UNDATED (AP) — Alabama entered Saturday's top-25 action ranked fourth in the College Football Playoff and seventh in the AP poll before shutting down LSU's top offensive threat.

The Crimson Tide held Leonard Fournette to 31 yards on 19 carries in a 30-16 win over the AP's fourth-ranked Tigers. Fournette's previous season low was 154 yards against Western Kentucky. Derrick Henry ran for 210 yards and three touchdowns as the Tide dismantled an LSU team that entered the game No. 2 in the CFP ranking.

Third-ranked Clemson pulled out a victory in its first game since being chosen No. 1 in the first CFP ranking of the season. The Tigers trailed 10-6 at halftime before improving to 9-0 with a 23-13 triumph over No. 17 Florida State. DeShaun Watson led three long scoring drives in the second half, including a go-ahead scoring strike to Deon Cain. Watson was 28 of 42 for 297 yards and no interceptions. Wayne Gallman came through with a game-clinching, 25-yard TD and finished with 103 yards on 22 carries.

Fifth-ranked TCU and No. 6 Michigan St. weren't as fortunate. Trevone Boykin passed for 445 yards and ran for 73 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw a career-high four interceptions as the Horned Frogs lost 49-29 at Oklahoma State. Mason Rudolph passed for 352 yards and a career-high five touchdowns for the 12th-ranked Cowboys, while James Washington had five receptions for 184 yards and three scores.

Michigan State led by 12 with 4 1/2 minutes left before Nebraska rallied for a 39-38 win over the Spartans. Tommy Armstrong capped a 91-yard, 38-second drive by hitting Brandon Reilly for a 30-yard touchdown with 17 seconds remaining. Armstrong also scored on a short touchdown with 1:47 left to make it 38-33.

In other top 25 play:

— Top-ranked Ohio State is 9-0 after Ezekiel Elliott ran for 114 yards and a TD in a 28-14 decision over Minnesota. Vonn Bell returned an interception 16 yards for his first career touchdown to give the Buckeyes a 21-0 lead that held up.

— DeShone Kizer threw for five touchdowns and ran for another to help eighth-rated Notre Dame win its fourth straight and improve to 8-1, 42-30 against Pittsburgh. Kizer completed 19 of 26 passes for 262 yards with no turnovers. Will Fuller caught seven passes for 157 yards and three scores, and Josh Adams ran for 147 yards and hauled in Kizer's final touchdown pass.

— Stanford is 8-1 after Kevin Hogan threw two touchdown passes and ran for another in leading the ninth-ranked Cardinal past Colorado 42-10. Hogan surpassed Andrew Luck as the school's winningest quarterback with his 32nd career victory. Christian McCaffrey collected 220 all-purpose yards plus a 28-yard touchdown toss to tight end Austin Hooper in a little more than three quarters.

— LeShun Daniels Jr. ran for two scores and injured quarterback C.J. Beathard threw the game-clinching touchdown midway through the fourth quarter to lift No. 10 Iowa past Indiana 35-27. Beathard finished 19 of 33 for 231 yards for the 9-0 Hawkeyes.

— Austin Hardin's 43-yard field goal with 2:22 remaining helped No. 11 Florida struggle past Vanderbilt 9-7. The victory clinched the SEC Eastern Division and a spot in the conference title game for the 8-1 Gators, who won despite gaining only 57 yards in the second half.

— Gionni Paul returned a fumble 54 yards for a touchdown and set up another score with an interception to help 13th-ranked Utah fend off Washington 34-23. Devontae Booker rushed for 150 yards to help Utah maintain a one-game lead on the chase group in the Pac-12 South.

— Baker Mayfield completed 23 of 31 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns in No. 14 Oklahoma's 52-16 pounding of Iowa State. Mayfield also ran for a touchdown and Samaje Perine carried 13 times for 95 yards and a score in the Sooners' fourth straight win.

— Navy whipped No. 15 Memphis 45-20, ending the Tigers' 15-game winning streak. Chris Swain ran for 108 yards and three touchdowns as the Middies amassed 374 yards on the ground against a Memphis defense that was allowing just 119 yards a game.

— No. 16 Michigan is 7-2 after Jake Rudock (ROO'-dahk) carried the Wolverines' offense in a 49-16 rout of Rutgers. Rudock threw for two touchdowns and a career-high 337 yards and ran for a score and a 2-point conversion.

