IOWA 41, NORTHWESTERN 31

Hawkeyes blow 17-0 lead, recover

James Vandenberg threw for 224 yards and two touchdowns, and Iowa snapped a three-game losing streak to Northwestern with last night’s win in Iowa City.

Marcus Coker added 124 yards rushing and two TDs for the Hawkeyes (4-2, 1-1 Big Ten), who won despite allowing 495 yards and 29 first downs to the Wildcats.

“We just needed a win,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. “We were more focused on that than anything else.”

Iowa blew a 17-0 second-quarter lead, then pulled ahead 24-17 on Coker’s 1-yard TD run with 13:55 left. Vandenberg pushed the lead to 31-17 on a 35-yard TD pass to Marvin McNutt, and Coker’s 1-yard touchdown run with 3:56 remaining sealed the win.

Dan Persa completed 31 of 40 passes for 246 yards for Northwestern (2-4, 0-3), which has allowed 121 points in Big Ten play.

Although Iowa could barely stop Northwestern on third down — the Wildcats converted a staggering 16 of 22 — the Hawkeyes made it count when they did.

The Wildcats trailed 24-17 when they drove to the Iowa 23-yard line with 10 minutes left. But Kain Colter, in at quarterback, got drilled as he threw a wayward backward pass on third-and-5.

Jeff Budzien then missed from 47 yards, and three plays later Vandenberg found McNutt streaking down the middle of the field for a backbreaking touchdown.

Northwestern’s shot at another rally fizzled after two plays. Persa lost a fumble in Iowa territory, and Mike Meyer’s 40-yard field goal put the Hawkeyes ahead 34-17 with 6:49 left.

PENN STATE 23, PURDUE 18

Another close call for Nittany Lions

Silas Redd ran for 131 yards and a touchdown, and Penn State took advantage of Purdue’s special-teams miscues to hold on for the win in State College, Pa.

Akeem Shavers had a 1-yard touchdown run with 8:08 left, but Purdue (3-3, 1-1) was stopped on the two-point conversion attempt to keep the deficit at 20-18. A missed field goal and extra-point attempt earlier in the game also haunted the Boilermakers.

Chaz Powell returned the ensuing kickoff 92 yards to the Purdue 3, but the Nittany Lions (6-1, 3-0) settled for a field goal with 6:24 left.

Nate Stupar’s interception of a tipped pass at the Purdue 19 with 1:59 left sealed the win for Penn State.

“Anytime you win a game, I feel fortunate,” coach Joe Paterno said. “Fortunate? Yeah, that we got a couple bounces.”

Three of the Nittany Lions’ past five victories have been by six points or fewer.

It was the third straight game that Redd has run for at least 129 yards.

— Associated Press