Nebraska outkicks Michigan State 9-6
Barrett Pickering kicked three field goals in the fourth quarter, the last a 47-yarder with 5:13 left, as Nebraska came from behind to beat Michigan State 9-6 on Saturday in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Initial research indicated it was the first time Nebraska had won a game without scoring a TD since a 3-0 win over Kansas State in 1937.
The Spartans (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten) got field goals of 34 and 26 yards from Matt Coghlin but were unable to sustain offense against a Nebraska defense that has struggled most of the season.
Nebraska (4-7, 3-5), which had put up some of the best offensive numbers in the nation the past six weeks, tied it at 6-all on Pickering field goals of 36 and 20 yards.
Penn St. 20, Rutgers 7: Trace McSorley threw two TD passes to tight end Pat Freiermuth and Penn State’s defense set up two TDs with turnovers in a road victory, sending the Scarlet Knights to their 10th straight loss.
McSorley’s TD passes covered 6 yards in the second quarter and 18 in the fourth as the Nittany Lions (8-3, 5-3 Big Ten, No. 14 CFP) beat Rutgers (1-10, 0-7) for the 12th straight time. Jake Pinegar added field goals of 22 and 19 yards.
The win was No. 30 for McSorley as a starter, making him the winningest QB in school history. The two TDs increased his total — running and passing — to 101.
Raheem Blacksheer scored on a 2-yard fourth-quarter run for Rutgers to deny Penn State its first shutout in more than a season. Penn State’s defense forced three turnovers, had four sacks and 11 tackles for losses and held Rutgers to 46 yards passing.
Northwestern 24, Minnesota 14: Isaiah Bowser rushed for 85 yards and two TDs and Northwestern turned three turnovers by Minnesota QB Tanner Morgan into 10 points as it stretched a program-record road winning streak to eight games. Clayton Thorson completed 15 of 21 passes for 230 yards without a turnover and had a 13-yard touchdown run in the first half for the Wildcats (7-4, 7-1, No. 22 CFP), who have their best Big Ten record since 1996 when coach Pat Fitzgerald was in his final season as a player.
Nate Hall had two interceptions for the Wildcats, who have won 14 of their last 15 conference contests, including 11 in a row against opponents within the West Division they clinched the week before.
Mohamed Ibrahim rushed for 98 yards and a TD and Blake Cashman had a sack among his career-high 20 tackles for the Gophers (5-6, 2-6), who fell to 4-13 in conference play under P.J. Fleck. Morgan finished 19 for 32 for 197 yards and a late TD pass to Tyler Johnson, who topped the 1,000-yard mark. Minnesota’s streak of four straight games with 400-plus total yards, the longest for the program in more than 12 years, was stopped.