Michigan State beats Purdue, sniffs bowl

Even a home win over the Big Ten’s worst team couldn’t come easy for Iowa.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Brian Hoyer passed for 266 yards and two touchdowns, and Michigan State beat Purdue 48-31 on Saturday to end a three-game losing streak and become bowl eligible.

Michigan State’s Devin Thomas caught 10 passes for 116 yards to set a school record for catches in a season with 68, and Jehuu Caulcrick ran for 77 yards and two touchdowns. Caulcrick’s 20 rushing scores make him the school’s all-time single-season leader.

SirDean Adams led Michigan State’s defense with two interceptions.

Purdue gained 517 yards, but had three costly turnovers. Curtis Painter passed for 344 yards, but he threw the picks to Adams, which led to 10 points.

Purdue’s Kory Sheets caught a touchdown pass, ran for a score and finished with 121 total yards.

Purdue stumbled with representatives from the Capital One, Outback, Champs Sports, Alamo, Motor City and Insight Bowls present.

Michigan State led 31-21 at halftime.

Purdue kicker Chris Summers made a 32-yard field goal to cut Michigan State’s lead to 31-24 with 7:05 left in the third quarter.

Michigan State ran a fake field goal late in the third quarter. Purdue got the stop, but Mike Neal was called for a 15-yard facemask penalty, giving the Spartans a first down at the Purdue 12. Brett Swenson kicked a 23-yard field goal to make it a 34-24 lead six seconds into the fourth quarter.

Michigan State’s Otis Wiley hit Purdue’s Dorien Bryant after a catch and forced a fumble. Travis Key recovered and ran 20 yards for a touchdown to give the Spartans a 41-24 lead.

Painter threw a screen pass to Sheets, and he turned it into a 41-yard touchdown that cut the Spartans’ lead to 41-31 with 13:05 to play.

Iowa 21, Minnesota 16

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Even a home win over the Big Ten’s worst team couldn’t come easy for Iowa.

Albert Young rushed for 92 yards and two touchdowns, Jake Christensen added 157 yards passing the Hawkeyes became bowl eligible with a victory over Minnesota on Saturday.

Iowa (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten) reclaimed the “Floyd of Rosedale,” a bronze pig given annually to the winner, with its sixth victory in seven tries over rival Minnesota (1-10, 0-7).

Iowa had rallied from early 14-point deficits for wins in each of the past two weeks to keep their bowl hopes alive. The Hawkeyes reversed the trend against the Gophers, racing out to a 21-7 lead before nearly giving it away.

Minnesota scored with 1:38 left, and Iowa needed a stop on a two-point conversion and an onside kick recovery to seal its third straight win.

“We’re not playing perfect, but we’re playing better. The constant is that the attitude has been good,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. “The bottom line is we’re executing a little better.”

Iowa finishes the season against Western Michigan next week in search of their seventh win, which it will likely need to clinch a bowl bid.

Northwestern 31, Indiana 28

EVANSTON, Ill. — C.J. Bacher hit Ross Lane on a 3-yard touchdown pass with 44 seconds to go, capping a 73-yard drive and lifting Northwestern to victory.

Indiana had driven 80 yards with Kellen Lewis passing to James Hardy for a 5-yard TD to put the Hoosiers ahead 28-24 with 5:34 left.

But Bacher hit Tyrell Sutton on a 17-yard pass, Sutton had a 10-yard run, Lane caught a 15-yarder and Bacher took off for 10 yards to move the ball to the 11, setting up the final TD.