Michigan Uses Walker to Run Over Purdue

Marquise Walker did about everything for No. 12 Michigan except make a tackle.

Walker accounted for 249 yards as the Wolverines defeated No. 17 Purdue, 24-10, Saturday at Ann Arbor, Mich.

The senior caught seven passes--all for first downs--for 112 yards and a touchdown. He returned seven punts, for the first time in his career, for 134 yards.

He also fumbled after gaining three yards on a double-reverse and threw an interception on a reverse.

“I’d say he overshadowed those with his performance,” Michigan Coach Lloyd Carr said.

The Wolverines (5-1, 3-0 in the Big Ten) have not lost to the Boilermakers (4-1, 2-1) in Michigan Stadium since 1966.

Purdue took a 7-0 lead on its opening possession, but was shut down the rest of the game. Michigan’s stingy defense helped the offense overcome Walker’s interception and three fumbles.

Michigan’s John Navarre completed 21 of 27 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown. B.J. Askew rushed for 63 yards and two touchdowns.

This season, Walker has caught 43 passes for 587 yards and six touchdowns. He threw a 51-yard pass in a 45-20 victory over Illinois and blocked a punt in Michigan’s 23-18 loss at Washington on Sept. 8.

Purdue’s Brandon Hance was 16 of 33 for 198 yards with a touchdown. Taylor Stubblefield caught eight passes for 72 yards.

Michigan wore out Purdue with time-consuming drives in the third and fourth quarters.

Askew’s one-yard touchdown capped a 15-play, 71-yard drive that took 7:48 and gave Michigan a 21-10 lead in the third quarter.

The Wolverines took 6:06 off the clock and padded their lead with Hayden Epstein’s 26-yard field goal with 5:44 left to play.

Purdue committed 11 first-half penalties for 70 yards and finished with 15 penalties, one short of the school record set in 1953, for 105 yards.

“We learned everything we needed to learn in one loss,” Purdue Coach Joe Tiller said. “When you play a good football team, which Michigan is, the margin for error is extremely small.”

Northwestern 23, Minnesota 17--Sam Simmons returned a punt 71 yards for a touchdown and caught a 29-yard pass for another score as the Wildcats held off the Golden Gophers at Evanston, Ill.

After an early offensive surge on a rainy day at Ryan Field, the Wildcats (4-1, 2-1) sputtered, but Simmons gave them a spark just before halftime.

Minnesota (1-4, 0-3) moved the ball on the ground throughout and got close when Travis Cole connected with Ron Johnson on a fourth-down, 35-yard scoring pass with 32 seconds left. Northwestern’s Kunle Patrick then recovered an on-side kick and the Wildcats ran out the clock.

Simmons gathered the game-swinging punt at the 29, threaded his way through the Gophers by sidestepping four tacklers and then cut inside to complete the electrifying return with 2:46 left in the second quarter. That put the Wildcats ahead, 20-10.

Tellis Redmon finished with 143 yards in 25 carries for the Gophers.

Michigan State 31, Iowa 28--Herb Haygood caught nine passes for 119 yards and a touchdown, and returned a kickoff 100 yards for a score for the second consecutive game to lift the Spartans at East Lansing, Mich.

Haygood’s return put the Spartans (3-1, 1-1) ahead, 28-14, midway through the second quarter.

It was the first time since 1976 that Iowa (3-2, 1-2) gave up a kickoff return for a touchdown. It also was the first time a Michigan State player returned a kickoff for a touchdown in consecutive games.

Haygood also had a touchdown return late in Michigan State’s 27-26 loss to Northwestern two weeks ago.

Illinois 35, Indiana 14--Kurt Kittner threw two touchdown passes and Rocky Harvey ran for two more scores to lead the Fighting Illini to their first victory in Bloomington, Ind., since 1995.

Kittner, who leads the Big Ten in yards passing, was limited to 116 yards. Instead, Illinois (5-1, 2-1) relied on its running game, gaining a season-high 276 yards rushing, including 106 yards in 23 carries from Antoineo Harris.

Kittner led the Illini on a 17-play, 71-yard drive, the final yard coming on Carey Davis’ touchdown reception with 27 seconds left in the first quarter.

Indiana (1-4, 1-2) gained 194 yards rushing a week after rushing for more than 400 yards in a 63-32 victory at Wisconsin.