MADISON—Wisconsin bounced back from a devastating loss to maintain its hopes of a West Division title and a return to the Big Ten championship game. Jonathan Taylor rushed for 159 yards and Taiwan Deal ran for 111 yards and two touchdowns as the Badgers took advantage of five first-half turnovers to rout Illinois 49-20 on Saturday.Wisconsin (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) was coming off a 38-13 loss at Michigan that buried its national championship hopes. Next week the Badgers face a division matchup at Northwestern (4-3, 4-1), which rallied to edge Rutgers 18-15 on Saturday.The Badgers have played in five of the seven Big Ten championship games, losing their last three appearances in Indianapolis, including a 27-21 loss to Ohio State last season.

”Indy is still in front of us. We can control all that by just winning football games,” Wisconsin offensive guard Michael Deiter said.
Wisconsin, which has won nine straight against Illinois (3-4, 1-3), had three interceptions and recovered two fumbles on the way to building a 28-10 halftime lead. Alex Hornibrook, coming off an awful outing in a loss at Michigan, threw three touchdown passes and two interceptions.

”Each game’s really different, so it’s not like we were trying to do something from last week into this week,” Hornibrook said. ”We just kind of approach it as a new week and played well, I thought.”

Illinois turned Hornibrook’s second interception into a 10-yard scoring drive to make it 28-17 early in the third quarter, but Wisconsin countered with a pair of touchdowns to push the lead to 42-17.

”When you go on the road and you’re playing a good football team like we were, playing against the University of Wisconsin, there are some things that you have to be able to do,” Illinois coach Lovie Smith said. ”Number one, you have to protect the football. The turnover ratio, of course, is big each week, but offensively we needed to hold onto the

ball. You can’t turn over the ball that many times.”
The Badgers opened with an 11-play, 75-yard scoring drive, capped by Ingold’s 1-yard run. On the ensuing possession, linebacker T.J. Edwards returned an interception 28 yards to the Illinois 25-yard line and two plays later freshman Aron Cruickshank scored on a 23-yard jet sweep to put Wisconsin up 14-0.Illinois was 2 of 12 on third downs and all three interceptions occurred on third down.

MIAMI GARDENS—Kicker Jason Sanders turned teammate Kenyan Drake’s fumble into a footnote.Drake lost the ball when the Miami Dolphins were on the verge of victory, but thanks to Sanders it didn’t matter. The rookie made a 47-yard field goal as time expired in overtime Sunday for a 31-28 victory over the Bears.Miami’s Brock Osweiler threw for a career-high 380 yards and three touchdowns subbing for Ryan Tannehill, who sat out because of an injured throwing shoulder.
“‘Today felt like a heavyweight title fight,” Osweiler said. ”What this team did today was so special. Nothing was perfect, but in the end we found a way.”
The Dolphins took the kickoff to start overtime and marched 74 yards, but Drake fumbled just before crossing the goal line. Eddie Goldman recovered for the Bears.They drove to the Miami 35, but former Dolphin Cody Parkey was wide right on a 53-yard field goal try with 2 minutes left. Drake then had a 15-yard reception to help set up Sanders’ field goal.When the ball sailed between the uprights, Drake sank to both knees on the field and bowed his head in gratitude and relief.Albert Wilson turned two short passes into long touchdowns in the fourth quarter for the Dolphins, who overcame an 11-point deficit in the final 16 minutes of regulation.
”It was definitely a roller coaster,” Wilson said.
Miami (4-2), which began the day tied with New England for the AFC East lead, ended a two-game losing streak. The Bears (3-2) had a three-game winning streak snapped but remained atop the NFC North.
”Games like this sting,” receiver Allen Robinson said. ”It stings for everybody.”
The Bears’ offense came alive after they trailed 7-0 at halftime. Miami then rallied from a 21-10 deficit to tie the game twice and force overtime.Mitchell Trubisky threw for 316 yards and three second-half touchdowns, but the Bears were hurt by two turnovers in the red zone. Jordan Howard lost a fumble at the 1, and Trubisky was intercepted in the end zone by T.J. McDonald.Trubisky a threw a 29-yard pass to Anthony Miller for a go-ahead score late in the fourth quarter, but Miami needed only one play to tie it again, with the dynamic Wilson weaving through the secondary for a 75-yard score.Wilson earlier scored on a 43-yard catch and run.
”Once I get going, I’m going to make guys miss,” Wilson said.
Tarik Cohen scored on a 21-yard run and had a 50-yard catch and run. Kyle Fuller had two interceptions, the second of which set up a Bears touchdown.But Miami contained Khalil Mack, ending his streak of at least one sack and one forced fumble in every game this season. The Bears, who were averaging 4 1/2 sacks per game, totaled none.
”That ain’t what you expect with what we have up front,” said Mack, who was slowed by an ankle injury suffered early in the game.
Miami netted 541 yards without Tannehill, who had been nursing a shoulder injury for several weeks. He worked out before the game, and it was then decided he should sit.Frank Gore rushed for 101 yards. Osweiler, who signed with Miami as a free agent in March, went 28 for 44 and led the Dolphins to their highest point total of the year.
”That’s why he’s here,” coach Adam Gase said. ”He treats it as though he’s going to have to go in the game, so that puts him in a great position.”
NOTES—CB Prince Amukamara (left hamstring) left in the second half.

