If they are able to steal a few quiet moments before kickoff Saturday, Purdue's Brandon Hance and Michigan's John Navarre might want to meet at midfield in the Big House and talk.

Talk about how they spent their respective summer vacations.

The conversation between the young quarterbacks might sound like this:

Hance: "John, you're looking good. But you guys really need to change those stupid helmets. No one likes 'em. Congrats, though. I hear people around here have finally accepted the fact that Drew Henson is gone and you're the man."

	John Navarre is averaging 225 ypg and has eight TDs this season.

Navarre: "Thanks, man. All I heard after Drew decided to skip town and play baseball was that the offense was going to %-*-&-@ this season. It's not like I don't know how to put my shoulder pads on. I think I can play a little bit.

"But enough about me. You had to deal with your own Drew Blues this summer. Where is that guy anyway? San Diego?"

Hance: "Yeah, with the Chargers. I swear that some people thought we'd start running the ball every down this season. Sure, and coach Tiller is going to give up fly-fishing, too. Whatever. I didn't come here to hand off 50 times a game. I can play some, too."

So they can.

Yes, our conversation is fictional. But the statistics reveal that 16th-ranked Purdue (4-0 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) and No. 12 Michigan (4-1, 2-0) are surviving and even thriving thus far without Brees and Henson, respectively.

Hance, a redshirt freshman, is No. 3 in the Big Ten in total offense behind two veteran quarterbacks, Northwestern's Zak Kustok and Illinois' Kurt Kittner. Hance is averaging 240.8 yards per game, 205.5 passing and 35.3 rushing. He has thrown as many interceptions (five) as touchdowns and the Boilermakers' offense isn't nearly as explosive as it was under Brees. But Hance is working with a rebuilt offensive line, his completion percentage is 56.5% and the bottom line is that the Boliermakers are unbeaten.

Navarre, a redshirt sophomore who started the first four games last season when Henson was out with a foot injury, is No. 2 in the conference in passing (225.2 yards per game). He has thrown eight touchdown passes and just two interceptions, and his completion percentage is, like Hance's, a solid 56.5%.

Purdue coach Joe Tiller was quietly optimistic about Hance's chances to flourish in his first season and is not surprised by anything Hance has accomplished thus far.

"Confidence, more than anything, is the way you feel about yourself," Tiller said. "If you feel good about yourself, I think you are confident that you will perform.

"That is Brandon Hance. He has never been a guy short of confidence. He is not a (bragger) but he believes he can win a lot of football games at this level.

"I do not think confidence has been or will be an issue with Brandon Hance."

Two weeks ago in a 35-28 victory at Minnesota, Hance completed passes of 27 and 39 yards in the final seconds of regulation to set up Travis Dorsch's game-tying 48-yard field goal as time expired. Hance then threw the winning touchdown pass in overtime.

"Brandon has been doing great," junior wide receiver Seth Morales said. "This game (Minnesota) just made all of us realize that the world is his with the potential that he has.

"Each game, each practice, each film study that he has, he is getting better and better. He has been looking off other guys and finding different reads. He is throwing it all over the place and getting the ball to everybody."

Hance was a bit out of sync last week in a 23-14 victory over Iowa, completing 17 of 33 attempts for 147 yards with one interception. However, with the Boilermakers trailing by 14-13 early in the fourth quarter, he hit Morales for gains of 25 and 14 yards and then ran 4 yards for the winning touchdown.

"To learn the offense on paper and the Xs and Os is pretty hard," Hance acknowledged. "To understand the philosophies and some of the base plays that go behind it is not the most difficult part.

"The hardest part is going out and gelling as an offense and having all 11 guys on the same page."

Navarre discovered the degree of difficulty last season after playing like a Heisman Trophy candidate in the Wolverines' first two games.

He completed 25 of 34 passes (73.5 percent) for 394 yards, with seven touchdowns and no interceptions, in victories over Bowling Green and Rice. However, he was just 8 for 28 for 111 yards in a loss to UCLA in Week 3 and was benched in favor of Henson after getting off to a slow start against Illinois.

Poise didn't appear to be a strength, which was understandable given the fact that Navarre had been pressed into starting duty. Through four games this season, Navarre has played with the poise of a senior.

That growth hasn't escaped the keen eye of Michigan coach Lloyd Carr.

"Confidence is a big part of this," Carr said, "and what I like is that John is a tough guy who isn't afraid."

The most telling piece of evidence was Navarre's play in a 45-20 victory over Illinois.

Michigan's offense went nowhere against a rejuvenated Illinois defense on the Wolverines' first four possessions. Yet instead of losing his cool and tossing the ball all over the field in an effort to make a big play, Navarre bided his time until the Wolverines broke the game open with some trickery.