— No. 18 Houston withstood Gunner Kiel's 523 yards passing by forcing four straight incompletions on the final drive to preserve a 33-30 win over Cincinnati. Greg Ward Jr. led scoring drives on two of three Cincinnati turnovers and finished 16 of 24 for 161 yards with two touchdowns for the 9-0 Cougars.

— Brandon Allen threw his sixth touchdown pass and then ran for a 2-point conversion to lead Arkansas to a 53-52 overtime win over No. 19 Mississippi. Allen threw for a career-high 442 yards to help the Razorbacks overcome Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly, who threw for three TDs and ran for three others.

— Marquise Williams threw for 404 of his school-record 494 yards by halftime to lead No. 21 North Carolina over rival Duke 66-31. Williams passed for four touchdowns and ran for another to help the 8-1 Tar Heels to their eighth straight win.

— Josh Rosen threw two touchdown passes to Thomas Duarte and No. 22 UCLA forced four turnovers while allowing just 246 total yards in a 41-0 shutout of Oregon State. The Bruins rolled up 676 total yards, with Rosen completing 22 of his 33 passes for 333 yards before sitting out the fourth quarter.

— Jovon Robinson ran for 159 yards and a touchdown as Auburn surprised No. 25 Texas A&M 25-10 at College Station. The Tigers intercepted Kyle Murray three times and held him to 105 yards before he was lifted late in the third quarter.

 

NBA-SCHEDULE

Warriors still perfect...Hawks win 7th straight

UNDATED (AP) — The Golden State Warriors are two wins away from matching the longest season-opening winning streak in team history.

Stephen (STEH'-fehn) Curry scored 21 of his 24 points in the second half to help the 7-0 Warriors get past the Kings 103-94 in Sacramento. Andre Iguodala (ih-gah-DAH'-lah) had 14 points, including a reverse layup that sparked a game-ending 20-13 run after the Kings pulled within 83-31 with four minutes left.

Klay Thompson's 3-pointer put the Warriors ahead by 10 with under two minutes to play. Thompson finished with 18 points for Golden State, which has won 74 of its last 89 games dating to last season.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

— James Harden was the star in Houston's 109-105 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, shooting 14-for-26 and hitting five 3-pointers in a 46-point night. Dwight Howard finished with 20 points and 20 rebounds as the Rockets earned their fourth straight win since a season-opening, three-game losing streak.

— The Atlanta Hawks picked up their seventh straight win as Kent Bazemore scored a career-high 25 points in a 114-99 victory over Washington. Paul Millsap had 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists for Atlanta, while Al Horford delivered 14 points. Jeff Teague chipped in 10 points, eight assists and five steals to help the Hawks become the league's first seven-win team this season.

— San Antonio hammered Charlotte 114-94 as Kawhi Leonard scored 23 points and LaMarcus Aldridge added 16. Patty Mills scored 15 points for the Spurs, who made eight 3-pointers in the second half of their highest scoring game of the season.

— Andrew Wiggins dropped in 31 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves outscored Chicago 9-0 in overtime to earn a 102-93 win against the Bulls. Rookie Karl-Anthony Towns added 17 points, 13 boards and four blocked shots for the Wolves, who held the Bulls to 35.5 percent shooting and outrebounded Chicago 58-50.

— Orlando had seven players score in double figures en route to a 105-97 win at Philadelphia. Elfrid Payton finished with 20 points, Evan Fournier had 17 and Victor Oladipo (oh-lah-DEE'-poh) finished with 15 as the Magic won for the third time in four games since an 0-3 start.

— Deron Williams contributed 16 of his 19 points in the second half and Dirk Nowitzki scored nine of his 18 in the fourth quarter as Dallas dumped the winless New Orleans Hornets 107-98. Wesley Matthews snapped a 72-all tie with two free throws to key a 7-0 run capped by his three-point play.

— Milwaukee beat Brooklyn 94-86 behind Greg Monroe's 20 points and eight rebounds. Jerryd Bayless had 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting and 10 rebounds as the Bucks dropped the Nets to 0-7.

