Week 4 wrapup: A look at the key games from Saturday

Here’s a look at the key action from Week 4 of the season.

Arkansas defense leads way to upset of Texas A&M

Arkansas’ defense outplayed Texas A&M’s touted unit Saturday and upset the No. 7 Aggies 20-10.

It’s Arkansas’ first 4-0 start since 2003. A&M’s 11-game winning streak came to an end; the Aggies’ nine-game winning streak over the Hogs also ended.

Arkansas plays at Georgia next week in a matchup of unbeaten teams.

Texas A&M (3-1) came in allowing just 239.3 yards per game, but the Hogs served notice early that things would be different Saturday: The Hogs gained 16, 15, 12 and 23 on their first four plays on their way to a field goal. Arkansas then scored touchdowns on its next two drives for a 17-0 lead one minute into the second quarter.

The Hogs’ first TD came on an 85-yard catch-and-run from K.J. Jefferson to Treylon Burks. It was the first scoring pass against A&M this season. Texas A&M had allowed only 232 passing yards in its first three games; Arkansas threw for 229 in the first half and 246 for the game.

Related: NC State takes down punchless Clemson

A&M cut the lead to 17-10 midway through the third quarter but could get no closer.

This week, Arkansas could be looking at its first top-10 ranking since 2012.

Oklahoma muddles past WVU

No. 4 Oklahoma again was less than impressive offensively, but its defense turned in a big effort as the Sooners beat West Virginia 16-13 on a last-play field goal.

Gabe Brkic kicked a 30-yarder on the final play for the win, which capped a comeback from a 13-10 deficit entering the final period. OU has three wins against FBS opponents by a combined 15 points. The Sooners’ season-high yardage total against a FBS foe is 430 total yards. OU had only three games with fewer yards last season and just two combined in the 2018 and ’19 seasons.

Oklahoma finished with 313 yards, with its rushing attack managing just 57. Almost half those yards — 142 — came on two fourth-quarter drives that ended in field goals. On its final drive, OU went 80 yards in 14 plays. On its previous drive, the Sooners went 62 yards on 16 plays.

WVU had even more trouble moving the ball, finishing with just 226 total yards. Oklahoma forced two turnovers and held WVU to 4-of-14 on third down.

Brian Kelly, Notre Dame are big winners

Notre Dame’s defense hadn’t looked that good this season. Then came Saturday at Soldier Field, and the Irish were absolutely dominant on that side of the ball in blasting Wisconsin 41-13.

The victory was Brian Kelly’s 106^th at Notre Dame, making him the winningest coach in school history.

The Irish didn’t do much offensively, rushing for just 3 yards and finishing with 242 overall. But they forced five turnovers, had two pick-sixes and got a kickoff return for a touchdown.

The Irish loaded up to stop the run, as most Badgers opponents do, and Notre Dame’s front made it work. The Badgers managed just 74 yards on the ground, and quarterback Graham Mertz isn’t a good enough passer to overcome a struggling rushing attack. Mertz was just 18-of-40 for 240 yards and four picks, and it got to the point that it’s fair to wonder if Badgers fans cringed whenever he dropped back to pass.

Notre Dame quarterback Jack Coan, the former starter at Wisconsin before transferring, was sacked five times, but he did throw a TD pass. So did backup Drew Pyne, who came on after Coan was injured in the second half.

SMU makes a statement

SMU needed a last-play “Hail Mary” to beat Louisiana Tech last week, but the Mustangs didn’t need any miracles Saturday in beating host TCU 42-34.

With the impressive victory, SMU stamped itself as a Group of 5 team to watch. It’s not a stretch to think the Mustangs could be 10-0 when they travel to Cincinnati on November 20.

SMU is known for its passing attack, but the Mustangs conjured memories of the “Pony Express” days against TCU, rushing for 350 yards. Ulysses Bennett IV rumbled for 153 yards and a score, and backup TB Tre Siggers had 110.

Mustangs QB Tanner Mordecai did throw four TD passes, giving him 20 in four games. SMU was 8-of-12 on third down and took control with three TDs on four possessions in a 17-minute span in the second and third quarters.

Georgia, Miami, Texas, Pitt romp to big wins

Georgia scored 62 points; it allowed 77 total yards. Yes, it was ugly in Nashville as the Bulldogs blasted Vanderbilt 62-0. Georgia led 35-0 at the end of the first quarter. Vandy attempted 18 passes; five were complete, for 24 yards.

Miami (2-2) demolished FCS Central Connecticut State 69-0. Miami QB D’Eriq King missed the game with a shoulder injury, but the Hurricanes still rolled up 739 yards of offense, including 322 on the ground. UM had three tailbacks rush for at least 75 yards.

