TOP 25 Vols need 5 OTs to outlast 'Bama

Tennessee prevailed on Casey Clausen's 1-yard quarterback sneak.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Casey Clausen nudged across the goal line on a 1-yard quarterback sneak in the fifth overtime, and No. 22 Tennessee stuffed Shaud Williams twice as the Volunteers beat Alabama 51-43 Saturday.
The Volunteers (5-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) became the first visitor to win three straight times at Bryant-Denny Stadium, and snapped a two-game losing streak.
Corey Larkins gained 20 yards on three carries to start the fifth OT and Alabama had an off-sides penalty. On third down from the 2, Clausen rolled right and dove toward the goal line.
He was stopped just short but did get the first down and scored on the next play. Clausen then hit a leaping James Banks for the 2-point conversion, with the NCAA mandating that teams go for two following touchdowns after the first two OTs.
The Crimson Tide (3-6, 1-4) has lost five of its last six games, twice in overtime. Alabama couldn't get a first down in the final OT, with Williams stopped on both second-and-1 and third-and-1.
Brodie Croyle lofted a fourth-down pass to Dre Fulgham in the end zone, but Jason Allen batted it away.
The marathon victory kept the Vols in contention in the SEC East after getting routed 41-14 against Georgia at home two weeks ago in one of the program's biggest embarrassments in years.
A game Alabama led 6-3 at halftime turned wild in the second half, then became a marathon with two proud programs trying to salvage disappointing seasons.
Tennessee, which also survived a six-OT game thriller against Arkansas last season, rode Clausen's arm -- and finally his legs -- into the extra sessions.
Clausen, who sent the game into overtime with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Troy Fleming with 1:52 left, threw three more TD strikes in the extra periods. He hit Derrick Tinsley on a 6-yard toss and found Banks for TDs of 6 and 25 yards before the game-winner.
No. 1 Oklahoma 34, Colorado 20
BOULDER, Colo. -- Jason White threw three touchdown passes, including a 59-yarder to Mark Clayton with 1:59 left, as top-ranked Oklahoma survived a scare to beat Colorado.
The Sooners (8-0, 4-0 Big 12) built a 27-7 third-quarter lead before Colorado closed to 27-20 with two touchdowns in the fourth.
Facing a third-and-6 from their 41 with 2:13 remaining, White hit Clayton along the left sideline, and the receiver cut back and outraced the Colorado secondary for the clinching score.
Joel Klatt threw three touchdown passes for Colorado (3-5, 1-3), which entered the game with the worst scoring defense in the country (40.1) but played the Sooners tough.
Colorado, smothered by Oklahoma's defense for most of the second and third quarters, pulled off a fake punt and a fake field goal on a 76-yard scoring drive early in the fourth.
Punter John Torp's 20-yard run on the fake punt was Colorado's initial first down rushing of the game. The Buffaloes also were successful on a fake field goal when their pass was intercepted but the Sooners were whistled for pass interference. Tailback Brian Calhoun capped the drive, turning a short pass into a 21-yard scoring play with 11:41 remaining.
The Buffaloes then went 61 yards in nine plays, with Klatt passing 9 yards to Derek McCoy for the score with 5:03 left. Mason Crosby's extra point was blocked by Brodney Pool, leaving the Sooners with a 27-20 lead.
No. 4 Georgia 16, UAB 13
ATHENS, Ga. -- Georgia is still a part of the national championship race, but the Bulldogs sure aren't playing like a team that belongs in that elite group.
Billy Bennett kicked three field goals, the last to break a tie with 12:57 remaining, and Georgia avoided a huge upset with a 16-13 victory over UAB on Saturday.
Despite the lackluster showing, Georgia (7-1) could move up a spot in the both The Associated Press rankings and BCS standings. Third-ranked Virginia Tech was upset by West Virginia on Thursday night.
UAB (3-5), a 29-point underdog, played well for the second week in a row against a ranked team. The Blazers led No. 15 TCU 24-16 in the third quarter, but wound up losing 27-24 after quarterback Darrell Hackney sustained a season-ending thumb injury.
No. 5 USC 43, Washington 23
SEATTLE -- Matt Leinart threw for 351 yards and four touchdowns as No. 5 Southern California beat Washington for its first victory at Husky Stadium in 10 years.
It was another efficient day for Leinart, the steady sophomore who has kept the Trojans (7-1, 3-1 Pac-10) on a roll since taking over for Carson Palmer, last season's Heisman Trophy winner.
Leinart completed 19 of 29 passes without an interception. And he did it this time by keeping his poise in front of a noisy sellout crowd of 72,015.
