Va. Tech routs Miami; USC likely to move up

No. 1 Oklahoma made a strong statement with a 52-9 rout of Oklahoma State.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Virginia Tech blew the national championship race wide open Saturday night with the biggest victory in its history, 31-7 over No. 2 Miami.
The No. 10 Hokies (7-1, 3-1 Big East) got two touchdowns from their defense and another on a 10-yard drive set up by the defense to end Miami's 39-game regular season winning streak, its 27-game winning streak in the Big East and perhaps its hope for a third straight championship appearance.
It was the first victory in Virginia Tech history in 40 games against teams ranked No. 8 or higher, and it came just 10 days after the Hokies' 28-7 loss at West Virginia. Miami (7-1, 3-1) hadn't lost in league play since a 43-10 loss here in 1999.
Miami didn't score until 7:53 remained on a 10-yard pass from backup Derrick Crudup to Jason Geathers. By then, it trailed 31-0.
Virginia Tech finished with 219 total yards, just 44 through the air, and didn't complete a pass until Marcus Vick hit Doug Easlick on a swing pass with 2 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.
About two minutes later, Vick made the only other completion a big one, hitting Ernest Wilford for 46 yards and a TD that made it 31-0.
Kevin Jones, who ran for 124 yards, scored the Hokies' other offensive touchdown on a 2-yard run after a 44-yard interception return by Michael Crawford, the last pass Brock Berlin threw before being replaced.
Miami's DeAngelo Hall stripped a ball from Roscoe Parrish and ran 28 yards for a second-quarter touchdown, and Eric Green picked off an off-balance throw by Brock Berlin and ran 51 yards for a score. Green also blocked a 39-yard field goal try in the first quarter, the Hokies' 101st kick block since coach Frank Beamer arrived in 1987.
No. 1 Oklahoma 52, No. 14 Oklahoma St. 9
NORMAN, Okla. -- Jason White threw for two touchdowns and ran for another and Oklahoma's defense was dominant once again.
In ending a two-game losing streak against the Cowboys, Oklahoma (9-0, 5-0 Big 12) remained on track for the Big 12 title and a spot in the BCS' national title game.
DeJuan Jones added two touchdowns for the Sooners, who have the nation's longest winning streak at 11 games.
The defeat dropped the Cowboys (7-2, 3-2 Big 12) a game behind Texas and into third place in the Big 12 South, all but ending their hopes of a BCS game.
The momentum of the game shifted late in the first quarter on Darrent Williams' fumble on a punt return. Williams fielded the ball, dropped it, then tried to pick it up again. The ball squirted away and Oklahoma recovered it at the 50.
Eight plays later, Jones scored from 3 yards out to give the Sooners a 17-0 lead early in the second quarter.
No. 3 USC 43,No. 6 Washington St. 16
LOS ANGELES -- Matt Leinart threw three touchdown passes, LenDale White ran for 149 yards on 12 carries and Southern Cal smothered Washington State.
In what was billed as one of the biggest Pac-10 games in years, USC (8-1, 4-1) used its their big-play ability to break open a close game in the second half.
The Trojans, fourth in the BCS standings, must hope the dominant win impressed the poll voters and computers that help determine the top two teams in the country to play for the national championship in the Sugar Bowl.
Leinart threw for 191 yards, Mike Williams caught a TD pass and threw a spectacular pass of his own and Hershel Dennis scored on a 24-yard run as USC scored at least 40 points for a school-record fourth straight game. The Trojans won their 13th straight home game and moved into a tie for first in the conference with the Cougars (7-2, 4-1) and UCLA.
No. 23 Florida 16, No. 4 Georgia 13
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Matt Leach slipped a 33-yard field goal inside the left upright with 33 seconds left to lift Florida past Georgia.
The Gators (6-3, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) kept alive a most improbable run at the SEC title by defeating Georgia (7-2, 4-2) for the 13th time in the last 14 playings of The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.
Leach's third field goal of the game was set up by a beautiful 66-yard drive highlighted when freshman Chris Leak dropped a 20-yard pass to Ben Troupe into a gap in the Georgia zone for a first down at the Georgia 47.
It was a fantastic finish for a game that seemed to be slipping from Florida's grasp. After Leach made an 18-yarder to put the Gators up 13-3 early in the fourth, the Bulldogs responded with a pair of quick scoring drives.
No. 7 LSU 49, Louisiana Tech 10
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Matt Mauck was 14-for-14 for 277 yards and four touchdowns in the first half for LSU.
It was the second time this season Mauck, 18-for-20 for 311 yards, has passed for four touchdowns.
LSU (8-1) led 49-3 at the half, the most points the Tigers have scored in a half since 1958. The Tigers had 653 total yards of offense to 341 for Tech (4-5).
Alley Broussard gained 106 yards, Skyler Green had 103 yards and a touchdown, Devery Henderson had 96 yards and two touchdowns on two catches and Michael Clayton had 85 yards and a touchdown.
No. 16 Texas 31, No. 12 Nebraska 7
AUSTIN, Texas -- Cedric Benson ran for 174 yards and three touchdowns and No. 16 Texas got a dominating performance from its much-maligned defense against Nebraska.
Quarterback Vince Young added 163 yards rushing and a touchdown for Texas (7-2, 4-1 Big 12). The Longhorns held Nebraska (7-2, 3-2) to just 175 total yards -- 53 on the ground.
No. 19 Tennessee 23, Duke 6
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Chris Hannon caught a 4-yard TD pass from Casey Clausen to help Tennessee overcome a lackluster effort.
Tennessee (6-2), leading 9-6 early in the fourth quarter, finally got some momentum when Duke's Jamin Pastore fumbled on a punt return and Corey Larkins recovered it at the Duke 37.
When Clausen capped a six-play drive with his scoring pass to Hannon with 11:10 left, the crowd cheered in relief.
No. 20 Mississippi 43,South Carolina 40
OXFORD, Miss. -- Eli Manning threw for 391 yards and three first-half touchdowns and Mississippi withstood a late 26-point outburst to beat South Carolina.
The Rebels (7-2) remained in first place in the SEC West and improved to 5-0 in the Southeastern Conference for the first time since 1963 -- the last time Ole Miss won the league title.
The Rebels took a 43-14 lead in the third quarter before South Carolina (5-4, 2-4) scored touchdowns on four straight possessions.