John Tavares had three goals and the Toronto Maple Leafs spoiled the Blackhawks home opener with a 7-6 victory.

”Top to bottom we had contribution everywhere,” Tavares said.

Matthews had two goals and two assists for Toronto in the opener of a four-game trip. Rielly also had two assists and Kasperi Kapanen finished with a goal and an assist, helping the Maple Leafs bounce back from Saturday night’s 5-3 loss to Ottawa.Garret Sparks, who is from Elmhurst, made 25 saves to get the win in his first NHL game since 2016.

”I went up against my childhood heroes tonight and there’s nothing cooler than that,” the 25-year-old Sparks said.

The Hawks were looking for its first 3-0 start since the 2012-13 season, but it was unable to clamp down on Toronto’s high-scoring lines. Kane scored twice in the final two minutes of regulation, and defensemen Duncan Keith and rookie Henri Jokiharju each had three assists.

”It was a pretty crazy game,” Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. ”The quality of chances, the quantity of goals, the way it ended was a different level of unpredictability.”

It was Tavares’ first hat trick since he agreed to a $77 million, seven-year contract with Toronto in July, choosing his hometown team over several other suitors in free agency. The contract ramped up expectations for the Leafs, and the talented center is already having an effect on his new franchise.

”(I) want to be as consistent as I can so I prepare myself and expect a lot of myself on a nightly basis, with and without the puck,” Tavares said.

Tavares’ last goal made it 5-4 midway through the third, but the Maple Leafs and Blackhawks were just getting started. Especially Matthews and Kane.Kane tied it again from a bad angle with 1:24 remaining, shooting it past a screened Sparks. Then Matthews put the Maple Leafs back in front just 22 seconds later, beating Cam Ward from between the circles before holding his glove to his ear as if he was asking for more noise from the United Center crowd.With the third period winding down, Kane wasn’t done quite yet. He one-timed a big slap shot by Sparks with 29 seconds left, and then held his glove to his ear in response to Matthews.

”I wasn’t really happy when he did it, so it was nice to get a chance to score and kinda give it back to him,” Kane said. ”Wish we could have got another one in overtime.”

