College football scores, rankings, highlights: USC, LSU survive tough tests in conference play

NCAA football scores, live updates and highlights from the full slate of Week 4 action on Saturday

The college football schedule didn't feature any ranked matchups in Week 3, but that changed drastically on Saturday with a feast of six games between ranked teams on the Week 4 slate. Though it didn't necessarily deliver any of the jarring upsets that give the sport its magic, a jam-packed day of college football did give fans some frantic finishes involving teams ranked in the AP Top 25.

No game Saturday had a larger billing than the No. 6 Ohio State at No. 9 Notre Dame, and the AP Top 10 matchup met the hype as the Buckeyes secured a walk-off 17-14 victory with a touchdown run with one second left on the clock. Pullman, Washington, was the site of another compelling ranked matchup as No. 21 Washington State edged out No. 14 Oregon State, 38-35, in a battle of the Pac-12's only continuing members beyond the 2023 season.

Drama didn't accompany every top-25 showdown, however. No. 10 Oregon derailed the Deion Sanders hype train with a 42-6 shellacking of No. 19 Colorado, and No. 24 Iowa had zero answers for No. 7 Penn State in a 31-0 Nittany Lions victory.

And while teams such as No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Michigan, and No. 3 Texas had no problems against unranked competition, that wasn't the case for all. No. 4 Florida State needed overtime to defeat Clemson for its first win in the series since 2014. No. 12 LSU trailed Arkansas at home by as much as 10 before winning on a late field goal. Even No. 5 USC found itself up just a touchdown late against Arizona State before pulling away for a 42-28 win. 

CBS Sports was with you every step of the way as the action unfolded. Highlights, game notes and more are below as Week 4 winds down and the focus prepares to shift to Week 5.

College football scores, schedule: Week 4

No. 2 Michigan 31, Rutgers 7 -- Recap
No. 4 Florida State 31, Clemson 24 (OT) -- Noles fight back, hand Tigers first home ACC loss since 2016
No. 16 Oklahoma 20, Cincinnati 6 -- Recap
Texas A&M 27, Auburn 10 -- Recap
No. 13 Alabama 24, No. 15 Ole Miss 10 -- Alabama's second-half surge takes down Ole Miss
No. 10 Oregon 42, No. 19 Colorado 6 -- Ducks eviscerate Deion Sanders-led Buffs in dominant showing
No. 11 Utah 14, No. 22 UCLA 7  --  Recap
No. 12 LSU 34, Arkansas 31 -- Recap
No. 14 Oregon State, No. 21 Washington State -- Fox -- GameTracker
No. 7 Penn State 31, No. 24 Iowa 0 -- Penn State hands Iowa first shutout since 2000
No. 1 Georgia 49, UAB 21 -- Recap
No. 3 Texas 38, Baylor 6 --  Recap
No. 6 Ohio State 17, No. 9 Notre Dame 14 -- Buckeyes score last-second TD to take down Notre Dame
No. 5 USC 42, Arizona State 28 -- Recap
No. 8 Washington 59, Cal 32  -- Recap
Check out the entire Week 4 scoreboard

Check these out ...

• Tomorrow's Top 25: Ohio State soars, Colorado falls out of rankings
• Winners and Losers: Florida State passes big test, Colorado hype takes a hit
• Crazy ending in South Bend: Notre Dame had 10 players on field for last play vs. Ohio State 
• Texas Tech QB injured: Tyler Shough suffered fractured fibula in loss to West Virginia, per reports 
  
• Iowa points tracker: Hawkeyes fall behind pace after shutout loss 
• SEC officials make major blunder: Down-and-distance mistake alters Alabama drive against Ole Miss 
• Oregon's Lanning takes pregame shot at Coach Prime: 'They're fighting for clicks, we're fighting for wins'
• History made: Shenandoah's Van Voorhis becomes first woman non-kicker to play in NCAA game
• WATCH: Oregon Duck mocks Deion by smashing clock
• Brother-to-brother: Max Johnson connects with Jake Johnson for Texas A&M TD
• Conner Weigman injury: Texas A&M QB exits vs. Auburn after hurting lower leg

[Sep 24, 2023 at 2:13 am ET · Cameron Salerno]

USC survives scare in Tempe

Final: No. 5 USC 42, Arizona State 28

USC survived. It wasn't pretty by any means but the Trojans are 4-0. After Williams made an unreal highlight play near the start of the fourth quarter, which included him evading the USC pass rush and firing a 29-yard touchdown strike to Brenden Rice to take a 14-point lead, ASU answered. On fourth-and-7, Pyne found Skattebo and he did the rest by breaking tackles and scampering to the end zone for a 52-yard touchdown. Skattebo finished with an unreal stat line: 2 of 3 passing for 42 yards, 19 carries for 113 yards and a touchdown and four catches for 79 yards and another score.

