Spartans hold off comeback, Gophers avoid collapse

EAST LANSING - It took Penn State three weeks to go from No. 2 in the country to No. 4 in the Big Ten.

The 13th-ranked Nittany Lions lost their third straight game Saturday, falling to Michigan State, 35-28 after making up a 21-point halftime deficit.

It marked the first time Penn State (5-3 Big Ten, 9-3 overall) has lost three straight since 1988, and the first time since 1914 that it has lost its final three regular-season games.

True freshman T.J. Duckett ran for four touchdowns for the Spartans (6-2, 9-2). He carried 22 times for 159 yards, including the winning touchdown on an 11-yard run up the middle with 2:30 left.

AP PHOTO T.J. Duckett celebrates the game-winning touchdown in Michigan State's 35-28 rollercoaster victory over Penn State.

''I think that was probably as fine an effort as we had all year, in terms of dogged determination to score a touchdown,'' Michigan State coach Nick Saban said.

Penn State trailed 28-7 at the half, but rose to the occasion on defense and offense in the second half and pulled even with Michigan State when Travis Forney made a 30 yard field goal.

But Michigan State safety Richard Newsome recovered a fumble by John Gilmore on the Penn State 39-yard line with less than eight minutes to play, setting up the winning touchdown.

The Nittany Lions couldn't muster a drive in the final three minutes.

''You've got to give Michigan State some credit; they had to come back,'' Paterno said. ''They came back and made some plays. That's a good football team; they bang away and that's how it's supposed to be.''

No. 17 Minnesota 25, Iowa 21: An impressive season by Minnesota was almost tainted by a loss to Big Ten cellar dweller Iowa, but a 73-yard touchdown by Arland Bruce saved the day.

Linebacker Sean Hoffman knocked down a pass in the end zone with eight seconds left as Minnesota rallied for its eighth win of the season. Minnesota also kept the Floyd of Rosedale trophy.

The Golden Gophers won their third straight game and finished with a 4-0 road record, the first time that's happened since 1904. Minnesota (5-3, 8-3) hasn't won as many games since the 1967 squad went 8-2 and shared the conference championship.

Iowa (0-8, 1-10) dropped its 13th straight Big Ten game and finished with its worst record since the 1973 team went 0-11.

No. 19 Purdue 30, Indiana 24: In a match between two of next year's likely Heisman trophy candidates, Purdue's Drew Brees didn't amass the numbers of Indiana's Antwaan Randle El, but the Boilermakers did escape with a win.

Indiana (3-5, 4-7) had 329 yards passing by Randle El and led 24-23 starting the fourth quarter. But Sutherland took a punt by Drew Hagan and ran back for his second touchdown return of the season to give the Boilermakers (4-4, 7-4) the lead.

Illinois 29, Northwestern 7: Two years removed from 0-11, Illinois is going bowling.

Freshman Brandon Lloyd set up two first-half touchdowns with a punt return and a long reception, and the Illini used strong defense to beat Northwestern to finish a 7-4 regular season.

Illinois, 0-11 and 3-8 in Ron Turner's first two seasons, became bowl-eligible last week with a victory at Ohio State.

Where the Illini will go in the postseason is still to be determined. But they've earned their first bowl appearance since beating East Carolina 30-0 in the 1994 Liberty Bowl.

A possibility for the Illini, which finished 4-4 in the Big Ten, will be the Micron PC Bowl in Miami. That game pits the No. 6 team in the Big Ten against the No. 4 team from the ACC.

- Compiled by Daily Sports Writer Dan Williams

11-22-99