Fitzgerald Toussaint rushed for a career-high 170 yards as No. 17 Michigan avoided back-to-back losses with a 36-14 victory over Purdue on Saturday at Michigan Stadium.

Toussaint finished with two touchdowns for the Wolverines (7-1, 3-1 Big Ten), who are off to their best start since opening the 2006 season 8-0.

Michigan, which was held to a season-low 14 points in its last outing against Michigan State, took a 22-7 halftime lead on Brendan Gibbons’ 22-yard field goal on the last play of the second quarter.

The Wolverines extended their lead to 29-7 on Toussaint’s final touchdown of the game, a 59-yard run with 2:48 left in the third quarter.

Purdue (4-4, 2-2 Big Ten), which had no answer for Michigan’s offense, was outgained 535-306, including 339-84 on the ground. The Boilermakers’ first score came on a 48-yard strike from Caleb TerBush to Gary Bush on the team’s opening possession.

They didn’t score again until the last possession, a 19-yard touchdown pass from Robert Marve to O.J. Ross with 15 seconds left. In between, Purdue punted six times, threw an interception and turned the ball over on downs as Michigan’s defense held them scoreless in the second and third quarter.

TerBush finished with 156 yards for Purdue, who fell to 5-28 all-time on the road against the Wolverines.

Denard Robinson had 233 total yards — including 170 passing — and a rushing touchdown for Michigan, who improved to 43-14 against the Boilermakers. The Wolverines have scored 30 or more points in six of their eight games this season.