BIG TEN Saturday’s other games

Wisconsin 33, Indiana 3

MADISON, Wis. — Backup Lance Smith ran for two touchdowns after P.J. Hill left with an injury, helping Wisconsin to extend a home winning streak to 13 games. Hill, the nation’s ninth-leading rusher at 126.1 yards per game, scored a touchdown and ran for 57 yards on 12 carries before leaving the game in the first quarter. Smith picked up the slack with 79 yards on 15 carries, scoring twice in the second half to put the game out of reach. Wisconsin (7-2, 3-2 Big Ten) was determined not to let Indiana run its explosive spread offense, and the Hoosiers had their worst output of the season after coming in averaging 35.4 points. Indiana, a loser of three straight games, is trying to become bowl eligible for the first time since 1993. Indiana (5-4, 2-4) appeared to finally get a break in the third quarter while trailing 17-3 when Marcus Thigpen got around end for an 84-yard touchdown run, but wide receiver James Hardy was flagged for holding.

Purdue 35, Northwestern 17

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Jaycen Taylor ran for a career-high of 157 yards and two touchdowns. Taylor, in his second game back after missing four weeks with a broken left arm, gained 114 yards on 15 carries in the second half. Curtis Painter passed for 182 yards and two touchdowns and Dorien Bryant caught seven passes for 65 yards and a touchdown for Purdue. Bryant moved to second place on the Big Ten’s all-time receptions list. He has 269 catches and trails only Purdue’s Taylor Stubblefield, who caught 325 passes from 2001-2004. Northwestern quarterback C.J. Bacher passed for 208 yards and a touchdown, but he threw three interceptions. He had passed for at least 361 yards in his previous three games, all wins for the Wildcats. Purdue (7-2, 3-2 Big Ten) clinched a winning season and positioned itself to contend for a major bowl bid. Northwestern (5-4, 2-3) missed out on a chance to become bowl eligible. Amando Villareal made an 18-yard field goal to give Northwestern a 17-14 advantage, its only lead of the game, with 6:56 left in the third quarter.

Iowa 34, Michigan State 27, 2OT

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Third-string running back Jevon Pugh scored on a 1-yard run in double overtime. Albert Young had 179 yards rushing and two touchdowns for Iowa (4-5, 2-4 Big Ten), which had rallied from a 17-3 halftime deficit. Michigan State tied the game at 20 on a 29-yard field goal by Brett Swenson with four seconds left in regulation. Young ran 12 yards to put Iowa at the 1 in the second overtime before Pugh, a freshman, gave the Hawkeyes a 34-27 lead. The Spartans (5-4, 1-4) reached the Iowa 9 on their second-overtime possession, but quarterback Brian Hoyer was sacked on third down for a 7-yard loss. On fourth down, Hoyer found Devin Thomas in the flat but he was stopped well short of the first down. Michigan State’s Javon Ringer rumbled for 18 yards in the first overtime to put the Spartans at the 3, and Jehuu Caulcrick’s TD run gave them a 27-20 lead. Iowa answered with a 23-yard touchdown reception by Paul Chaney Jr. to force double OT.

Illinois 28, Ball State 17

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois secured bowl eligibility for the first time since the 2001 season, coming from behind to beat Ball State behind 189 yards and a pair of touchdowns from Rashard Mendenhall. The Illini (6-3, 3-2) led just 7-3 at halftime and trailed 10-7 during the third quarter. But Mendenhall and quarterback Juice Williams ground out the win for Illinois. Mendenhall had just over 100 yards by halftime and went over 1,000 yards for the season. Mendenhall touched the ball once and gained nothing during Illinois’ first two possessions, both three-and-outs. His first touchdown, a 2-yard run up the middle, came early in the second quarter and put Illinois up 7-0. His last one was the game-winner. Mendenhall took a handoff from Williams, found nothing inside, then bounced out around the right end and into open space before slicing into the corner of the end zone.

Associated Press