— Trey Burke drained a career-high six 3-pointers while scoring 24 points in Utah's 89-79 verdict over Memphis. Gordon Hayward delivered 18 points, six rebounds and four assists to help the Jazz improve to 4-2, their best start in seven years.

 

NFL- MOVES

Pierre-Paul to play

UNDATED (AP) — Jason Pierre-Paul will make his season debut for the Giants against Tampa Bay on Sunday, four months after he lost an index finger in a fireworks accident.

The two-time Pro Bowl defensive end practiced this week and has been added to the active roster.

Pierre-Paul lost his finger, among other injuries to his right hand. Pierre-Paul was cleared to return to the field last week after rehabbing and working out near his Florida home.

In other NFL news:

— The Chicago Bears will be without star running back Matt Forte and wide receiver Eddie Royal for Monday night's game against the San Diego Chargers. Both sustained knee injuries during last week's game, and the team ruled them out

— The Buffalo Bills have placed wide receiver Percy Harvin on season-ending injured reserve and activated cornerback Leodis McKelvin ahead of Sunday's game against Miami. Harvin has missed the past two games and been bothered by nagging hip and knee injuries since training camp.

— Washington nose tackle Terrance Knighton is sidelined because of a migraine and will miss Sunday's game against the New England Patriots.

 

NHL-SCHEDULE

Kings handle Panthers

UNDATED (AP) — The Montreal Canadiens added another victory to their NHL-leading total by downing one of their bitter rivals.

The Canadiens are 13-2-1 after scoring the last three goals in a 4-2 win over Boston. Lars Eller knotted the score midway through the score before David Desharnais (day-ahr-nay) provided the game-winner on a power play with 1:08 remaining. Max Pacioretty (pach-uh-REH'-tee) added an empty-netter for the Habs, who top the league with 27 points.

Also on ice:

— The New York Rangers picked up their fifth straight win as Chris Kreider collected a goal and an assist in a 4-1 triumph at Arizona. Antti Raanta (AN'-tee RAHN'-tah) stopped 39 shots and blanked the Coyotes until Shane Doan scored in the closing seconds.

— Nicklas Backstrom scored with less than a second left in regulation before Alex Ovechkin notched the lone shootout tally in Washington's 3-2 win against Toronto. Ovechkin also scored his 483rd career goal to tie Sergei Fedorov (FEH'-dah-rahv) for the most in the NHL by a Russian-born player.

— Jake Allen was sharp in the St. Louis Blues' 4-0 shutout of Nashville, making 45 saves in his seventh career shutout. Colton Parayko (pah-RAY'-koh) and Alex Pietrangelo (peh-TRAN'-jeh-loh) had power-play goals as the Blues pulled within one point of Dallas for the Western Conference lead.

— The Kings won for the ninth time in 11 games by scoring three goals in the second period of a 4-1 decision over Florida. The Panthers led until Jeff Carter, Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar (AHN'-zhay KOH-pih-tahr) tallied during a 4:18 span late in the middle stanza.

— Devan Dubnyk (DOOB'-nihk) notched his second shutout of the season and 16th of his career by turning back 31 shots on Minnesota's 1-0 decision over Tampa Bay. Jared Spurgeon scored the game's lone goal 26 seconds into the second period as the Wild ended a two-game skid and improved to 8-3-2.

— Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds netted power-play goals as Philadelphia beat Winnipeg 3-0 to end a six-game losing streak. Michal Neuvirth (NOY'-vurth) stopped 28 shots in his third shutout of the season and 10th of his career.

— Rasmus Ristolainen (rihs-toh-LY'-nehn) scored with 16.8 seconds to go to give Buffalo a 3-2 win over Vancouver. Ristolainen also scored a power play goal and second overall draft pick Jack Eichel (EYE'-kehl) earned the first two assists of his pro career.

— Jordan Staal scored an unassisted goal 2:51 into overtime to complete Carolina's comeback in a 3-2 triumph against Ottawa. The Senators were seconds from a 2-1 victory until Staal assisted on Jeff Skinner's game-tying goal.

— The Penguins had won nine of 10 until Johnny Gaudreau scored twice and had an assist in Calgary's 5-2 triumph over Pittsburgh. Sam Bennett and Sean Monahan each had a goal and an assist to help the Flames win for the third time in four games since losing nine of their first 11 games.

