Texas beats Clemson 38-24, advances to face Arizona State in College Football Playoff quarters
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Jaydon Blue ran for 146 yards and two touchdowns, the last a 77-yard burst in the fourth quarter, and Texas beat Clemson 38-24 on Saturday in the first round of the expanded College Football Playoff. Blue’s fourth-quarter touchdown came after Clemson rallied from down 31-10 to 31-24 on Cade Klubnik’s third touchdown pass. Texas (12-2) advanced to the Jan. 1 Peach bowl to play Big 12 champion Arizona State. Blue also scored on 38-yard cut-and-dash burst in the second quarter. On his second, he dove into the line, shook a tackler, and then outraced three more to the end zone with just 11 minutes left. Klubnik, who grew up in Austin, passed for 336 yards for the Tigers (10-4).
Former walk-on DeLuca provides early spark, Penn State drills SMU 38-10 in CFP; Boise State up next
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Dominic DeLuca and Tony Rojas returned interceptions for touchdowns and Penn State toyed with mistake-prone SMU in a 38-10 victory in the opening round of the College Football Playoff. The sixth-seeded Nittany Lions (12-2) advanced to face third-seeded Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve with the win. Penn State hounded SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings into three first-half turnovers, including a pair of ill-advised throws in the first half that DeLuca and Rojas converted into Pick-6s to give the Nittany Lions a lead they never came close to squandering. Penn State will have some history on its side when it faces Boise State. The Nittany Lions are 7-0 all-time in the Fiesta Bowl.