SMU clinched a spot in the ACC championship game after a 33-7 win over Virginia on Saturday, becoming the first team in league history to make the title game in its first season.

The Mustangs do not have an opponent yet. Miami (10-1, 6-1) must beat Syracuse next weekend to clinch its spot. A loss means Clemson, which has already finished league play at 7-1, would make it to Charlotte.

SMU came into the league off great success in the American Athletic Conference, winning the league a year ago. But no team has done what the Mustangs have done in Year 1, making the transition from Group of 5 to Power 4.

The ACC championship game has been around since 2005, and now in the 20th anniversary of the game, SMU has made history.

“It’s hard to win 10 games, it’s hard to do something that’s never been done before,” coach Rhett Lashlee said. “No one’s ever moved from a small conference to a power conference and gone to the championship game in their first year. Just really proud of our guys.”

SMU joined the ACC in its quest to return to a power conference, and in doing so, agreed to take no television revenue from the ACC for nine years. They were a team on a mission from the very start, eager to prove they belonged on this level.

SMU has been a different team since turning to Kevin Jennings as its starting quarterback after three games. Jennings is 8-0 as a starter and has helped SMU to a 7-0 ACC record — the only team that is undefeated in league play. Against Virginia, Jennings went 25-of-33 for 323 yards with a touchdown and interception.

Lashlee signed a contract extension with the school Friday, reaffirming his commitment to being with the Mustangs for the long term. Despite its ACC dominance, SMU remains on the outside looking in, based on the latest College Football Playoff selection committee rankings.

If SMU wins the ACC, the Mustangs would be a lock to make it into the CFP. Another loss could mean the end of their playoff hopes. SMU closes the regular season against California next Saturday.

Lashlee grew emotional discussing how far his team has come this season.

“I’m really proud of them. I had this thought Friday, I’m going to miss a lot of these guys,” Lashlee said before pausing to gather himself. “It’s a fun group. They love playing together. They love playing for each other. They love playing for SMU. They don’t care who gets the credit. I think that’s why they win. It’s special. I’m just a lucky guy who gets to be their coach.”

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Luke Altmyer found Pat Bryant for a catch-and-run 40-yard touchdown pass with four seconds left, sending No. 24 Illinois to a wild 38-31 victory over Rutgers on Saturday.

Illinois (8-3, 5-3 Big Ten) was down 31-30 when it sent long kicker Ethan Moczulski out for a desperation 58-yard field goal with 14 seconds to go. Rutgers coach Greg Schiano then called for a timeout right before Moczulski’s attempt was wide left and about 15 yards short.

After the missed field goal was waved off by the timeout, Illinois coach Bret Bielema sent his offense back on the field. Altmyer hit Bryant on an in cut on the left side at the 22, and he continued across the field and scored untouched in a game that featured three lead changes in the final 3:07.

Rutgers (6-5, 3-5) gave up a safety on the final kickoff return, throwing a ball out of bounds in the end zone as players passed it around hoping for a miracle touchdown.

Altmyer was 12-of-26 passing for 249 yards and two touchdowns. Bryant finished with seven receptions for 197 yards.

Altmeyer put Illinois in front with a 30-yard TD run with 3:07 to go. He passed to Josh McCray on the 2-point conversion, making it 30-24.

Rutgers responded with a 10-play, 65-yard drive. Athan Kaliakmanis had a 15-yard run on fourth down. He passed to running back Kyle Monangai for a 13-yard TD with 1:08 remaining.

Illinois then drove 75 yards in eight plays for the unexpected win.

Kaliakmanis was 18-for-36 for 174 yards and two touchdowns. He also had 13 carries for 84 yards and two TDs. Monangai had a career-high 28 carries for 122 yards.

Kaliakmanis found Ian Strong for a 2-yard touchdown in the final seconds of the first half, and he scored on a 1-yard run to lift Rutgers to a 24-15 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Illinois responded with Aidan Laughery‘s 8-yard TD run, setting up the roller-coaster finish.

The start of the second half was delayed because of a scrum between the teams. There were no punches thrown, and the officials called penalties on both schools.

Monangai become the third player in Rutgers history to rush for 3,000 yards when he picked up 4 yards on a third-and-1 carry early in the second quarter. The defending conference rushing champion joins Ray Rice and Terrell Willis in hitting the mark.

The great finish keeps the Illini in line for their first nine-win season since 2007 and a prestigious bowl game this season.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Coach Billy Napier and his team did something no one at Florida had done in nearly two decades. It could be the turning point for a once-proud program that clearly slipped in recent years.

DJ Lagway threw two touchdown passes, Montrell Johnson ran for 127 yards and a score, and the Gators upset No. 9 Mississippi 24-17 on Saturday to knock the Rebels out of College Football Playoff contention.

Florida (6-5, 4-4 SEC), which topped LSU last Saturday in the Swamp, beat ranked teams in consecutive weeks for the first time since 2008.

“We’re just getting started,” said Napier, who is expected back for a fourth season in 2025. “This is part of the big-picture journey. Belief is the most powerful thing in the world.”

It marked Florida’s second-largest upset win in the past 45 seasons, behind a victory at No. 16 LSU in 2016 (14-point underdogs). It also was the Gators’ first win as a double-digit home underdog in the past 45 seasons.

Ole Miss (8-3, 4-3), which closed as a 13.5-point favorite at ESPN BET, lost for the first time in four games and surely will drop out of the 12-team playoff picture. The Rebels ranked ninth in the latest CFP rankings and needed only to avoid stumbling down the stretch against Florida and lowly Mississippi State to clinch a spot in the playoff field.

“Obviously a lot was at stake, and we didn’t come through,” coach Lane Kiffin said. “A lot of missed opportunities.”

Kiffin’s team had a miscue-filled day: 0-for-3 on trips inside the red zone; a season-high three turnovers; 3-for-14 on third downs; and a season-high five dropped passes despite perfect weather.

“Very unusual,” Kiffin said.

Still, Ole Miss had chances late. But Jaxson Dart threw interceptions to end the team’s last two drives. Bryce Thornton, beaten for a touchdown in the first half, picked off both. The second one came with 17 seconds remaining and set up a raucous celebration by defenders in the end zone.

Dart completed 24 of 41 passes for 323 yards, with two TDs and the two picks. He was sacked four times and also scrambled 14 times for a team-high 71 yards.

“You look at the way we played, we had a chip on our shoulder for sure,” Florida defensive tackle Cam Jackson said.

Dart, meanwhile, apologized for the performance.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry to my teammates. I’m sorry to my coaches. Sorry for the fans,” he said. “Can’t lose these games. This one’s going to hurt for a really long time. That’s all I can really say. I’m sorry.”

The Rebels probably would have had a comfortable lead had it not been for repeated failures inside the 20-yard line. Defensive tackle J.J. Pegues, a 325-pound wrecking ball out of the backfield, was stopped on two fourth-down runs inside the 20-yard line, and Caden Davis missed a 34-yard field goal in the second quarter.

Ole Miss’ drops were egregious, including at least three that probably would have been touchdowns.

Florida was much more efficient. Lagway completed 10 of 17 passes for 180 yards, with an interception. He made three throws with defenders draped all over him.

“Those were the plays of the game,” Napier said.

Johnson had a few of those, too. His 9-yard scoring run from the Wildcat formation was huge and came after he missed most of the past four games.

“I focused on grinding and trying to work my way back,” Johnson said. “Last week I got a couple carries, and this week I shot to the moon.”

Information from ESPN Research and The Associated Press was used in this report.