"When you study what he did against Illinois," Carr said, "I think John Navarre did a very good job even in those first four drives when we didn't make a first down. He didn't panic. He didn't throw the football up for grabs. He had one play in there where he probably rushed the throw but I would have rushed it, too.

"He looks up the field for the guys he is going to throw to, and that's the concentration you need.

"I've never had any doubt that he can throw any pass. He has improved in every facet of the game."

Last week in the 20-0 victory over Penn State, Navarre drove the Wolverines 80 yards in nine plays and only 55 seconds for a critical touchdown with 12 seconds left in the first half. He completed five passes to Marquise Walker on the drive, including a 16-yarder for a touchdown and a 13-0 lead.

"John really worked this offseason, knowing he was going to be the full-time quarterback," junior wide receiver Ronald Bellamy said. "He used that for motivation. Right now, he's playing great."

There is no denying that both Hance and Navarre have benefited from the fact that their teams play outstanding defense.

Purdue is No. 2 in the Big Ten in total defense (296.5 yards per game) and No. 4 in scoring defense (17.5 points per game). Michigan is No. 4 in the conference in total defense (314.8 yards per game) and No. 3 in scoring defense (15.4 points per game).

Yet it is also true that Hance and Navarre have been asked to replace tremendous quarterbacks and have been saddled with ridiculous expectations. Thus far, they have met those expectations, answered their critics and eased the concerns of their fans.

They will meet on the field Saturday, leading two of the three teams still unbeaten in Big Ten play.

If Hance and Navarre are able to steal a few quiet moments before kickoff, they should talk. They'd find they have much in common.

Around the Big Ten

Illinois
Welcome back, Brandon Lloyd. After performing a virtual disappearing act in the Illini's previous two games, the sophomore wide receiver heeded the words of his coach and imposed his will against Minnesota's defense with nine catches for 168 yards and two touchdowns in a 25-14 victory. Lloyd opened the season with consecutive 100-yard receiving games but was a non-factor against Louisville and Michigan. "Brandon's obviously a very good player and we didn't get the production out of him the last couple weeks that we needed," Illinois coach Ron Turner said. "It was nice to get Brandon back in the flow of things." ... Now if the Illini can get their red-zone offense back on track this week at Indiana. Illinois three times failed to score a touchdown from inside the Gophers' 10-yard line, settling for field goals each time. ... Three Illinois runners gained 65 yards against Minnesota. A week earlier in a loss to Michigan, the Illini gained 25 yards in 27 carries. ... Illinois is 4-1 for the first time since 1991.

Indiana
Can anyone please explain where this Indiana team was during the first three weeks of the season? The Hoosiers entered their road game against Wisconsin 0-3 overall, 0-1 in the Big Ten and riding a seven-game losing streak dating to last season. All they did was race to a 32-0 lead after one quarter en route to a 63-32 victory. Indiana's 32-point first-quarter was achieved with a stunning collection of big plays on offense, defense and special teams, which returned a blocked punt for a touchdown. The Hoosiers' four scoring drives in the quarter totaled 11 plays (2.8 plays per drive), covered just 190 yards (47.5 yards per drive) and lasted a combined 2 minutes 31 seconds (37.8 seconds per drive). Antwaan Randle El rekindled a dying Heisman Trophy campaign with 322 all-purpose yards. He rushed 14 times for 102 yards, an average of 7.3 yards per carry, completed 8 of 11 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown and returned three punts for 38 yards. Tailback Levron Williams entered the day with 197 yards rushing in 40 carries this season. He surpassed his rushing total on his 18th carry, a 48-yard run to the Wisconsin 1 to set up the Hoosiers eighth offensive touchdown. He scored six touchdowns to tie a Big Ten-record for most touchdowns in a conference game and finished with 280 yards in 20 carries, an average of 14.0 yards per carry. Overall, the Hoosiers rolled up 631 yards (449 rushing and 182 passing) in 67 plays, an average of 9.4 yards per play. The Hoosiers' nine offensive touchdowns were scored in a combined 15:03. ... So what's next for the Hoosiers? They're thinking beat Illinois this week and starting making bowl plans. "Now we have a view of what we can be," Indiana coach Cam Cameron said. "Sometimes until you see it, it's nothing more than a leap of faith. It's not a leap of faith anymore, it's a matter of duplicating it."

Iowa
OK, so Iowa (3-1, 1-1) isn't quite ready for prime time just yet. The Hawkeyes traveled to West Lafayette, Ind., last week to take on Purdue and, ahem, forgot to bring their offense. Kyle McCann completed 12 of 15 passes for 90 yards in the first quarter but finished 21 for 33 for 167 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions. One of the interceptions was returned for a touchdown and the Hawkeyes finished with just 215 total yards. "They gave us some things we couldn't handle," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. "We knew coming in we'd have to handle their pressure and we didn't cope very well with it." ... The loss and the inability of the offense to move the ball overshadowed a stellar effort by the defense. Iowa held Purdue to a season-low 217 yards.

