Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Notre Dame used an unlikely star to earn another surprising victory over Michigan.
Freshman Darius Walker had two fourth-quarter touchdowns and the Fighting Irish renewed hope for a turnaround season by upsetting the Wolverines 28-20 on Saturday.
Walker, who did not play in Notre Dame's opener, ran for 115 yards on 31 carries. He is the first Irish freshman to rush for more than 100 yards since Julius Jones had 146 against Navy in 1999.
Notre Dame won its first over a top-10 team since beating fifth-ranked Michigan 25-23 two years ago. Since that game, the Irish were 0-4 against top-10 teams, losing by a combined 164-27, including 38-0 to Michigan last season.
The Wolverines lost their road opener for a fifth season in a row.
Walker was especially strong in the fourth quarter, when he ran for 61 yards on 14 carries as Notre Dame took control. The Irish gained 11 yards rushing a week earlier in a listless loss to Brigham Young, their fewest in 39 years.
The Irish trailed 12-7 late in the third quarter when Michigan freshman Chad Henne threw high to Braylon Edwards. The ball bounced high off Edwards' hands, and cornerback Dwight Ellick intercepted at the Michigan 29. Brady Quinn completed two passes to Maurice Stovall for 19 yards, the second to the 6. Walker ran around right end untouched for the TD to give the Irish a 14-12 lead.
On Michigan's next possession, the Wolverines went three and out. On the punt, Jerome Collins broke up the middle and Chase Anastasio came in around the right end, and they combined to block the punt. Corey Mays recovered the ball on the Michigan 5. Walker scored on the next play, untouched around the left end.
OHIO ST. 24, MARSHALL 21: Mike Nugent's 55-yard field goal as time expired lifted the host Buckeyes.
Ohio State has won 13 of its past 14 games decided by a touchdown or less over the past two-plus seasons, including a 7-0 record while winning the national championship in 2002.
With the score tied, Ohio State took over at its 45 after a poor punt with 25 seconds left.
Justin Zwick hit Santonio Holmes, who had 10 catches for 218 yards and two touchdowns, for gains of 9 and 8. Zwick then completed a 5-yard pass to tight end Ryan Hamby, with the clock continuing to run because the Buckeyes were out of timeouts.
Zwick, who completed 18 of 30 passes for 318 yards and three scores, was able to get under center and stop the clock by downing the ball with 2 seconds left, with a motion penalty called on the play.
Nugent then had more than enough leg to put the ball through out of Kyle Turano's perfect hold.
IOWA 17, IOWA ST. 10: Abdul Hodge and Tyler Luebke smothered Cyclones quarterback Bret Meyer 2 yards short of a first down with 1:09 left, the last of several big defensive stops that rescued the host Hawkeyes.
Ed Hinkel provided the offensive spark for Iowa with a diving fingertip catch for a touchdown, and the Hawkeyes defense put Iowa State in a tough position, forcing it to rely on freshman Brian Jansen to attempt four field goals.
Jansen, a walk-on, missed three, and Iowa held on for its second straight victory over Iowa State after losing five in a row.
WISCONSIN 18, UNLV 3: Jim Leonhard returned a blocked field goal 86 yards for a score, and the host Badgers used two safeties to hold off the Rebels. Wisconsin hadn't had two safeties in a game since 1951 and is the first Big Ten team to do it since Minnesota had two at Indiana in 1981.
MINNESOTA 37, ILL. ST. 21: Marion Barber III and Laurence Maroney each topped 100 yards rushing for the fifth time in 15 games together, and the host Golden Gophers survived. Minnesota broke it open with two 80-yard TDs within 2:08 midway through the third quarter.
PURDUE 59, BALL ST. 7: Kyle Orton threw for a career-high five touchdowns and ran for another to lead the host Boilermakers. Orton completed his first 15 passes and threw for 329 yards in just over two quarters for Purdue, which routed Syracuse 51-0 last week.
MICH. ST. 24, CENT. MICH. 7: Quarterbacks Stephen Reaves and Drew Stanton made just enough plays to lift the host Spartans. Reaves started and was 9-of-19 for 183 yards with a touchdown in his college debut. Stanton was 1-of-3 for 9 yards, but he ran for 38 yards on fourth and 1 late in the game for Michigan State.
ASU 30, NU 21: Andrew Walter threw for 292 yards and three touchdowns and the visiting Sun Devils held quarterback Brett Basanez and receiver Jonathan Fields in check. Walter hit speedy receiver Derek Hagan on two long scoring plays that gave Arizona State the lead for good in the first half.
UCLA 35, ILLINOIS 17: Drew Olson threw three touchdowns and Maurice Drew rushed for 142 yards to help the visiting Bruins snap a six-game losing streak. Olson threw for scores of 41 and 14 yards to Craig Bragg in the first half and 15 yards to Marcedes Lewis in the fourth quarter.