BIG TEN ROUNDUP : Penn State Wins Conference Debut

Nearly four years after announcing it would join the Big Ten, 17th-ranked Penn State won its first conference game, beating Minnesota, 38-20, Saturday at State College, Pa., as John Sacca threw four touchdown passes to Bobby Engram.

“I feel pretty good. I’d be dishonest if I told you otherwise,” Penn State Coach Joe Paterno said. Penn State announced in December, 1989, that it would join the conference and all other sports already had been integrated into the league.

The season-opener for both teams drew 95,387--1,420 over capacity but not a record.

Sacca completed his first six passes, including touchdown passes of 29, 31 and 20 yards to Engram in the first quarter, and finished 18 of 32 for 274 yards.

Engram, suspended from the team last year after being caught breaking into a State College apartment, marked his return by catching eight passes for 165 yards. His four scores broke the school touchdown receiving record of two, shared by 30 players.

The Nittany Lions clinched the victory on Sacca’s 31-yard touchdown pass to Engram in the fourth quarter--three plays after taking over on a failed fake punt by Minnesota.

“I thought it was there,” Minnesota Coach Jim Wacker said. “I thought we’d run for 30 stinking yards.”

The play gained two yards.

“Jim has a history of trying that stuff,” Paterno said. “We kept alerting the kids that they were going to try something to get back in the game.”

Minnesota quarterback Tim Schade, who played for Wacker when both were at Texas Christian two years ago, completed 34 for 66 passes for 478 yards, but threw four interceptions. Two came inside the Penn State 15 in the last five minutes.

Schade’s 478 yards broke the Minnesota single-game passing mark of 444 yards, set by Mike Hohensee in a 35-31 victory over Ohio State in 1981.

Omar Douglas had 11 catches for 193 yards for Minnesota, a school yardage record. Dwayne McMullen had 186 yards receiving in 1984 against Northwestern.

Iowa 26, Tulsa 25--Ryan Terry’s two-yard touchdown run on fourth down with 53 seconds to play and the ensuing two-point conversion pass gave the the Hawkeyes a victory at Iowa City.

Iowa drove 96 yards for the winning score, spurred by a pass-interference penalty that gave the Hawkeyes a first-and-goal at the six.

On his scoring run, Terry appeared to hesitate as if about to throw an option pass before running it in. Paul Burmeister, who completed four of six passes on the winning drive, then floated the conversion pass past the outstretched arms of three defenders to tight end Scott Slutzker.

No. 18 Ohio State 34, Rice 7--The Buckeyes embarrassed the Owls at Columbus, Ohio, in an ESPN game. It was Rice’s first appearance on national television since 1954.

“I’m real disappointed in our performance because I’m sure we bored the dickens out of that TV audience,” Rice Coach Fred Goldsmith said. “I feel sorry for those ESPN announcers.”

Ohio State did its part in turning the game into a yawner, all but shutting down Rice’s offense while methodically racking up points.

It reached the point where one of the biggest roars from an Ohio Stadium crowd of 89,040 came when a squirrel ran onto the field during the fourth quarter.

Joey Galloway, playing in his first game after missing most of last year because of a knee injury, had three catches for 92 yards, including a 48-yarder for an Ohio State touchdown.

Raymont Harris rushed for 76 yards in 16 carries and had a two-yard touchdown run. Bob Hoying and Bret Powers each threw a touchdown pass for the Buckeyes, who improved to 89-11-4 in openers.

“We’ve got to keep this victory in perspective,” Ohio State Coach John Cooper said. “We’re going to play some teams that are better than Rice.”

The Buckeyes play host to Washington next Saturday.

Rice, coming off its first winning record (6-5) in 29 years, was limited to 115 yards rushing and 154 passing.

Wisconsin 35, Nevada 17--Darrell Bevell passed for a school-record five touchdowns and the Badgers intercepted four passes at Madison, Wis.

Bevell, a 23-year-old sophomore two years removed from a Mormon mission, connected with J.C. Dawkins on scoring pass plays of 49 and 16 yards in the second half as the Badgers pulled away before a crowd of 66,557 at Camp Randall Stadium.

Bevell, who completed 19 of 27 passes for 263 yards, broke the school record of four touchdown passes, shared by Neil Graff, Randy Wright and Mike Howard.

No. 24 North Carolina State 20, Purdue 7--In a torrential rainstorm at Raleigh, N.C., the Wolfpack gave new Coach Mike O’Cain a victory. O’Cain replaced Dick Sheridan, who stepped down in late June.

N.C. State secured the victory with an 80-yard march that was aided by a late-hit call against Purdue on an incomplete pass one a third and nine. Three plays laster, Geoff Bender threw a touchdown pass to Eddie Goines with 4:29 left.

Indiana 27, Toledo 0--John Paci threw for one touchdown and ran for another and the Hoosier defense overpowered Toledo at Bloomington, Ind.