Sean Clifford threw four touchdown passes, including a pair of TD strikes late in the fourth quarter, as No. 11 Penn State pulled away from visiting Michigan State 35-16 on Saturday in University Park, Pa.

Clifford finished 19 of 24 for 202 yards without a turnover for Penn State (10-2, 7-2), which finished in third place in the Big Ten East standings. KeAndre Lambert-Smith (five catches, 83 yards) had a receiving touchdown and a passing score, while Theo Johnson hauled in two TD catches for the Nittany Lions.

Payton Thorne passed for a touchdown and ran for another for Michigan State (5-7, 3-6), which wound up fifth in the seven-team East Division. Thorne finished 24 of 43 for 229 yards for the Spartans, who committed three turnovers and were outgained 410-254.

After back-to-back touchdowns by the Spartans, the Nittany Lions led 21-16 before Clifford hooked up with Nicholas Singleton for a 12-yard catch-and-run to the end zone with 4:31 left. Kalen King intercepted Thorne less than a minute later, and Clifford found Lambert-Smith for a 35-yard TD bomb on the next play.

The game got off to an ugly start, as Michigan State’s Jayden Reed fumbled on the third play from scrimmage and then Penn State’s Jake Pinegar missed a 37-yard field goal.

Clifford finally opened the scoring in the final minute of the first quarter, finding Johnson wide-open for an 11-yard score.

Following a Spartans punt, the Nittany Lions doubled their advantage on a well-executed trick play. Clifford took the snap and passed into the flat to Lambert-Smith, who caught the backward pass and launched a perfect throw downfield to Johnson for a 48-yard score.

Jack Stone’s 51-yarder on the final play of the first half brought Michigan State within 14-3 at the break, but Penn State increased its cushion on Clifford’s well-placed 14-yard TD pass to Tyler Warren midway through the third quarter.

Facing a 21-3 deficit, the Spartans converted a fourth-and-2 on the ensuing possession and later found the end zone on Thorne’s 9-yard TD pass to Maliq Carr.

On its next trip, Michigan State converted third downs of 7, 18 and 10 yards before Thorne’s quarterback keeper resulted in a 2-yard TD with 10:52 to go.

–Field Level Media

Cameron Rising was 17-for-19 passing for 234 yards and three touchdowns, Ja’Quindon Jackson rushed for 117 yards and three scores, and the No. 14 Utah Utes beat the Colorado Buffaloes 63-21 in Boulder, Colo., on Saturday.

The Utes (9-3, 8-1) can clinch a spot in the Pac-12 Championship game against USC if Washington beats Washington State later Saturday. Utah stayed in the hunt after Oregon State rallied to beat Oregon on Saturday.

Micah Bernard ran for 91 yards and a TD, Dalton Kincaid had five receptions for 102 yards and a score and Thomas Yassmin, Money Parks and Makai Cope had touchdown catches for the Utes.

Alex Fontenot and Anthony Hankerson ran for touchdowns and Maddox Kopp was 14-for-27 passing for 123 yards and a TD to Frank Fillip for the Buffaloes (1-11, 1-8).

Utah took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on TD runs by Bernard and Jackson, and the Utes opened a big lead in the second quarter.

Bernard carried four times for 53 yards on the next drive and three plays later Jackson scored his second TD with a two-yard run early in the second quarter. After forcing another punt, Utah struck again on a 41-yard TD pass from Rising to Yassmin to make the score 28-0.

Rising made the score 35-0 with a nine-yard TD pass to Parks with 52 seconds left in the half. Colorado used 24 seconds before punting again and Rising finished off a big first half with a 29-yard TD pass to Kincaid with three seconds left.

The Buffaloes intercepted Rising on the first drive of the second half and returned it to the Utah 11. Two plays later, Fontenot scored from one yard out. Jackson scored on a 66-yard run 48 seconds later to make it 48-7.

After another Colorado punt, Bryson Barnes connected with Cope for a 21-yard TD pass late in the third quarter. The Buffaloes responded with its longest drive of the game, 79 yards, finished off by Hankerson’s 23-yard TD run.

Jaylon Glover scored the Utes’ ninth touchdown on a five-yard run.

–Field Level Media

Max Duggan threw for 224 yards and three touchdowns as No. 4 TCU walloped visiting Iowa State 62-14 on Saturday afternoon in the regular-season finale for both teams in Fort Worth, Texas.

Millard Bradford and Josh Newton returned interceptions for scores for TCU.