But Rielly closed it out quickly in OT, sending a low wrist shot past Ward on the glove side.Jonathan Toews, Alex DeBrincat, John Hayden and Brandon Manning also scored for the Blackhawks, who opened the season with two overtime wins. Ward finished with 27 stops.The Blackhawks got off to a fast start after an emotional pregame tribute to Hall of Fame forward Stan Mikita, who spent his entire 22-year NHL career with the franchise and died in August at age 78. Mikita’s wife, Jill, wiped away tears after a video of Mikita highlights was shown on the videoboard, and she was joined by Tavares and Toews for a ceremonial puck drop.The Blackhawks wore patches with Mikita’s No. 21 on their jerseys, and No. 21 was painted on the ice behind each goal.Toews then put the Hawks in front when he tipped home Dominik Kahun’s shot, and DeBrincat made it 2-0 when he finished off a pretty passing sequence 12:02 into the first. It was Toews’ fifth goal in three games; he needed 19 games to score five times last season.Toronto responded with two goals in a 34-second span on plays by Kapanen and Matthews. First, Matthews made a perfect pass ahead to Kapanen for a breakaway at 14:09. Then Kapanen stripped Keith behind the net and found Matthews for the tying score.

EAST LANSING—On a day when Northwestern had little choice but to pass early and often, Clayton Thorson was up to the task.Thorson threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns, and the Wildcats recovered from another second-half slip to beat No. 20 Michigan State 29-19 on Saturday.The Spartans (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten) entered with the nation’s top-ranked run defense and held Northwestern (2-3, 2-1) to 8 yards on the ground, but it didn’t matter. The Wildcats moved the ball consistently well through the air, and Michigan State’s offense was mostly inept except for a brief stretch in the third quarter.

”I think this was one of my best games in responding when bad things happen,” Thorson said. ”We don’t win a lot when I throw two picks. So really credit to our guys for staying in it.”

Thorson threw a 21-yard scoring pass to Cameron Green with 15 seconds left in the third, and a 2-point conversion gave Northwestern a 22-19 lead.The Wildcats missed a field goal with 6:41 to play, but Michigan State went 15 yards backward on the ensuing possession and had to punt. The Spartans held again defensively, and on the next possession, they had second-and-1 from their own 11. After two near-sacks, running back Connor Heyward was stopped on fourth down. Thorson scored on a 2-yard run to make it a 10-point game with 2:51 left.

”We’ll find the answers. I feel pretty confident in that,” Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said. ”We’ll right the ship.”

The Spartans took advantage of a first-quarter interception and led 3-0, but Thorson connected with Kyric McGowan for a 77-yard touchdown with 18 seconds left in the period. Thorson found JJ Jefferson for a 34-yard TD in the second, and Northwestern led 14-6 at halftime.The Wildcats blew a 21-3 halftime lead in a loss to Akron and were up 17-0 in the first half in last weekend’s loss to Michigan . They also gave away the lead against Michigan State in a quick sequence during the third quarter.Felton Davis scored for the Spartans on a 48-yard reverse , and although a 2-point conversion attempt failed, Michigan State got the ball back on an interception and took a 19-14 lead on Brian Lewerke’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Davis.NU recovered, however, and won on a day when the Wildcats looked like the better team.

”We lost some momentum there in the third quarter and we were able to seize it back,” Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said. ”We’ve been really close the last three weeks and to come in here against an outstanding football team and get the win, I’m incredibly proud of our guys.

The Wildcats earned this win. Northwestern had the right plan, throwing 47 passes against Michigan State team that excels at stopping the run, and the Wildcats also were impressive defensively in the final quarter.

PISCATAWAY—After a career that included stops at Nebraska, Iowa Western Community College and Virginia Tech, AJ Bush is getting a chance to play as a graduate transfer at Illinois, and he’s helping to turn the program around.Bush ran for 116 yards and two touchdowns and threw for another in his return to the lineup as Illinois used a big ground game to beat Rutgers 38-17 Saturday, sending the Scarlet Knights to their fifth straight loss.The win not only snapped a two-game losing streak for Illinois (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten), but it also ended a 13-game losing streak in the Big Ten, dating to 31-27 decision over Michigan State in 2016.Reggie Corbin ran for a career-high 137 yards, including a 73-yard scoring dash, as the Illini rushed for 330 yards and had 419 yards in total offense. Mike Epstein added 41-yard touchdown run with 5:07 to go.

