Big ten conference games from saturday

Penn State 43, No. 18 Michigan 40, 4 OT

STATE COLLEGE, PA.

Bill Belton ran for a 2-yard touchdown in the fourth overtime to lift Penn State past Michigan in maybe the biggest win in coach Bill O’Brien’s two seasons with the Nittany Lions. Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg was sensational in regulation on the tying drive, completing passes of 29 yards to Brandon Felder and 33 yards to Allen Robinson to bring the ball to the 1 with 29 seconds left. The freshman quarterback sneaked in for the first rushing TD against Michigan this season, tying the game at 34-all. Brendan Gibbons kicked two field goals and missed two — one was blocked — in OT for the Wolverines (5-1, 1-1).

Nebraska 44, Purdue 7

WEST LAFAYETTE, IND.

Ameer Abdullah ran for 126 yards and a touchdown to help Nebraska. Terrell Newby ran for 61 yards and Imani Cross added 56 yards and two touchdowns for the Cornhuskers (5-1, 2-0 Big Ten). Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez sat out with a turf toe injury. Tommy Armstrong Jr. started and completed just 6 of 18 passes for 43 yards with three interceptions. Ron Kellogg III stepped in and completed 10 of 13 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown.

Michigan State 42, Indiana 28

EAST LANSING, MICH.

Jeremy Langford scored four touchdowns, and Michigan State recovered from an early defensive breakdown to beat Indiana. The Spartans (5-1, 2-0 Big Ten) prevailed in a matchup between their top-ranked defense and Indiana’s fast-paced offense. Tevin Coleman scored on a 64-yard run for the Hoosiers (3-3, 1-1) just 61 seconds into the game, but Michigan State took control shortly after halftime. Indiana’s Nate Sudfeld went 14 of 30 for 137 yards, although backup Tre Roberson threw two touchdown passes. Indiana came in ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten in total offense, but Michigan State had the nation’s top-ranked defense. Langford finished with 109 of Michigan State’s 238 yards rushing. His 32-yard touchdown made it 35-21 with 3:23 left in the third quarter.

Wisconsin 35, No. 19 Northwestern 6

MADISON, WIS.

Melvin Gordon ran for a 71-yard touchdown and Chris Borland led a fierce defense that figured out Northwestern’s high-octane offense. The Badgers (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) had seven sacks before a raucous homecoming weekend crowd. Jared Abbrederis burned the secondary for a 63-yard touchdown reception before leaving with a head injury. Northwestern (4-2, 0-2) the league’s peskiest defense, forced three more turnovers to increase its season total to 17. The Wildcats just couldn’t turn those mistakes into points. And they were doomed by the big plays by Gordon and Abbrederis. Gordon had 22 carries for 172 yards and the long run that gave Wisconsin a three-possession lead before halftime. Do-everything quarterback Kain Colter was held to 10 yards rushing.

Staff report