CLAWING BACK
Michigan’s defense shuts down Iowa with 4 turnovers, 8 sacks in 10-3 win
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Leaning on a sack-making, turnover-producing defense, No. 19 Michigan earned a desperately needed win.
Zach Charbonnet ran for a 2-yard touchdown to give the Wolverines an early double-digit lead and their defense did the rest in a 10-3 win over No. 14 Iowa, forcing four turnovers and tallying eight sacks Saturday.
“A defensive masterpiece,” coach Jim Harbaugh said.
The Wolverines (4-1, 2-1 Big Ten) were held scoreless over the final three quarters because they could not run or pass effectively, scoring just three points off the Hawkeyes’ turnovers.
“We’re fortunate the defense came out and played they way they did,” Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson said. “Kept us in the game.”
Minnesota 40, Illinois 17: Rodney Smith ran for a career-best 211 yards and a touchdown, Shannon Brooks added 111 rushing yards and a touchdown in his second game back from injury and Minnesota totaled 332 yards on the ground against Illinois.
Tanner Morgan was 9of-17 passing for 155 yards and three touchdowns for the Gophers (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten), who have won seven straight games dating back to last season and rushed for more than 300 yards for the first time since tallying 409 yards against Nebraska in 2017. Minnesota’s defense allowed just three points and held Illini running back Reggie Corbin, the thirdleading rusher in the Big Ten, to 68 yards on 14 carries.
No. 8 Wisconsin 48, Kent State 0: Jonathan Taylor had four rushing touchdowns and caught a TD pass, Zack Baun had a career-high three sacks, and the eighth-ranked Badgers coasted to a win over Kent State.
Taylor had 19 rushes for 186 yards, eclipsing the 100yard mark for the 27th time in 32 career games with the Badgers (5-0).
“It’s still a long season ahead, and to be consistent, you’ve got to play through a whole season knowing that you can’t just have a couple g a me s,” Tay l o r said. “There’s still a long way to go, but I’ll continue to try and be as efficient as possible.”
Baun’s three sacks led a Wisconsin defense that had nine total sacks and has now pitched three shutouts in a season for the first time since 1937.
Nebraska 13, Northwestern 10: Lane McCallum kicked a 24-yard field goal as time ran out, giving Nebraska a win in yet another close game against Northwestern.
The Cornhuskers (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) won in a slog after Lamar Jackson intercepted Aidan Smith's pass to set up the winning drive.
Noah Vedral, who played the fourth quarter in place of an injured Adrian Martinez, connected with Wan'Dale Robinson along the sideline for 32 yards to the 16 and then ran twice to get to the 12 with 3 seconds left.
Northwestern (1-4, 0-3) called three timeouts before McCallum, who transferred from Air Force intending to play safety, put the ball through from the left hash mark. Maryland 48, Rutgers 7: Maryland used the big play to win its first two games and they went back to it in snapping a two-game losing streak and adding to Rutgers’ woes.
Josh Jackson threw two touchdowns before being hurt, Javon Leake scored three more and Terrapins had five touchdowns of 23 yards or longer in beating Rutgers, spoiling the debut of Scarlet Knights’ interim head coach Nunzio Campanile.
The Terrapins (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten) had an 80-yard pass play, an 80-yard run, a 100-yard kickoff return, a 42-yard touchdown run and a 23-yard TD catch. They also scored three touchdowns on three consecutive offensive plays in the second quarter in handing Rutgers (1-4, 0-3) its fourth straight loss and 15th straight in the Big Ten conference.