BIG TEN CONFERENCE Saturday’s games

No. 17 Penn State 30, No. 18 Iowa 24

STATE COLLEGE, PA.

Nick Scott intercepted a pass to thwart Iowa at the Penn State 2 with 3:18 left and the Nittany Lions held on to avoid a third straight home loss. Penn State (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) needed one last defensive stand to hold off Iowa (6-2, 3-2), which got to the Nittany Lions 44 with less than a minute left. On fourth-and-10 with 7 seconds left, Penn State’s pass rush swarmed Nate Stanley, who flipped backward to offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs. The 300-pounder rumbled 15 yards before being dragged down with no time left. It was a fitting end to an odd game with little sustained offense. Iowa scored on two safeties and a touchdown pass by punter Colten Rastetter to defensive tackle Sam Brincks on a faked field goal in the first half.

Michigan State 23, Purdue 13

EAST LANSING, MICH.

Rocky Lombardi threw for 318 yards and two touchdowns in his first start for Michigan State, and the Spartans halted Purdue’s four-game win streak, beating the Boilermakers. With Brian Lewerke out with a shoulder injury, Lombardi guided the offense, and Michigan State (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) didn’t hold back. The redshirt freshman attempted 46 passes and avoided any big mistakes. Matt Coghlin kicked three field goals, and the Spartans held on defensively toward the end. Michigan State’s Mike Panasiuk blocked a field goal with 3:42 remaining, and Jalen Nailor broke free for a 48-yard touchdown reception to put the Spartans up 23-13 with 1:58 to play. David Blough threw for 277 yards for Purdue, but he was intercepted three times, including once while the Boilermakers (4-4, 3-2) were in field goal range in the fourth quarter.

Northwestern 31, No. 20 Wisconsin 17

EVANSTON, ILL.

Clayton Thorson ran for two touchdowns and threw for one, and Northwestern beat Wisconsin. The first-place Wildcats (5-3, 5-1) solidified themselves as contenders for the Big Ten West championship while gaining some revenge for a loss at Camp Randall Stadium early last season that helped prevent them from winning the division. They increased their lead over the Badgers (5-3, 3-2) and Purdue — a 23-13 loser at Michigan State — to 1 1/2 games. Iowa, which began the day tied with the Boilermakers and Wisconsin, visited No. 17 Penn State. With quarterback Alex Hornibrook sidelined by a concussion and the defense without several injured starters, it was simply a rough afternoon for Wisconsin. Northwestern turned two fumbles by star running back Jonathan Taylor and another by quarterback Jack Coan into 17 points on the way to its fourth straight victory.

Maryland 63, Illinois 33

COLLEGE PARK, MD.

Javon Leake rushed for three touchdowns and scored on a 97-yard kickoff return, Kasim Hill had the best passing game of his career and Maryland rolled past Illinois. Leake is the first Maryland player to score four TDs in a game since D.J. Adams in the 2010 Military Bowl. Leake, a sophomore, finished with 140 yards rushing, including scores of 64, 27 and 43 yards. The victory left the Terrapins (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) one win short of becoming bowl eligible, no small feat for a team that was rocked by the death of offensive lineman Jordan McNair and is playing under interim coach Matt Canada since August. Reggie Corbin ran for 155 yards and a touchdown for the Fighting Illini (3-5, 1-4).

Nebraska 45, Bethune-Cookman 9

LINCOLN, NEB.

Adrian Martinez passed for 213 yards and two touchdowns and Devine Ozigbo ran for 110 and another score — all in the first half — and Nebraska prepped for next week’s trip to Ohio State with a win over Bethune-Cookman. The Cornhuskers (2-6) scheduled the Wildcats (4-5) of the Football Championship Subdivision a month ago as a replacement for the Sept. 1 opener against Akron that was canceled because of severe weather. The Wildcats earned an $800,000 guarantee. Stanley Morgan caught seven passes for 82 yards and two touchdowns and JD Spielman ran back a punt 77 yards for a TD and had five receptions for 72 yards.

Associated Press