The Trojans responded on the following drive and it was capped with a 45-yard touchdown pass from Williams to Tahj Washington. Williams finished 20 of 31 for 322 yards and had five total touchdowns. MarShawn Lloyd had his best performance in a USC uniform after transferring from South Carolina this offseason. He finished with 154  yards on only 14 attempts. The USC defense recorded seven sacks and forced two turnovers. The Trojans face Colorado in Boulder next weekend.

[Sep 24, 2023 at 1:58 am ET · Cameron Salerno]

UW cruises at home

Final: No. 8 Washington 59, Cal 32

UW star quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is making a serious early case for the Heisman Trophy. Penix finished the night 19 of 25 for 304 yards with four touchdowns and was pulled in the second half for backup QB Dylan Morris. UW was without star WR Jalen McMillan but it was no problem as the Huskies improved to 4-0. Washington had a pair of 125-yard and two touchdown receiving efforts from Ja'Lynn Polk and Rome Odunze. UW scored 45 of its 59 total points in the first half.

[Sep 24, 2023 at 1:27 am ET · Cameron Salerno]

USC on upset alert

End 3Q: No. 5 USC 27, Arizona State 21

We have a ball game in Tempe and the Trojans are on upset alert. Arizona State cut the USC deficit to three points after  Pyne connected with WR Elijhah Badger for a 25-yard touchdown and Skattebo converted the 2-point conversion. The Trojans answered with a 36-yard field goal by Denis Lynch but ASU will start the final quarter with the ball in USC territory. 

If it couldn't get any worse for USC, Williams was seen on the sideline down on a knee being evaluated by the trainers. Will USC survive or will ASU pull the biggest upset of the season?

[Sep 24, 2023 at 12:16 am ET · Cameron Salerno]

ASU hanging around with USC

Halftime: No. 5 USC 21, Arizona State 13

Arizona State came into Saturday as heavy underdogs against USC and through the first 30 minutes of action in Tempe, the Sun Devils are keeping it interesting. ASU is without starting freshman QB Jaden Rashada due to injury and starting in his place is Notre Dame transfer Drew Pyne. The kicker? He isn't even the Sun Devils leading passer at the break. That would be RB Cameron Skattebo, who completed two passes for 42 yards and nine carries for 46 yards and a touchdown. USC star quarterback Caleb Williams is 11 of 15 for 144 yards and has three total touchdowns.

[Sep 23, 2023 at 11:03 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

WSU improves to 4-0

Final: No. 21 Washington State 38, No. 14 Oregon State 35

Despite a late rally from Oregon State, WSU held on to remain unbeaten. The Beavers cut the deficit to three points with 1:12 left on a 5-yard touchdown pass from DJ Uiagalelei to TE Jack Velling but Washington State recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal the win. Ward scored five total touchdowns and he appears to be in the early mix for the Heisman Trophy.

[Sep 23, 2023 at 10:58 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Ohio State survives 

Final: No. 6 Ohio State 17, No. 9 Notre Dame 14

What a finish in South Bend. It came down to the final seconds, but Ohio State was able to survive on the road after Chip Trayanum scored a 1-yard touchdown with one second left to give the Buckeyes a three-point win. Notre Dame had one final chance with one second left to attempt to score on a hail mary-like attempt but Ohio State stopped the Irish. Notre Dame took its first lead of the game mid-way through the fourth quarter after Hartman connected with freshman WR Rico Flores Jr. for his first collegiate touchdown. The Buckeyes are 4-0 and could move up in the rankings, soon. 

[Sep 23, 2023 at 10:53 pm ET · Dean Straka]

Penn State shuts out Iowa 

FINAL: No. 7 Penn State 31, No. 24 Iowa 0

It was pure domination from the Nittany Lions Saturday evening as the kept the Hawkeyes off the board completely to move to 4-0. Penn State quarterback Drew Allar passed for four touchdowns in the victory -- two of them to tight end Tyler Warren -- while the defense held Iowa to a mere 76 total yards of offense on the night. The Hawkeyes only managed for four first downs on a night that certainly did no favors for offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz meeting his contractually obligated point average of 25 points per game. Not even usually stout Iowa defense was able to assist that cause in this one. Needless to say, the Nittany Lions can walk away from this one feeling good about themselves while it's back to the drawing board for the Hawkeyes. 