Many fans left early in the fourth quarter after Leinart's fourth TD pass, a 37-yarder to Reggie Bush, put USC ahead 43-17. Earlier in the period, Leinart threw a 52-yard TD pass to fullback Brandon Hancock.
The Huskies (4-4, 2-2), coming off an inspiring 38-17 win last week at Oregon State, seemed overmatched. They hurt themselves with awful tackling, unable to contain USC's athletic tailbacks and receivers.
No. 6 Florida St 48, Wake Forest 24
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida State's Bobby Bowden became the winningest coach in major college football history with his 339th victory as the sixth-ranked Seminoles captured at least a share of the Atlantic Coast Conference championship with a victory over Wake Forest.
The fans chanted "Bobby Bowden! Bobby Bowden!" and the 74-year-old coach was joined on the sidelines at the end of the game by his wife of 54 years, Ann.
Bowden, 339-97-4 in 38 seasons as a head coach, surpassed Joe Paterno, whose Penn State team lost 26-14 at Iowa. Eddie Robinson has the all-time college record with 408 wins. Bowden picked up 31 wins at Samford (Ala.) College, another 42 at West Virginia and is 266-65-4 since coming to Florida State in 1976.
No. 6 Washington State 36, Oregon State 30
PULLMAN, Wash. -- Matt Kegel threw three touchdown passes, two to Scott Lunde in the fourth quarter, and Jonathan Smith scored twice as Washington State rallied to beat Oregon State.
Kegel was 21-of-40 for 305 yards, but threw five interceptions -- one more than he had in the Cougars' previous seven games this season -- and also lost two fumbles.
Oregon State's Mitch Meeuwsen had three interceptions, one that he returned 45 yards for the Beavers' first score.
No. 14 Nebraska 28, Iowa St. 0
LINCOLN, Neb. -- Josh Bullocks blocked a punt to set up a touchdown and returned another blocked punt for a score as Nebraska beat Iowa State.
The victory avenged Nebraska's 36-14 loss last year in Ames, and assured the Cornhuskers (7-1, 3-1 Big 12) of their 42nd winning season in 43 years.
Iowa State (2-6, 0-4) hadn't been shut out in a school-record 138 games, since losing 41-0 to Kansas in 1991. The Cyclones lost their sixth straight game and their 13th in a row in Lincoln.
The Huskers scored four touchdowns in the first 22 minutes and began substituting liberally early in the third quarter.
Nebraska held the Cyclones to 230 yards while posting its second shutout of the season. The Huskers blanked Troy State 30-0 on Oct. 4.
No. 18 Oklahoma State 38, Texas A & amp;M 10
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Tatum Bell ran for 196 yards and three touchdowns and became the third player in Oklahoma State history to have back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons, leading the Cowboys to a victory over Texas A & amp;M.
The Cowboys (7-1, 3-1 Big 12) tuned up for their showdown next week with No. 1 Oklahoma by winning their seventh straight game for the first time since 1997. Oklahoma State has upset the Sooners the past two seasons.
The Cowboys also won at Kyle Field for the first time since 1983. The Aggies (3-5, 1-3) are in danger of their first losing season since 1982 in coach Dennis Franchione's first season at the helm.
No. 19 Texas 56, Baylor 0
WACO, Texas -- Vince Young ran for 101 yards and two touchdowns Saturday night as Texas wrapped up a rugged October with a win over Baylor.
Young and Longhorns (6-2, 3-1 Big 12) set the offense on cruise control from the start, rolling to a 35-0 halftime lead in the freshman's second start at quarterback. It was Texas' first shutout of the season and its second in a row over Baylor (3-5, 1-3).
Mississippi 19, No. 21 Arkansas 7
OXFORD, Miss. -- Mississippi shut down a short-handed Arkansas offense and Jonathan Nichols kicked four field goals as the Rebels defeated the Razorbacks to move into first place in the SEC West.
The Rebels (6-2, 4-0) are off to their best start in the SEC in 33 years and are a half-game ahead of Auburn and LSU. They have their defense to thank for their fourth straight victory.
New Mexico 47, No. 24 Utah 35
SALT LAKE CITY -- DonTrell Moore ran for 119 yards and two touchdowns and D.D. Cox added 106 yards and a score as New Mexico gained 633 yards in a victory over Utah.
Wes Zunker added four field goals for the Lobos (5-3, 2-1 Mountain West), who shut down Utah's spread offense and beat a ranked opponent for the first time since 1994 -- a 23-21 upset of then-No. 9 Utah.