Oct. 29, 2011
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - Fitzgerald Toussaint ran for a career-high 170 yards and two touchdowns to lead No. 17 Michigan to a 36-14 win over Purdue on Saturday.
The Wolverines (7-1, 3-1 Big Ten) gave up a TD on the opening drive of the game, then scored 36 straight points to bounce back from their first loss of the season, two weeks ago at Michigan State.
The Boilermakers (4-4, 2-2) haven't won or lost consecutive games this year.
Toussaint had 155 yards rushing through three quarters, helping Michigan find a rusher to take some of the load from quarterback Denard Robinson. Backup Michael Shaw ran for a 37-yard TD on his first carry early in the fourth for a 36-7 lead.
Purdue was effectively shut down after Caleb TerBush threw a 48-yard TD pass to Gary Bush 1:24 into the game.
Purdue finally scored with 15 seconds left on Robert Marve's 19-yard pass to O.J. Ross.
Michigan bounced back well from its 28-14 setback in East Lansing with a performance that might help college football's winningest program prevent another late-season slide.
The Spartans handed the Wolverines their first loss in each of the previous two years, touching off six- and seven-loss finishes that eventually brought about the firing of Rich Rodriguez and hiring of Brady Hoke.
Michigan has tried to re-establish a traditional power running game this season and gotten mixed results - until pounding Purdue with a heavy dose of Toussaint left, right and up the middle.
Robinson completed five of his first six passes, before locking in on a target and throwing an interception in Purdue territory. He finished 9 of 14 for 170 yards. Robinson ran 15 times, his third-lowest total this year, for 63 yards and a score on Michigan's first drive that made it 7-all midway through the first quarter.
Devin Gardner threw an interception on his first attempt, an ill-advised throw into coverage that sailed high and fell short of the receiver near the end zone. Gardner completed a 26-yard throw on his only other pass and gained experience while giving Robinson a break in the fourth quarter.
Mike Martin brought down TerBush in the end zone to put Michigan ahead for the first time, early in the second quarter.
Toussaint's first TD and Brendan Gibbons' two field goals gave the Wolverines a 22-7 lead at halftime.
The shifty running back took a pitch to the left from Gardner, who faked a handoff to Robinson, and cut back across the field for a 59-yard run that put Michigan ahead by more than three TDs.
Purdue played both of its quarterbacks as planned and both threw a TD and an interception.
TerBush was 9 of 13 for 156 yards and Marve was 8 of 14 for 66 yards.