[Sep 23, 2023 at 10:43 pm ET · Dean Straka]

LSU survives Arkansas 

No. 12 LSU 34, Arkansas 31

The Tigers move to 3-1 as they're able to edge their way past the Razorbacks, with Damian Ramos kicking the game-winning field goal to break a tie in the closing seconds of regulation. LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels overcame a slow start en route to passing for 320 yards and four touchdowns, with each of the Tigers' final five drives ending in points scored. KJ Jefferson also flirted with a 300-yard passing performance and passed for two touchdowns -- both in the fourth quarter -- but ultimately there wasn't ample time for Arkansas to make one final charge as the Razorbacks fell to 2-2. LSU ended the night eclipsing 500 yards of total offense in the victory. 

[Sep 23, 2023 at 10:15 pm ET · Dean Straka]

Trojans, Huskies headline "Pac-12 After Dark" 

No. 5 USC and No. 8 Washington both look to stay perfect as they get set to kick in the late-night window. The Trojans travel to Arizona State, while the Huskies welcome Cal into Seattle. A USC team that doesn't lack any offensive firepower catches a Sun Devils squad that is down plenty of projected starters, most notably quarterback Jaden Rashada due to an injury that will sideline the true freshman signal-caller for multiple games. Washington also boasts an offense that looks difficult for just about anybody to contain, leading all power conference teams at an average of 614.7 yards per outing through three weeks. It will be a chore for the Golden Bears to keep up with that pace, especially on the road. 

[Sep 23, 2023 at 9:59 pm ET · Dean Straka]

LSU back on top 

Mid 4Q: No. 12 LSU 31, Arkansas 24

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels' fourth touchdown pass of the night is his second to Malik Nabers, and it's an absolute dime. That's enough to put the Tigers back out in front by a score as they look to fend off any upset scare from Arkansas. LSU is now up to 436 yards of offense on the night and is 3-for-3 in trips to the red zone, with four consecutive drives ending in touchdowns. 

[Sep 23, 2023 at 9:55 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

ND finally on the board

End 3Q: No. 6 Ohio State 10, No. 9 Notre Dame 7

We are in for a wild finish here in South Bend. Notre Dame reached the end zone for the first time on a 1-yard touchdown run by Gi'Bran Payne. After Harrison exited the game briefly with what appeared like an ankle injury, he reentered the game. OSU will start the final period in regulation with a fourth-and-long in Notre Dame territory. Will Notre Dame complete the comeback?

[Sep 23, 2023 at 9:48 pm ET · Dean Straka]

Arkansas, LSU tied in the fourth 

Early 4Q: No. 12 LSU 24, Arkansas 24 

Strap in for what could be a tight finish in Baton Rouge. Arkansas scores a long touchdown in the opening minute of the first quarter and connects on the two-point conversion to tie the contest at 24 apiece. That's quite the answer from the Razorbacks after LSU scored in the final two minutes of the third quarter to go up by eight. Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson has now thrown for 219 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for an additional 43 yards. LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels has also found a groove for 235 yards and three touchdown passing, plus 35 yards rushing. 

[Sep 23, 2023 at 9:40 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Kelly scores his third touchdown of the day

End 3Q: No. 21 Washington State 35, No. 14 Oregon State 14

Have yourself a day, Josh Kelly. The WSU WR scored his third receiving touchdown on a 19-yard pass from Ward. Kelly had eight catches for 159 yards and three touchdowns and his quarterback is an impressive 25 of 29 for 356 yards and four touchdowns. WSU held Oregon State scoreless in the third quarter but the Beavers are driving as they attempt to comeback from a 21-point deficit.

[Sep 23, 2023 at 9:35 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Marvin Harrison Jr. hurt

Early 3Q: No. 6 Ohio State 10, No. 9 Notre Dame

Ohio State scored its first touchdown of the night on a long run by TreVeyon Henderson but it came at a cost. OSU star WR Marvin Harrison Jr. was hurt on the play after he got rolled up on the run and he stayed on the ground with his helmet off for an extended period of time. He was seen testing his ankle on the sideline after spending some time in the medical tent. His return is TBD.

[Sep 23, 2023 at 9:23 pm ET · Shehan Jeyarajah]

Texas rolling vs. Baylor

HALF: No. 3 Texas 28, Baylor 6

Texas is rolling after one half against historic foe Baylor. Running back Jonathon Brooks is putting on a show with 85 yards and two touchdowns on just 10 total touches, including a 40-yard breakaway touchdown for the 'Horns. The Texas defense has stolen the show, holding Baylor to 0.6 yards per carry and 121 yards overall in a physical first half. The Longhorns have six tackles for loss, including a pair from defensive end Byron Murphy II. Baylor does not have a running back with more than four yards. 

