Iowa Silences Michigan, 34-9

The Iowa Hawkeyes beat Michigan so badly that they were able to celebrate and sing with their fans in a mostly empty Michigan Stadium.

“I enjoyed that,” Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said after Iowa’s 34-9 victory Saturday at Ann Arbor, Mich. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t.”

Brad Banks threw three touchdown passes as the 13th-ranked Hawkeyes handed the eighth-ranked Wolverines their worst home loss since 1967.

“Wow, that’s a long time,” Banks said when told of the fact. “It was real fun being in the Big House and doing some big things.”

The Hawkeyes (8-1 overall, 5-0 Big Ten Conference) won their sixth consecutive game and beat Michigan for the first time since 1990, the last time Iowa won a Big Ten title.

Michigan (6-2, 3-1) had won four straight. The last time the Wolverines lost this badly at home was a 34-0 defeat to Michigan State on Oct. 14, 1967, two years before Bo Schembechler became head coach.

“It was embarrassing,” said running back Chris Perry, who was held to 14 yards in nine carries.

Iowa scored 21 straight points after Markus Curry fumbled a punt return in the third quarter, just after the Wolverines had cut the deficit to 10-9. Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said the play was the game’s turning point.

“After that, it was tough sledding,” he said.

The Hawkeyes are in good position to at least earn a share of the conference championship, with home games remaining against Wisconsin and Northwestern before the regular-season finale at Minnesota. Ohio State is not on their schedule.

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Wisconsin 42, Michigan State 24 -- Brooks Bollinger threw three touchdown passes and ran for two others to help the Badgers (6-3, 1-3) end a losing streak at three with a victory over the Spartans (3-5, 1-3) at East Lansing, Mich.

Bollinger, knocked out of last week’s loss to Ohio State with a concussion, led Wisconsin to touchdowns on three of its five first-quarter possessions.

The win, the 90th in Coach Barry Alvarez’s Wisconsin career, was vintage Badgers: strong running and few mistakes. They gained 313 yards on the ground, including Anthony Davis’ 170 and Dwayne Smith’s 110. *

Illinois 45, Indiana 14 -- Antoineo Harris ran for a career-high four touchdowns and 176 yards as the Fighting Illini (3-5, 2-2) defeated the Hoosiers (3-5, 1-3) at Champaign, Ill.

Harris scored on runs of one, four, 28 and five yards, and he was taken out of the game after playing only one series in the second half.

Indiana scored two touchdowns late in the game to avoid being shut out. The Hoosiers have lost nine straight in Champaign dating to 1979.

The four rushing touchdowns by Harris were the most for an Illinois player since Howard Griffith ran for eight in 1990.

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Purdue 42, Northwestern 13 -- Brandon Jones and Joey Harris ran for more than 100 yards apiece as the Boilermakers (4-5, 2-3) totaled 407 on the ground and beat the Wildcats (2-7, 0-5) at Evanston, Ill., for their first road victory in more than a year.

Jones rushed for a career-best 165 yards in 20 carries, and Harris gained another 132 yards in 27 attempts and scored twice. Jerod Void also ran for two touchdowns, and freshman quarterback Brandon Kirsch threw for two as Purdue piled up 551 yards of total offense.

Northwestern lost its fifth consecutive game and 10th in a row in the conference.