Butler Gets Offense Going

Marquise Walker never doubted the Michigan offense would come to life. It was only a matter of when.

Tyrece Butler’s 77-yard reception jump-started the Wolverines and Walker made a stunning one-handed catch for a touchdown as No. 8 Michigan stayed unbeaten in the Big Ten Conference with a 32-26 victory over Iowa on Saturday at Iowa City, Iowa.

In a game that had three late lead changes after the defenses dominated early, Michigan (6-1, 4-0 Big Ten) won it on John Navarre’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Shawn Thompson with eight minutes left.

“I knew eventually we would make a play or two and that’s what we came up with,” Walker said. “That’s the way it is with our offense. One play usually gets us going. The offense got going and the defense got us the ball.”

Michigan, which trailed, 20-7, forced three turnovers and Coach Lloyd Carr pulled out a trick play to set up a touchdown, offsetting the trickery Iowa used on a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown.

The Michigan defense came through after Iowa took a 26-21 lead on Ladell Betts’ eight-yard touchdown run with 12:56 left. The Hawkeyes (4-3, 2-3) got the ball back by forcing a punt, but Cato June’s interception of Kyle McCann’s pass and 30-yard return gave it to Michigan at midfield.

A pass-interference penalty moved the ball to the 35 and Navarre hit Walker for 13 yards on third and nine from the 34. Three plays later, Thompson caught a pass between two defenders, put his head down and bulled into the end zone with 8:34 remaining.

Navarre followed with a two-point conversion pass to an open Walker, and Hayden Epstein kicked a 51-yard field goal with 3:57 remaining.

No. 24 Purdue 32, Northwestern 27--Brandon Hance ran and passed for a touchdown, and Montrell Lowe ran for 101 yards and a score for Purdue at West Lafayette, Ind.

Hance, who threw for 190 yards on 14-of-31 passing and rushed for 49 yards in nine carries, has thrown for more than 200 yards only twice this season, but he has Purdue (5-1, 3-1) off to its best start since it was 6-1 in 1997.

The Wildcats (4-3, 2-3) trailed by 15 at the half.

Michigan State 42, Wisconsin 28--T.J. Duckett, limited to 17 yards in the first half, scored on a 43-yard run and set up another touchdown with a 68-yard run for Michigan State (4-2, 2-2) at Madison, Wis.

Duckett finished with 186 yards on 23 carries and Charles Rogers turned five catches into 206 yards.

Rogers capped his career day with an 87-yard touchdown catch against freshman cornerback Scott Starks, who was beaten repeatedly by quarterback Jeff Smoker.

The Spartans held Wisconsin (4-5, 2-3) without points on six drives into Michigan State territory, forcing four punts and intercepting passes by Jim Sorgi twice in the end zone before forcing the quarterback out of the game with a concussion in the third quarter.

Minnesota 66, Murray St. 10--Asad Abdul-Khaliq threw for 186 yards and three touchdowns in a nonconference game at Minneapolis and Minnesota (3-4) got its highest point total since 1937.

Murray State is 3-4.