Mendoza’s near-perfect day lifts No. 2 Indiana to 31-7 win over Wisconsin

The Hoosiers (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten, No. 2 CFP) are undefeated through 11 games for the first time in school history and have tied last season’s record-setting victory total. They also improved to 15-0 at home — the longest winning streak in school history — in coach Curt Cignetti’s two-year tenure.

Wisconsin (3-7, 1-6) has lost to five ranked teams this season but has not beaten a top-10 team on the road since 2019.

Carter Smith became the first true freshman to start a game for the Badgers since 1991 and finished 9 of 15 with 98 yards, including a 45-yard TD pass to Lance Mason. He also had two turnovers and Wisconsin generated only 23 total yards in the second half.

Indiana took control by closing the first half with a 37-yard field goal to make it 10-7 and opening the second half with a 2-yard TD pass from Mendoza to Holden Staes. The Hoosiers then converted a Badgers turnover into a 21-yard TD pass from Mendoza to Riley Nowakowski, the former Badger. Mendoza and Cooper closed it out with a fourth quarter scoring play for the second straight week.

NO. 3 TEXAS A&M 31, SOUTH CAROLINA 30

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Marcel Reed threw for a career-high 439 yards and three touchdowns and Texas A&M rallied from a 27-point deficit to remain undefeated with a victory over South Carolina.

It’s the biggest comeback in school history, eclipsing a 21-point rally by a Johnny Manziel-led team in a 52-48 win in the 2013 Chick-Fil-A Bowl over Duke. Entering Saturday, teams were 0-286 in Southeastern Conference play since 2004 when trailing by 27 points or more.

Reed bounced back from an awful first half where he was intercepted twice and had a fumble returned for a score to put the Aggies in a 30-3 hole with a dazzling second half to keep Texas A&M on track for its first trip to the College Football Playoff.

The Aggies took the lead for the first time on a 4-yard run by EJ Smith with about 11 minutes left.

Texas A&M had a first down at the 1 after that, but Jamarion Morrow fumbled on a trick play and the Gamecocks recovered with about three minutes to go.

Dalton Brooks and Cashius Howell sacked LaNorris Sellers on consecutive plays to bring up fourth-and-16 with about 90 seconds to go. Sellers scrambled on fourth down and he was stopped short of the first down marker to seal the victory.

NO. 9 NOTRE DAME 37, NO. 23 PITTSBURGH 15

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jeremiyah Love ran for 147 yards and a score, Malachi Fields hauled in a pair of touchdown passes and Notre Dame breezed past Pittsburgh.

The Fighting Irish have won eight straight games by an average of 26 points since their 0-2 start. Notre Dame likely needs to merely avoid upset bids by Syracuse or Stanford to end the season to secure a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Love gave his burgeoning Heisman Trophy campaign a boost by finishing with 167 yards of total offense, the highlight coming on a 56-yard sprint to the end zone in the first quarter that included a spin move at midfield that left Pitt’s Kavir Bains-Marquez grasping at air.

Notre Dame’s Tae Johnson picked off Heintschel on the next play from scrimmage and raced 48 yards to the end zone to give the Irish an early 14-point lead they never squandered.

NO. 18 MICHIGAN 24, NORTHWESTERN 22

CHICAGO (AP) — Dominic Zvada kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired, Jordan Marshall ran for 142 yards and two touchdowns before exiting with an injury and Michigan stayed in the playoff chase by beating Northwestern.

The Wolverines overcame three late turnovers, including two interceptions by Bryce Underwood, and remained in the running for the College Football Playoff with their fourth straight win. Northwestern lost its third in a row.

Zvada’s boot capped a 50-yard drive and set off a celebration on the field and in the stands, where a large part of the crowd wore maize and blue.

Michigan was up 21-9 when the Wildcats’ Preston Stone plowed in from the 1 two minutes into the fourth quarter.

Michigan then had a third down at its 26 when Braden Turner picked off a pass intended for Deakon Tonielli and returned it to the 6. Caleb Komolafe ran it in on the next play, giving Northwestern a 22-21 lead with 12:05 remaining in the game. The 2-point conversion pass failed.

Michigan then drove to the 30 before Underwood got picked off again, this time by Robert Fitzgerald at the 20. The Wolverines had another opportunity after Northwestern punted, only to give it away again after opting not to go for the field goal. They had a fourth-and-1 at the Wildcats’ 24 when Bryson Kuzdzal fumbled the handoff and Northwestern recovered.

ARIZONA 30, NO. 22 CINCINNATI 24

CINCINNATI (AP) — Noah Fifita passed for 294 yards and a touchdown to become Arizona’s all-time leader in TD passes as the Wildcats beat Cincinnati in the first game between the teams.

Fifita was 23 for 31 passing and his scoring pass in the fourth quarter was his 68th career TD pass, surpassing the marks of Nick Foles and Willie Tuitama.

Kris Hutson had eight catches for 123 yards for Arizona, his fourth career 100-yard receiving game.

Cincinnati, coming off a bye week following a 45-14 loss at No. 14 Utah, got within three points on Zion Johnson’s TD run with 6:38 left.

Arizona kicker Michael Salgado-Medina, who missed a field goal try and had another attempt blocked in the first half, connected from 50 yards to extend the Wildcats’ lead to 30-24 with 1:34 left.

NAVY 41, NO. 25 SOUTH FLORIDA 38

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Eli Heidenreich caught five passes for 146 yards and became Navy’s all-time receiving yards leader, quarterback Braxton Woodson ran for 103 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter in relief of Blake Horvath and the Midshipmen defeated South Florida.

Alex Tecza carried 12 times for 126 yards, including an early 76-yard score, and caught Horvath’s lone touchdown pass as Navy secured a half-game lead in the conference.

Heidenreich has 1,794 career receiving yards and moved past Rob Thompson’s 1,736, compiled from 1965-67.

Byrum Brown threw for 327 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for 136 yards and two more scores for South Florida, which scored 22 points in the fourth quarter yet lost its second consecutive road game. The Bulls also lost ground in their bid to reach the conference championship game.