Wisconsin, Michigan get easy victories

Published 11:27 am Sunday, October 7, 2012

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Joel Stave threw two touchdown passes and Wisconsin’s running game showed signs of life as the Badgers defeated Illinois 31-14 on Saturday.

Stave threw for 254 yards for the Badgers (4-2, 1-1 Big Ten), who rushed for 173 yards — 96 in the fourth quarter.

The offensive struggles of the Illini (2-4, 0-2) continued, with quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase the only positive. He finished with 178 yards passing and 84 rushing as Illinois gained 287 yards overall.

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Michigan 44, Purdue 14

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson rushed 24 times for 235 yards, threw for one touchdown and helped lead the Wolverines to a 44-13 rout at Purdue.

He also had three runs of 35 yards or longer and consistently moved the Wolverines (3-2, 1-0 Big Ten) into scoring position on another milestone day.

Robinson became the Big Ten’s career rushing leader among quarterbacks, passing Indiana’s Antwaan Randle El (3,895) midway through the fourth quarter. Robinson now has 3,905 yards and broke a tie with Kent State’s Josh Cribbs to move into fifth place in NCAA history for yards rushing among quarterbacks. Robinson also moved up to fifth on the school’s career rushing list, passing Chris Perry and Butch Woolfolk, and fourth on Michigan’s career passing list, passing Todd Collins.

And he never even give Purdue (3-2, 0-1) a chance.

Penn State 39, Northwestern 28

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Quarterback Matt McGloin had the go-ahead score with a 5-yard touchdown run with 2:37 left and Penn State rallied from 11 points down in fourth quarter to beat No. 24 Northwestern 39-28 on Saturday.

The Nittany Lions scored three times in the final 9:49, starting with McGloin’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Allen Robinson as the receiver dragged along the back line of the end zone. Michael Zordich had a 2-point conversion run to get within 28-25 before McGloin’s scramble into the end zone sent the homecoming weekend crowd into a frenzy.

Penn State (4-2, 2-0 Big Ten) then stuffed Northwestern’s last-gasp drive after Trevor Siemian’s pass for Kain Colter was tipped away on fourth down.

Michigan State 31, Indiana 27

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Andrew Maxwell passed for 290 yards and two touchdowns, and Michigan State rallied from a 17-point deficit to defeat Indiana 31-27 on Saturday.

Aaron Burbridge caught eight passes for 134 yards and LeVeon Bell ran for 121 yards and two touchdowns on 37 carries for the Spartans (4-2, 1-1 Big Ten), who were coming off a 17-16 loss to No. 12 Ohio State.

Cameron Coffman passed for 282 yards and three touchdowns and Shane Wynn had 12 catches for 70 yards for the Hoosiers (2-3, 0-2), who led 27-17 at the end of the third quarter. Indiana could have given second-year coach Kevin Wilson his first conference win, but the Hoosiers went three-and-out on critical back-to-back possessions in the fourth quarter.

Michigan State, which gave up nearly 200 yards in the first quarter, held Indiana to 37 yards and two first downs in the second half.