Nov 28, 2015 5 min read

AUBURN, Ala. – Derrick Henry ran 46 times for 271 yards and Adam Griffith kicked five field goals to propel No. 2 Alabama to the SEC West title with a 29-13 victory over rival Auburn on Saturday.

Griffith emerged as an Iron Bowl hero for the Crimson Tide (11-1, 7-1 Southeastern Conference, No. 2 CFP) two years after his last-play attempt touched off the Tigers’ winning Kick-Six play. Henry, meanwhile, just did more of the same against Auburn (6-6, 2-6).

The Heisman Trophy contender had his fourth 200-yard game of the season against an SEC defense. He helped put it away with 19 runs in the fourth quarter, then extended his school-record streak of games with a rushing touchdown to 17 in the final minute.

The Tigers 6-6, 2-6) stayed close into the fourth, aided by Jason Smith’s 77-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter that he twice tipped back to himself.

No. 1 Clemson 37, South Carolina 32: Deshaun Watson ran for three touchdowns and passed for a fourth and Clemson held off rival South Carolina to cap an undefeated regular season.

Watson came through with another stellar performance, passing for 279 yards and running for 114 to keep the Tigers on track for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Clemson is 12-0 for the first time since winning the 1981 national championship.

Clemson extended its nation’s best winning streak to 15 games. Next up is No. 11 North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game on Dec. 5 and a win would send the Tigers, who are first in the CFP ranking, to the national semifinals.

Watson had a 5-yard scoring run and threw a 55-yard touchdown pass to Deon Cain to put the Tigers up 14-0 lead. The quarterback added 30 and 3-yard touchdown runs in the second half.

The Tigers fumbled three times as their 18-point lead was cut to 28-25 with 12:19 left on Shon Carson’s 1-yard touchdown run and Lorenzo Nunez’s 2-point conversion. Watson, though, followed series with a 60-yard scoring drive that he ended with a 3-yard burst around the left side.

No. 11 North Carolina 45, N.C. State 34: Elijah Hood and T.J. Logan ran for touchdowns in a dominating first quarter and North Carolina beat North Carolina State.

Logan scored on runs of 42 and 40 yards, and Hood had a 39-yard run of his own before scoring from a yard out in a 35-point spreed for the Tar Heels (11-1, 8-0 Atlantic Coast Conference, No. 14 CFP).

North Carolina also got TD catches from Quinshad Davis and Mack Hollins, tying the program’s single-quarter scoring record by rolling to a 35-7 lead. That was too big of a hole for the Wolfpack (7-5, 3-5).

Hood had a career-high 220 yards rushing and two touchdowns to lead North Carolina.

No. 17 Northwestern 24, Illinois 14: Justin Jackson rushed for 172 yards and a touchdown for Northwestern and freshman Clayton Thorson threw for 146 yards and a score to help WIldcats (10-2, 6-2 Big Ten, No. 16 CFP) avenge last year’s 47-33 home loss to Illinois. It was the fifth consecutive win for the Wildcats, putting them in position for a Jan. 1 bowl game.

No. 19 Mississippi 38, No. 23 Mississippi State 27

Chad Kelly threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score to lead Mississippi past Mississippi State.

Ole Miss (9-3, 6-2 Southeastern Conference, No. 18 CFP) led 28-3 at the half and was never in serious trouble during the second half. Kelly threw two touchdown passes both to Damore’ea Stringfellow and ran for another score, and Tony Bridges returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown.

Southern California 40, No. 22 UCLA 21: Cody Kessler threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score, and Southern California won the Pac-12 South title with a victory over UCLA.

Darreus Rogers and Taylor McNamara caught TD passes while the Trojans (8-4, 6-3 Pac-12) scored 20 consecutive points in the second half before raising the Victory Bell in the frenzied Coliseum.

USC improved to 5-2 under interim coach Clay Helton and snapped its three-year losing streak in the annual city rivalry game.

USC will face Stanford next Saturday in the Trojans’ first trip to the Pac-12 title game.

Paul Perkins rushed for two touchdowns for the Bruins (8-4, 5-4, No. 22 CFP). They lost to USC for the first time in coach Jim Mora’s tenure.

No. 25 Temple, UConn 3

Jahad Thomas ran for 129 yards and two touchdowns, P.J. Walker threw for 160 yards and a score and Temple beat UConn to secure a spot in the American Athletic Conference’s inaugural championship game.

Romond Deloatch caught a touchdown for the Owls, who will play at No. 21 Houston for the AAC title on Saturday with a New Year’s Six bowl bid possibly at stake.