Queensland 4 for 331 (Khawaja 131, Renshaw 84*, Peirson 60*) v South Australia

A batsman who looks increasingly under pressure for his Test place made a low score, one who is among the most prolific players in the world bagged a duck and two former Test batsmen filled their boots on the opening day at Glenelg.

Usman Khawaja probably won't come into consideration for Australia's Test squad, and Matt Renshaw certainly won't, but the former made his first century since February 2019 and the latter closed within touching distance of his first for two-and-a-half years.

Joe Burns' hold on the Test opening berth appears more tenuous by the day - across town Will Pucovski piled up another big hundred - as he fell for 10 in the sixth over, given caught behind via an inside edge although he did not seem thrilled by the decision.

Marnus Labuschagne then bagged his second consecutive duck, walking into a wide delivery and edging to slip, to leave Queensland 2 for 11. Khawaja and Bryce Street added 128 for the third wicket followed by a 103-run partnership between Khawaja and Renshaw, before the day was capped by a boundary-studded half-century from Jimmy Peirson.

Khawaja was the aggressor in Queensland's early recovery as Street took 107 balls to reach double figures. Street had started to make progress when he fell to a stunning short leg catch by Henry Hunt who parried the ball up then held the rebound.

That gave Lloyd Pope his lone success of the day but it was another tough outing for the legspinner who conceded a run-a-ball. Khawaja, especially, enjoyed his regular loose offerings while Renshaw did not miss out on many.

Khawaja's previous century had been his Test hundred against Sri Lanka in Canberra and he reached three figures off 149 balls against the first delivery of the evening session. He eventually fell to the deserving Wes Agar, edging to Callum Ferguson at first slip in his last first-class match, but Queensland rattled along in the final session which brought 159 runs in 38 overs.

Peirson was largely responsible for that, hitting 48 off his 60 runs in boundaries, and the stand with Renshaw was unbroken on 89 on another tough day for the South Australia attack.

Tasmania 4 for 149 (Silk 64*) lead New South Wales 64 (Bird 4-14, Siddle 3-17) by 85 runs

It's been a tick over five years since Australia was shot out for 60 in a vital Ashes Test match at Trent Bridge, and no fewer than three members of the New South Wales batting line-up could have been forgiven for suffering from flashbacks as they experienced a similar fate against Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield, rolled for 64 on another surface that did just enough.

The Blues captain Peter Nevill, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon were all a part of both processions, the first largely inflicted by Stuart Board but this one ring-led by an omitted member of that same 2015 Ashes touring party, Peter Siddle, with plenty of help from Jackson Bird, Gabe Bell and Riley Meredith.

Their deconstruction of the batting line-up was so complete that New South Wales registered the third lowest total in their storied Shield history, better only than tallies of 56 in Perth in 1998 and 53, also against Tasmania, in Hobart in 2007.

Given Tasmania's recent reluctance to field a specialist spin bowler, the pitch at Gladys Elphick Park was ideal for them, and after their captain Matthew Wade won the toss it was not long before the new ball was talking in Siddle's experienced hands.

Daniel Hughes can scarcely have been dismissed by a better ball, seaming away after angling into him from around the wicket, setting the scene for Bird to coax an edged drive from Nick Larkin and have Kurtis Patterson driving too soon at a fullish delivery for a catch to cover.

A score of 3 for 15 was troublesome though not irredeemable, depending on how the Tigers followed up their early overs. Enter Bell, who moved the ball nicely away from Daniel Solway then provoke fatal indecision from Moises Henriques, before Nevill - incidentally the top scorer in Nottingham five years ago with 13 - snicked Siddle into what was by now an ample slips cordon.

Mitchell Starc blustered his way to 18, at least getting the Blues to 50, before he too edged to one of the catching men, and Trent Copeland then Lyon did likewise before Sean Abbott skied a catch to Tim Paine to have the Tasmanians padding up for a bat a matter of minutes after lunch.

In a further mirror of 2015, the Tigers' response was far less calamitous, as Jordan Silk dropped anchor with a series of cameos at the other end. By stumps Tasmania were 85 runs in credit with six wickets in hand, even if Starc, Copeland, Abbott, Lyon and Harry Conway made them toil at little more than two runs an over.

Victoria 1 for 322 (Pucovski 183, Harris 71) v Western Australia

In the space of two sparkling innings, Will Pucovski has rocketed to the front of the queue for places in Australia's Test match top six, vaulting to the top of the Sheffield Shield averages and giving Victoria a powerful start to a match in which they were sent in to bat by Western Australia on a grassy pitch at Karen Rolton Oval.

Where Pucovski's 255 not out in a record partnership of 486 with Marcus Harris was put together against lowly South Australia on a decidedly batting friendly surface, this unbeaten innings of 183, again with strong support from his opening partner, was a powerful riposte to Western Australia's morning inclination that this would be a day for their all-seam attack.

The two major challenges set for Pucovski were to battle full deliveries as Cameron Gannon, Matthew Kelly, Aaron Hardie, Cameron Green and Lance Morris all tried to extract swing and seam, and then to make use of his pull and hook shots as the same quintet dropped increasingly short in the face of scant success for the former method.

Harris accompanied Pucovski up until the pair had put on 186 more than halfway through the day, before the Victorian captain Peter Handscomb offered strong support for the most part, albeit with the occasional moment of awkwardness. Looking on, the new Victoria coach Chris Rogers was once glimpsed laughing in conversation with a couple of his squad members: in batting terms at least, he will seldom feel more content as a mentor no matter how long his career carries on.

The Warriors' selection had been somewhat forced by an agreed decision with Cricket Australia to allow the spin bowler Ashton Agar to return home to Perth for some rest prior to looming duties with Australia A and the Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League. The state's 14-day mandatory quarantine requirement was going to seriously cut into the time available otherwise, although there were plenty of occasions when the Warriors would have liked to call upon their leading wicket-taker.

It was instead left to D'Arcy Short, who alongside Scott Boland and Queensland's Brendan Doggett was one of three Aboriginal cricketers taking the field in NAIDOC week, to offer up some overs of left-arm wrist spin. Short was at least able to beat Pucvoski's bat with a top spinner, a better outcome than the vast majority of deliveries that were either left alone, defended stoutly or dispatched the boundary with some flourish.

Harris survived a low chance in Green's first over, edged into the cordon where Sam Whiteman was deemed to have scooped it up on the half volley, before his leading edge was taken by the same fielder with a superlative one-handed dive after the fashion of Steven Smith in the slips for Australia. Handscomb's approach veered between conservatism and considerable risk, and he was to offer a half chance to the slips when scything at Gannon late in the day.

