TIFTON — Minnesota is now in the top 10 in college football rankings and Rashod Bateman is a large reason why.

Bateman caught seven passes for 203 yards Saturday to help the Golden Gophers (9-0) knock off previously undefeated Penn State (8-1). Minnesota won, 31-26, and Bateman had a 66-yard touchdown that started scoring. All seven of his catches went either for a touchdown or a first down. The total is the second best in school history, only behind Ryan Thelwell’s 228 yards in 1996.

Remarkably, Bateman did not merit Big 10 Offensive Player of the Week. His quarterback, Tanner Morgan, shared the award with Illinois wide receiver Josh Imatorbhebhe.

Through nine games, Bateman has 847 receiving yards, already more than 100 better than 2018. Seven touchdowns in 2019 also surpasses his freshman year total.

The Gophers are 9-0 for the first time since 1904 and leaped to No. 7 in both the Associated Press and Coaches’ polls. The school’s official athletics website noted it is the highest football ranking for the team since 1962. Minnesota will visit Iowa Saturday for a 4 p.m. game. Fox is scheduled to broadcast. Live radio broadcasts can be found through gophersports.com.

Minnesota’s inclusion in the top 10 means that two former Tift County Blue Devils are on teams ranked this highly. Andrew Johnson’s Oregon Ducks are No. 6 in both polls. Johnson has yet to accumulate any stats, but has participated in five of the Ducks’ nine games this season.

Oregon is to host Arizona this Saturday at 10:30 p.m. The game is to be on ESPN.

Elsewhere in college football Saturday, Tamorrion Terry scored a touchdown for Florida State on seven receptions for 156 yards. The Seminoles defeated Boston College, 38-31. At Georgia Tech, former Fitzgerald quarterback, James Graham completed 15 of 22 pass attempts for 229 yards and two touchdowns. He ran for another on 42 rushing yards. Georgia Tech fell 33-28 to Virginia.

Deontae Overstreet recorded nine tackles, two for losses for West Georgia in its 35-20 loss to Delta State. Fernando Ramirez was 2-of-2 on extra points and hit field goals of 19 and 20 yards as Valdosta State defeated West Florida, 26-21. There will be a Blue Devils reunion in Carrollton Saturday as West Georgia hosts Valdosta State at 7 p.m.

Kadarius McDaniel saw action in his second game Saturday in Kentucky’s 17-13 loss to Tennessee. McDaniel recorded his first ever collegiate tackle Oct. 26 against Missouri.

Linemen Austin Williams (Colorado) and Lecitus Smith (Virginia Tech) played in their games Saturday. Smith started at left guard against Wake Forest. He formerly played at Fitzgerald. Also seeing action were Fred Lloyd at South Florida and Trendarius Henderson at Glenville State.

At Georgia Southern, J.D. King picked up 41 yards rushing in a loss to Troy. He also had a reception for 10 yards. Jameson Turner hauled in two receptions for 24 yards for Gardner Webb in a loss to Presbyterian College. Mike Jones had three runs for 13 yards for Lincoln, Mo.

Defensively, Jack Raines had four tackles for Mercer in the Bears’ loss to Wofford. Ron Jackson, also playing for Glenville, had a stop in a 24-14 win over Wheeling, W.V. Tyler Moore of Fort Valley State had two tackles against Albany State, Juwarren Byrd had nine tackles for Greensboro (1.5 for losses) for Greensboro and Marlon Jackson of Georgia Military College made four tackles against Lackawanna College (Penn.).