Kansas State quarterback Avery JohnsonPeter Aiken/Getty Images
Kansas State, Oklahoma, Nebraska and USC all suffered their first loss of the season during Week 4 action, but they rebounded nicely on Saturday to avoid the dreaded second loss and stay alive in the hunt for a playoff berth.
- Kansas State 42, Oklahoma State 20
- Nebraska 28, Purdue 10
- Oklahoma 27, Auburn 21
- USC 38, Wisconsin 21
The biggest matchup of the bunch was also the most lopsided, as No. 23 Kansas State demolished No. 20 Oklahoma State, with the Cowboys also coming off loss No. 1 last week against Utah. Quarterback Avery Johnson had five total touchdowns for the Wildcats, who also forced three turnovers on defense.
The Cornhuskers were the only one of those four teams to fall out of the Top 25 entirely following last week’s loss to Illinois, but they pulled out a win on the road against Purdue thanks to 21 fourth-quarter points.
The Sooners trailed 21-10 early in the fourth quarter, but a touchdown on offense, a pick-six defensively and a field goal over the final 8:32 of play was enough for them to avoid another letdown after getting thumped at home last week by Tennessee.
It was all USC in the second half against Wisconsin, as the Trojans outscored the Badgers 28-0 after halftime. Miller Moss finished with 308 yards and three touchdowns through the air while adding another score on the ground, and this USC team is back on track after last week’s 27-24 loss to Michigan.
A single loss is no longer the dagger it once was thanks to the expanded playoff field, but it was crucial that all four of those teams avoided picking up their second loss of the season and they did just that on Saturday.
This content was brought to you by: Bleacher Report – Front Page