These undulations only served to amplify how Pucovski showed a masterful ability to move up and down the gears depending on the scoring opportunities on offer, starting more slowly than Harris, skating into the 70s, then pulling things back before gliding to his second century in as many innings.

There was to be more acceleration later on in the day, in spite of a liberal supply of boundary fielders placed by the Western Australia captain Shaun Marsh, and boundaries came with a decided rush when the hardness and bounce of the second new ball gave Pucovski a little more to work with.

Stumps arrived with the second wicket stand worth 136, and Pucovski already 20 runs ahead of the Shield's next heaviest scorer, the Test incumbent Travis Head. It may be a matter of weeks before they are international team-mates.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- During Notre Dame's team walk-through before Saturday's game against No. 1 Clemson, coach Brian Kelly issued a proclamation, and a warning.

"I just want you to know," Kelly told the players, "When we win this thing, the fans are going to storm the field."

Kelly added that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which includes a recent rise in cases on Notre Dame's campus, the players needed to exit the field as soon as possible after the game.

"Coach Kelly, you might as well call him a prophet," linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah said. "Prophet Kelly."

Kelly's words came true moments after No. 4 Notre Dame completed a 47-40 win over Clemson in two overtimes Saturday night at Notre Dame Stadium. Students stormed the field from all four corners of the stands, creating a mass celebration in the middle of the field. Notre Dame limits attendance to students, faculty and university personnel -- other than players' families -- and while Saturday's game drew only 11,011, most of them seemed to enter the field at the end.

"With COVID being as it is, we've got to get off the field and get to the tunnel," Kelly said. "Now I beat 'em all to the tunnel. So that didn't go over so good, but they reminded me that I did tell them that, so my skills of prognostication were pretty good today."

Notre Dame's public-address announcer repeatedly asked fans to leave the field, but many remained for several minutes.

Clemson players and coaches quickly exited to the tunnel in the northeast corner of the field, while most Notre Dame players and coaches headed for their tunnel. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said he didn't mind the field rush from the Notre Dame fans, saying, "It was an epic game."

Notre Dame running back Kyren Williams said he was late getting to the postgame locker room celebration because he had to get through so many fans who had entered the field.

"That was a cool experience for me, everybody rushing down," said Williams, who had never witnessed a field storm before Saturday. "Coach Kelly told us before the game that it was going to happen. ... He told us to get inside after the game, fast."

Wide receiver Avery Davis said he got "bumped around" during the field storm but added, "I loved the energy."

The ACC did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the field storm at Notre Dame, a league member in football this season. Notre Dame recorded its ninth win against an AP No. 1 team and ended Clemson's 36-game regular-season win streak Saturday.

"It's something you expect with our great fans and our great community around us, they're really, really passionate about us playing football," Owusu-Koramoah said. "You expect something like that, storming the field, beating the No. 1 team. [Kelly] told us to get up out of there if they did storm the field, but it's kind of hard, so we just celebrated with them."

Senior quarterback Ian Book rallied Notre Dame to a late touchdown to force overtime, and then led two touchdown drives in the extra sessions.

"A night I'll never forget, no matter how old I am, I know I'll remember this game forever," Book said. "Just a special moment. ... When the fans stormed the field, it was actually pretty cool. It was really fun."

The university on Tuesday reported 38 positive tests, followed by 71 positive tests on Wednesday and 29 on Thursday. Notre Dame's football team went through an outbreak in late September that forced a Sept. 24 game at Wake Forest to be postponed until Dec. 12.

Notre Dame president the Rev. John Jenkins tested positive for COVID-19 in early October, and has received increased scrutiny for his approach toward the virus after he appeared at the White House Rose Garden Ceremony to celebrate the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett.

The Clemson-Notre Dame showdown was so good and so entertaining that it would be great to see those teams go at it again.

Well, we just might be treated to a rematch in the ACC championship game after Notre Dame took down Clemson 47-40 in two overtimes Saturday to vault to No. 2 this week in ESPN's power rankings.

There's also a distinct Group of 5/independent representation in this week's power rankings. BYU (No. 6), Cincinnati (No. 7), Coastal Carolina (No. 12), Liberty (No. 19) and Marshall (No. 24) are all unbeaten.

The biggest riser this week is Texas A&M, which shot all the way up to No. 5 after routing South Carolina. The Aggies could conceivably sneak into the College Football Playoff even if they don't play in the SEC championship game.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (6-0)

Finally, a weekend when the Crimson Tide didn't light somebody up on offense. That's because they were off after scoring more than 40 points in each of their previous five games. This might be Nick Saban's most explosive offense yet at Alabama, even without injured wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, and the defense is also starting to look the way we're used to Alabama looking on that side of the ball. The Crimson Tide have given up only two touchdowns in their past 10 quarters.

Up next: at LSU (Saturday, 6 p.m. ET, CBS)

2. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-0)

OK, maybe Notre Dame isn't an ACC team in the purest sense, but the Irish are this season, and they took down the ACC's version of Goliath on Saturday in a 47-40 win over Clemson in two overtimes. It was the kind of signature win Brian Kelly's club had been looking for and ended a 28-game winning streak by Clemson over ACC opponents. The Irish might have to beat the Tigers again to win the ACC championship and possibly get to the College Football Playoff, but there's no doubting now that Notre Dame belongs in that elite category after making one clutch play after another to send the Tigers packing.

Up next: at Boston College (Saturday, TBA)

3. Ohio State Buckeyes (3-0)

Through three games, Justin Fields has been about as perfect as it gets when it comes to playing quarterback. The 6-foot-3, 228-pound junior accounted for six touchdowns -- five passing and one rushing -- in Ohio State's 49-27 victory Saturday over Rutgers. Fields finished 24-of-28 passing and was completing 87.3% of his passes entering the game. The final score was a bit misleading. Ohio State led 42-9 heading into the fourth quarter.

Up next: at Maryland (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)

4. Clemson Tigers (7-1)

The Tigers had a few things working against them going into Saturday's showdown in South Bend, Indiana, namely star quarterback Trevor Lawrence watching from the sideline, but none of that will ease the pain of not finishing the game and losing 47-40 in two overtimes to Notre Dame. Freshman quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei played great in filling in for Lawrence and finished with 439 passing yards and two touchdowns, but Clemson allowed Notre Dame to drive 91 yards in the final minutes to send the game into overtime. And just like that, the Tigers' 36-game regular-season winning streak is over.

