Michigan snaps Wildcats' win streak

Michigan State ended its losing streak at three, keeping a bowl possibility alive.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Leon Hall returned a fumble recovery 83 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, and No. 25 Michigan won its third straight, shutting out No. 21 Northwestern in the second half on its way to a 33-17 victory Saturday night.
The 17 points were a season-low for the Wildcats (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten), whose three-game win streak ended. Michigan (6-3, 4-2) held an offense that was fourth in the nation, averaging 529.3 yards, to 415 yards and intercepted Brett Basanez twice.
Hall's return increased Michigan's lead to 14-0 about six minutes into the first quarter.
Michigan's Jerome Jackson ran for 105 yards on 24 attempts. And Kevin Grady, starting for Mike Hart, carried 20 times for 64 yards and a touchdown. Hart, fifth in the Big Ten at 113 yards per game, was in uniform but did not play after leaving last week's game against Iowa with a sprained ankle.
Chad Henne completed 17-of-30 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown, but threw three interceptions for the Wolverines.
Basanez, who had just one interception the first seven games, was 26-of-49 for 326 yards. Mark Philmore caught nine for a career-high 139 yards -- six for 137 in the first half -- but Northwestern never established the running game.
No. 15 Wisconsin 41, Illinois 24
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Brian Calhoun ran for 197 yards and five touchdowns as Wisconsin defeated Illinois.
The workhorse running back carried the ball 35 times, his fourth game this season with more than 30 carries. He also caught two passes for 37 yards.
Wisconsin (8-1, 5-1) entered the game tied with No. 11 Penn State atop the conference standings. Illinois (2-6, 0-5) lost its sixth straight despite gaining a season-high 538 yards.
Illinois quarterback Tim Brasic was 20-of-39 for 277 yards and two touchdowns and carried the ball 16 times for 116 yards, leading his team in rushing for the third time this season. Freshman receiver Kyle Hudson caught 10 passes for 114 yards, including a 32-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Wisconsin quarterback John Stocco was 14-of-22 for 225 yards and one TD as the Badgers finished with 464 yards.
Michigan State 46, Indiana 15
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Drew Stanton passed for 244 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for another TD to lead Michigan State over Indiana.
The win keeps bowl hopes alive for the Spartans (5-3, 2-3 Big Ten), who ended a three-game losing streak. Michigan State needs to win one of its last three games to be eligible for a bowl.
The loss hurts postseason chances for the Hoosiers (4-4, 1-4 Big Ten), who haven't been to a bowl since 1993 -- the longest drought in the Big Ten.
Michigan State entered Saturday's game ranked in the top 15 in the nation in five different offensive categories. The Spartans gained 493 yards of total offense against the Hoosiers.
Michigan State also got help from its special teams, as Demond Williams returned the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. Williams also blocked a PAT attempt, which Ashton Watson returned for a defensive two-point conversion to give the Spartans a 25-8 halftime lead.
The Spartan defense contributed with interceptions by SirDarean Adams, Eric Smith and Otis Wiley and a fumble recovery by Brandon Long. Each turnover killed an Indiana drive.
Stanton completed 17 of 31 passes with one interception for the Spartans.
Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.