”That’s exactly who we’d like to be – our personality,” Illinois coach Lovie Smith said of the running game. ”This is who we want to be. Offensively when you rush for over 300 yards, you have to be really excited about that.”

The three wins in a season ties the most for Smith in his two-plus seasons. The Illini were 2-10 last season and winless in the league.Jonathan Hilliman scored on a 32-yard run and freshman Art Sitkowski added a 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Travis Vokolek to get Rutgers (1-5, 0-3) within 24-14 at the half. Gavin Haggerty added a 20-yard field goal with less than six minutes to play, but Epstein scored on the first play after Illinois recovered an onside kick.Illinois, which had seven interceptions coming into the game, picked three more, including one on the first pass of the game by Sitkowski (29 of 49 for 267). It set up a 39-yard field goal by Chase McLaughlin for a 3-0 lead after less than four minutes.Hilliiman’s TD run gave Rutgers its only lead, but Bush scored twice and Corbin went the distance in opening a 24-7 Illini lead.

BLACKSBURG—Dexter Williams burst through the line, suddenly saw nothing but green in front of him and was gone.In a span of seconds, fans of No. 24 Virginia Tech went from roaring with certainty that the Hokies were about to make the kind of defensive play that can change a game to watching it flip in the other direction as Williams sprinted 97 yards down their sideline.And soon, a tight game was no more, the No. 6 Fighting Irish pulling away for a 45-23 victory on Saturday night.

”I was looking at the Jumbotron the whole time,” Williams said, ”to make sure I didn’t get caught.”

The Fighting Irish (6-0) had minus-5 rushing yards and were facing second-and-12 from their 3 when Williams broke into the clear early in the third quarter, putting Notre Dame ahead 24-16. Williams had just been thrown for a 2-yard loss, prompting the crowd’s excitement.Instead, it was Williams who made the big play.

”We had a couple of plays that we felt comfortable we could run down there,” coach Brian Kelly said of Williams, who ran for 161 yards in his first action of the season last week in a victory against No. 15 Stanford. ”He’s got great speed. He’s able to hit it.”

Virginia Tech responded by driving to the Notre Dame 30, but Brian Johnson missed a 47-yard field goal try.

”After that we kind of self-destructed a little bit,” Hokies defensive coordinator Bud Foster said.

Williams finished with 178 yards on 17 carries. He added TD runs of 1 and 31 yards.The Irish’s defense was stout, too. Khalid Kareem stripped quarterback Ryan Willis on a scramble and Julian Love was in perfect position to scoop up the bouncing fumble and take it 42 yards for a touchdown, giving Notre Dame a 17-9 lead late in the second quarter. Before breaking the game open, Notre Dame also sacked Willis for 11 yards after Virginia Tech (3-2) drove to the 19, and stopped the Hokies on three tries from the 1 yard-line. Both of those drives ended with the hosts settling for field goals by Johnson.

”It was a good battle there for a while,” Hokies coach Justin Fuente said.

Ian Book started fast and then struggled, but delivered the back-breaker for the Irish. Flushed left and surrounded by three closing defenders, he tossed a short pass just beyond them to Miles Boykin, whose 40-yard touchdown made it 31-16 late in the third quarter. The pair later connected for a 5-yard TD as the Irish scored the first 21 points of the second half.Book finished 25 for 35 for 271 yards in his third consecutive start. Willis was 31 for 52 for 309 yards with two TDs and one interception for the Hokies.Book was perfect on the opening drive, completing all seven of his throws for 58 yards. He also hit Chris Finke for 58 yards on the first play of Notre Dame’s second possession, but was far less effective throwing the ball downfield the rest of the way. He badly overthrew Finke twice, including once when Finke was well behind Tyree Rodgers and could have coasted into the end zone.