— Anaheim made it four straight wins as Corey Perry scored the lone goal and Anton Khudobin (kuh-DOH'-bihn) stopped 31 shots in a 1-0 shutout of San Jose. The Ducks winning streak follows a five-game skid that left them 1-7-2.

 

 

GOLF-SANDERSON FARMS CHAMPIONSHIP

Saturday play is a washout

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Saturday's rain in Jackson, Mississippi, has washed out all but 40 minutes of play in the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Roberto Castro holds a four-shot lead at 15 under through 36 holes. Bryce Molder and Jhonattan Vegas are tied for second, with 76 players yet to complete their second round.

Play is set to resume early Sunday. After the second round is completed, the third and fourth will be played. However, tournament officials are prepared to extend play into Monday if needed.

 

CHAMPIONS TOUR-CHARLES SCHWAB CUP CHAMPIONSHIP

Allen in front

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Michael Allen held onto the lead in the Champions Tour's season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship, firing a 1-under 69 for a 12-under total. Playing partner Bernhard Langer pulled within a stroke to easily remain in position to take the points title.

The 58-year-old Langer is competing with Colin Montgomerie and Jeff Maggert for the Charles Schwab Cup points title and a $1 million annuity.

 

GOLF-HSBC CHAMPIONS

Russell Knox wins first PGA Tour title at HSBC Champions

SHANGHAI (AP) — Russell Knox made an unexpected trip to Shanghai and left with a most surprising victory Sunday.

Knox became the first player to win a World Golf Championship in his debut when the 30-year-old from Scotland closed with a 4-under 68 for a two-shot victory in the HSBC Champions.

He only found out a week ago Friday that he was in the event as an alternate. After scrambling to get a Chinese visa, he had to hold off a world-class field for his first PGA Tour victory.

Li Haotong of China faded quickly but still managed to achieve one goal. He tied for seventh, the highest finish ever by a Chinese player in a PGA Tour event.

Jordan Spieth tied for seventh and moved back to No. 1 in the world.

 

LPGA TOUR

Sun-Ju Ahn wins playoff in LPGA Tour's Toto Japan Classic

SHIMA, Japan (AP) — Sun-Ju Ahn won the Toto Japan Classic on Sunday for her first LPGA Tour victory and 20th Japan LPGA title, beating fellow South Korean player Ji-Hee Lee and American Angela Stanford with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff.

The 28-year-old Ahn closed with a 5-under 67 at Kintetsu Kashikojima to match Stanford and Lee at 16-under 200. Stanford also shot 67, and Lee had a 66.

Ahn also won the Japanese tour's Century 21 Ladies in July.

The 37-year-old Stanford won the last of her five LPGA Tour titles in 2012. She dropped to 1-4 in playoffs, the first in the 2003 U.S. Women's Open.

South Korea's Jenny Shin, the second-round leader, had a 70 to finish a stroke back.

 

TENNIS-WTA ELITE OPEN

Venus Williams beats Pliskova to win WTA Elite Open

ZHUHAI, China (AP) — Top-seeded Venus Williams beat Karolina Pliskova 7-5, 7-6 (6) to win the WTA Elite Trophy on Sunday.

Pliskova had a set point at 6-5 in the tiebreaker but Williams hit back-to-back forehand winners to close out the win.

With her third win of the year, Williams returns to the top 10 for the first time in more than four years.

The tournament brought together 11 of the top players who did not qualify for last week's WTA Finals in Singapore.

Williams raced out to an early 4-1 lead in the first set but the third-seeded Pliskova fought back to 4-all before Williams took the first set.

Pliskova found her game in the second set and went up 4-2 but Williams got back on serve and forced the tiebreaker.

Williams also recorded wins this year in Wuhan and Auckland.

 

HORSE RACING-AMERICAN PHAROAH-STUD FEE

American Pharoah stud fee set

UNDATED (AP) — Triple Crown winner American Pharoah will stand at stud for $200,000, among the highest prices for a horse in his first year as a stallion.

American Pharoah capped his spectacular career with a victory in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic last week. Two days later, the 3-year-old was sent to Ashford.

A stallion typically books up to 200 mares in a year, which means American Pharoah's first-year worth could be $40 million. The colt earned $8,650,300 on the track with nine wins in 11 races.

 

More From KROC-AM