total yards.

(At) No. 11 UCLA 38, No. 24 Southern California 20: Brett Hundley passed for 326 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another score, leading UCLA to its third straight victory in the annual crosstown showdown.

Devin Lucien, Thomas Duarte and Eldridge Massington caught scoring passes as the Bruins (9-2, 6-2 Pac-12) confirmed their Los Angeles supremacy and closed in on the Pac-12 South title with a one-sided romp over their biggest rivals at a festive Rose Bowl.

Paul Perkins rushed for 93 yards and a score for UCLA, which hadn't won three straight over USC since 1998.

UCLA can advance to the Pac-12 title game with a victory over Stanford on Friday.

Cody Kessler passed for 214 yards for the Trojans (7-4, 6-3).

(At) No. 13 Arizona State 52, Washington State 31: Taylor Kelly passed for four touchdowns in his final home game, D.J. Foster rushed for three and Arizona State converted all five Washington State turnovers into touchdowns.

Arizona State's Cameron Smith caught six passes for a career-best 131 yards and two touchdowns for the Sun Devils (9-2, 6-2 Pac-12), who can still win the Pac-12 South title.

Redshirt freshman Luke Falk of Washington State (3-8, 2-6), passed for 601 yards but was intercepted four times and fumbled the ball away once. Vince Mayle caught 15 for 265 yards.

No. 15 Arizona 42, (at) No. 20 Utah 10: Nick Wilson ran for 218 yards and three touchdowns as Arizona overcame an injury to quarterback Anu Solomon.

In heavy rain at times, Wilson topped the 1,000-yard mark this season.

Arizona (9-2, 6-2 Pac-12) reached nine wins for the first time since its 1998 Holiday Bowl team went 12-1 and was ranked No. 4. The Wildcats retain slim hopes for a berth in the conference championship game as a matchup with rival Arizona State looms next week.

The Wildcats ran for 298 yards, the most allowed by Utah (7-4, 4-4) this season.

(At) No. 16 Auburn 31, Samford 7: Cameron Artis-Payne ran for 129 yards and a touchdown, quarterback Nick Marshall passed for 171 yards and a score and Auburn ended a two-game losing streak.

Auburn (8-3) used the game against an FCS opponent to tune up for next week's Iron Bowl showdown at No. 2 Alabama.

Artis-Payne, the SEC's leading rusher, has rushed for 100-plus yards eight times this season.

No. 18 Marshall 23, (at) Alabama-Birmingham 18: Rakeem Cato threw for two touchdowns and Ra'shawde Myers recovered a fumble in the end zone for a late score for Marshall (11-0, 7-0 Conference USA)\.

Marshall led 17-6 at halftime and seemed to have the game in hand after Cato's 28-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Shuler and a 43-yard scoring pass to Angelo Jean-Louis.

But UAB (5-6, 3-4) came back on TD runs of 1 and 10 yards by Jordan Howard to lead 18-17 in the fourth quarter.

With UAB's Cody Clements trying to pass in his own end zone, Marshall's Arnold Blackmon caused a fumble that Myers recovered for the final score.

No. 19 Missouri 29, (at) Tennessee 21: Maty Mauk threw a pair of touchdown passes and Marcus Murphy ran for two scores for Missouri (9-2, 6-1 SEC), which set a school record with their 10th straight road win.

Missouri can clinch the East Division and earn a second straight trip to the SEC championship game by winning at home Friday over Arkansas. A loss would send No. 9 Georgia (9-2, 6-2) to Atlanta instead. Georgia is 10th and Missouri 20th in the College Football Playoff standings.

Tennessee (5-6, 2-5) must win next week at Vanderbilt to become bowl-eligible for the first time since 2010.

(At) No. 22 Colorado State 58, New Mexico 20: Dee Hart matched a school record with six touchdowns and Colorado State amassed a program-best 698 yards of offense to extend their winning streak to nine straight.

