Big ten conference football | Saturday’s other games

Illinois 47, Northwestern 33

EVANSTON, ILL.

Reilly O’Toole passed for 147 yards and three touchdowns and also ran for 147 yards, Josh Ferguson had a pair of rushing scores and Illinois took advantage of five Northwestern turnovers. Illinois (6-6, 3-5 Big Ten) is bowl eligible for the first time since 2011 and the win may end speculation that coach Tim Beckman could lose his job in his third season. Northwestern (5-7, 3-5) was led by freshman running back Justin Jackson, who had 130 yards on 24 carries and two touchdowns. The Wildcats, though, couldn’t overcome five turnovers by quarterback Zack Oliver, who was starting in place of injured Trevor Siemian. Oliver finished with 221 yards passing, but much of it came after the outcome had been decided. He had just 9 yards in the first half.

Indiana 23, Purdue 16

BLOOMINGTON, IND.

Indiana quarterback Zander Diamont scored on a 1-yard TD run with 27 seconds left. The Hoosiers (4-8, 1-7 Big Ten) snapped a six-game losing streak and held onto the Old Oaken Bucket for the second straight year — the first time they’ve done that since 1993-94. Tevin Coleman ran 29 times for 130 yards, becoming the first Hoosiers player and the 18th in Football Bowl Subdivision history to top the 2,000-yard mark. He finished the season with 2,036 yards. Purdue (3-9, 1-7) led 13-3 early in the third quarter but managed only one field goal the rest of the way. Akeem Hunt ran for a career high 171 yards, 82 coming on the touchdown run that made it a 10-point game. But Indiana scored the final 10 points to hand Purdue its seventh straight loss. It was an abysmal start for the Hoosiers, who couldn’t turn Purdue’s first three turnovers into points and had only four first downs at halftime. But in the second half, the Hoosiers ratcheted up the tempo and it paid off. Austin Appleby’s first pass of the second half was picked off by Indiana’s Tegray Scales. On the ensuing drive, Purdue linebacker Danny Ezechukwu was ejected on a third-down play for making contact with an official. The penalty gave Indiana a new set of downs inside the red zone, and the Hoosiers took advantage with a 23-yard field goal from Griffin Oakes. Diamont finished 15 of 24 for 119 yards and ran 11 times for 34 yards. Appleby was 19 of 35 for 123 yards with three interceptions.

Rutgers 41, Maryland 38

COLLEGE PARK, MD.

Gary Nova threw for 347 yards and four touchdowns, and Rutgers rallied from a 25-point deficit to beat Maryland. The Scarlet Knights (7-5, 3-5 Big Ten) trailed 35-10 late in the first half before scoring touchdowns on four straight possessions to pull even. Rutgers took its first lead when Kyle Federico kicked a 25-yard field goal with 6:14 left, and Maryland (7-5, 4-4) couldn’t come back. After Brad Craddock failed on a 54-yard field goal attempt, his first miss in 19 tries this season, the Terrapins recovered a fumble at the Rutgers 45 with 2:54 remaining. But Brandon Ross was stuffed for no gain on a fourth-and-1, dooming the Terrapins to an unsightly defeat on Senior Day. Nova completed 28 of 42 passes and three receivers finished with more than 100 yards. Janarion Grant had eight catches for 105 yards; Andre Patton had eight receptions for 101 yards and two touchdowns; and Leonte Carroo caught six passes for 104 yards and two scores. Playing his final home game at Maryland, sixth-year quarterback C.J. Brown went 14 for 24 for 195 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 107 yards and a score. Ross had 108 yards rushing on 10 carries and scored twice. The victory was only the second for Rutgers in its last six games. It did, however, assure the Scarlet Knights a winning record overall in their first season in the Big Ten. Moments after honoring 22 seniors before their final home game, the Terrapins took the opening kickoff and put together a drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by Brown. After Rutgers kicked a field goal, Brown opened the second quarter with a quick pass to Amba Etta-Tawo, who made the catch in stride while cutting across the middle and pulled away for a 71-yard score.

Associated Press