OTHER GAMES

Kessler's three TDs carry Trojans

PACIFIC-12

USC 40, NO. 22 UCLA 21

LOS ANGELES -- Cody Kessler threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score, and Southern California clinched the Pac-12 South title with a 40-21 victory over No. 22 UCLA on Saturday in the 85th edition of their crosstown showdown.

Darreus Rogers and Taylor McNamara caught touchdown passes while the Trojans (8-4, 6-3 Pac-12) scored 20 consecutive points in the second half before raising the Victory Bell in the frenzied Coliseum. USC improved to 5-2 under interim Coach Clay Helton and snapped its three-year losing streak in the annual city rivalry game.

USC will face Stanford next Saturday in the Trojans' first trip to the Pac-12 title game.

Paul Perkins rushed for two touchdowns for the Bruins (8-4, 5-4), who lost to USC for the first time in Coach Jim Mora's tenure.

Adoree Jackson returned a punt 42 yards for a touchdown shortly before halftime, and Rasheem Green put the Trojans ahead to stay in the third quarter when the freshman defensive lineman returned Josh Rosen's fumble for a 32-yard touchdown.

Rosen passed for 227 yards and threw to Thomas Duarte for an early touchdown, but the touted freshman also threw two second-half interceptions to Iman Marshall in his first taste of the L.A. rivalry.

In another game involving Pac-12 teams, Joe Williams ran for 187 yards and a touchdown as No. 23 Utah closed the regular season with a 20-14 victory over Colorado. The victory gave the Utes (9-3, 6-3) their best Pac-12 finish since joining the league in 2011.

ATLANTIC COAST

NO. 14 NORTH CAROLINA 45, N.C. STATE 34

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Elijah Hood and T.J. Logan ran for touchdowns in a dominating first quarter as No. 14 North Carolina beat North Carolina State.

Logan scored on runs of 42 and 40 yards, while Hood had a 39-yard run of his own before scoring from a yard out in that 35-point avalanche for the Tar Heels (11-1, 8-0 Atlantic Coast Conference).

UNC also got touchdown catches from Quinshad Davis and Mack Hollins, tying the program's single-quarter scoring record by rolling to a 35-7 lead. That was too big of a hole for the Wolfpack (7-5, 3-5), who managed to slow the Tar Heels' early onslaught but never recovered.

In other games involving ACC teams, Joey Slye kicked a 41-yard field goal with 1:38 remaining and Virginia Tech gave retiring Frank Beamer his 12th consecutive victory over Virginia, 23-20, and a chance to coach his team in one more bowl game. ... Cole Murphy kicked a 35-yard field goal as time expired, giving Syracuse a 20-17 victory over Boston College in Coach Scott Shafer's final game as head coach of the Orange. ... Thomas Sirk threw two touchdown passes to Max McCaffrey and ran for another, and Duke held on to beat Wake Forest 27-21.

AMERICAN ATHLETIC

MEMPHIS 63, SMU 0

MEMPHIS -- Paxton Lynch tied the FBS record with seven touchdown passes in a half, and Memphis set single-season records for yards and points in a victory over SMU.

Lynch hit seven different receivers on his scoring passes and finished 9 of 14 for 222 yards -- all in the first half -- as the Tigers raced to a 56-0 lead. His seven passing touchdowns set an American Conference single-game record, and his 28 passing touchdowns on the season are best in school history. Lynch's previous single-game high for touchdown passes was four.

Memphis (9-3, 5-3) had lost three in a row after an 8-0 start. The Tigers gained 6,125 yards and scored 512 points for the season.

SMU (2-10, 1-7) struggled to muster any offense, totaling 97 yards and committing five turnovers. The Mustangs lost four fumbles, including two returned by the Tigers for touchdowns.

In another game involving AAC teams, Andrew Gantz kicked a 42-yard field goal as time expired, sending Cincinnati to a 19-16 victory over East Carolina.

Sports on 11/29/2015

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