[Sep 23, 2023 at 9:18 pm ET · Dean Straka]

Penn State shutting out Iowa at the half 

HALFTIME: No. 7 Penn State 10, No. 24 Iowa 0 

Penn State is in full control through 30 minutes in Happy Valley, and with the state of Iowa's offense, it's worth asking if a 10-point halftime deficit in this environment may be too much to overcome. The Hawkeyes managed for just 63 total yards of offense and two first down in the first half, turning the ball over twice via a pair of lost fumbles. Penn State's offense has been far from explosive either at just 162 total yards, but a touchdown pass from Drew Allar to Khalil Dinkins in the second quarter on a 4th and 1 attempt was enough to put the Nittany Lions up to scores as it stands. 

[Sep 23, 2023 at 9:07 pm ET · Dean Straka]

LSU takes lead quickly in second half

Early 3Q: No. 12 LSU 17, Arkansas 13

Well, that escalated quickly. What was a 10-point Arkansas lead with less than a minute until halftime is now a four-point LSU lead after the Tigers score two touchdowns in less than two minutes of game time. And just like the first touchdown, it's once again Jayden Daniels to Brian Thomas Jr.. Though a free play, not exactly the finest moment for the Razorbacks secondary, either. That'll get the crowd going at Death Valley, only increasing the challenge for Arkansas on the road. 

[Sep 23, 2023 at 8:58 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

OSU strikes before halftime

Halftime: No. 6 Ohio State 3, No. 9 Notre Dame 0

We have points in South Bend before the half. The Buckeyes ended the quarter with a 12-play, 66-yard drive that was capped by a 31-yard field goal by Jayden Fielding. Notre Dame came into the game averaging over 50 points per game through the first four games of its season but failed to score in the first half. Notre Dame missed an FG that would've allowed them to get on the board first. The Irish will need Hartman to step up in the second half to secure the biggest win in head coach Marcus Freeman's tenure at the school.

[Sep 23, 2023 at 8:42 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Ward shines in first half

Halftime: No. 21 Washington State 28, No. 14 Oregon State 14

Ward is having a season to remember through the first month of the season. He is 19 of 20 for 293 yards with three touchdowns through the first 30 minutes and the Cougars have a double-digit lead heading into the break. WSU WR Josh Kelly has caught two of Ward's three touchdown passes and has seven catches and 140 yards. Oregon State QB DJ Uiagalelei is only 6 of 11 for 84 yards and he threw a costly interception in the second quarter to stall the drive. In a battle of transfer quarterbacks, Ward is winning the battle.

[Sep 23, 2023 at 8:35 pm ET · Dean Straka]

Arkansas leads No. 12 LSU at half 

Halftime: Arkansas 13, No. 12 LSU 10 

The Razorbacks are still on top in Baton Rouge as the teams head to the locker room. Both teams scored touchdowns separated by a mere 18 seconds in the final minute of the half to keep it a three-point game. Arkansas pulled ahead 13-3 when KJ Jefferson found Tyrone Broden for a 19-yard touchdown pass, only for LSU to respond several players later when Jayden Daniels connecting with Brian Thomas, Jr. for a 49-yard touchdown pass. That's how you end the half with some fireworks. Still, LSU has yet to lead tonight on home turf, and can't realistically afford a second loss in September if it wants to remain a factor in the College Football Playoff discussion. 

[Sep 23, 2023 at 8:25 pm ET · Shehan Jeyarajah]

'Horns lead after 1

2Q: No. 3 Texas 7, Baylor 3

Texas running back Jonathon Brooks broke off a 40-yard rushing touchdown to give the Longhorns an early 7-3 lead against Baylor. Quarterback Quinn Ewers has completed his first six passes, but is averaging just 4.6 yards per attempt in the early going. However, the star early has been the Texas defensive line, which has already sacked Sawyer Robertson thrice and completely erased the Baylor run game. 

[Sep 23, 2023 at 8:23 pm ET · Dean Straka]

Penn State leads Iowa after a quarter

END 1Q: No. 7 Penn State 3, No. 24 Iowa 0 

In what looks like your classic Big Ten game after one quarter, the defenses have stolen the show. Most of the first 15 minutes between the Nittany Lions and Hawkeyes were scoreless before Penn State drilled a 46-yard field goal with 1:39 left in the first quarter. The teams have combined for just 145 total yards of offense, though only four drives have been completed (two apiece). Iowa's two drives have led to a punt and lost fumble while Penn State punted before hitting the aforementioned field goal. 

