No. 11 Wisconsin routs No. 8 Michigan State 30-6
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Leo Musso returned a fumble 66 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter and No. 11 Wisconsin turned its early-season showdown with No. 8 Michigan State into a rout, beating the Spartans 30-6 on Saturday.
Redshirt freshman Alex Hornibrook threw for 195 yards and a touchdown in his first start for Wisconsin, outplaying fifth-year senior Tyler O’Connor, his Michigan State counterpart. The Badgers (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) were the better team in the first half and then outscored the Spartans 17-0 in the third quarter.
“We know what we can do and we feel pretty good, and we feel pretty good with our team,” Hornibrook said. “I was glad with the way we played today.”
Michigan State (2-1, 0-1) was down 13-6 early in the third and had the ball in Wisconsin territory when LJ Scott’s fumble bounced to Musso in the secondary. O’Connor was the only player with a decent shot at him on the return, and Musso spun past the quarterback and went all the way to the end zone.
O’Connor finished 18 of 38 for 224 yards with three interceptions.
Corey Clement ran for two touchdowns for Wisconsin.
* Some were skeptical about the Badgers after their season-opening win over LSU, since it wasn’t clear if LSU would be as tough as advertised this season. But Wisconsin has now gone on the road and pounded the defending Big Ten champions. Even before the Badgers took total control in the third quarter, they were pressuring O’Connor and preventing Michigan State from doing anything significant with its running game.
Michigan State: A win at Notre Dame last weekend looked like business as usual for the Spartans, but their outlook changes considerably now. This was their most lopsided defeat at Spartan Stadium since falling 42-14 to Penn State in 2009.
“People have been saying a lot of good things about us lately,” coach Mark Dantonio said. “And now we’ll take some shots.”
* Wisconsin: This was the start of a brutal five-game stretch for the Badgers. Next up is a trip to play Michigan in Ann Arbor next weekend, followed by games against Ohio State, Iowa and Nebraska.
Michigan State: The Spartans will have to change gears when they play on the road against an Indiana team that likes to move fast on offense.
No. 4 Michigan 49 Penn State 10
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — De’Veon Smith led an overwhelming ground game with 107 yards rushing and a touchdown and Karan Higdon ran for two scores and No. 4 Michigan routed Penn State in both teams’ Big Ten opener.
The Wolverines scored six touchdowns on the ground as they finished with 326 yards rushing. Wilton Speight threw one touchdown pass.
“I was really impressed by all of our running backs,” coach Jim Harbaugh said. “We were moving the chains and breaking off big runs. That’s an efficient way to great way to move the ball, and our entire offense was very effective with it today.”
Michigan (4-0) dominated both sides of the ball. Penn State (2-2) has lost three straight to the Wolverines.
“Give Michigan credit, that’s a good, mature football team,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. “They are one of the oldest teams in the country, and they are ranked No. 4 for a reason.”
Penn State; The Nittany Lions came into the Big House without any of their starting linebackers then lost Brandon Smith to a second-quarter targeting penalty. That left the Penn State defense helpless against Michigan’s running game and short passes. “I don’t know if I’ve ever been through or seen anything like this,” Franklin said. “We’ve got three guys out, and then Brandon gets thrown out going for an interception. Then Jan Johnson comes in, and we lose him, too.”
Michigan: The Wolverines dominated in the trenches, with their defensive line continuously overrunning Penn State’s offensive line. They registered five sacks while building their first-half lead and Speight had all the time he needed.
No. 13 Florida State 55 South Florida 35
TAMPA, Fla. — Dalvin Cook rushed for a career-high 267 yards and two touchdowns Saturday as No. 13 Florida State rebounded from the most lopsided loss in school history with a rout of previously unbeaten South Florida.
Cook scored on a 75-yard run on the Seminoles’ first play from scrimmage, an immediate response to USF starting the game with Quinton Flowers and Rodney Adams teaming on an 84-yard catch-and-run for a quick 7-0 lead. The 213-pound junior’s rushing total on 28 carries topped his previous best of 266 yards against South Florida last year.
Florida State (3-1) bounced back from being trounced 63-20 by Louisville, a road shellacking that dropped the Seminoles 11 spots in the AP Top 25 from No. 2.
South Florida (3-1) is off to its fastest start since 2011, however the Bulls were no match for a talented bunch that began the season with expectations of contending for its second national title in four years.
Marlon Mack’s 1-yard TD run gave USF a brief lead before Cook, Freddie Stevenson and Bobo Wilson scored on Florida State’s next three possessions to put the Seminoles up 28-14.
Deondre Francois threw for 169 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. The red-shirt freshman added a 35-yard TD run midway through the fourth quarter.