No. 23 Illinois edges No. 21 USC on last-second field goal

By Canadian Press on September 27, 2025.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Luke Altmyer drove Illinois to David Olano’s 41-yard field goal as time expired, lifting the No. 23 Illini to a 34-32 victory over No. 21 Southern California on Saturday.

Altmyer was 20-for-26 passing for 328 yards, helping Illinois bounce back from last weekend’s 63-10 loss at Indiana. He threw for two touchdowns, rushed for another score and caught a TD pass.

Illinois (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) opened a 31-17 lead early in the fourth quarter. But Southern California (4-1, 2-1) went ahead for the first time on Jayden Maiava’s 16-yard touchdown pass to Makai Lemon with 1:55 left.

The Illini then drove 51 yards in eight plays to set up Olano’s winning kick.

Maiava was 30 for 43 for 364 yards and two touchdowns — both to Lemon, who caught 11 passes for 151 yards. Waymond Jordan rushed for 94 yards and two TDs for the Trojans.

Altmyer threw TD passes to Kaden Feagin and Justin Bowick. He caught a touchdown pass from Hank Beatty.

Beatty has passed for a touchdown, caught a touchdown pass, rushed for a TD and scored on a punt return this season.

NO. 16 GEORGIA TECH 30, WAKE FOREST 29, OT

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Georgia Tech intercepted Wake Forest’s 2-point play for the win in overtime to help the 16th-ranked Yellow Jackets edge the Demon Deacons, capping a wild day that saw them rally from 17 down in the third quarter to stay unbeaten.

Haynes King ran for two touchdowns to lead the Yellow Jackets (5-0, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), including a tough 2-yard keeper to start the OT. The Demon Deacons (2-2, 0-2) responded with Demond Claiborne’s next-play 25-yard scoring run to the left pylon.

But with Claiborne shaken up on the play and quarterback Robby Ashford hobbled, first-year coach Jake Dickert played for the win. Ashford rolled to his right looking for a target, but ultimately had to force the ball back toward the middle — where E.J. Lightsey picked it off at the goal line to end it.

NO. 18 VANDERBILT 55, UTAH ST. 35

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Diego Pavia threw five touchdown passes and ran for another score to lead No. 18 Vanderbilt over Utah State.

Pavia completed 26 of 34 passes for 321 yards and rushed for 79 yards. He became the second Vanderbilt quarterback since 1996 to collect six-plus touchdowns in a game and tied the program’s single-game passing touchdown record alongside Johnny McCrary (2014), Jay Cutler (2005) and Bill Wade (1950).

He’s got the Commodores off to a 5-0 start for the first time since 2008.

Junior Sherrill had 91 yards receiving and caught three of Pavia’s touchdown throws. It was the first time Sherrill has scored more than one touchdown in a game.

Eli Stowers and Richie Hoskins also had receiving touchdowns and Makhilyn Young scored a rushing touchdown. Brock Taylor made two field goals.

NO. 22 NOTRE DAME 56, ARKANSAS 13

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — CJ Carr matched a Notre Dame freshman record with four touchdown passes and Jeremiyah Love caught two scoring passes and rushed for two more scores as the No. 22 Fighting Irish beat Arkansas.

Carr went 22 for 30 passing for 354 yards and matched the TD passing record set by Ron Powlus, who threw for four scores in his first career game against Northwestern in 1994. Carr, a redshirt freshman, threw for 294 yards and the four TDs in the first half, leading scoring drives of 75, 73, 75, 70, 75 and 45 yards. He did not play in the fourth quarter as Notre Dame led by 36 points.

Love caught TD passes of 7 and 34 yards, and had scoring runs of 1 and 3 yards, finishing with 14 carries and 57 yards.

Also for Notre Dame (2-2), Jadarian Price scored twice, on a 35-yard strike from Carr and on a 3-yard run. Carr also found Will Pauling with a 23-yard TD strike, and Aneyas Williams completed Notre Dame’s scoring with a 17-yard run in the fourth quarter.

The Associated Press