”I told him don’t worry about it,” Williams said of Book. ”He’s a great quarterback and he has to continue to step up.”

The Hokies’ lack of defensive depth is catching up with them. They were without starting free safety Divine Deablo, who Foster said tweaked a hamstring in practice on Wednesday, forcing Rodgers into extended action. The Hokies have had to replace eight starters, plus Deablo, since last season.Williams’ run was the second-longest in Notre Dame history, the longest in Lane Stadium history and matched the longest the Hokies have ever allowed. … Damon Hazelton caught a TD pass for the Hokies for the fifth straight game, tying Isaiah Ford’s school record.The Irish enhanced their playoff aspirations by winning in a difficult place while No. 5 LSU, No. 7 Oklahoma and No. 8 Auburn all lost. Virginia Tech is likely to drop out of the rankings again, but could well figure in the ACC’s Coastal Division mix before the season is over.Notre Dame returns home next Saturday to face another ACC opponent, Pittsburgh.

OTTAWA—Patrick Kane scored 38 seconds into overtime to give the Blackhawks a 4-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night in the opener for both teams.Alex DeBrincat, Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook also scored, and Cam Ward stopped 22 shots. Maxime Lajoie scored for Ottawa in his NHL debut, Colin White and Zack Smith added goals, and Craig Anderson made 37 saves.Seabrook tied it midway through the third period, with Kane find the defenseman alone in front for a one-timer.The teams combined for five goals in the first period.The Hawks opened the scoring when DeBrincat used Thomas Chabot as a screen before firing a shot past Anderson. Ottawa tied it when Smith’s shot deflected off Duncan Keith. The goal was Smith’s first since Feb. 21, also against the Blackhawks.The Hawks regained the lead when Toews came down the wing and fired a shot off Anderson’s shoulder.The Senators tied it in Lajoie’s one-timer, and White made it 3-2 on a power play.

NOTES—The Hawks recalled G Collin Delia after Anton Forsberg was injured during the morning skate.The Hawks are at St. Louis on Saturday night.

From the moment they identified him as the quarterback to lift their struggling franchise, the Bears envisioned big games from Mitchell Trubisky.As breakthroughs go, this was a huge one.Trubisky threw a career-high six touchdown passes – one shy of the NFL record – and the NFC North-leading Bears pounded the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48-10 on Sunday.The Bears (3-1) won their third straight with Trubisky delivering the sort of performance general manager Ryan Pace envisioned when he traded up a spot to draft the prized quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick last year.He finished one TD pass short of the franchise mark set by Sid Luckman against the New York Giants in 1943. Luckman is tied with seven others in NFL history to throw seven TD passes in a game. The Bears also racked up 483 yards in this one, nearly matching their record of 488 in that same game, on the way to their highest point total since 51-20 victory over Tennessee in 2012.

”It’s very humbling because you know the history of the Bears and how many great players have come through this organization,” Trubisky said. ”For me, you’re just trying to create your own legacy and try to make a path.”

The defense did its part, harassing Ryan Fitzpatrick before Jameis Winston took over to start the second half. And the Bears (3-1) matched their longest win streak since a 3-0 start in 2013.Trubisky had never thrown for more than two touchdowns in a game. But he tossed five in the first half alone as the Bears grabbed a 38-3 lead. The only other player with more in a single half since 1991 was Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers with six in the first two quarters against the Bears in a romp at Lambeau Field in November 2014.Trubisky had no trouble finding wide-open receivers against a struggling secondary, completing 19 of 26 passes for 354 yards.

”Hopefully, this is a day where we look back down the road here,” Bears coach Matt Nagy said, ”and say, `Remember that day where he had that great game?’ And it helped catapult him into being a great quarterback.”

Khalil Mack had a strip-sack in the first half against Fitzpatrick. That made him the first player with a sack and forced fumble in four straight games since Robert Mathis for Indianapolis in 2005. He also appeared to tip the ball as Winston released a pass that Danny Trevathan picked off on the first drive of the second half.Coming off a tight loss to Pittsburgh on Monday night, the Buccaneers (2-2) were simply overwhelmed in this one.

