BIG TEN ROUNDUP : Buckeyes Rebound to Defeat Wisconsin

Marlon Kerner intercepted two passes and Ohio State’s defense, pounded for 63 points at Penn State a week ago, dominated throughout as the Buckeyes defeated Wisconsin, 24-3, Saturday at Columbus, Ohio.

Penn State scored the most points against a Buckeye team since 1902. Along the way, the Nittany Lions piled up 303 yards rushing and 572 total yards.

But Wisconsin was limited to 203 yards, including only 49 on the ground. Wisconsin’s tailback tandem of Brent Moss and Terrell Fletcher, averaging 237 yards a game coming in, was held to 77 yards in 20 attempts.

The game was a rematch of last year’s co-champions of the Big Ten.

Wisconsin fell to 4-4-1 overall and 3-3-1 in the Big Ten.

The victory left Ohio State (7-3, 4-2) tied for second in the Big Ten, two games back of Penn State with games remaining at Indiana and against Michigan.

Wisconsin was coming off an impressive 31-19 victory over Michigan but was held without a touchdown for the first time in 25 games.

After holding the Badgers to only 51 yards in the first half while building a 10-3 lead, Ohio State broke the game open as its defense picked off Darrell Bevell passes on all three Wisconsin possessions of the third quarter.

Michigan State 35, Northwestern 17--Duane Goulbourne ran for 181 yards and two touchdowns in 36 carries and Scott Greene gained 142 yards in 13 carries and scored twice to lead the Spartans to a Big Ten victory at Evanston, Ill.

The victory gave a lift to embattled Michigan State Coach George Perles, who reportedly will soon be asked to step down.

“We tried to play hard regardless. We’re still trying to win for coach but we’re trying to win for ourselves, too,” Goulbourne said. “We have to finish up with a good season.”

Said Perles: “They played with great emotion. And somehow, some way I think they played a little harder for their coaches.”

Michigan State (4-5, 3-3) led, 21-14, at halftime after jumping to a 13-0 lead. Northwestern (3-5-1, 2-4), which finished winless at home, rallied with late second-quarter touchdowns, one after a bad snap on a punt by Michigan State.

The Wildcats then pulled to within 21-17 on Sam Valenzisi’s 51-yard field goal with 6:48 left in the third quarter.

The next time the Wildcats got the ball, punter Paul Burton, noticing there were only 10 Michigan State players on the field, ran with the ball on a fake but was stopped short of a first down.

Michigan State then moved 50 yards in seven plays with Goulbourne scoring on a third-down run of 16 yards with 1:06 left in the quarter. That made it 28-17.

Illinois 21, Minnesota 17--Ty Douthard hurdled two yards into the end zone with 1:10 to play for his second touchdown of the game, capping a 15-point fourth quarter comeback that gave the Illini (6-3, 4-2) a Big Ten victory at Minneapolis.

Douthard lost the ball after crossing the goal line and it was recovered by the Gophers--for naught as it turned out, since officials ruled it a touchdown anyway.

Douthard’s run ended a 10-play, 71-yard drive highlighted by a 17-yard pass from Johnny Johnson to Ken Dilger on third-and-14 from the 20.

The Illini still had their work cut out for them after Rishon Early returned the ensuing kickoff 75 yards to the Illinois 25. But Kevin Hardy forced Chris Darkins’ fumble at the five and Dana Howard recovered.

Minnesota (3-6, 1-5) led, 17-6, going into the fourth quarter.