Badger Backup Seizes Moment

Wisconsin and Michigan State entered Saturday’s game at East Lansing, Mich., without a Big Ten win, and it was easy to see why.

Both squandered chances to score while giving the other team opportunity after opportunity.

In the end, Wisconsin backup quarterback Jim Sorgi, seizing a final chance to break a tie score, threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Lee Evans with 29 seconds left and the Badgers beat Michigan State, 17-10, to end a three-game losing streak.

Wisconsin (4-3 overall and 1-3 in the Big Ten) dropped the Spartans to 3-3, 0-3 under new Coach Bobby Williams.

Sorgi, who grew up in the Detroit suburb of Fraser, said: “This is like a dream come true. To play my first game, back in Michigan, at Michigan State, with my family and friends here, and to throw the winning touchdown pass with a minute left. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

Starter Brooks Bollinger, who failed to complete a pass in six attempts in the first half, sustained a concussion and was replaced by Sorgi to start the second half. The redshirt freshman, playing for the first time, completed his first three passes and finished seven for 15 for 96 yards with one touchdown.

No. 18 Michigan 58, Indiana 0--Anthony Thomas ran for three touchdowns and Drew Henson threw two scoring passes to David Terrell as the Wolverines (5-2, 3-1) routed the Hoosiers (2-4, 1-2) at Ann Arbor, Mich.

Thomas finished with 95 yards rushing and tied Tyrone Wheatley on the school’s career rushing touchdowns list with 47. He scored in each of the first three quarters, including Michigan’s record-tying, 35-point second quarter.

The Hoosiers entered the game averaging 38.4 points, 11th-best in the nation. But quarterback Antwaan Randle El got little help from his teammates, whose miscues included a blocked punt returned for a touchdown by Michigan’s Marquise Walker.

Randle El ran for 39 yards and completed 13 of 27 passes for 111 yards. He became the second player to run for 2,000 yards and pass for 5,000 in a career. Southwestern Louisiana’s Brian Mitchell ran for 3,335 and threw for 5,447 from 1987-89.

Illinois 31, Iowa 0--Kurt Kittner threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns as the Illini (4-2, 1-2) bounced back after two losses with a victory over the Hawkeyes (1-6, 1-2) at Champaign, Ill.

Illinois, which gave up 35 points to Michigan and 44 to Minnesota in its losses, dominated Iowa by forcing four turnovers and recording five sacks in posting its first shutout since 1995.