Up next: at Florida State (Nov. 21, TBA)

5. Texas A&M Aggies (5-1)

It was the Kellen Mond Show for Texas A&M in its 48-3 rout of South Carolina on the road Saturday. The Aggies' senior quarterback accounted for their first five touchdowns -- four passing and one rushing -- as they cruised to a 35-0 lead. It was a good day all the way around for Texas A&M, especially with Florida beating Georgia. That Oct. 10 win over Florida is looking increasingly better for the Aggies, and even if they don't make the SEC championship game, there could be a pathway to the College Football Playoff if they go 9-1 and their only loss is to an unbeaten Alabama team.

Up next: at Tennessee (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

6. BYU Cougars (8-0)

The Cougars took their biggest step yet toward an unbeaten regular season Friday with a 51-17 demolition of Boise State on the road. BYU is 8-0 for the first time since 2001 and making a more convincing argument each week that it should at least be considered for a College Football Playoff spot, especially if teams in the Power 5 conferences beat up on one another. Quarterback Zach Wilson passed for 359 yards and accounted for three touchdowns, and the Cougars have scored more than 40 points in seven of their eight games this season.

Up next: North Alabama (Nov. 21, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN3)

7. Cincinnati Bearcats (6-0)

As impressive as Cincinnati has been on defense this season, the Bearcats are really starting to find their stride on offense, too. Their 38-10 win Saturday at home over Houston marked the fifth straight game that they held an opponent to 13 or fewer points. But they've also scored 38 or more points in each of their past three wins. Quarterback Desmond Ridder rushed for three touchdowns and also passed for one against the Cougars. The Bearcats have won all six of their games this season by at least two touchdowns.

Up next: vs. East Carolina (Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

8. Florida Gators (4-1)

The Gators have dealt with COVID-19 issues and some early defensive woes this season, but they made an emphatic statement on Saturday that they're the class of the SEC's Eastern Division with a 44-28 win over Georgia in Jacksonville. Quarterback Kyle Trask threw for 474 yards and four touchdown passes (all in the first half), and after the Dawgs jumped out to a 14-0 first-quarter lead, the Gators' defense gave up only one more touchdown the rest of the way. Florida, which now holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Georgia, has the inside track to the SEC championship game.

Up next: vs. Arkansas (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

9. Indiana Hoosiers (3-0)

The drought is over for Indiana, and the Hoosiers are suddenly a major player in the Big Ten race. They snapped a 24-game losing streak against Michigan and won for the first time over the Wolverines since 1987 in a 38-21 beatdown Saturday that was really never close. Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr. passed for 342 yards and three touchdowns, and the Michigan secondary couldn't cover senior receiver Ty Fryfogle, who had seven catches for 142 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown pass.

Up next: at Michigan State (Saturday, noon ET, ABC/ESPN2)

10. Miami Hurricanes (6-1)

If Miami quarterback D'Eriq King wasn't already in the Heisman Trophy conversation, he is now after passing for 430 yards and five touchdowns and rushing for 105 more yards in a 44-41 comeback victory Friday on the road against North Carolina State. King's 54-yard touchdown pass to Mike Harley in the final minutes won it for the Hurricanes, who won their third straight game despite missing 11 players, including two starters on offense, and remained alive in the ACC race.

Up next: at Virginia Tech (Saturday, TBA)

11. Georgia Bulldogs (4-2)

Granted, the Dawgs were without several key defenders and were gutted at safety, but none of that excuses being outscored 41-7 after taking an early 14-0 lead. It doesn't end there, either, in dissecting Georgia's 44-28 loss Saturday to Florida in Jacksonville that snapped a three-game Georgia winning streak in the series. The Dawgs have serious issues at quarterback. Stetson Bennett struggled to make anything happen in the passing game and was pulled in favor of freshman D'Wan Mathis, who threw two interceptions. Georgia finished with only 112 passing yards.

Up next: at Missouri (Saturday, noon ET, ESPN)

12. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (7-0)

The Chanticleers remained unbeaten with a 23-6 victory at home Saturday over South Alabama, but there weren't a lot of style points involved, at least the kind the Chants will need to keep alive any hope of being considered for the College Football Playoff and/or a New Year's Six Bowl berth. And while everybody loves offense, Coastal Carolina does deserve some props for going a second straight game without allowing a touchdown.

Up next: at Troy (Saturday, noon ET, ESPNU)

13. Oregon Ducks (1-0)

Until proven otherwise, Oregon is probably the Pac-12's best bet to grab a College Football Playoff spot this season. The Ducks got off to a good start in that quest Saturday with a 35-14 win over Stanford. And while Stanford was shorthanded without starting quarterback Davis Mills, Oregon quarterback Tyler Shough was solid in stepping in for the NFL-departed Justin Herbert with 227 passing yards and a touchdown and another touchdown rushing.

Up next: at Washington State (Saturday, TBA)

14. Oklahoma State Cowboys (5-1)

Oklahoma State's identity under Mike Gundy has long been built on its high-scoring offense, but it was the Cowboys' defense that saved the day Saturday and kept them on top of the Big 12 standings. Oklahoma State rallied from a 12-0 halftime deficit to beat Kansas State 20-18 on the road, and the Cowboys' winning touchdown came on an 85-yard fumble return by Jason Taylor II in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys also stopped a potential tying 2-point conversion by the Wildcats with 2:08 to play. Oklahoma State has held five of its six opponents to 21 points or fewer this season.

Up next: at Oklahoma (Nov. 21, TBA)

15. Wisconsin Badgers (1-0)

It seems like forever ago that redshirt freshman quarterback Graham Mertz threw five touchdown passes and the Badgers opened their season with an impressive 45-7 win over Illinois. That was back on Oct. 23, as Wisconsin had its second consecutive game canceled Saturday due to positive COVID-19 tests within the program. The cancellation of the Purdue game followed the cancellation of the Nebraska game a week earlier. The Badgers are now in danger of not being eligible for the Big Ten championship game if they have one more game canceled.

Up next: at Michigan (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

16. Iowa State Cyclones (5-2)

The Cyclones took sole possession of first place in the Big 12 standings Saturday (5-1) with a 38-31 victory over Baylor. It wasn't easy, as Iowa State had to rally from a 14-point deficit in the third quarter and overcome four turnovers. Two of the Cyclones' last three games are at home, and there's also a road date with Texas on Nov. 27, the Friday after Thanksgiving. Iowa State has scored more than 30 points in all five of its wins this season.