The Rams (10-1, 6-1 Mountain West) are off to their best start since 1994. Hart led the way against New Mexico (3-8, 1-6) by rushing for 230 yards and five TDs. He also hauled in a TD pass to tie Kapri Bibbs' school mark of six scores set last season against the Lobos.

Garrett Grayson threw for 389 yards to become the school's all-time offensive leader.

Oklahoma freshman Samaje Perine set a major college record by running for 427 yards in a driving rainstorm, scoring five touchdowns.

A week after Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon set the mark by rushing for 408 yards against Nebraska, Perine broke it.

Perine set the record on his 34th and final carry, a 42-yard run with 12:16 left in the fourth quarter.

Perine got off a fast start, running for a 49-yard TD on his first carry. He added TD runs of 33 and 34 yards in the second quarter and scored on runs of 66 and 27 yards in the third.

In a game that started 90 minutes late because of lightning, Perine shattered the school rushing record of 294 yards set by Greg Pruitt in 1971.

The Sooners (8-3, 5-3 Big 12) led the Jayhawks (3-8, 1-7) by 41-7 after three quarters

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Courtney Lee changes his tune in Memphis

MEMPHIS — Courtney Lee was one of the few unhappy players in Brad Stevens’s system. He never got comfortable in the new coach’s offense. He never found a shooting groove and he began to complain about his role early last season.

The Celtics were able to move Lee and the remaining two-plus years on his contract to the Grizzlies for the expiring deal of Jerryd Bayless.

Lee, meanwhile, immediately became a starter, played nearly twice as much in Memphis, and emerged as a staple in the Grizzlies’ offense.

“It was a blessing that I was able to, where everything that I went through there to get out and come to a great situation,” said Lee, who played 30 minutes Friday night against the Celtics despite a stomach virus, scoring 5 points in the Grizzlies’ 117-100 victory. “But I enjoyed my time in Boston, the organization, teammates. Everybody was top notch. It just didn’t work out. I’m happy I’m in a better place.”

Lee was acquired by the Celtics in the summer of 2012 to be the final piece for a title run to replace the departed Ray Allen.

But under coach Doc Rivers, Lee quickly shot his way deep into the bench with a poor start and never quite regained the prowess that garnered him a four-year contract.

Lee also wasn’t pleased when the organization decided to rebuild.

“It was a little different because when you first sign there it’s one team there and you have one goal and that’s to compete for a championship and that didn’t happen,” he said.

“The next year it’s all broken up and things change quickly, but it’s the NBA.”

Lee acknowledges he is more relaxed. He heard the jeers from the Boston faithful who expected Lee to be a more productive and more athletic replacement for Allen.

“Every situation is different for different players,” Lee said. “Brad had a system, there was more of pick-and-roll, stretch 4’s shooting the 3.

“Here is more move the ball, get it down low, share the ball and play with each other. Just a different system that works for different people.”

Stevens is impressed with Lee’s production. “Courtney’s found a great spot and he plays a really good role,” he said.

No ill will

Vince Carter discussed the Grizzlies’ virus breakout and how the 37-year-old has remained unaffected. He attributed his good health to some savvy tricks.

“I brought my mask, I just didn’t bring it out to [shootaround] because I didn’t think I’d be able to breathe,” he said. “I have my mask back there. We want everybody to be smart about it. Hand sanitizer is now floating everywhere in the locker room, washing hands. That’s why my hands are back here [behind my back] because I don’t want you to see how ashy my hands are from washing them so much.’’

“You take all precautions. You want to keep as many guys as healthy as possible. I’ve actually been through this before in Dallas, we had a lot of guys sick. I used to have guys laugh at me, ‘he takes a bath in the sanitizer,’ where the old guy is still kicking. Now I just added the mask to my repertoire.”

Former Celtic Tony Allen and swingman Quincy Pondexter did not play Friday because of the stomach virus.

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