SATURDAY’S OTHER BIG TEN GAMES

No. 3 Notre Dame 31, Northwestern 21

EVANSTON, ILL.

Ian Book threw for threw two touchdown passes and ran 23 yards for a score in the closing minutes to lead No. 3 Notre Dame to a victory over Northwestern. Book threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to a leaping Miles Boykin in the corner of the end zone and a 47-yarder to Michael Young in the third to give the Irish a 21-7 lead. He sealed it in the closing minutes when he turned up the left side for that 23-yard run. But things sure got close prior to that run. It was 24-7 early in the fourth when Northwestern’s Clayton Thorson threw a 27-yard touchdown to Riley Lees. Cameron Ruiz then blocked a punt by Tyler Newsome, giving the Wildcats possession on the Notre Dame 17. That led to a 1-yard sneak by Thorson, cutting it to 24-21 with 7:05 left. Book improved to 6-0 as the starter, going 22 of 34 for 343 yards. Chase Claypool had eight receptions for 130 yards, and Dexter Williams ran for a 1-yard touchdown in the first quarter.

No. 5 Michigan 42, No. 14 Penn State 7

ANN ARBOR, MICH.

Shea Patterson accounted for three touchdowns and Michigan put together a dominant performance on defense in a rout of Penn State. The Wolverines (8-1, 6-0 Big Ten, No. 5 CFP) moved a step closer toward their goals of winning a conference championship for the first time since 2004 and earning their first spot in the College Football Playoff. The Nittany Lions (6-3, 3-3, No. 14 CFP) scored with 1:59 left, avoiding getting shut out for the first time since 2001 against Michigan. Karan Higdon ran for 132 yards and a score that put the Wolverines up 35-0 early in the fourth quarter.

Michigan’s defense held Penn State to 186 yards and forced three turnovers, including Tommy Stevens’ interception that was returned 62 yards by Brandon Watson for its second score in the final minute of the third quarter. The Nittany Lions started banged-up quarterback Trace McSorley and he was 5 of 13 for 83 yards with an interception and a fumble.

Michigan State 24, Maryland 3

COLLEGE PARK, MD.

Michigan State capped a rough week for the unsettled Maryland football program, using a stout defensive performance to defeat the punchless Terrapins. Connor Heyward ran for 157 yards and two touchdowns to help the Spartans (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten) become a bowl eligible for the second year in a row following a 3-9 stumble in 2016. The Terrapins (5-4, 3-3) managed only 100 yards and nine first downs for interim coach and offensive coordinator Matt Canada. It was a sobering ending to a bizarre week for Maryland.

Purdue 38, No. 19 Iowa 36

WEST LAFAYETTE, IND.

Spencer Evans made a 25-yard field goal with 8 seconds left Saturday, giving Purdue an upset of Iowa and putting the Boilermakers back in the Big Ten’s West Division title hunt. David Blough threw three touchdown passes to Terry Wright and topped the 300-yard mark for the fifth time this season. The Boilermakers (5-4, 4-2 Big Ten) have won five of their last six and beat their third ranked team this season — the first time they’ve achieved that feat since 2003 — to move within one game of division leader Northwestern. The Hawkeyes (6-3, 3-3) lost their second straight road game despite Nate Stanley’s big day. The junior quarterback threw for 275 yards with one TD and ran for another.

Wisconsin 31, Rutgers 17

MADISON, WIS.

Jonathan Taylor rushed for 208 yards and three touchdowns, and Wisconsin played smash-mouth football in the second half to run away from Rutgers. Ryan Connelly led a strong effort from the front seven with eight tackles, while Andrew Van Ginkel blocked a field-goal attempt for the Badgers (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten). Starting quarterback Alex Hornibrook left the game at halftime because of a head injury, a week after missing a loss at Northwestern while in the concussion protocol.

Illinois 55, Minnesota 31

CHAMPAIGN, ILL.

Reggie Corbin rushed for 213 yards and two touchdowns — both coming on runs of more than 70 yards — as Illinois defeated Minnesota. Corbin became the first Illini player to rush for two 70-yard-plus touchdowns in a single game since 1944. Minnesota (4-5, 1-5) had trouble all game stopping the run, giving up 430 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. The 55 points were the most points for Illinois (4-5, 2-4 Big Ten) since Smith took over as head coach before the 2016 season.

Associated Press