TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Mount Cody kept No. 1 Alabama perfect with a pair of super-sized plays.

Terrence Cody, the Crimson Tide's 350-pound nose guard, blocked a 44-yard field-goal attempt on the final play — his second block of the fourth quarter — and 'Bama escaped with a 12-10 victory over rival Tennessee yesterday.

He muscled the Tide to another win, with pure brute force.

"I didn't really get off the ground," Cody said. "I just reached my arm up. That's how I got it. I knocked (the blocker) back. He was on his back."

Alabama (8-0, 5-0 Southeastern Conference) was about to have its bid for perfection knocked down, too.

Then Cody broke through the line on the last play and practically ran into Daniel Lincoln's low kick.

Leigh Tiffin booted four field goals — including a 50-yarder and a 49-yarder — to provide all Alabama's points and the Tide survived Mark Ingram's first college fumble and some problems for the nation's top defense. The last few minutes were all about survival — much like in then-No. 1 Florida's squeaker over Arkansas last week

"You talk about how fragile a season is," Tide coach Nick Saban said. "You're controlling a game, even though you may say it's winning ugly. We're still ahead 12-3 and totally controlling the game with 3 minutes, 29 seconds and the ball. That's how fragile a season can be. You make one mistake and you have to go overcome it."

Tennessee (3-4, 1-3) kept alive its hopes for coach Lane Kiffin's first huge victory with Eric Berry's fumble recovery and Jonathan Crompton's 11-yard touchdown pass to Gerald Jones with 1:19 left. Then Tennessee's Denarius Moore recovered the onside kick at the Vols' 41 with no time outs remaining.

Crompton hit Jones on a 14-yarder before Tennessee was pushed back by a false start. On second down, the much-maligned Crompton hit Luke Stocker for a 23-yard gain to get the Vols into position for the potential game-winning kick.

No. 2 Florida 29, Mississippi State 19: Chris Rainey scored on an 8-yard run and Dustin Doe may have slipped a fumble on an interception return for a touchdown past the referees as the visiting Gators (7-0, 5-0 SEC) held off the Bulldogs (3-5, 1-3) to extend the nation's longest winning streak to 17 games.

No. 3 Texas 41, Missouri 7: Colt McCoy completed his first 11 passes and produced touchdowns on the first three drives, helping the visiting Longhorns (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) beat the Tigers (4-3, 0-3) for the sixth straight time.

No. 4 USC 42, Oregon State 36: Allen Bradford rushed for a career-high 147 yards and two touchdowns, and the host Trojans (6-1, 3-1 Pac-10) avenged their only loss of last season by turning back the Beavers (4-3, 2-2).

No. 5 Cincinnati 41, Louisville 10: Sophomore Zach Collaros, playing in place injured Tony Pike (surgery on non-throwing arm) completed 15 of 17 for 253 yards and three touchdowns, leading the host Bearcats (7-0, 3-0 Big East) over the Cardinals (2-5, 0-3).

No. 7 Iowa 15, Michigan State 13: Ricky Stanzi hit Marvin McNutt with a 7-yard touchdown pass as time expired as the visiting Hawkeyes (8-0, 4-0 Big Ten) rallied past the Spartans (4-4, 3-2) for their 12th straight win dating back to last season, the second-longest streak in the nation.

Clemson 40, No. 8 Miami 37: Kyle Parker threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Jacoby Ford in overtime, lifting the visiting Tigers (4-3, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) over the Hurricanes (5-2, 2-2), who took a 37-34 lead when Matt Bosher kicked a 22-yard field goal on their overtime possession.

No. 9 LSU 31, Auburn 10: Jordan Jefferson threw for a career-high 242 yards, including two touchdown passes, and scrambled for another score to lead the host Tigers (6-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference) past Auburn (5-3, 2-3).

No. 10 TCU 38, No. 16 BYU 7: Andy Dalton passed for 241 yards and three touchdowns as the visiting Horned Frogs (7-0, 3-0 Mountain West) continued their march to what they hope is a BCS berth by routing the Cougars (6-2, 3-1) for the second year in a row.

No. 11 Georgia Tech 24, Virginia 9: Josh Nesbitt ran for 82 yards and threw for 85, but attempted only two passes in directing four touchdown drives, helping the visiting Yellow Jackets (7-1, 5-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) pile up 362 yards on the ground to beat the Cavaliers (3-4, 2-1).

No. 13 Penn State 35, Michigan 10: Daryll Clark threw three of his four touchdown passes to Graham Zug, and the Nittany Lions (7-1, 3-1 Big Ten) shut down the Wolverines (5-3, 1-3) for their first win at the Big House since 1996.

No. 14 Oklahoma State 34, Baylor 7: Zac Robinson completed 23 of 27 passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns as the visiting Cowboys (6-1, 3-0 Big 12) won their fifth straight by routing the Bears (3-4, 0-3), who have lost 20 straight to ranked teams.

No. 17 Houston 38, SMU 15: Charles Sims ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns and the host Cougars (6-1, 2-1 Conference USA) jumped out to a 14-0 lead after converting two turnovers in cruising past the Mustangs (3-4, 2-1).

NO. 18 OHIO STATE 38, MINNESOTA 7: Terrelle Pryor passed for 239 yards with two touchdowns and also ran for 104 yards and a score as the host Buckeyes (6-2, 4-1 Big Ten) routed the Golden Gophers (4-4, 2-3).

No. 19 Utah 23, Air Force 16: Eddie Wide scored on a 1-yard plunge on the Utes' (7-1, 4-0 Western Athletic Conference) first possession of overtime and Stevenson Sylvester stuffed Connor Dietz on a fourth-down quarterback keeper to preserve the victory over the visiting Falcons (4-5, 3-3).

No. 20 Pittsburgh 41, South Florida 14: Bill Stull threw for two touchdowns, Dion Lewis ran for two more as the host Panthers (7-1, 4-0 Big East) scored on all five of their possessions in the first half in cruising past the Bulls (5-2, 1-2).

Texas A&M 52, No. 21 Texas Tech 30: Cyrus Gray scored four touchdowns as the visiting Aggies (4-3, 1-2 Big 12) pounded the Red Raiders (5-3, 2-2) to snap a three-game losing streak with their first victory in Lubbock since 1993.

NO. 22 WEST VIRGINIA 28, CONNECTICUT 24: Noel Devine's 56-yard touchdown run in the closing minutes lifted the host Mountaineers to victory in the Huskies' first game since starting cornerback Jasper Howard was fatally stabbed outside a university-sponsored dance a week ago.

No. 23 South Carolina 14, Vanderbilt 10: Stephen Garcia threw two touchdown passes and the host Gamecocks (6-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) ended the Commodores' (2-6, 0-5) two-game series win streak.

No. 25 Oklahoma 35, No. 24 Kansas 13: Chris Brown ran for two touchdowns and caught a pass for another, and the visiting Sooners (4-3, 2-1 Big 12) held the nation's second-leading offense to just 305 yards, 200 yards below average, in rolling past the Jayhawks (5-2, 1-2).