BIG TEN ROUNDUP : Smith Having Fun Leading Ohio State

The way Robert Smith ran against Indiana on Saturday, it’s easy to see why he is again having fun playing football.

The Ohio State sophomore, who returned to the team after a year’s layoff, rushed for a career-high 175 yards in 19 carries and scored touchdowns on runs of 64 and nine yards in the third quarter as the 19th-ranked Buckeyes beat the Hoosiers, 27-10, in a Big Ten Conference game at Bloomington, Ind.

“I really can’t say enough how much I love these guys; it’s just so much fun to play with them,” said Smith, the 1990 Big Ten freshman of the year who quit the team after questioning his own desire.

He no longer has doubts.

“I don’t think I had trouble with the year off. I’m a much stronger, faster, more intelligent back than I was when I was a freshman,” he said. “I was so green, I really didn’t have the confidence I have now.”

His first touchdown was the longest run by the Buckeyes this season and broke a 3-3 tie early in the third quarter. He scored again six minutes later, three plays after Steve Tovar returned a pass interception 25 yards to the Indiana 11.

“This was Robert Smith’s best ball game,” Ohio State Coach John Cooper said.

Smith’s 175 yards topped his previous best of 171 against Wisconsin in 1990.

Ohio State improved to 8-2 overall and 5-2 in the Big Ten. Indiana is 5-5 and 3-4.

Iowa 56, Northwestern 14--Paul Burmeister, making only his second college start, threw four touchdown passes and Ernest Crank returned an onside kick 43 yards for a score as the Hawkeyes beat the Wildcats in a Big Ten game at Iowa City.

Iowa (5-6, 4-3) won its 19th consecutive game against Northwestern (2-8, 2-5).

Burmeister, who went to high school a mile from the stadium, filled in for injured Jim Hartlieb for the second week in a row. The junior threw two touchdown passes apiece to Alan Cross and Jeff Anttila. He completed 17 of 28 passes for 283 yards before taking a rest in the third quarter with the outcome settled.

Cross and Anttila also had banner days against the No. 9 pass defense in the Big Ten. Cross caught nine passes for 137 yards and Anttila four for 74.

Wisconsin 34, Minnesota 6--Darrell Bevell revived a struggling offense with two touchdown passes to Lee DeRamus, and Brent Moss ran for 137 yards and two touchdowns in 23 carries as the Badgers beat the Golden Gophers at Madison, Wis.

The Badgers (5-5, 3-4) had not won more than two Big Ten games since 1984, when they won five and had a winning season.

Minnesota (1-9, 1-6) lost its 11th consecutive road game as quarterback Marquel Fleetwood was sacked six times.

Bevell hit DeRamus with touchdown passes of 11 yards in the first quarter and seven in the third, and completed 11 of 15 passes for 112 yards.

Moss had one-yard scoring runs in the second and fourth quarters. Rich Thompson also kicked two field goals for the Badgers.

Scouts from the Holiday Bowl watched the game, as did a shivering crowd of 48,754 at Camp Randall Stadium on a windy, bitterly cold afternoon.

Michigan State 35, Purdue 13--Craig Thomas, who scored two short-yardage touchdowns, had an 82-yard run to set up another as the Spartans beat the Boilermakers at East Lansing, Mich.

Defensive end Mike Edwards snared Eric Hunter’s pass and returned it 20 yards for a touchdowns as Michigan State (5-5, 5-2) scored 23 second-half points.

Thomas finished with 127 yards in 15 carries and running mate Tico Duckett had 124 yards in 30 rushes.

Purdue (3-7, 2-5) had only eight first downs and 16 yards rushing in the game, including minus two yards in 15 attempts in the second half.

Because of injuries, Michigan State had to start its No. 4 quarterback, Mill Coleman, usually a wide receiver. He started the second-half blitz with a two-yard touchdown run around the right side.