Penn State and Michigan Win to Set Up Showdown

Joe Paterno doesn’t count victories. He just enjoys them, breaks them down and looks for ways his team can be better.

Maybe that’s why the Nittany Lions have been so successful for so long.

When Penn State reached another milestone of sorts Saturday by beating Northwestern, 30-27, at Evanston, Ill., Paterno wasn’t really interested that it was the school’s 400th victory since he joined the coaching staff in 1950.

“That’s nice,” he said. “I really haven’t given it that much thought.”

Paterno now has 296 victories in 32 years as a head coach and is ensured of his 30th winning season in that role. His current team has the nation’s longest Division I-A winning streak at 12 games.

His emphasis Saturday after the No. 2 Nittany Lions held off a late Northwestern comeback was how much room his team has for improvement.

“We just lost our poise a little bit at the end and that’s about it,” Paterno said. “Interceptions, fumbles, we had four holding penalties, delay of game, offsides. You just can’t do that. We’re not doing some things smart. Until we do, we’re not going to be as effective as we should be.”

Curtis Enis was effective, as usual. He gained 153 yards in 27 carries, his fourth consecutive game of more than 100 yards.

“He’s a patient and a smart runner. Some players fold under pressure and he doesn’t,” Northwestern linebacker Barry Gardner said.

“I’d like to get 25-plus carries each game. I feel we can wear down the defense,” Enis said. “We played well when we needed to. We’re 7-0 and a win is a win.”

Anthony Cleary had two short touchdown runs for the Nittany Lions, who are 7-0 overall and 4-0 in the Big Ten, including a one-yarder with 5:23 left to wrap up a drive that consumed 8 minutes, 36 seconds.

That gave the Nittany Lions a 30-13 lead, but Northwestern (3-7, 1-5) charged back with two touchdowns, a 45-yard pass play from Tim Hughes to Brian Marshall and then a nine-yarder from Hughes to Brian Musso with 28 seconds to go, making it 30-27.

Penn State’s Titcus Pettigrew recovered an onside kick to secure the victory for Nittany Lions.

Enis, who moved past John Cappelletti into seventh place on Penn State’s career rushing list, had a two-yard scoring run. Quarterback Mike McQueary, who was 17-of-23 passing for 222 yards and two interceptions, also had his first career touchdown run.

No. 4 Michigan 24, Minnesota 3--The Wolverines held the Golden Gophers to 102 yards total offense in an easy victory at Ann Arbor, Mich.

“I said going in, their defense is a cut above,” Minnesota Coach Glen Mason said. “I don’t just mean a cut above everyone else this year. I’m talking about over the last 25 years.

“Michigan is a team that has a legitimate shot at winning the national championship.”

Michigan (8-0, 5-0, which has won at least eight games for 13 consecutive seasons, plays at No. 2 Penn State on Saturday with the inside track to the Rose Bowl on the line.

Charles Woodson scored on a 33-yard reverse and headed a defensive unit that held the Gophers to six first downs, only one in the second half.

“Our defense, that’s what’s setting the tempo for us,” Michigan Coach Lloyd Carr said. “We feed off them offensively. We can’t wait until the second half to start playing next week.”

Minnesota (2-7, 0-5), coming off one-point losses to Penn State and Wisconsin, went 71 yards for a field goal on its first possession, but netted only 31 yards the rest of the game.

Minnesota had only 12 yards passing for the game and 10 yards of offense in the second half.

The victory marked the 11th consecutive time the Wolverines have beaten Minnesota in the battle for the Little Brown Jug. It was the fifth time this year Michigan hasn’t allowed a touchdown.

Michigan kept its streak alive of not giving up a touchdown in the second half and not giving up a point in the fourth quarter.

Woodson’s touchdown, his second on offense this season, capped a five-play, 49-yard drive early in the second quarter.

No. 9 Ohio State 37, No. 21 Michigan State 13--Gary Berry turned two Michigan State mistakes into touchdowns in a 2:07 span of the first quarter as the Buckeyes rolled at East Lansing, Mich.

The Spartans (5-3, 2-3), who turned the ball over six times in a 23-7 loss to Michigan last week, had two interceptions and a blocked punt that resulted in three touchdowns for the Buckeyes (8-1, 4-1), who kept alive hopes for a return trip to the Rose Bowl.

Berry intercepted a Todd Schultz pass and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown with 2:52 left in the first quarter.

Michigan State was stopped on its next possession and after Marcel Willis blocked Paul Edinger’s punt, Berry scooped the ball up at the one-yard line and stepped into the end zone to give Ohio State a 17-3 lead with 45 seconds left in the quarter.

Indiana 23, Illinois 6--The Hoosiers had gone almost five games without a touchdown, but broke the streak with a one-yard run by freshman De’Wayne Hogan in the second quarter and defeated the winless Fighting Illini at Bloomington, Ind.

Hogan rushed for a career-high 164 yards, safety Kywin Supernaw had a 90-yard interception return for a touchdown and Andy Payne added three field goals for the Hoosiers (2-7, 1-4).

Illinois (0-8, 0-5), having its worst season since an 0-10 record in 1969, managed only two field goals and lost its 14th consecutive game over two seasons. The last Illinois victory was 46-43 in two overtimes against Indiana last year.