Up next: vs. Kansas State (Nov. 21, TBA)

17. Oklahoma Sooners (5-2)

It remains to be seen how much those close losses in back-to-back weeks to Iowa State and Kansas State will haunt the Sooners in the Big 12 race. But they've been dominant ever since and won their fourth straight game Saturday in a 62-9 romp over Kansas. Oklahoma, which rolled up 540 yards in total offense against Kansas, will now have two weeks to get ready for its Bedlam showdown with Oklahoma State in Norman.

Up next: vs. Oklahoma State (Nov. 21, TBA)

18. USC Trojans (1-0)

Breakfast at the Coliseum was a success for USC in a season-opening 28-27 victory Saturday over Arizona State ... but barely. The Trojans made a litany of mistakes in the 9 a.m. start on the West Coast, including turning the ball over three times in Arizona State territory and giving the ball up on downs twice more. But in a wild final few minutes, USC rallied from a 13-point deficit to escape. Sophomore quarterback Kedon Slovis passed for 381 yards and two touchdowns to help the Trojans offset 258 rushing yards by the Sun Devils.

Up next: at Arizona (Saturday, TBA)

19. Liberty Flames (7-0)

Hugh Freeze has Liberty off to its best start in program history, and the way the Flames did it Saturday in a thrilling 38-35 win on the road against Virginia Tech was about as wild as it gets. Alex Barbir's 51-yard field goal with a second remaining won it for the Flames, just seconds after he had a 59-yarder blocked that was seemingly returned for a Virginia Tech touchdown. But Hokies coach Justin Fuente had asked for a timeout before the ball was snapped, and Barbir got another chance after a short completion by Liberty quarterback Malik Willis. Liberty still has tough games remaining against NC State and Coastal Carolina, but the Flames are currently 2-0 this season against ACC foes and have won nine straight games dating to last season.

Up next: vs. Western Carolina (Saturday, noon ET, ESPN3)

20. Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (6-1)

Living dangerously seems to suit Louisiana just fine. The Ragin' Cajuns have won six games this season, and they've come from behind to win in all six of those games. They did it again Saturday after trailing in the second quarter before getting a 2-yard touchdown run by Elijah Mitchell with 1:13 to play to break a 20-20 tie and beat Arkansas State 27-20. Louisiana is trying to win 10 or more games for the second straight season after winning 11 a year ago.

Up next: vs. South Alabama (Saturday, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

21. Auburn Tigers (4-2)

The Tigers were off this weekend, and there are signs that maybe they're starting to figure it out offensively after scoring 83 points in their past two games, including a 48-11 beatdown of LSU a week ago. Sophomore quarterback Bo Nix has accounted for six touchdowns in his past two games. Auburn's defense held LSU to a meaningless fourth-quarter touchdown and Ole Miss to 28 points the week before. The Rebels had scored more than 30 points in their first three games.

Up next: at Mississippi State (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

22. Texas Longhorns (5-2)

Texas' defense has absorbed its share of criticism this season, but it saved the Longhorns on Saturday in a 17-13 win over West Virginia and kept them squarely in the Big 12 race. Two times in the fourth quarter, Texas was able to keep West Virginia out of the end zone on fourth-down passes and held the Mountaineers to 43 rushing yards. The Longhorns have now won three in a row after losing to Oklahoma 53-45 in four overtimes on Oct. 10.

Up next: at Kansas (Nov. 21, TBA)

23. Northwestern Wildcats (3-0)

Don't forget about the Wildcats in the Big Ten's West Division race. They're unbeaten through three games and are doing it with defense, their latest conquest a 21-13 home victory Saturday over Nebraska. Pat Fitzgerald's club has given up a total of 36 points in its first three games and held Nebraska scoreless in the second half, the third straight game that the Wildcats haven't given up any points in the second half.

Up next: at Purdue (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)

24. Marshall Thundering Herd (6-0)

The Thundering Herd continue to stampede their way to an unbeaten regular season. They routed UMass 51-10 on Saturday at home with quarterback Grant Wells passing for three touchdowns and running back Brenden Knox rushing for 118 yards and two touchdowns. All six of Marshall's wins this season have been by double digits. The Thundering Herd are Conference USA's only unbeaten team, and their next three games are all at home.

Up next: vs. Middle Tennessee State (Saturday, noon ET, CBS Sports Network)

25. SMU Mustangs (7-1)

The Mustangs have bounced back nicely after being routed by Cincinnati at home two weeks ago. They raced past Temple 47-23 on the road Saturday after trailing 13-10 at the half. From there, though, SMU outscored Temple 30-3 over the next quarter and a half with Shane Buechele throwing three of his four touchdown passes during that stretch. If the Mustangs can win their final three games against Tulsa, Houston and East Carolina, that would give them double-digit wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the Pony Express days in the early 1980s.

Up next: at Tulsa (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

Before the game, the story was about Clemson's superstar quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, who was sidelined by a virus and league protocols.

During the game, the story was about Clemson's freshman quarterback, D.J. Uiagalelei, who stepped in, rallied the Tigers from a double-digit deficit for the second straight week and, in the process, threw for more yards against a Notre Dame defense than any player in the program's storied history.

At the end of the game, the quarterback who deserved all the attention was the overlooked veteran, the guy who endured a thrashing by this same Clemson team in a playoff game two years ago, the QB who had won so much but never the big one. On Saturday, Ian Book etched his name into Irish lore with a legendary performance in a 47-40 double-overtime win that snapped a 36-game, regular-season winning streak.

"Before the game, Coach [Tommy] Rees told me this would be a game you'd remember the rest of your life," Book said. "I kept telling myself that all day, before every series."

In the end, the numbers look like this: 310 passing yards, one touchdown -- pedestrian if you looked only at the box score.

On the field, Book was a sorcerer.

Clemson's vaunted defensive front was frustrated again and again by Book's runs. He scrambled six times for 67 yards, including a 12-yard scamper on second-and-13 in double OT that set up the winning score.

Notre Dame's offense had been maligned all season for its inability to inject life into a listless downfield passing attack, an offense that lacked a big-play threat. Then Book's 53-yard completion to Avery Davis with a minute left to play and the Irish trailing by 7 became the biggest play of his career.

For two decades, the Irish have endured the slights and jokes, a team whose greatness ended with the Grunge era, a facade always waiting to be exposed by the truly elite. But on Saturday, Book willed Notre Dame to a win over the top-ranked team in the country, not through some trick play or cheap call, but by one heavyweight blow after another.

