No. 4 Notre Dame’s win over No. 1 Miami is payback for 2025 and solidifies its positioning for CFP
No. 4 Notre Dame had its game against No. 1 Miami circled on the calendar for a year and it was well worth the wait. Notre Dame had plenty of motivation after losing its 2025 opener and at-large playoff spot to the Hurricanes. Add to the mix their No. 11 ranking in the initial CFP rankings and the Fighting Irish were in a near must-win situation to keep their 2026 playoff hopes alive. They’re alive and well after a 31-24 victory. It will knock Miami out of the top spot in The Associated Press Top 25 and the CFP rankings.
No. 4 Notre Dame takes big lead, then holds off No. 1 Miami 31-24 in a classic
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — CJ Carr threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns, and No. 4 Notre Dame avenged its most damaging loss from last season by running out to a 21-point lead and holding on to beat No. 1 Miami 31-24. Micah Gilbert caught two of those scoring passes and Jordan Faison had the other for Notre Dame, which came into the game knowing another loss to Miami could doom its national championship hopes. Darian Mensah threw three touchdown passes for Miami, twice getting the Hurricanes within a touchdown after they trailed 24-3 early in the third. Cooper Barkate had a pair of those scoring grabs. Elija Lofton had the other.
No. 3 Utah snaps three-game losing streak to No. 7 BYU with 28-20 win over Cougars
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Devon Dampier accounted for four touchdowns, Utah intercepted four Bear Bachmeier passes and the third-ranked Utes remained undefeated with a 28-20 victory over No. 7 BYU. Dampier finished with 266 yards of offense to help the Utes snap a three-game losing streak in the Holy War rivalry series. He threw two touchdown passes to Braden Pegan and ran for two more scores. Trailing by six at halftime, Utah forced three turnovers and shut out the Cougars in the second half to keep alive its College Football Playoff hopes alive. BYU has lost two of three to dampen its CFP chances. Bachmeier threw for 272 yards and a touchdown and ran for 59 yards but had two of his four interceptions in the fourth quarter, both in the end zone.
Arch Manning and No. 10 Texas stay in the playoff race by rallying past No. 19 Missouri
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Texas has revived its College Football Playoff hopes with a 34-20 victory over No. 19 Missouri. The No. 10 Longhorns got 297 yards passing and three touchdowns from Arch Manning on Saturday. It was their third straight win, two of those against ranked opponents. Texas had been written off after losses to unranked Oklahoma and Florida. Now, the Longhorns’ playoff chances are back on track — they were No. 7 in the initial playoff poll. Coach Steve Sarkisian praised his team’s resilience. Texas faces No. 14 LSU next, a significant game for Manning, who hails from New Orleans. The Longhorns are now 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the SEC.
Gunner Stockton and No. 2 Georgia pound No. 12 Mississippi 42-7 to make case for top ranking
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Gunner Stockton passed for four touchdowns and ran for another as No. 2 Georgia coasted to a 42-7 win over No. 12 Mississippi. Georgia dominated the opening 22 minutes with touchdown drives of 72, 96, 61 and 50 yards while Ole Miss crossed midfield once. Stockton finished 9 of 15 passing for 186 yards, directing the Bulldogs to a 28-0 halftime lead. Georgia finished with 482 yards of offense, 298 in the first half. The Bulldogs’ impressive all-around performance could elevate them into the top spot in the AP Top 25 after No. 1 Miami lost at No. 4 Notre Dame.
UFC’s Dana White says he will meet with Trump Monday over offer to be White House press secretary
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump says he’s offered the job of White House press secretary to his friend and UFC boss Dana White. Trump made that announcement on his social media site. White said Saturday that he plans to meet with Trump on Monday at the White House. No one in the White House immediately confirmed it. Trump was at his Florida golf club on Saturday when he posted that he’d made the offer to “the Great Dana White, a violent Fighter and Warrior” to become the Republican president’s chief spokesperson. White, who was in London for a boxing event, said he planned to fly to Washington right after for Monday’s meeting.
Elija Lofton’s near-catch for Miami becomes latest entry in Canes-Irish rivalry lore
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — For 38 years, Miami has insisted the same thing: Cleveland Gary didn’t fumble in a still-debated loss at Notre Dame. And now, that play has some company. Add another did-he-or-didn’t-he to the lore of the rivalry between the Hurricanes and the Fighting Irish. Miami argued that Elija Lofton caught what would have been a touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter of what became a 31-24 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday night — only to have the referees say Lofton didn’t complete the play.
Russell passes for 3 TDs to propel No. 9 Alabama past No. 15 LSU, 31-13
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Keelon Russell passed for three touchdowns, Alabama’s defense made several pivotal fourth-down stops, and the ninth-ranked Crimson Tide pulled away for a 31-13 victory over No. 15 LSU on Saturday. The result kept Alabama firmly in the College Football Playoff picture, while leaving LSU with longshot hopes at best under first-year coach Lane Kiffin, who also dropped to 0-6 in his coaching career against Alabama. Russell’s touchdown passes went for 7-yards to Josh Ford, 25 yards to Cederian Morgan and 4 yards to Kaleb Edwards. LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt completed 35 of 47 passes for 380 yards, but was intercepted for the first time in three games as the Tigers struggled to cash in on scoring chances.
Dana Holgorsen fired as Nebraska’s offensive coordinator after losing streak reaches 4 games
Nebraska offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen has been fired after the Cornhuskers’ losing streak stretched to four games with Friday’s loss at Illinois. Co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Glenn Thomas will take over play-calling duties for the Huskers. Nebraska has scored just 54 points combined in four straight losses. Coach Matt Rhule said he is disappointed and frustrated with the way the season has unfolded and that it is his responsibility to make changes when necessary.