BIG TEN ROUNDUP : Buckeyes Win Big, Take On Iowa Next

Ohio State tuned up for next Saturday’s Big Ten showdown against No. 13 Iowa by routing Northwestern, 48-7, Saturday at Columbus, Ohio.

“I told our squad to enjoy this victory tonight,” Ohio State Coach John Cooper said, “because starting tomorrow afternoon everything will be about Iowa. We probably won’t even look at this film tomorrow. . . . Maybe we ought to start working on (Iowa) tonight, as good as they are.”

The Buckeyes will play the Hawkeyes at Iowa City.

Ohio State was never threatened against the Wildcats, scoring on its first six possessions. Raymont Harris scored two touchdowns and Kent Graham came on to throw a pair of touchdown passes as the Wildcats were assured of their 19th consecutive losing season.

“The best thing about the ballgame was that we won handily, we played a lot of players and didn’t have any serious injuries,” said Cooper.

Greg Frey sustained bruised ribs during a third-quarter sack, but Cooper said he expected his senior quarterback to be available for Iowa.

Ohio State improved to 5-2-1 overall and 3-1-1 in the Big Ten by winning its third game in a row. Northwestern is 2-6 and 1-4.

Robert Smith rushed for 128 yards in 23 attempts for the Buckeyes, who built a 27-7 lead at the half.

No. 20 Michigan 38, Purdue 13--Allen Jefferson scored three touchdowns on short runs, but it was the Wolverines’ special teams that did the most damage in this Big Ten game at West Lafayette, Ind.

Dwayne Ware scored once on a blocked punt and recovered a fumbled kickoff to set up another score for the Wolverines (5-3, 3-2).

“We’ve always said and every coach will tell you, you can’t overemphasize the importance of special teams,” said Michigan Coach Gary Moeller.

Purdue’s Fred Akers, whose team dropped to 1-7 and 0-5, said: “Mistakes in the kicking game in the first half usually are disastrous. Those really were.”

Ware went 17 yards after Dave Ritter’s block and recovered a fumble of the ensuing kickoff that set up a 16-yard touchdown pass play from Elvis Grbac to Desmond Howard.

Jefferson, who carried the ball only six times for 24 yards, scored on runs of two and three yards and one yard.

The Wolverines, who intercepted two Eric Hunter passes in the first half, led 31-6 at halftime.

Michigan State 45, Indiana 20--Hyland Hickson ran for 170 yards and scored three second-half touchdowns as the Spartans overcame a shaky first half and beat the Hoosiers in a Big Ten game at East Lansing, Mich.

Tico Duckett ran for 150 yards and a touchdown for Michigan State (4-3-1, 3-2), and quarterback Dan Enos added two short touchdown runs.

Indiana (4-3-1, 1-3-1) took advantage of Michigan State turnovers to lead, 20-17, at halftime. But it was Indiana’s turn to blunder in the third quarter. Ernie Thompson fumbled at the Hoosier 46 and the Spartans were in the end zone seven plays later, with Hickson scoring from 13 yards out.

Hickson then capped a 64-yard drive with an eight-yard run to put Michigan State ahead 31-20.

A fumble by Indiana’s Vaughn Dunbar was recovered by linebacker Dixon Edwards at the Indiana 39, and Michigan State scored four plays later on a 15-yard run by Duckett to lead 38-20.

Indiana’s last serious comeback bid ended when, after driving 53 yards to the Michigan State 27, Thompson was thrown for a two-yard loss on fourth and one.

Minnesota 21, Wisconsin 3--Tailback Mark Smith scored two touchdowns and Chuck Rios added a third and the Gophers held the Badgers to 36 yards rushing at Madison, Wis.

The victory keeps Minnesota’s Big Ten championship hopes alive. The Gophers are 5-3 and 4-1.

Smith, a freshman, rushed for 73 yards in 20 carries and scored on a four-yard run in the first quarter and on a 16-yard shuffle pass from Scott Schaffner in the fourth.

Wisconsin is 1-7, 0-5.

This was the 100th meeting between these two schools. Minnesota leads the series, 55-37-8.