Book's backfield mate, Kyren Williams, ran for 140 yards and three scores, and those numbers fail to do justice to how much he contributed, picking up blitzes, blocking downfield, infuriating Clemson's battered defense with one hard run after another.

Notre Dame's defense held star tailback Travis Etienne to just 28 yards on the ground, dominating the line of scrimmage and chipping in with a touchdown of its own, when Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah returned an Etienne fumble 23 yards for a touchdown.

Before the game, the Irish seemed destined for a losing narrative, even if they won the game. Lawrence was sidelined, an asterisk waiting to attach itself to the final score. But how could Lawrence have done more than the freshman Uiagalelei, who threw for 439 yards and two scores? The final score had nothing to do with Lawrence's absence and everything to do with Notre Dame's physicality, Book's overall play and Williams' brilliance.

And yet, prior to kickoff, Williams said Kelly formulated an escape plan for his team for when the fans inevitably rushed out of the stands and onto the field. It was a mark of the strangeness of 2020, preparing to avoid contact with a crowd at diminished capacity, a means of staying safe from the coronavirus during a celebration. But the footnote is that Kelly was planning for that celebration all along.

No, Notre Dame didn't deserve the No. 4 ranking this year. It deserves better now.

Who's No. 4?

Clemson lost, but there's still a good case to keep the Tigers firmly entrenched in the playoff picture. After all, they went on the road with a backup QB and a banged-up defense and still went to double OT with a terrific Notre Dame team.

But the outcome also means Clemson falls into a growing cast of teams asking for a second chance after missing its first.

Perhaps Texas A&M belongs at No. 4. The Aggies dominated South Carolina 48-3 and have now won four straight. Kellen Mond is playing the best football of his career, and Jimbo Fisher has finally found a running game to complement his QB. One problem: A&M already lost to Alabama, so do we really need to see a rematch in the postseason?

Maybe No. 4 is Florida. The Gators upended Georgia behind 474 yards and four TDs by Kyle Trask in the World's Most Socially Distanced Outdoor Cocktail Party on Saturday. After falling behind 14-0, Florida stormed back in a dominant second quarter in which they had as many first downs (12) as Georgia had plays and nearly as many points (24) as Georgia had yards (25). One problem with that, though: Florida has already lost to Texas A&M.

And if that circular logic doesn't create a headache, how about this: Clemson is likely to run into Notre Dame again in the ACC championship game, which could, of course, set up a case for a third meeting in the postseason.

Or, perhaps, it's time to make the case for someone altogether different. BYU scorched Boise State on Friday, the seventh time in eight games the Cougars have topped 40 points. Cincinnati dominated Houston, and given the train wrecks in both the Big Ten and Big 12 standings, there's little evidence to argue the American isn't every bit as worthy of a playoff bid in 2020. Or how about Liberty, which knocked off its second ACC team of the year Saturday? Or perhaps Coastal Carolina warrants consideration. The Chanticleers won again with ease against South Alabama. And don't forget Marshall. The Herd is undefeated, too.

Then again, perhaps the Pac-12 finally figured out a path to the playoff -- just start two months after the rest of the country does.

If nothing else, Saturday threw another monkey wrench into what figures to be a nearly impossible task for the playoff committee this year. The members won't simply be comparing the usual apples and oranges, but perhaps apples, oranges, elephants, a 1972 Buick Skylark and the chainsaw Oregon State celebrates with after a takeaway.

In other words, it's the first weekend in November, and the season is just getting started.

Cheers and jeers for Week 10

Saturday's action had plenty of highs and some woeful lows. We offer our hot takes on each side of the ledger.

Jeers to icing the kicker

We're not always the most logical of species, us humans. There are myriad actions we continually undertake despite no evidence they are worthwhile -- knocking on wood for good luck, drafting a Patriots running back for your fantasy team, casting Robert DeNiro in comedies. But perhaps nothing is more galling than icing the kicker, as Virginia Tech head coach Justin Fuente found out Saturday.

The Hokies appeared to have blocked a 59-yard attempt by Liberty's Alex Barbir and returned it for a game-winning touchdown with fewer than 10 seconds to play. One problem: Fuente had called a timeout, it appeared, to ice the kicker. Instead, Liberty decided to run a play on fourth-and-6, gained 8 yards, then sent Barbir back out for a 51-yard attempt he drilled home. The Flames win 38-35.

After the game, Fuente defended the call -- saying both that he always calls a timeout before a kick in that situation but that the official failed to whistle the play immediately. Then, he suggested he wanted different personnel on the field. But the larger point remains: When a team wants to send a college kicker onto the field for a 59-yard attempt, just let 'em go. No one will remember what you did if he drills it. Fuente's decision, however, will be recalled over stiff drinks in Blacksburg for years to come.

Cheers to Jim Harbaugh

Just think, most years, Michigan fans have to wait all the way until an inevitable and yet still gut-wrenching loss to Ohio State before they want their coach fired. Harbaugh has conveniently cut to the chase this time around, following an embarrassing loss to Michigan State with an even more atrocious performance against Indiana in which the Wolverines rushed for just 13 yards, turned the ball over twice, and were never within 14 in the second half.

Cheers to Maryland's official Twitter account

If 2020's version of college football has given us nothing else, it has delivered a new and hilarious level of petty insults from official social media channels, and the Terps delivered a double dose on Saturday after annihilating Penn State in Not-so-Happy Valley.

? KEY RACE ALERT ? pic.twitter.com/Bl4DOBAVd3

— Maryland Terrapins (@umterps) November 7, 2020

SAD VALLEY. pic.twitter.com/MLvELL9lf7

— Maryland Football (@TerpsFootball) November 7, 2020

It is the most savage takedown from someone in Maryland since Omar and Brother Mouzone got to Stringer Bell at the end of Season 3 of "The Wire." (Oh, and spoiler alert.)

An upside-down Big Ten

This is the topsy-turvy world of the 2020 Big Ten -- a conference left with no season in August, resurrected in October and now featuring front-runners Indiana and Northwestern.

Wait, what?

Yep, the Hoosiers are 3-0 in conference play for the first time since 1988, and Northwestern is 3-0 to start a Big Ten season for the first time since 2000. It is the first time in the league's 124-year history that both squads are 3-0 in league play together.