Michigan
Michigan coach Lloyd Carr no longer gets the shakes when his defense takes the field. A year ago, the Wolverines allowed nearly 400 yards per game (389.9) and gave up 54 points in a single game (Northwestern). After five games this season, the Wolverines are allowing 314.8 yards per game, fourth-best in the Big Ten, and 15.4 points per game, third-best in the conference. The Wolverines have been especially tough against the run, holding opponents to less than 25 yards in each of its last three games and less than 75 yards in the last four games. Carr understands that his team will face more explosive offenses and stressed that after his team shut out Penn State's anemic offense, 20-0, on Saturday. "Very obviously, there are bigger tests ahead defensively," Carr said. "I'm not ready to label this a great defense. You prove that over the course of a year or a season." ... Offensive right tackle Demeterius Solomon left the Penn State game with an undisclosed leg injury and was replaced by Courtney Morgan. Carr declined to comment on Solomon's status for Purdue. ... The victory over Penn State, combined with Yale's 32-27 loss to Dartmouth, gave Michigan the record for all-time victories in all divisions. Michigan already holds the Division I-A record for all-time victories with 809. Yale has 808.

Michigan State
So much for a peaceful bye week. Coming off that forgettable loss to Northwestern, the last thing the Spartans needed were more bad breaks. They got not one, but two. On Wednesday, starting left cornerback Jason Harmon broke his right ankle during practice. The freshman is expected to be sidelined eight to 10 weeks. On Thursday, starting right cornerback DeMario Suggs broke his left ankle at practice. The senior is expected to be out for eight to 10 weeks. The injuries have left coach Bobby Williams scrambling as the Spartans (2-1, 0-1) prepare for Iowa. "We're looking at every possible combination that we can," Williams said. "We have to look at the best players on the team and get them in a position where they can help us. Who those guys are, we'll find out." ... Linebackers Ivory McCoy (foot) and Seth Mitchell (knee) both returned to practice this week and are expected to play against the Hawkeyes. They've both been out for a little more than a month.

Minnesota
Glen Mason isn't about to admit that his world is crumbling. But can life in the Big Ten get any worse for the Gophers? First the Big Ten office admits one of its officials blew a call in the Gophers' overtime loss to Purdue. Then the Gophers go out and give a lackluster performance and lose at Illinois, 25-14. Now, Mason and the Gophers (1-3, 0-2) get to travel to Northwestern. The last time these teams met, the Wildcats overcame a 28-point deficit in the second half and used a desperation pass to win on the final play of the game. The Minnesota players are talking revenge, something Mason doesn't like. "I think it's a bad thing if they've had it on their mind for a year," Mason said. "If you keep looking in the rearview mirror, you can't see where you're going, you know? You've got to let it go and move on." ... Well then let's look ahead. The 1-3 record is the Gophers' worst start since 1993. As a result, the Gophers must win five of their remaining seven games to qualify for a third consecutive bowl appearance. The six remaining conference opponents have a combined record of 18-8. Good luck. ... How bad was Minnesota's offense in the first half against the Illini? The Gophers generated 22 plays, 98 yards and five first downs.

Northwestern
If your chosen field is anger management counseling you should be able to find work in the Northwestern football offices. Coach Randy Walker is angry. Quarterback Zak Kustok is angry. Tailback Damien Anderson is angry. Walker is miffed at himself because he feels he spent too much time schmoozing with reporters in the days leading to his return to Ohio to take on Ohio State. Kustok is miffed at himself because he feels his performance (16 for 26 for 122 yards) hurt the team. And Anderson is miffed because his fumble was returned 30 yards for the go-ahead touchdown in the second quarter. The result was a 38-20 loss on national TV that left some folks wondering about the Wildcats' mettle. "I forgot the main thing," Walker said. "I let too many things enter my world last week. I let in too many distractions, too many thoughts and gave them air time in my head. And as you guys have all found out, there's not enough air time in there." ... Northwestern managed just 306 total yards in the loss and kin the last two games the offense seems to be in a funk. In those games, the Wildcats have fashioned three lengthy, time-consuming drives in 26 possessions. Kustok has passed for only 353 yards, with 54 coming on the "Hail Mary" play against Michigan State. Anderson has gained 155 yards in 49 attempts, an average of 3.2 yards per carry. On the bright side, the Wildcats get the Gophers this week. Minnesota is 10th in the Big Ten in total defense (398.2 yards) and 10th in scoring defense (28.0 points).

