Lions' Near-Miss Drops PSU to Second; Huskers Reign

Penn State and LSU wanted to avoid letdowns after emotional victories last week. Neither did.

Ohio State and Florida wanted to bounce back after losses last week. Both did.

No. 1 Penn State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) had to score twice in the fourth quarter to beat lowly Minnesota 16-15 Saturday and keep alive hopes for a national championship.

"It was a win. You shouldn't apologize for it," said Coach Joe Paterno one week after the Nittany Lions beat Ohio State.

LSU, coming off an upset of previous No. 1 Florida, wasn't as fortunate, losing 36-21 at home to Mississippi.

"We were emotionally drained," said LSU cornerback Cedric Donaldson. "Guys just weren't into it this week like they were last week."

No. 7 Florida, playing without suspended quarterback Doug Johnson, used a smothering defense to shut down No. 6 Auburn 24-10.

"With our quarterback situation muddled, we didn't want to put the game in our quarterback's hands," said Florida Coach Steve Spurrier.

Penn State came out flat but survived thanks to two touchdowns by Curtis Enis and a late Minnesota turnover. Chris Snyder's fumble recovery set up Enis' game-winning, 10-yard touchdown run with 3:59 to play.

"It was like a gift from God," said linebacker Jim Nelson. "You couldn't think of a more perfect time for those things to happen. Sometimes championship teams get lucky."

No. 2 Nebraska 29, Texas Tech 0

At Lincoln, Neb., Ahman Green ran for 178 yards and a touchdown and the Cornhuskers' defense recorded its first shutout of the season.

Nebraska (6-0) rolled up 400 yards rushing, while holding Texas Tech to 127 total yards.

No.3 Florida St. 38, No. 21 Georgia Tech 0

At Tallahassee, Fla., Thad Busby threw for 399 yards and three touchdowns and Travis Minor raced 27 yards for a score as Florida State overcame a lethargic start.

The Seminoles (6-0, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) did not get into Georgia Tech territory until the final two minutes of the first half, but then scored on three straight drives to finish off the Yellow Jackets (4-2, 3-1).

No. 4 North Carolina 20, N. Carolina St. 7

At Raleigh, N.C., Brian Schmitz drilled a 51-yard field goal in a driving rainstorm midway through the third quarter broke a 7-7 tie to spark the Tar Heels.

North Carolina (7-0), which moved within one win of heading undefeated into a Nov. 8 showdown with No. 3 Florida State, held its 14th straight opponent under 300 yards.

No. 5 Michigan 28, No. 15 lowa 24

At Ann Arbor, Mich., Brian Griese, whose three first-half interceptions put Michigan (6-0) in a 21-7 hole, threw for three touchdowns and ran for another to lead the comeback.

Michigan's defense, which went into the game ranked first nationally having allowed just 5.2 points per game, held lowa (4-2) to 187 total yards and just three points after halftime.

But that almost wasn't enough to overcome four turnovers, a blocked punt, a punt return for a touchdown and a 72-yard kickoff return.

No. 7 Florida 24, No. 6 Auburn 10

At Auburn, Ala., former walk-on Noah Brindise passed for one touchdown and wide receiver Jacquez Green scored three times, as the Gators (6-1, 4-1) stayed on track for a record-tying fifth straight Southeastern Conference title.

Freshman Jesse Palmer was benched after throwing his second interception early in the third quarter with the score tied at 10. Brindise and Fred Taylor, who rushed for 140 yards, led Florida 97 yards for the go-ahead score, handing Auburn (6-1, 3-1) its first loss.