CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Eli Dunne passed for 227 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and Korby Sander had two takeaways as Northern Iowa ended its season with a 37-0 shutout of Missouri State on Saturday. Sander, who led with 13 tackles, headed a defense that held Missouri State to nine first downs and 222 yards of total offense in Northern Iowa’s (6-5, 5-3 Missouri Valley Conference) third shutout of the season.

Elerson Smith preserved the shutout with a fourth-down sack on Missouri State’s final drive. It was the first time the Panthers had a season with three shutouts since 1971.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Texas Longhorns are on a late-season stampede toward the Big 12 title game. And given how things are unfolding around them and a sudden resurgence on defense, they like where they stand. Now if only quarterback Sam Ehlinger’s throwing shoulder will hold up.

Ehlinger ran for a touchdown and passed for another before leaving with an injury after a hard hit late in the second quarter, and No. 13 Texas smothered Iowa State freshman quarterback Brock Purdy in a 24-10 victory Saturday night that pushed the Longhorns a big step closer to a berth in the league championship game.

Texas (8-3, 6-2, No. 15 CFP) is in second place in the Big 12 and can get to the title game with a win at Kansas next week. Texas hasn’t won the Big 12 since 2009. The Longhorns have won eight games for the first time since 2013. And lurking out there are potential title-game rematches of Texas’ wildest games of the year: a 48-45 win over Oklahoma and a 42-41 loss to West Virginia.

Texas can even get to the title game if it loses to Kansas, but Oklahoma beats West Virginia and Iowa State beats Kansas State next week. Texas isn’t ready to talk about those scenarios yet.

The Cyclones melted under the pressure of their biggest Big 12 game in years. Iowa State started the game with the same “win and get in” title game hopes Texas did. But the Cyclones’ title hopes were dashed with the loss as the potential tie-breaker scenarios would freeze them out.
UP NEXT
Iowa State hosts Kansas State.

A.J. Green scored 23 points, and Northern Iowa held off a late challenge to beat Eastern Kentucky 90-85 Saturday in the consolation round of the Paradise Jam tournament. Spencer Halderman added 16 points as five UNI players finished in double figures for the Panthers (2-2), who led from the start at the University of the Virgin Islands’ Sports and Fitness Center.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Nate Stanley passed for 178 yards and three touchdowns while Mekhi Sargent and Toren Young added two rushing touchdowns each as Iowa rolled over Illinois 63-0 on Saturday. It tied the largest margin of defeat in Illinois history, matching a 63-0 loss to the University of Chicago in 1906. The win ended a three-game skid for the Hawkeyes (7-4, 4-4 Big Ten) and makes a bowl invitation all but certain. The loss ended Illinois’ bowl hopes.

Iowa was able pretty much to do as they pleased. And what pleased them seemingly was scoring touchdowns. Illinois was never in the same stadium with Iowa, let alone the same game. Moribund defense and an ineffective offense.
UP NEXT
Iowa: Closes out the regular season by hosting Nebraska on Friday.

MOREHEAD, Ky. (AP) — Grant Kraemer passed for two touchdowns and ran for another as Drake pulled away from Morehead State for a 43-6 season-ending win on Saturday.

The Bulldogs (7-3, 6-2 Pioneer League) edged away from a 7-6 lead when Kieran Severa returned a blocked PAT, then Drake added five unanswered touchdowns. Kraemer, who passed 11-for-19 for 245 yards, found Steven Doran wide open down the middle and Doran ran 65 yards untouched for the score 38 seconds before halftime. Kraemer scored on a keeper from the 1 in the third quarter and tossed a 1-yarder to Doran late in the game. Doran led all receivers with 159 yards on five catches.

Lawson Page completed 18 of 40 passes for 159 yards and answered Drake’s first score with a touchdown toss to Chris Nelson on the next possession and the Eagles (3-8, 2-6) trailed just 7-6. The PAT kick was blocked and Severa returned it for two points, starting Drake’s run of touchdowns.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Nick McGlynn scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Drake beat Texas State 75-69 on Saturday. McGlynn was one of five Drake (2-1) players to score in double figures. Nick Norton had 15 points and passed out nine assists, Brady Ellingson scored 13 and D.J. Wilkins and Tremell Murphy each scored 10. The Bulldogs finished shooting 55 percent (27 of 49) from the floor, including 10 of 27 from 3-point range.

McGlynn’s dunk and Wilkins’ 3-pointer with six seconds left put Drake up 44-30 at halftime. Murphy hit a layup and Ellingson a 3 and the lead reached 19. The Bobcats fought back as Jaylen Snead made a layup and Tre’Larenz Nottingham buried a 3 sandwiched around Norton’s 3 and Drake’s lead was down to 63-57. With 4:44 left, Alex Peacock’s dunk brought the deficit to 65-63 but Texas State never took the lead.

Nijal Pearson led Texas State (2-1) with 19 points and Tre’Larenz Nottingham and Chandler Davis each scored 10.