MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. –Sixth-ranked Clemson dominated from the start to crush Miami 58-0 in an Atlantic Coast Conference mismatch on Saturday.
The Tigers led 42-0 at the half in improving to 7-0 for the season in recording their biggest victory margin since an 82-24 rout of Wake Forest in 1981, their national championship season.
The Hurricanes fell to 4-3 in absorbing the worst defeat in the history of their program, which started in 1925.
Miami’s best chance for avoiding its first shutout loss under coach Al Golden came when cornerback Artie Burns recovered a fumbled punt at Clemson’s 38-yard line early in the fourth quarter. But quarterback Malik Rosier, who was subbing for injured starter Brad Kaaya, came up a yard short of a first down on his fourth-down scramble and the Tigers took over on downs.
No. 2 Baylor 45, Iowa State 27
WACO, Texas — The Bears raced to a big first-quarter lead despite a drenched playing field, then sloshed the rest of the way to a victory over the Cyclones.
Baylor (7-0), which gained 485 yards of total offense, fell well short of their 719-yard average. At game time, more than six inches of rain had fallen in the Waco area in the previous 24 hours.
The wet field and ball seemed to affect Baylor quarterback Seth Russell, who completed just 16 of 37 passes for 197 yards. But he threw two touchdown passes and ran for 64 yards and a score to help keep Baylor afloat and alive in the College Football Playoff race.
No. 21 Houston 59, Central Florida 10
ORLANDO, Fla. — Houston scored on seven straight possessions and racked up 595 yards of offense in a rout of Central Florida.
Houston running back Kenneth Farrow had 13 carries for 170 yards and three touchdowns. The Cougars are 7-0 for the fourth time in school history. Central Florida is 0-8.
Houston quarterback Greg Ward Jr., who entered the game seventh in the nation in total offense, accounted for 256 yards of offense and two touchdowns.
No. 25 Pittsburgh 23, Syracuse 20
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A 12-yard pass from punter Ryan Winslow to middle linebacker Matt Galambos kept alive a drive that ended with the winning field goal as Pittsburgh outlasted Syracuse.
Set up to punt on fourth-and-7 from their own 48, the Panthers snapped the ball to Winslow, who raced to the edge of the line of scrimmage and floated a pass to Galambos, who rumbled to the Syracuse 40.
Pittsburgh (6-1) moved to the Orange 6 before kicker Chris Blewitt drilled a 24-yard field goal on the last play of the game.