The No. 3 Florida football team took care of business Saturday afternoon, crushing No. 7 South Carolina, 44-11, in Gainesville, Fla.
A four-touchdown performance by quarterback Jeff Driskel helped the Gators (7-0, 6-0 Southeastern Conference) remain undefeated for the season, while this was the Gamecocks’ (6-2, 4-2 SEC) second consecutive loss.
Although the Florida offense only gained 29 yards in the first half, it was the Gator defense that stepped it up, causing three fumbles and an interception against a solid South Carolina offense that managed just two field goals in the half.
Gamecock quarterback Connor Shaw was benched at halftime after completing just 9-of-20 passes with an interception.
After leading 21-6 at half, Florida continued its offensive dominance, scoring on all three of its possessions in the third quarter. With the exception of a blocked extra point return for two points and a field goal for South Carolina, the second half, much like the rest of the game, belonged to the Gators.
Florida is faced with another Top 10 showdown this weekend when it faces No. 10 Georgia on Saturday afternoon. The Gamecocks return home Saturday when it takes on Tennessee.
Kansas State romps West Virginia
Senior quarterback Collin Klein continued his rise into the Heisman Trophy conversation on Saturday night after leading No. 4 Kansas State to a convincing 55-14 victory over Big 12 opponent No. 13 West Virginia in Morgantown, W.Va.
Klein was responsible for all seven Wildcat (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) touchdowns, running for 41 yards and four scores and throwing for a career-high 323 yards and three touchdowns. He outplayed Mountaineers (5-2, 2-2 Big 12) quarterback Geno Smith, who only passed for 143 yards and a touchdown, as well as throwing his first two interceptions of the season.
West Virginia’s defense continued to be a major disappointment, giving up a total of 479 yards to the Kansas State offense, while the Mountaineer offense was only able to tally 243 total yards for the game.
The Wildcats look to stay unbeaten for the year when they play host to No. 14 Texas Tech on Saturday afternoon. West Virginia has a bye this week and returns to action on Nov. 3 at home as it looks to snap its two-game losing streak versus Texas Christian.
Texas Tech outlasts TCU in triple OT
In a game that will certainly be labeled as an instant classic, then-No. 17 Texas Tech survived three overtimes to defeat No. 23 Texas Christian, 56-53, on Saturday afternoon.
After the Horned Frogs (5-2, 2-2 Big 12) only managed a field goal to start the third overtime, Red Raiders (6-1, 3-1 Big 12) quarterback Seth Doege found wide receiver Alex Torres in the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown pass, giving Texas Tech the victory.
Doege had a memorable day for the Red Raiders, throwing for 318 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns, while TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin also had a big passing game, picking up 332 yards through the air with four touchdowns.
With less than five minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the Horned Frogs erased a 10-point deficit, tying the game with 18 seconds left on a 42-yard field goal by freshman Jaden Oberkrom. Oberkrom later set a Big 12 record for most field goals in a game after hitting his sixth in the third overtime.
Texas Tech faces a tough matchup this weekend when it goes on the road to face Kansas State in a battle of Big 12 opponents. TCU is also away on Saturday when it plays at Oklahoma State.
Jason Kates can be reached at [email protected].