The Horned Frogs (12-0, 9-0 Big 12), just one of three undefeated teams in the FBS, will play either No. 12 Kansas State or No. 23 Texas in the Big 12 Championship game on Dec. 3 in Arlington, Texas. If it wins that game, TCU will be in the College Football Playoff.

Kendre Miller ran for 72 yards and two scores for the Horned Frogs, who won going away despite the absence of star receiver Quentin Johnston (ankle).

Hunter Dekkers passed for just 106 yards, with a TD and an interception for Iowa State (4-8, 1-8) before being forced from the game by an injury to his non-throwing shoulder early in the third quarter. Eli Sanders had 91 yards on seven carries.

The Cyclones will miss a bowl game for the first time since 2016.

Duggan hit Geor’Quarius Spivey on a 19-yard touchdown pass on the game’s opening possession before Griffin Kell kicked a 36-yard field goal to give the Horned Frogs a 10-0 lead with 4:54 to play in the opening quarter.

Miller ran 25 yards for a TD with 2:15 to play in the first quarter. On the ensuing snap Bradford intercepted Dekkers and returned the pick 36 yards to expand the Horned Frogs’ lead to 24-0.

Iowa State’s lone first-half highlight was Dekkers’ 15-yard TD pass DeShawn Hanika at the 13:16 mark of the second quarter.

The Horned Frogs finished off the half with a season-best 54-yard field goal by Kell and Miller’s 1-yard scoring plunge — the latter just 14 seconds before halftime — to take a 34-7 lead.

Duggan added scoring passes, 2 yards to Savion Williams and 13 yards to Jordan Hudson, respectively, over a span of 4:25 in the third quarter.

Later in quarter Newton snatched a tipped pass from Iowa State backup quarterback Rocco Becht and returned it 57 yards for the Horned Frogs’ second pick-six of the game.

Deon Silas ran 19 yards early in the fourth quarter for the Cyclones’ other score.

TCU backup quarterback Chandler Morris connected with Hudson for his second TD of the game with 1:18 to play.

–Field Level Media

Riley Leonard’s second touchdown pass of the game to Sahmir Hagans came with 2:04 to play and lifted Duke past visiting Wake Forest 34-31 on Saturday at Durham, N.C.

Leonard threw for four touchdowns to complete a splendid regular season under first-year coach Mike Elko. The Blue Devils (8-4, 5-3) were winless in ACC play last season. The winning points came on a 20-yard pass play.

Sam Hartman threw three touchdown passes to tie an Atlantic Coast Conference record for Wake Forest, but he was picked off on his final pass. Hartman completed 26 of 42 throws for 347 yards. Justice Ellison scored on a run for Wake Forest (7-5, 3-5).

Leonard was 29-for-41 for 391 yards. Duke had a 14-play drive go for naught in the fourth quarter when Leonard’s pass was intercepted in the end zone by Jermal Martin Jr. with 5:05 remaining. The Blue Devils had one more chance and made it count, needing two plays to cover 65 yards.

Duke snapped a three-game skid in the series with Wake Forest. Elko is a former defensive coordinator for the Demon Deacons.

Leonard’s 30-yard pass play to Jordan Moore helped Duke to a 27-17 lead.

Hartman struck back, first throwing 17 yards to Taylor Morin before his 6-yard delivery to A.T. Perry with 12:31 remaining put the Demon Deacons in the lead for the first time since the opening minute of the second quarter.

That also marked Hartman’s 107th career touchdown pass, tying him with former Clemson quarterback Tahj Boyd for the all-time ACC record.

Duke’s Todd Pelino had field goals from 42 and 32 in the first half, which ended with the Blue Devils up 20-17.

Leonard hit Hagans for 30 yards and Jaylen Calhoun for 46 in a 5 ½-minute stretch early in the second quarter as Duke went up 17-7.

Hartman’s 8-yard hookup with Donavon Greene closed the gap and Matthew Dennis’ 32-yard field goal with 1:50 to go in the half tied the score.

Calhoun caught 10 passes for 144 yards.

–Field Level Media

Purdue clinched its first Big Ten West Division in school history by rallying for a 30-16 victory over host Indiana on Saturday at Bloomington, Ind.

Aidan O’Connell went 18-of-29 passing for 290 yards with two touchdowns for the Boilermakers, who took home the “Old Oaken Bucket” for the fourth time in the past five years.

