Michigan State Is Off to Best Start Since ’66

Sedrick Irvin rushed for a career-high 178 yards and two touchdowns and returned a punt for a score as No. 11 Michigan State defeated Indiana, 38-6, on Saturday at Bloomington, Ind.

Irvin, who totaled 306 yards in rushing, punt returns and receptions, set up his first touchdown with a 51-yard run in the second quarter and scored his second on a career-long 56-yard run on the Spartans’ first possession of the third quarter.

His previous high rushing was 158 yards, against Indiana last year.

Michigan State, 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the Big Ten, is off to its best start since 1966.

The Spartans also got a 27-yard touchdown pass play from Todd Schultz to Gari Scott late in the third quarter for a 24-6 lead. Indiana (1-5, 0-3) had to punt on the next possession, and Irvin returned it 80 yards for a touchdown.

NO. 6 MICHIGAN 23, NORTHWESTERN 6

Brian Griese passed for two touchdowns to Jermane Tuman and the Wolverine defense held an opponent without a touchdown for the fourth time in five games in a victory at Ann Arbor, Mich.

Michigan’s offense rolled up 385 yards. The defense, stingiest in the country against scoring, held Northwestern to 170 yards and had an interception and fumble recovery. Michigan (5-0, 2-0) has not given up a point in the fourth quarter.

Northwestern (2-5, 0-3) scored on its first possession, driving 50 yards in 14 plays to set up a 52-yard field goal by Brian Gowins. But the Wildcats fumbled away the kickoff after Kraig Baker’s 19-yard field goal and the momentum seemed to swing to Michigan. The Wolverines got a 23-yard field goal and a 6-3 lead early in the second quarter off the turnover.

Griese completed 23 of 36 passes for 244 yards.

WISCONSIN 31, ILLINOIS 7

Even on a bum ankle, Ron Dayne, who needed a walking boot for his swollen left ankle last week, bullied his way over the winless Fighting Illini for 207 yards and two touchdowns as the Badgers extended their winning streak to six games at Madison, Wis.

Dayne, who carried 28 times, scored on a 1-yard run and a 66-yard scamper at rain-drenched Camp Randall Stadium.

The Badgers (6-1, 3-0), who needed last-second kicks the last two weeks to escape with one-point victories over Indiana and Northwestern, put this game away early.

After the Illini (0-6, 0-3) pulled to 14-7 on sophomore Steve Havard’s 17-yard run 2:12 before halftime, the Badgers quickly retaliated.

Mike Samuel drove Wisconsin 80 yards in 11 plays, the payoff coming on a 10-yard fade pass to Donald Hayes for a 21-7 halftime lead.

PURDUE 59, MINNESOTA 43

The Boilermakers overwhelmed the Gophers with their highest-scoring game in 50 years, as Billy Dicken tied a school record with five touchdown passes--one more than his total from the previous three seasons--and ran for a score at Minneapolis.

Brian Alford had touchdown receptions of 93 and 89 yards on the way to a school-record 215 yards, and Edwin Watson had three touchdowns as Purdue (4-1, 2-0) won its fourth consecutive game, the longest streak since the 1980 team won six in a row. Minnesota is 2-4 and 0-2,

The 59 points were Purdue’s most since a 62-7 victory over Boston University in 1992.