[Sep 23, 2023 at 8:07 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

OSU, ND scoreless after one

End 1Q: No. 9 Notre Dame 0 , No. 6 Ohio State 0

One of the most anticipated matchups of the weekend is scoreless after the first quarter in front of a packed house in South Bend. On Notre Dame's first drive of the game, they went deep into Ohio State territory before the Buckeyes forced a turnover on downs. Irish star QB Sam Hartman was ruled short on a fourth-and-1 scramble near the red zone. The highlight of the opening frame was a sweet one-handed catch by Mitch Evans. Notre Dame will start the second quarter in Ohio State territory. 

[Sep 23, 2023 at 7:52 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

WSU in control early

End 1Q: No. 21 Washington State 14, No. 14 Oregon State 7

Washington State is setting the tone early in Pullman in a battle of the final two Pac-12 programs remaining in the conference. On the Cougars' second play from scrimmage, WSU QB Cameron Ward connected with WR Kyle Williams for a 63-yard touchdown. Ward ran for another score on the ground and finished 11 of 12 for 169 yards in the opening frame. The Beavers responded with a 38-yard rushing touchdown by Deshaun Fenwick to get on the board.

[Sep 23, 2023 at 7:48 pm ET · Dean Straka]

LSU has hands full with Arkansas early

END 1Q: Arkansas 3, No. 12 LSU 0 

Are we headed for another relatively wild contest in the SEC West series between the Razorbacks and Tigers? Looking to rebound from a Week 3 home loss to BYU, Arkansas has started strong defensively tonight, holding LSU scoreless through a quarter and picking off quarterback Jayden Daniels once. There's plenty of football still to be played, but the Hogs seem ready to hold their own under the lights at one of the toughest environments the sport offers at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 

[Sep 23, 2023 at 7:43 pm ET · Dean Straka]

Highlight reel catch in Florida vs. Charlotte 

Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall has put himself in contention for catch of the night with this acrobatic play during the Gators' home contest against Charlotte. The former Arizona State transfer somehow came down with the football in a play that seemingly defied gravity in real time. You may have to watch this one a few times before it fully sinks it, because it's about as good of a catch as we've seen by anybody this season. 

[Sep 23, 2023 at 6:59 pm ET · David Cobb]

Jayhawks starting strong

Final: Kansas 38, BYU 27

A week after narrowly surviving at lowly Nevada, Kansas got back on track with a Big 12 win over BYU thanks in part to a pair of defensive touchdowns in the first half. KU won the turnovers battle 3-0 and got three touchdown passes from Jalon Daniels to reach 4-0. Up next for the Jayhawks is a game at Texas — their final crack at the Longhorns as a Big 12 foe.

[Sep 23, 2023 at 6:57 pm ET · Will Backus]

Oregon derails Colorado hype train

Final: Oregon 42, Colorado 6

Colorado hit its first major setback of the 2023 season Saturday, falling on the road to No. 10 Oregon. As the crooked final score might indicate, the Ducks dominated in every phase of the game. Coach Dan Lanning kept his starters in until near the end of the fourth quarter -- when Oregon had a six-touchdown lead -- and went for it twice on fourth-and-goal inside Colorado's 5-yard line with a huge lead. Oregon had 522 total yards to Colorado's 196. The Buffaloes entered the fourth quarter with negative total yards rushing but finished the game with 40. Deion Sanders' squad definitely needs to hit the drawing board before next Saturday's game against USC, because the Trojans present another huge challenge. 

[Sep 23, 2023 at 6:51 pm ET · David Cobb]

Utah's defense goes hard

Final: Utah 14, UCLA 7

UCLA got the football back trailing just 14-7 with around three minutes to play after finally breaking through for its first touchdown of the game. However, the Utes' defense stood tall once again and sacked Dante Moore for a major loss on fourth-and-long to clinch the outcome. The Utes immediately went into victory formation and escaped. This marked the fewest points in a win for Utah in 15 year as they mustered just 219 total yards while playing without quarterback Cam Rising yet again. Rising hasn't played this season, but the Utes are 4-0 nonetheless.

[Sep 23, 2023 at 6:50 pm ET · David Cobb]

Omar Speights out for LSU

LSU will be without key linebacker Omar Speights yet again as the Tigers take on Arkansas, ESPN confirmed. Speights continues to deal with a hip injury that his plagued him early this season and was regarded as doubtful throughout the week. He also missed last week's win at Mississippi State. The Oregon State transfer racked up eight tackles in the season-opening loss to Florida State.