Purdue (8-4, 6-3) advanced to the Big Ten title game on Dec. 3 at Indianapolis, where it will face No. 3 and defending conference champion Michigan (12-0, 9-0). The Wolverines clinched the East Division title with a 45-23 win over No. 2 Ohio State at Columbus, Ohio.

Purdue’s Devin Mockobee rushed for 99 yards and a score on 15 carries and caught five passes for 58 yards. Charlie Jones had four receptions, including a 60-yard touchdown catch, for 143 yards.

Trailing 7-3 at halftime, Purdue took a 10-7 lead it wouldn’t relinquish on O’Connell’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Payne Durham with 10:35 left in the third quarter.

After forcing Indiana to punt after just three plays, Purdue extended its lead to 17-7 on Mockobee’s 27-yard touchdown run with 6:06 remaining in the third quarter.

Indiana (4-8, 2-7) pulled to within 17-10 on Charles Campbell’s 28-yard field goal with 11:06 left in the game.

But Purdue put the game away three plays later, when O’Connell threw a 60-yard scoring strike to Jones for a 24-10 lead with 9:38 left.

Cornerback Cory Trice’s 6-yard interception return made it 30-10 after a missed extra-point with 2:17 left.

After Purdue took a 3-0 lead on Mitchell Fineran’s 29-yard field goal with 11:49 left in the first quarter, the Hoosiers found the end zone just 47 seconds later on Jaylin Lucas’ 71-yard run that ended the first-half scoring.

Indiana had a major loss on its next series, when quarterback Dexter Williams II was carted off the field and transported to a hospital after sustaining what appeared to be a severe injury to his right leg.

Williams came away with the injury when he planted his foot to throw a pass during the first quarter. He wasn’t hit on the play.

Wiliams was replaced by Connor Bazelak, who finished 24-of-42 passing for 201 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Lucas ran for 100 yards on nine carries. Josh Henderson had five catches for 35 yards and a touchdown for the Hoosiers.

–Field Level Media

Redshirt freshman Athan Kaliakmanis hit Le’Meke Brockington with a 45-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter as visiting Minnesota rallied for a 23-16 victory over Wisconsin on Saturday, retaining Paul Bunyan’s Axe in college football’s longest rivalry.

The Badgers had a final drive from their own 30 after Matthew Trickett hit the right upright on a 48-yard field goal attempt with 1:48 left. Chase Wolf replaced injured quarterback Graham Mertz midway through the drive. A pass interference call in the end zone gave Wisconsin a first-and-goal at the five, but the Badgers committed four penalties, moving them back to the 30.

Wolf’s pass on fourth-and-goal from the 25 with 5 seconds left was incomplete in the end zone.

Minnesota (8-4, 5-4 Big Ten) defeated Wisconsin two years in a row for the first time since 1994. The series is tied, 62-62-8.

The Badgers (6-6, 4-5 Big Ten) dropped to 4-3 under interim coach Jim Leonhard, promoted from defensive coordinator when Paul Chryst was fired the day after a 34-10 loss at home to Illinois.

Chimere Dike scored on a 9-yard reverse to put Wisconsin in front 16-13 late in the third quarter. Minnesota tied it 16-16 on Trickett’s 27-yard field with 7:58 remaining.

The Gophers forced a three-and-out to set up the winning 71-yard drive. Kaliakmanis, making his third consecutive start in place of injured Tanner Morgan, hit Brockington across the middle at the 33 and he outran the secondary.

Justin Walley picked off Mertz on Wisconsin’s next possession, but Trickett’s miss gave the Badgers one last shot.

Kaliakmanis completed 19 of 29 passes for 319 yards and two touchdowns. Mohamed Ibrahim, first in the nation with 152.4 yards per game, finished with 70 yards on 27 carries, ending his streak of 100-yard rushing games at 19.

Trickett connected on a 50-yard field goal that grazed the crossbar on the Gophers’ opening possession of the third quarter to make it 13-6. Nate Van Zelst responded with his third field goal, a 36-yarder, to cut the lead to 13-9.

Trickett’s 25-yard field goal on the final play of the first half put Minnesota up 10-6.

The Gophers answered an opening field goal with a 10-play, 81-yard drive capped by Kaliakmanis’ 6-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Jackson.

Wisconsin was without leading rusher Braelon Allen, out with a right leg injury. Chez Mellusi rushed 19 times for 75 yards. Mertz completed 16 of 27 passes for 170 yards.

-Field Level Media