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Big Ten roundup
Big Ten Game of the Week
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No. 16 Michigan 31, No. 6 Penn State 27 |
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Tom Brady's 11-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Knight with 1:46 left lifted the Wolverines to a wild victory at Penn State -- Michigan's third triumph in a row over the Nittany Lions. Michigan (8-2, 5-2 Big Ten) gave up a 10-point lead, then scored two touchdowns in less than two minutes to hand Penn State -- a national title contender two weeks ago -- its second straight loss. That will probably drop the Nittany Lions from one of the elite bowls, and could carve out a spot for the Wolverines in the Fiesta Bowl.
First, Brady capped a 12-play, 81-yard drive by scrambling for a 5-yard touchdown, pulling Michigan within 27-24 with 3:26 left. After Penn State went three-and-out, DiAllo Johnson returned the punt 24 yards to the Penn State 35. Brady hit Knight with a 17-yard pass on third down to set up the TD that won the game. Kevin Thompson drove Penn State to the Michigan 34 with a minute left, but Ian Gold stripped him of the ball and the Wolverines recovered.
Penn State (9-2, 5-2) rushed for seven yards on 20 carries, worst under Paterno. Still, the Lions rallied from a 17-7 second-half deficit to take a 27-17 lead … only to have the Wolverines scramble back as well. |
Other Big Ten action
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Illinois 46, No. 25 Ohio St. 20 |
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Illinois qualified for its first bowl in five years, and Ohio State secured its worst season since 1988. Kurt Kittner sliced up the Buckeyes with four touchdown passes as the Fighting Illini locked up a winning season. It marks the first time that the Illini (6-4, 3-4) has ever beaten Michigan and Ohio State on the road in the same season. It was the most points surrendered by Ohio State in Ohio Stadium since Michigan hung a 58-6 loss on the Buckeyes in 1946.
The loss prevented the Buckeyes (6-5, 3-4 Big Ten) from locking up a winning record. Ohio State must win at Michigan next week for a winning season to meet the minimum requirement to play in a bowl. Illinois (6-4, 3-4), which has won three of its last four, and Ron Turner should qualify for national coach-of-the-year status. |
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No. 17 Michigan St. 34, Northwestern 0 |
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The only thing missing from T.J. Turner's day was a turn at quarterback. The linebacker returned a fumble for a touchdown, intercepted a pass to set up another score, and had a sack as the Spartans rolled (8-2, 5-2 Big Ten). Plaxico Burress caught 35-yard TD passes from both Bill Burke and Ryan Van Dyke, and also had an 84-yard scoring reception. Burke's scoring pass to Burress in the second quarter was the 43rd of his career, tying him for MSU career record. Burke left the game after that series with a bruised pectoral muscle and did not return. He was 3-of-7 for 39 yards with one interception.
Burress finished with five catches for 164 yards, and his three TD receptions give him a career-high nine for the season. But by beating Ohio State for the second year in a row and hammering Northwestern (3-7, 1-6), the Spartans seem to be back where they were when they started the season 6-0 -- and they finish the season at home against Penn State next week. |
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No. 9 Wisconsin 41, Iowa 3 |
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On the biggest day in Wisconsin football history, Ron Dayne ran Ricky Williams out of the record books and the Badgers rolled on to the Rose Bowl. Dayne broke the major-college career rushing record and Wisconsin claimed the outright Big Ten title as Wisconsin routed Iowa. Dayne broke Williams' record with 4:32 left in the second quarter on a 31-yard run toward the Wisconsin sideline. He finished the game with 216 yards rushing and a touchdown on 27 carries, giving him 6,397 yards for his career, or 118 more than the 6,279 Williams gained at Texas.
The Badgers (9-2, 7-1) finished their regular season by winning seven straight games and clinching a return trip to the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1. Wisconsin, which beat UCLA 38-31 in Pasadena last year, will be playing in consecutive Rose Bowls for the first time in school history. Wisconsin led 27-3 at halftime and was never challenged by the Hawkeyes (1-9, 0-7), who lost their seventh straight. Chris Chambers caught two touchdown passes, and quarterbacks Brooks Bollinger and Matt Kavanagh rushed for TDs. |
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No. 20 Minnesota 44, Indiana 20 |
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Thomas Hamner rushed 34 times for 174 yards and quarterback Billy Cockerham added 111 yards rushing to overcome a shaky day throwing the ball and lift the Gophers to their seventh victory -- the first time they have reached that mark in 14 seasons. Behind a 20-0 fourth-quarter blitz, the Gophers (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten), handed the Hoosiers (4-6, 3-4) their fifth straight losing season.
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