7 Ranked Teams Fell on Saturday in College Football
While not all massive upsets, seven ranked teams fell on Saturday, including three unbeaten squads.
That's No. 3 Penn State (7–1), No. 11 Iowa State (7–1), and No. 18 Pittsburgh (7–1) all falling for the first time this season. Clemson (6–2), also ranked No. 11, joined the list of fallen ranked squads with No. 10 Texas A&M (7–2), No. 17 Kansas State (7–2), and No. 24 Illinois (6–3).
Texas A&M previously beat No. 16 LSU (6–2) decisively last week to improve to 5–0 in SEC play, but South Carolina (5–3) stunned the Aggies 44–20 in Columbia, South Carolina, as Gamecocks fans stormed the field. Gamecocks freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers stepped up with 244 yards passing, two touchdowns, 106 yards rushing, and a touchdown.
Clemson couldn't overcome a lackluster first three quarters in a 33–21 defeat against Louisville (6–3). Cardinals freshman running back Isaac Brown rushed for 151 yards, and a touchdown on 20 carries against the Tigers in Death Valley.
"We had to make plays. We played great tempo. We got stops. We were very sound in our defensive play. Just a lot of things way better, so just very proud of our team."
Pitt didn't have enough answers early or late against No. 20 SMU (8–1) in a top-25 matchup. In addition, the Panthers couldn't stop senior running back Brashard Smith, who had 182 total yards and three touchdowns in a 48–25 defeat.
Illinois, meanwhile, lost a lead late when Minnesota senior quarterback Max Brosmer threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Jameson Geers for a 22–17 lead with 5:14 left in the game. The Golden Gophers (6–3) held on with a defensive stop, a field goal, and a fumble recovery for 25–17 to pop a victory in Champaign, Illinois.
"They're a really good football team," Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck told reporters afterward. "Like I said, it's a huge win for our program, another ranked victory in a really hostile environment, tough environment. They're really hard to beat. They're just hard to beat."
Other top-25 teams, such as No. 1 Oregon (9–0), No. 5 Miami (9–0), and No. 19 Ole Miss (7–2), took care of business with blowout wins, but others, such as No. 2 Georgia (7–1), had to avoid Saturday's upset train. The Bulldogs need a second-half comeback to win 34–20 to ward off the Florida Gators (4–4). Seventh-ranked Tennessee (7–1) needed a big third quarter to beat a 3–6 Kentucky squad 28–18 at home.