”We should fire every person that was on that field today, starting with me. That was horrific,” coach Dirk Koetter said.

Tampa Bay decided to stick with Fitzpatrick as the starting quarterback even though Winston was back from a three-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.But after becoming the first player in NFL history to top 400 yards passing in three consecutive games, Fitzpatrick was 9 of 18 for 126 yards and got sacked twice. Winston was 16 for 20 with 145 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.Tarik Cohen had a career-high 121 yards receiving and a touchdown. Taylor Gabriel had a personal-best 104 yards receiving to go with two TD catches.Trey Burton caught a 39-yard touchdown on the game’s opening drive and finished with 86 yards.Allen Robinson caught a 14-yarder late in the first quarter – his first TD since signing with the Bears in the offseason.Bears defensive tackle Akiem Hicks was ejected for pushing an official late in the first half.The incident occurred after Eddie Jackson intercepted a pass by Fitzpatrick. Hicks was involved in a scuffle away from the play with a Buccaneers player. Down judge Mike Carr had separated them when Hicks charged back and pushed the official, referee Jerome Boger told a pool reporter.

SOUTH BEND—Ian Book and Miles Boykin, the heroes of Notre Dame’s Citrus Bowl victory on New Year’s Day, worked their magic once again and a stifling defensive line chipped in as the No. 8 Irish broke a three-game losing streak to No. 7 Stanford with a 38-17 victory Saturday night.Book threw for 278 yards and four touchdowns, including an 8-yard TD to Boykin, who had career highs in receptions (11) and yardage (144).

”Our chemistry is coming along but he’s such a good player and I love throwing to him,” said Book, whose 55-yard touchdown pass to Boykin while replacing an ineffective Brandon Wimbush provided the Irish a 21-17 victory over LSU in Orlando last January.

Stanford coach David Shaw was impressed by Book, who hails from Northern California and was Notre Dame’s starting quarterback for the second straight week after replacing Wimbush again.

”(Notre Dame has) a quarterback right now that’s outstanding,” Shaw said. ”He’s athletic enough to get himself out of trouble. Quarterbacks like this, if you don’t get them down on the ground, it’s gonna hurt you.”

Boykin’s touchdown reception gave the Irish a 31-17 lead over the Cardinal with 8:16 remaining. After Notre Dame’s Te’von Coney intercepted Stanford quarterback K.J. Costello, Book threw a 35-yard scoring pass to Alize Mack 14 seconds later to seal the victory.Book’s other touchdown passes were a 6-yarder to tight end Nic Weishar in the first quarter and a 10-yarder to Chase Claypool just before halftime.

”A great win,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said. ”I like the fact that we finished the game. We started fast but we finished. When you are looking at your team, you see a resolve you’re wanting to see with your team.”

The Irish (5-0) totaled 550 yards, including 272 yards on 55 carries. Senior Dexter Williams, playing in his first game of the season after missing the first four for undisclosed disciplinary reasons, rushed for a career-high 161 yards on 21 carries, the first a 45-yard touchdown that gave Notre Dame a 7-0 lead.

”I’m really proud of his growth and maturity,” Kelly said. ”If he wasn’t growing as a young man and as a student-athlete at Notre Dame, he wouldn’t have the chance.”

The Irish limited Stanford (4-1) to 229 yards on 51 plays.Bryce Love, last year’s Heisman Trophy runner-up, scored on a 39-yard TD for Stanford, but finished with just 73 yards on 17 carries before limping to the locker room with just over 11 minutes remaining.Stanford: After missing his first three passes of the game, Costello connected on his next nine before finishing with 130 first-half yards on 11-of-17 passing but was hurried by Notre Dame’s defensive front four in the second half. With Love also struggling on the ground, the Cardinal will have to address the blocking issues of their offensive line.