Of course, that is just the tip of the iceberg. Add in Penn State's embarrassment Saturday, and we are living in a universe where Northwestern, Indiana, Purdue and Maryland are a combined 10-1, while blue bloods Michigan, Penn State, Iowa and Nebraska are a combined 2-9.

Add in that Rutgers scored 27 points against Ohio State (more than in their past four meetings combined), and this is truly the strangest Big Ten season ever.

Cheers to padding your completion percentage

Kudos to West Virginia QB Jarret Doege, who completed 200% of his throws on this play against Texas. Doege's pass was batted at the line of scrimmage, he caught the deflection, then dished for a first down -- until the flag came in for an illegal forward pass.

Of course, we're hoping The Rock was watching with his XFL scouts, a league in which that play would've been completely legal. Doege should definitely be a first-round pick for the St. Louis Battlehawks next year.

Jeers to anyone who thinks the passing games have taken over college football

Sure, we live in a pass-happy culture these days, but that doesn't mean we can't appreciate some dominant ground games.

Start with North Carolina's Javonte Williams, who had 151 yards and three touchdowns on just 12 carries in the Tar Heels' dominant win over Duke on Saturday. He checked in with a receiving TD, too, just to show he could keep up with all the cool kids and their Air-Raid offenses.

Move over to Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder, who has been far from an elite passer for the sixth-ranked Bearcats -- he threw for just 162 yards with a TD and a pick in a win against Houston on Saturday -- but who needs to throw the ball when you run like him? Ridder had 103 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries in the win, and now has 323 yards and eight rushing scores in his past three games.

Then, a final hat tip to Minnesota's Mohamed Ibrahim, who has been absolutely unstoppable the past two weeks. After rushing for 207 yards and four scores last week against Maryland, he followed with 224 yards on the ground and four more scores in a win over Illinois on Saturday. Ibrahim is the first back with consecutive 200-yard, four-TD games since Colorado State's Kapri Bibbs in 2013.

Saturday's fun facts

A quick rundown of some of the wilder numbers we saw during Saturday's games, starting with a pair of Big 12 rivals.

• Oklahoma destroyed Kansas 62-9, the Sooners' second straight game with 60 points or more. They are the first team to do that against FBS opponents since Georgia Tech in 2018 (vs. Bowling Green and Louisville), the first against conference foes since Memphis in 2017 (vs. SMU and ECU) and the first to do it in Power 5 conference games since Ohio State in 2016 (Nebraska and Maryland).

• Speaking of scoring a ton of points, that used to be Mike Gundy's reputation. This year, Oklahoma State is winning with defense, and if that seems entirely strange, it is. From Gundy's hire in 2005 through last season, the Cowboys were just 14-35 when scoring fewer than 28 points in a game, but after Saturday's 20-18 win over Kansas State, they're 4-0 in such games this year.

• Even when things go well for Vanderbilt, it still ends badly. The Commodores outgained Mississippi State by a whopping 274 yards, but thanks to five turnovers, it didn't matter. Vandy still lost 24-17. How rare is that? From 2015 through Oct. 23 of this year, teams that outgained their opposition by that much were 394-1 (the lone loss coming from Georgia Tech against Tennessee in its 2017 opener), but it has now happened twice in the past three weeks. Penn State also lost to Indiana in its opener despite a 277-yard advantage.

Heisman Five

With Mac Jones off and Trevor Lawrence not playing this weekend, let's take a deep breath and start this from scratch. How do we measure a contest when one star has missed two games, another didn't play his first game until late October and a third won't play a snap vs. the Power 5 this season?

1. Florida QB Kyle Trask

The loss to Texas A&M feels like a major blemish on Trask's record, but he threw for 312 yards and four TDs in that game, so it is hardly his fault. His performance against Georgia on Saturday was otherworldly, and five straight games with four TDs warrants the top spot here.

2. Alabama QB Mac Jones

It is just impossible to overstate how good Jones has been this year. On the deep ball, he has been awesome (63% completions with eight TDs on throws of 20+). Under pressure, he has been awesome (averaging nearly 10 yards per dropback). On third down, he has been awesome (nearly 12 yards per pass).

3. Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence

Lawrence has been terrific, but Saturday marked the biggest stage for him to burnish his Heisman résumé, and he was on the sideline for it due to his COVID-19 case and the ACC's testing guidelines. Will he get a second crack at Notre Dame in the ACC title game? It would be a shame for the coronavirus to be the reason he didn't earn the hardware.

4. BYU QB Zach Wilson

Wilson has been every bit as good as the rest of this list, but it is hard to know how his numbers would compare if he was playing in the ACC or SEC. But Boise State is no pushover, and Wilson still averaged 13.3 yards-per-pass. There is plenty of precedent for a QB outside the Power 5 to make it to New York, but the odds of one winning it are pretty much nil.

5. Ohio State QB Justin Fields

We would love to have Fields higher. His numbers thus far certainly warrant it. But the performance against Penn State feels a bit less remarkable given the Nittany Lions' 0-3 start, and the fact that Fields will finish with fewer games than anyone else on this list has to count for something.

Under-the-radar game of the week

With fewer than five minutes to play, Memphis trailed South Florida 33-20, appearing on the brink of a second straight loss. Instead, Memphis engineered a seven-play, 72-yard touchdown drive, forced a three-and-out, then followed with an eight-play drive capped with 1:03 to go by a Brady White TD pass to Calvin Austin III, who celebrated like a British nobleman -- with a cup of tea.

On the final two drives, White was 11-of-13 passing for 135 yards and two touchdowns en route to a 34-33 win.

This is getting to be old hat for the Tigers, who also came back from 14 down in the fourth quarter against UCF on Oct. 17. They are the first team to erase multiple 13-point, fourth-quarter deficits in the same season since Buffalo did so in 2008.

Big bets and bad beats

• Maryland closed as a 27.5-point underdog against Penn State, but the Terps won 35-19. How impressive is that? The upset was the third-biggest in a Big Ten game in the past 40 years, trailing only Northwestern's win over Minnesota (-32) in 1982 and Illinois' shocker last year against Wisconsin (-30.5), according to ESPN Stats and Information research. More impressive? It is the second week in a row the Terps won outright despite being an underdog of at least 18 points. That has never happened since the FBS/FCS split in 1978.

• Kansas was a 38.5-point underdog Saturday, but no matter. Oklahoma covered easily, winning 62-9. That is par for the course. Kansas is now 0-7 against the spread in 2020 despite being a 'dog of at least 17 points in each of its past six games. (The Jayhawks were favored by 4.5 in the opener but were blown out by Coastal Carolina.) But if you haven't made enough betting against the Jayhawks this year, perhaps we could interest you in the over, too. Kansas' terrible defense has meant its games have gone over the number in six of seven, and pushed in the other.

