Michigan State used a powerful rushing attack, a trick play and a key defensive stand to rout No. 4 Wisconsin 49-14 on Saturday and knock the Badgers out of the national championship race.
The Spartans (5-5, 4-3 Big Ten) handed the Badgers their first loss and knocked Wisconsin (9-1, 6-1) into a second-place tie with Iowa in the Big Ten behind Michigan. The win keeps bowl hopes alive for Michigan State.
PHOTO: AP
The Badgers entered the game ranked fifth in the Bowl Championship Series standings, primarily because of a dominating defense that had allowed 9.1 points a game -- lowest in the nation. But Michigan State rolled up 551 yards of total offense, including 430 on the ground.
Jehuu Caulcrick had 146 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries for the Spartans. Jason Teague had 112 yards and a TD on 17 carries. He also caught a 30-yard touchdown pass on a trick play in the first half, with the ball thrown by wide receiver Aaron Alexander.
Anthony Davis led Wisconsin with 128 yards on 21 carries.
Michigan State grabbed a 28-14 lead on the first drive of the second half, sparked by the recovery of a surprise onside kick. It set up a 54-yard drive capped by Caulcrick's 1-yard touchdown run.
No. 3 Auburn 24, No. 8 Georgia 6
In Auburn, Alabama, Carnell Williams, Ronnie Brown and Auburn dominated in a victory that could give the Tigers the boost they need in the BCS standings.
Auburn (10-0, 7-0 Southeastern Conference) was third in both polls and in the BCS standings behind Southern California and Oklahoma this week. The top two teams in the final BCS standings will play in the Orange Bowl for the national championship.
The Tigers made quite a case for themselves against Georgia (8-2, 6-2) in the 108th meeting of the oldest rivals in the SEC.
Williams ran 19 times for 101 yards and caught four passes for 20 yards. He also threw a TD pass and returned a punt 40 yards to set up Brown's 15-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter that made it 24-0.
No. 1 USC 49, Arizona 9
In Los Angeles, LenDale White ran for 118 yards on 16 carries and scored three touchdowns, and Matt Leinart passed for 280 yards and three TDs to help the Trojans clinch the Pac-10 championship for the second straight year.
USC (10-0, 7-0 Pac-10) leads No. 5 California by one game with one remaining, but is the conference champion by virtue of its 23-17 victory over the Golden Bears.
USC extended its overall winning streak to 19 games, its streak in Pac-10 games to 14, and its string at the Los Angeles Coliseum to 20. That ties the school record for consecutive victories at home, accomplished twice in the 1920s. The Trojans have won 30 of their last 31 games and six this season by 30 or more points.
No. 2 Oklahoma 30, Nebraska 3
In Norman, Oklahoma, Jason White threw for 383 yards and three TDs to help Oklahoma rout Nebraska.
With star running back Adrian Peterson seeing little action because of a shoulder injury, White completed 29 of 35 passes. After throwing three incomplete passes on his first eight attempts, the sixth-year senior completed a school-record 18 in a row in his final home game for the Sooners (10-0, 7-0 Big 12).
Cory Ross was the only bright spot for the Cornhuskers (5-5, 3-4) with 130 yards on 30 carries before leaving the game midway through the fourth quarter with an injury.
No. 9 Michigan 42,
Northwestern 20
In Ann Arbor, Michigan, Michael Hart ran for 151 yards and a season-high three touchdowns, and Michigan scored TDs the first five times it touched the ball in the second half.
The Wolverines (9-1, 7-0 Big Ten) led the Wildcats by only one point at halftime before turning the game into a rout with scores on the ground, through the air and on a punt return. They have won 15 straight games at home and 13 conference games in a row.
If Michigan wins next week at Ohio State, the defending Big Ten champions will win the conference championship outright because Michigan State handed Wisconsin its first conference loss Saturday in East Lansing.
No. 19 Iowa 29, Minnesota 27
In Minneapolis, Rhys Lloyd's 51-yard field goal try drifted left with 28 seconds remaining, allowing Iowa to hold on for its sixth straight win.
Drew Tate completed 24 of 39 passes for 333 yards and two touchdowns for Iowa (8-2, 6-1). Charles Solomon had nine receptions for 157 yards and a score. Kyle Schlicher kicked a school-record five field goals as Iowa claimed Floyd of Rosedale -- the bronze pig that goes to the annual winner of this rivalry -- for the fourth straight time.
Laurence Maroney rushed 19 times for 156 yards and a career-high three touchdowns, and Gophers teammate Marion Barber III carried 29 times for 167 yards. Barber surpassed 1,000 yards for the second straight season, joining Maroney as the first pair of teammates to accomplish that in NCAA history.
Pittsburgh 41, Notre Dame 38
In South Bend, Indiana, Tyler Palko became the first quarterback to throw five touchdown passes against No. 24 Notre Dame, four in the first half alone, and Josh Cummings kicked a 32-yard field goal with 1 second left.
The Irish tied the game with a 45-yard field goal by D.J. Fitzpatrick with 1:11 left, but couldn't stop the Panthers. On Pitt's next play from scrimmage, Palko threw to Erik Gill for what appeared to be a short gain. But Irish linebacker Mike Goolsby tried to strip the ball and Gill broke free for a 36-yard gain. Palko completed two more passes to Gill on the drive to help set up the winning field goal.
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