Ohio State
Give credit to Jim Tressel and his assistants for realizing the strengths and limitations of the offense and accentuating the former. With senior quarterback Steve Bellisari still fighting inconsistency, the coaches have essentially taken the ball out of his hands and gone to a power running game. As a result, the Buckeyes (3-1, 2-0) have attempted only 83 passes, the lowest total in the Big Ten and 99 behind league-leader Illinois. Ohio State set out to control the clock with its running game against Northwestern and did just that by rushing for 287 yards and holding the ball for 32 minutes 10 seconds. Senior tailback Jonathan Wells led the way with 179 yards and three touchdowns in 22 carries; Bellisari completed 4 of 10 passes for 109 yards. One week earlier, freshman Lydell Ross broke the 100-yard mark in a 27-14 victory over Indiana. You can expect to see the Buckeyes pound the ball on the ground against a Wisconsin defensive line decimated by injury. The Badgers have slipped to No. 7 in the Big Ten in rushing defense (170.7 yards) and have allowed eight rushing touchdowns, tied with Northwester for the most in the conference. ... As efficient as the offense has been in the last two weeks, this team still must ride its defense. Led by strong safety Mike Doss, the Buckeyes stymied Northwestern's spread attack last week. Doss had 13 tackles, including eight solo, and a 30-yard return of a fumble for a touchdown. Not surprisingly, he was named the Big Ten defensive player of the week. ... Ohio State is now No. 2 in the conference in scoring defense (15.2 points) and No. 3 in total defense (303.5 yards).

Penn State
The Nittany Lions (0-4, 0-3) have a bye this week and no team in America needs some time off more than Joe Paterno's unit. Not only are the Nittany Lions off to the worst start in their 115-year history, their 20-0 loss to visiting Michigan last week marked the first time Paterno's team had been blanked at Happy Valley, a span of 212 games. ... After rushing for 25 yards in 26 carries against the Wolverines, Penn State is last in the Big Ten in rushing with an average of 40.8 yards per game. To put that into the proper perspective, the No. 10 team in the Big Ten in rushing (Illinois) averages 80 yards per game more than Penn State. Indiana leads the conference with an average of 235.8 yards per game, nearly 200 more than Penn State. ... The Nittany Lions have now been beaten by Michigan in five consecutive years. The last team to do that to the Nittany Lions was Syracuse -- from 1931-35. ... As if this team needed more bad news, fullback Sean McHugh will miss the rest of the season with a broken right leg. McHugh, a sophomore, broke his right tibia during the loss to Michigan. His rehabilitation is expected to take about 10-12 weeks.

Purdue
While many analysts seemed to focus on how Purdue's passing game would fare in 2001, it appears the bigger area of concern is the running game. The Boilermakers rushed for just 70 yards in the victory over Iowa. Montrell Lowe, who ran for 998 yards last season, has only 224 this year. No Purdue back has rushed for more than 79 yards in a single game. Is Tiller worried? Not yet. "No one is going to get me or anyone on our coaching staff to say that we must have balance to be successful because we don't believe that," Tiller said. "We don't mind throwing the ball 83 times in a game if that's what we have to do. Certainly, we'd like to run the ball better." ... Senior kicker Travis Dorsch is in the midst of his best run ever at Purdue. Dorsch made three field goals and two extra-points in the victory over Iowa and is tied for second in the Big Ten in scoring (36 points). Overall, he has made 9 of 11 field-goal attempts this season. Against Iowa, he also punted five times for an average of 51.2 yards. His 79-yarder was the third-longest in school history.

Wisconsin
The Badgers (3-3, 1-1) try to get on track by winning at Columbus for the second consecutive time. However, first let's look back at the stunning 63-32 loss to Indiana. The only other time a Wisconsin team surrendered 63 points was against Minnesota, on Nov. 15, 1890. The 31-point loss was just the sixth-worst in Barry Alvarez's 11-plus seasons and 137 games at Wisconsin. The Badgers have twice lost by 38 points under Alvarez. Indiana, which scored a total of 22 points in the last two losses against Wisconsin and 42 in the last three, scored 32 points in the first 11 minutes 47 seconds of this game. ... Senior defensive tackle Wendell Bryant captured the frustration of the Wisconsin players after the loss to Indiana. "We thought we had a great week of practice and we got thoroughly embarrassed," he said. "We embarrassed this program. We embarrassed everything that Mr. Alvarez built." ... Wisconsin and Ohio State have split their last two meetings. Last season, the Buckeyes sacked quarterback Brooks Bollinger nine times for 54 yards in a 23-7 victory in Madison. Two years ago in Columbus, Bollinger made his first start and rallied the Badgers from a 17-0 deficit to a 42-17 victory. He passed for 167 yards and rushed for 78 yards and consistently frustrated Ohio State's defense with his mobility.

Jeff Potrykus covers the Big Ten for the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.