• If you had the under in SMU's game against Temple, you were feeling pretty good entering the final quarter. The total closed at 63.5, but SMU led 20-16 with just 15 minutes to go, looking like an easy cover. Not so fast. SMU clearly wasn't comfortable with such a slim lead, and put up a whopping 27 points in the final frame, with Temple adding a touchdown of its own. So, to recap: 36 points through three quarters, 34 points in the fourth and the over cashes in.

• Speaking of hitting the over, Georgia and Florida did it by halftime. The total closed at 54.5, but with the Gators' final touchdown before halftime, the score was 38-21, making over bettors the only folks more comfortable than Dan Mullen was in the second half.

• USC's late score, onside kick recovery and ensuing TD all within the final three minutes of action to come back from 13 down to beat Arizona State offered a huge sigh of relief for anyone who took the Trojans' money line (-420). If you happened to have Virginia Tech at -750, however, you could probably use a timeout from gambling.

Glover Teixeira is on the wrong side of 40 years old. He hasn't fought for a title in more than five years. Yet, one of the most durable veterans in UFC history continues to put up victories against elite light heavyweights.

Teixeira submitted Thiago Santos via rear-naked choke at 1:49 of the third round Saturday in the main event of UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas.

Santos rocked Teixeira in the first round and put Teixeira in big trouble to start the third. But Teixeira, as he has done time and again, persevered and found the finish.

The victory puts Teixeira, six years following his last title shot, close to another chance at the 205-pound belt. ESPN had Santos ranked No. 4 and Teixeira No. 6 in the world at light heavyweight coming in.

"Dana White, man," Teixeira said, referring to the UFC president, in his post-fight interview. "Come on, man. I'm an old man. I'm here. You've gotta give me a shot. ... It's not easy. Give me that title shot, man. Either way, I'm so happy to be here."

Santos rocked Teixeira near the start of the first round with hard punching combinations. It looked like the bout could be over quickly. But Teixeira, always known for his comebacks, was able to get Santos into a clinch and take him down. Teixeira remained on top for most of the rest of the round, landing ground-and-pound strikes, including from mount.

Teixeira didn't mess around in the second round. He took Santos down immediately and started working his grappling and strikes from top position. It was a dominant round for the elder Teixeira, schooling the younger man with his ground techniques. Teixeira, at the end of the second, was able to take Santos down and lock in a choke, but Santos was saved by the bell.

In an attempted repeat of the second, Teixeira shot in right away for a takedown to start the third round. Santos saw it coming and walloped Teixeira with a combination, dropping him. Santos got into top position and started raining down hard punches and elbows.

"His nickname is 'Sledgehammer,'" Teixeira said. "Thiago 'Sledgehammer' -- 'Marreta' [in Portuguese]. Let me tell you, every punch this guy throws is like a sledgehammer. I don't know, man. I might have a broken bone in my face right now."

Somehow, Teixeira survived, worked his way back to his feet and took Santos down again. After all the effort looking to finish Teixeira, Santos was clearly tired, and Teixeira took advantage, slipping to Santos' back and finishing with a rear-naked choke.

"It's not how hard you can hit," Teixeira said. "It's how hard you can get hit and keeping moving forward."

The card took place in front of no fans at the UFC Apex, which is across the street from the UFC's corporate campus.

Teixeira (32-7) has won five straight. The Brazil native, who lives and trains in Connecticut, fought longtime former champion Jon Jones for the title way back at UFC 172 in April 2014. Teixeira, 41, is 10-4 since then and has been considered one of the best light heavyweights in the world now for the better part of a decade. Teixeira cashed as a +200 underdog.

In UFC light heavyweight history, Teixeira is now tied for second in most victories (15) and is first in most finishes (12).

Santos (21-8) had not fought since a split-decision loss to Jones in a title fight at UFC 239 in July 2019. The Brazilian slugger needed surgery on both knees after that close defeat. Santos, 36, already owns a TKO victory over current champion Jan Blachowicz. "Marreta" had won eight of his last 10 fights coming in.

AUSTIN, Texas – Boris Said collected his second consecutive Trans-Am Series presented by Pirelli pole position on Saturday, leading qualifying for Sunday’s race at Circuit of The Americas.

Said ran a fast lap of 2:08.747 seconds in the No. 2 Dodge Challenger prepared by Pancho Weaver. In his only prior 2020 start, Said captured the pole and finished second in the opening round of the VIR doubleheader. He has 12 career poles in the series.

“Pancho Weaver builds an unbelievable car,” said the 2002 TA champion. “It’s just a blast driving these Trans-Am cars. They’re so much fun with all the horsepower, without the ABS and other nonsense that the other cars run. These are old-school cars with a lot of horsepower – regular gated shifting like a NASCAR and 180 mph on the back straight. Circuit of The Americas is a Formula One-grade circuit and it’s an unbelievable place to race. I pitted a lap early today. I had a little bit left, but I decided to save the tires.”

Defending series champion Ernie Francis Jr. was second, .195-seconds back with a lap of 2:08.082-seconds in the No. 98 ZF Custom Concepts Ford Mustang, with his session cut five minutes short when he pulled off course due to a cut right-rear tire.

Chris Dyson will start from the inside of the second row, 2:08.161-seconds in the No. 20 Plaid Ford Mustang, joined by Tomi Drissi, 2:11.995-seconds in the No. 8 Lucas Oil Chevrolet Camaro. Drissi was not happy with the car’s handling, feeling like the bodywork was flapping throughout his run.

Amy Ruman was fifth, with a best time of  2:11.995-seconds in the No. 23 McNichols Corvette, followed by Greg Pickett, who earned the Trans-Am West Coast Championship pole with a lap of 1:084-seconds in the No. 6 Pickett Racing Ford Mustang. Pickett is the lone driver entered in both the National and West series this weekend. It was the 28th pole of a career that dates back to 1975.

TA2 presented by AEM championship leader Mike Skeen captured his fourth pole position of the season, the fifth of his career, running a lap of 2:12.926-seconds in the No. 77 Liqui Moly/Turn 14 Ford Mustang.

