BIG TEN ROUNDUP : Illinois Earns Holiday Bowl Berth, 14-10

In game to determine the Big Ten’s representative in the Holiday Bowl, Jason Verduzco passed for the 40th touchdown of his career to lead Illinois to a 14-10 victory over Michigan State Saturday at Champaign, Ill.

The Illini, 6-5-1 overall and 4-3-1 in the Big Ten, earned a shot at a bowl after tying then-No. 3 Michigan, 22-22, a week ago.

The Spartans (5-6, 5-3), who had a three-game winning streak snapped, would have gone to the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 30 at San Diego had they won.

Illinois will be going to a bowl for the fifth consecutive year.

In the final four minutes, a pass interference call against Illinois cornerback Fimel Johnson in the end zone gave Michigan State the ball on the Illinois two. Three plays later, Craig Thomas scored on a one-yard run with 2:56 to play, cutting the Illini lead to 14-10.

The Spartans got the ball back at the Illini 18 with 2:14 left when safety Damian Manson blocked Forry Wells’ punt. But Michigan State couldn’t manage a first down and Illinois took over on downs at the nine with 33 seconds remaining.

Ahead, 7-3, at halftime, Illinois made it 14-3 on an eight-yard touchdown pass from Verduzco to John Wright with 4:20 remaining in the third quarter. During the 69-yard scoring drive, Michigan State linebacker Matt Christenson picked off a bass but he immediately fumbled the ball away to Illini center Greg Engel at the Spartan 47.

Tico Duckett had 21 carries for 60 yards, all in the first half, to become the first Spartan back with three 1,000-yard rushing seasons.

Michigan State threatened on its first possession, going all the way to the Illinois one, but Thomas fumbled and linebacker Todd Leach recovered.

Minnesota 28, Iowa 13--Backup quarterback Rob St. Sauver threw the first two touchdown passes of his career in the fourth quarter to give the Gophers a Big Ten victory over the Hawkeyes at Minneapolis.

The loss knocked Iowa (5-7, 4-4) out of the Copper Bowl and saddled Coach Hayden Fry with his worst record since 1980. It was the third time the Gophers have beaten Iowa in the last four years.

St. Sauver, filling in for Marquel Fleetwood, who aggravated an ankle injury in the second quarter, led the Gophers (2-9, 2-6) on an 18-point fourth-quarter rally that was sparked by a fake field goal.

On fourth and one at the 28, Minnesota lined up for what appeared to be an attempt to tie the score, 13-13. Instead, the holder, Dean Kaufman, shoveled the ball to Ken McClintock for a 10-yard gain and a first down.

Minnesota went ahead for good on St. Sauver’s two-yard scoring pass to a wide-open Steve Cambrice and iced the victory on its next two possessions, with St. Sauver connecting with Aaron Osterman on a 59-yard touchdown pass play and Mark Smith running five yards for a touchdown.

St. Sauver completed 21 of 32 passes for 261 yards, and Osterman had eight catches for 158 yards.

Purdue 13, Indiana 10--Jimmy Young made a game-saving interception in the end zone and Eric Hunter rushed for a career-high 117 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, as Boilermakers beat the Hoosiers at West Lafayette, Ind., in their annual battle for the Old Oaken Bucket.

Indiana (5-6, 3-5) moved from its 33 to the Purdue six in the final minute before Young picked off Trent Green’s pass and returned it 58 yards.

Green made the tackle on Young and was called for a facemask penalty, which brought Purdue players rushing across the field. A few harmless punches were thrown before officials restored order with 16 seconds to play.

Purdue (4-7, 3-5) had a huge advantage in yards, 410 to 227, but was hurt by 14 penalties for 165 yards.

The final penalty against Purdue put Indiana in position for a game-winning touchdown.

Scott Bonnell’s 39-yard field-goal attempt was blocked, but the Boilermakers were whistled for roughing the kicker, giving Indiana a first down at the 11.

After an incomplete pass, Green’s threw to Dan Thompson to move the ball to the five and set the stage for Young’s interception on third down.

Hunter, who had 16 carries, became the first Purdue quarterback to rush for 100 yards since Bo Bobrowski in the 1973 Old Oaken Bucket game.

Northwestern 27, Wisconsin 25--Len Williams hooked up with Lee Gissendaner on a 58-yard touchdown pass play and then scored the clinching touchdown on a one-yard sneak with 5:17 left at Evanston, Ill., as Wildcats hung to doom Wisconsin’s bowl hopes.

Representatives from the Independence and Freedom bowls were unable to extend invitations as the Badgers fell to 5-6 and 3-5.

Northwestern (3-8, 3-5) won three conference games for the first time since 1973. The Wildcats never trailed, although Wisconsin closed to within two points after Darrell Bevell’s 42-yard touchdown pass play to Lee DeRamus with 4:15 left, and the Badgers converted for two points.

Wisconsin was driving to set up a possible game-winning field goal, but Greg Gill forced Jason Burns to fumble and then recovered.