Host Texas rolled up 639 yards in beating Texas Tech 70-35. The Red Raiders had allowed just 163 rushing yards in their first three games; Texas more than doubled that, rushing for 336 yards. Texas QB Casey Thompson was 18-of-23 for 303 yards and five TDs as he solidified his hold on the starting job.

Host Pitt, meanwhile, trumped everybody, scoring 77 points in mauling FCS New Hampshire 77-7. QB Kenny Pickett threw for 403 yards and five TDs as Pitt rolled up 707 total yards. The Panthers led 49-7 at halftime.

Minnesota loses as 30.5-point favorite

Bowling Green managed just 192 yards of total offense — including 22 rushing yards on 25 carries — but it was enough as the Falcons (2-2) stunned Minnesota 14-10. The Golden Gophers (2-2) were 30.5-point favorites.

Bowling Green’s defense was excellent. Minnesota had just 241 yards of offense, and Golden Gophers quarterback Tanner Morgan was 5-of-13 for 49 yards and two interceptions.

Falcons quarterback Matt McDonald scored on two short TD runs. The first came midway through the second quarter after Minnesota failed on a fourth-and-1 from its 29, with the fourth-down run losing 5 yards. BG scored four plays later. McDonald’s second TD capped an eight-play, 65-yard drive that started after Minnesota missed a field goal.

Minnesota came in having won two in a row after a season-opening loss to Ohio State; in a victory last week at Colorado, Minnesota allowed just 63 total yards.

Others of note in Week 4

+ A season that began with great promise has started 2-2 for Iowa State after a 31-29 loss at Baylor (4-0). The Cyclones scored on a 16-yard pass from Brock Purdy to Breece Hall with 24 seconds left, but couldn’t convert on the two-point conversion. Baylor scored TDs on its first three possessions and held on. The Bears won despite being outgained 479-282. Baylor’s lone TD of the second half came on a 98-yard kickoff return by Treston Ebner. The Bears picked off Purdy once — at Baylor’s 22 with 11:55 left in the game.

+ UCLA (3-1) jumped out to a 14-0 first-quarter lead at Stanford (2-2), then needed two fourth-quarter touchdown passes from Dorian Thompson-Robinson to come away with a 35-24 victory. One play after Stanford tied it at 21 early in the fourth quarter, Thompson-Robinson hit Kyle Phillips with a 75-yard TD pass. Thompson-Robinson threw another TD pass to Phillips with 2:30 left to complete the scoring. + Oklahoma State (4-0) didn’t much through the air in its first three games, but that changed in a 31-20 victory over visiting Kansas State (3-1). The Cowboys were averaging just 187.3 passing yards er game and had thrown three TD passes; Saturday night, Spencer Sanders threw for 344 yards and two TDs. Oklahoma State led 21-10 after the first quarter and 31-13 at halftime. K-State had started 3-0 because of its rushing attack, but the Wildcats finished with only 62 yards on the ground.

+ Georgia Tech (2-2) got its ground game cranked up and blew past North Carolina (2-2) 45-22. The host Yellow Jackets led 13-7 at halftime, and after punting on the first second-half possession, Tech scored on five consecutive possessions to put the game away. Tech rushed for 261 yards and four touchdowns. QB Jeff Sims led the way with 128 yards and three scores.

+ LSU held off a fourth-quarter rally by host Mississippi State (2-2) to come away with a 28-25 victory. The Tigers (3-1) took a 28-10 lead early in the fourth quarter on Max Johnson’s fourth TD pass of the game, then gave up back-to-back long scoring drives to make it interesting down the stretch. Mississippi State failed on an onside kick with 1:53 left and LSU then ran out the clock. Johnson finished 17-of-27 for 280 yards. But LSU’s rushing attack again was missing; the Tigers had just 63 yards on the ground. LSU plays host to Auburn next week.

+ Host Boston College moved to 4-0 for the first time since 2007 with a 41-34 overtime victory over Missouri (2-2). Matt Ryan was BC’s star in 2007 and the Eagles got as high as No. 2 in the polls that season. BC’s offensive line is one of the best in the nation and it dominated Mizzou’s defensive front as the Eagles rushed for 275 yards and three touchdowns. Mizzou’s ground game, on the other hand, was stymied, with the Tigers managing just 88 rushing yards. Mizzou sent the game into overtime with a 56-yard field goal by Harrison Mevis on the final play of regulation.

+ Western Michigan used a dominant defensive effort to beat San Jose State 23-3. WMU coach Tim Lester missed the game because of a positive COVID test. The Broncos used a big offensive performance to upset Pitt 44-41 last week; this week, the Broncos allowed just 119 total yards in beating the Spartans. San Jose State QB Nick Starkel came in averaging 312.3 yards per game, but threw for just 55 Saturday.