“There is a lot of strategy in qualifying,” said Skeen. “Obviously, we have to use our tires for the whole distance. There is a little bit of tire degradation with these cars if we’re abusing them for the whole time. You try to get it done in as few laps as possible in qualifying. Rafa (Matos) had a problem. He has had a lot of pace all weekend, but he pulled off after his out lap. I know he will have a lot of pace in the race. This puts us in a good spot to get a good start. Hopefully, we can keep in clean and get through Turn 1, and then go out and collect some points. But we’re always out there to win races. We want to collect as many trophies as we can. But at the same time, we’ve got to be careful and keep the car clean to get to the finish and get some points.”

Cameron Lawrence was second (2:13.586-seconds) in the No. 8 3-Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang. He was followed by Matos, who pitted after his out lap for an adjustment in the pits. Matos returned in the closing minutes and turned the third fastest-lap, 2:14.238-seconds, despite facing throttle issues in the No. 7 Silver Hare Racing Camaro.

Champ Car legend Paul Tracy turned in the fourth-best lap, 2:14.589-seconds in the No. 87 3-Dimensional Mustang. He will be making his third Trans-Am start, having raced twice with the series in 2018.

Texas native C.J. Cramm will start on pole for the TA2 West Coast Championship in the No. 04 CedarCreekBrewery/EurekaEnergy Chevrolet Camaro.

Making his XGT debut, Dan Knox won the pole with a lap of 2:09.224-seconds in the No. 80 Lone Star Racing ACS Manufacturing Mercedes AMG GT3. He was followed by Jason Daskalos, 2:09.426-seconds in the No. 7 Vintage 423 Audi R8 Ultra, and Justin Oakes, 2:10.951-seconds in the No. 11 G-Speed Corvette. Point leader Ken Thwaits, a three-time pole winner in 2020, will line up fourth in the No. 5 Franklin Road Apparel Audi Ro GT3 Ultra.

Coming off his first victory in SGT, Adrian Wlostowski led qualifying for the first time, capturing the pole with a lap of 2:17.249-seconds in the No. 96 F.A.S.T Auto Racing Ford Mustang.

Texan Lou Gigliotti ran 2:18.778-seconds on his final lap in the No. 28 G2 Performance Corvette, followed by Aaron Pierce, 2:20.247-seconds in the No. 26 Logical Systems/Sam Piece Chevy Corvette. Class point leader Lee Saunders had a part failure and will start seventh.

Natalie Decker scored her first career SGT West pole of the season, 2:25.857-seconds in the No. 04 N29 Technologies Audi R8 GT4.

In GT, Billy Griffin captured his first pole on his final lap, running 2:22.069-seconds in the No. 14 Griffin Auto Care/Sheehan’s Towing Ford Mustang. Austin’s Sean Young was second and earned the Trans-Am West pole, running 2:23.052-seconds in the No. 74 Corsair Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4. Tim Horrell, a five-time GT pole winner this season, was third in the No. 45 Breathless Racing Porsche GT4 Clubsport.

AVONDALE, Ariz. – After establishing the pace most of Saturday afternoon, 22-year-old Austin Cindric ultimately relied on raw determination to claim the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.

The Team Penske driver pulled off the most clutch pass of his young career to take the victory in Saturday’s Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 200 and earn his first NASCAR title.

After pitting for tires just before a final overtime restart, Cindric was able to work his way forward at the final green flag and got around Noah Gragson on the last lap – driving away to a .162-second victory for his sixth win of the season, easily the most celebrated of his career.

After celebratory donuts in his car, Cindric pulled himself out of the driver’s window, climbed on top of his bright yellow No. 22 Team Penske Ford and flashed No. 1 victory signs on both hands before waving a giant champion’s flag.

“There was a lot of work put into this race car,” a grinning Cindric said, carefully taking the time to thank everyone from his team owner, NASCAR Hall of Famer Roger Penske, to his sponsors, his team, pit crew, spotter and ultimately his mom and dad.

“I’m speechless, I can’t believe it. You know the equipment you’re in is the best of the best and the people you’re working with are the best of the best,” he added.

Certainly as exuberant as Cindric understandably was, the other three members of the Championship 4 felt disappointment and dismay. Veteran Justin Allgaier, who led a race high 77 laps – five more laps out front than Cindric – was in position to try and secure his first NASCAR title.

The 34-year-old driver of the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet kept the field honest consistently throughout the evening but ultimately on that last restart Allgaier was unable to hold off Cindric who had fresher tires and was able to muscle around Allgaier and Allgaier’s JR Motorsports teammate Gragson.

Allgaier finished fifth and the other Championship 4 drivers: Justin Haley and Chase Briscoe finished eighth and ninth, respectively.

Gragson (second), Brandon Jones (third) and Michael Annett (fifth) were the non-Playoff drivers to finish in the top-five. Harrison Burton, Ross Chastain, Haley, Briscoe and Jeremy Clements round out the top-10.

“So close but so far away,” Allgaier said. “First of all, hats off to Austin and the entire Team Penske group, they’ve been strong competitors all year. To have the race they did tonight, they were obviously the best car and they deserved to win. I’m proud of my guys, proud of everybody at JR Motorsports.

“We had a shot at it at the end and when it’s all said and done, that’s all you can really ask for.”

For most of the race the title contending quartet ran up front. In addition to Cindric and Allgaier, the Stewart-Haas Racing driver Chase Briscoe showed the speed that had made him the winningest driver in the series this year. He won a career-high and season-best nine races and led 41 laps on this championship night, but a struggle to get his car comfortable, a late race spin and the loss of track position was a setback he ultimately couldn’t overcome.

“Just a frustrating day, this is by far not my best race track,” said Briscoe, who will move into the SHR team’s No. 14 NASCAR Cup Series ride next year.

“At the start of the race for me, just to lead laps here, I was like ‘wow this is different.’ I was just so loose at the beginning of the race and as the night came I was freer and freer and I don’t know how many times I about wrecked into one. I ended up hitting the wall. I’ve got to do a whole lot better job. There’s just something about this place that I really struggle at. We have a lot of homework to do.

“Definitely frustrating to finish fourth in the championship after the year we had, but overall to win nine races, it’s been a phenomenal year.”

Haley, a three-race winner in 2020, didn’t lead any laps in his No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, but he rallied from a slow start and kept his car competitively among the top 10.

“It’s been awesome,” Haley said of his Playoff berth. “Just the growth of this Kaulig Racing team from when I stepped into it last year and were out in the first round of the Playoffs.

“Just the courage and the faith and everyone at Kaulig Racing, we bet on each other. I love it. I love everyone there. Super excited and super blessed to have another year. Doesn’t sting as much because I know next year I get another chance at it.”

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