BIG TEN ROUNDUP : Michigan’s Wheatley Too Much for Iowa

A crowd of 106,132 jammed Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor to see the return of Elvis. What they got was even better: The Tyrone Wheatley show.

Wheatley, in 19 carries, rushed for 224 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 4 Michigan to a 52-28 Big Ten victory over Iowa on Saturday.

“Speed kills, and he has it,” tight end Tony McGee said. “That’s all you can say. He’s an incredible athlete and I feel privileged just to be able to step on the field with him.”

The Wolverines, 3-0-1 overall and 1-0 in the Big Ten, have won 14 consecutive Big Ten games and are seeking their fifth consecutive conference title.

“That was the finest running attack I have ever seen,” Iowa Coach Hayden Fry said. “I don’t know how to explain it. I just couldn’t believe it.”

Elvis Grbac, returning to the Michigan lineup after missing two games because of an injured left ankle, completed 11 of 17 passes for 101 yards and one touchdown, with two interceptions.

Michigan had a 38-6 lead after Wheatley’s 82-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter.

But Jim Hartlieb brought the Hawkeyes back with two touchdown passes, cutting the margin to 38-22 before the Wolverines got on track again.

Hartlieb completed 25 of 39 passes for 308 yards with three interceptions for Iowa (1-4, 0-1).

Michigan State 42, Indiana 31--Tailback Craig Thomas scored four touchdowns, including a two-yarder with 3:59 left that gave the Spartans their first lead at East Lansing, Mich.

Thomas finished with 103 yards in 17 carries, with 52 coming on touchdown runs of 19, 20, 11, and two yards in the Big Ten opener for both teams.

His running mate, Tico Duckett, had 142 yards in 20 rushes and scored an insurance touchdown on a 34-yard run with 3:29 left as Michigan State improved to 1-3.

Indiana (2-2) led, 21-14, at halftime on a 58-yard reverse by wide receiver Thomas Lewis, a 31-yard return of a blocked punt by Damon Watts and a nine-yard touchdown pass from Green to Lewis.

Northwestern 28, Purdue 14--Lee Gissendaner caught touchdown passes on plays of 70 and 21 yards and had a 72-yard punt return to set up another score as the Wildcats beat the Boilermakers at West Lafayette, Ind.

It was the first victory in a Big Ten opener for Northwestern since 1983 and its first victory in 15 trips to Ross-Ade Stadium, dating to 1950.

Northwestern (1-3, 1-0) scored twice in 57 seconds to take the lead for good in the second quarter, and it was 21-7 at halftime.

Purdue (1-3, 0-1) then had its comeback hopes stymied as Northwestern intercepted Matt Pike twice in the third quarter

Minnesota 18, Illinois 17--Marquel Fleetwood directed two fourth-quarter drives and passed to Omar Douglas for a two-point conversion with 3:54 left, rallying the Gophers over the Illini in a Big Ten opener at Minneapolis.

It was the first win in 10 tries for the Gophers (1-3).

Illinois is 2-2.

Minnesota trailed, 17-3, but Fleetwood led an 81-yard drive, converting four times on third down, once on his 18-yard scramble to the six. From there, he passed to Douglas for a touchdown to make it 17-10 with 7:05 left.

A 27-yard touchdown pass play to Chris Darkins made it 17-16. On the conversion, the Gophers flooded one side and Fleetwood threw to Douglas in the opposite corner of the end zone.