No Room to Run, So Iowa Passes Purdue : Hawkeyes: Rodgers’ four touchdown passes make up for poor running game as Big Ten leaders win, 38-9.

Matt Rodgers threw four touchdown passes to compensate for a lackluster rushing attack Saturday and lead No. 13 Iowa to a 38-9 Big Ten victory over Purdue.

Iowa, 8-2 overall and 6-1 in the Big Ten, retained its half-game conference lead going into the final game of the season against Minnesota. Purdue (2-8, 1-6) hasn’t won at Kinnick Stadium since 1979.

The Boilermakers held Iowa’s usually potent rushing attack in check, especially when Nick Bell sat out the second half with an ankle injury. Bell, fifth in the conference with 819 yards, gained 32 yards in seven carries.

The Hawkeyes, third in the league in rushing with 245 yards a game, managed only 215, many in the last few series.

Rodgers completed 21 of 28 passes for 255 yards. Rodgers came into the game completing 61% percent of his passes and had nine touchdown passes.

He put Iowa ahead, 7-0, in the first quarter with a seven-yard scoring pass to Tony Stewart. Purdue’s Steve Wambold made it 7-3 in the second quarter with a 39-yard field goal, but the Hawkeyes extended their lead to 14-3 when Rodgers connected with Danan Hughes on a scoring pass 4:13 before halftime.

Rodgers’ 30-yard touchdown throw to Mike Saunders capped a 78-yard drive to open the second half and gave the Hawkeyes a 21-3 margin. Jeff Skillett’s 21-yard field goal made it 24-3.

Rodgers’ last scoring pass was a five-yarder to Robert Smith that gave Iowa a 31-3 lead and followed a 47-yard punt return by Jeff Anttila, putting the the ball on the Purdue 23.

Marvin Lampkin scored on a 15-yard run for Iowa’s final points.

Purdue quarterback Eric Hunter, playing with his right knee heavily bandaged, scored on a seven-yard run around right end with 5:48 left that made it 31-9. Iowa blocked the extra point.

Hunter set two stadium records. His 32 completions broke by one the mark set by Tony Eason of Illinois in 1982, and his 60 attempts surpassed the 49 by Iowa’s Gary Snook against Purdue in 1964.