Mark Dantonio and Michigan State won the 2015 Big Ten Championship over Iowa by a score of 16-13. (Joe Robbins/Getty Images North America)
Five Predictions For The Big 10 Conference In 2016
The 2016 College Football season is less a week away as Hawaii and California kick off on next week in Sydney, Australia. Below are five predictions for Big Ten Conference for the 2016 season. Some predictions will be right, some predictions will be wrong, and some will be spectacularly awful (or correct) by the end of the season.
There are no changes to the teams for the Big Ten Conference as the fourteen teams remain the same and are split into East and West Divisions. The seven teams in the East Division are Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State,and Rutgers. The seven teams in the West Division are Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Northwestern, Minnesota, Purdue,and Wisconsin.
The one change that will occur in 2016 is each team will now play nine conference games instead of eight and teams will no longer feature FCS opponents on their schedules going forward. There are plenty of FCS opponents on this year’s schedule in the opening weeks, however.
Here are five predictions for the Big Ten Conference in 2016:
1. Indiana will play in their second consecutive bowl game – The Hoosiers went 6-7 last year with a close loss in the highly entertaining Pinstripe Bowl against Duke 44-41. Now, Indiana will look to make back-to-back bowl games for the first time since the 1990 and 1991 seasons.
The offense has six starters back, but will lose both quarterback Nate Sudfeld and running back JordanHoward. Howard was hobbled with injuries in 2015, which allowed Devine Redding to get some big reps (finished with 1,012 yards and 9 touchdowns). Redding is back as are the top three receivers in Simmie Cobbs (60 catches for 1,035 yards and 4 touchdowns), Ricky Jones (54 catches for 905 yards and 5 touchdowns), and Mitchell Paige (57 catches for 684 yards and 6 touchdowns). No matter who wins the quarterback battle, they will have plenty of options to go to.
The defense took a step back in 2015 when they allowed 37.6 points and 509 yards per game. That was worse than 2014 when they gave up 32.8 pints and 434 yards per game. There are seven starters back, including the top five tacklers in 2015, along with a new defensive coordinator in Tom Allen (from South Florida). The numbers in 2016 should look more like 2014 than 2015 and possibly better than 2014.
The schedule is favorable for Indiana to reach another bowl game. They open on the road against Florida International before back-to-back home games against Ball State and Wake Forest with a 3-0 record looking likely. They do have a daunting Big Ten schedule to start: Michigan State (home), Ohio State (road), Nebraska (home), and Northwestern (road). The back part is much easier with Maryland (home), Rutgers (away), Penn State (home), Michigan (away), and Purdue (home). Wins against Maryland, Rutgers, and Purdue would give them six wins. Indiana might need an upset along the way if they stumble, but they are capable of getting it.
2. Northwestern’s Justin Jackson will lead the conference in rushing – Justin Jackson deserves to be in the upper echelon of running backs in the nation, but he is rarely mentioned with the best. In 2015, he finished second in the conference with 1,418 yards rushing behind only Ezekiel Elliott who had 1,821 yards on the ground.
Consider this: Jackson alone averaged 109 yards per game in 2015 while the Northwestern passing attack average 139 per game. Jackson had little help with the passing attack, was the main focal point of the offense (and conversely the main focal point for the defense), and still ran for over 100 yards per game.
The passing attack should be better in Clayton Thorson’s second season. He lost some playmakers in the receiving corps (Christian Jones, Dan Vitale, Miles Shuler), but the numbers will be better as long as he has progressed. Jackson will face Western Michigan, Illinois State, and Duke in his first three games while playing Purdue, Minnesota, and Illinois in the final three games. Northwestern also faces Indiana in the middle of the season. As long as he stays healthy, Jackson should have a big year.
3. Wisconsin will not win 10 games – No prediction hurts more to make than this one. As a Wisconsin fan and someone who attended the school, it is always tough to make a prediction like this. But reality is too stark to ignore.
The Badgers lost defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, which is a huge loss. His defense never allowed more than 305 yards per game for a season, nor did they allow more than 21 points per contest over the course of a season. They get Justin Wilcox as a replacement from USC and he will have six starters to work with on defense. Wilcox is a solid guy as a DC, but he is not quite on the same level as Aranda.
The schedule is brutal for Wisconsin. They open with LSU (and face Aranda) in Green Bay before getting Akron and Georgia State at home. In Conference, they run a buzz saw from the start with Michigan State AND Michigan both at on the road. After a bye week they face Ohio State at home, Iowa on the road, Nebraska at home, and Northwestern on the road. They close out the season with Illinois (home), Purdue (away), and Minnesota (home). That is a demanding schedule to reach 10 wins, but I will still be hoping this prediction is wrong.
4. The winner of The Game will make the College Football Playoffs – This is a cop-out for having to pick the winner of the Michigan-Ohio State game. It is really tough to pick a winner of that game because it does look like a pretty even game (though Ohio State does have a slight edge being at home as well as having won four in a row and 11 of the last 12 games). It looks likely that whichever team wins the Michigan-Ohio State game will be in the College Football Playoffs.
This prediction looks solid but there are some hurdles that need to be cleared. First, Michigan State plays both Michigan and Ohio State at home this season. Ohio State also faces Oklahoma on the road September 17 as well as Wisconsin and Penn State on the road in back-to-back games in October (15 and 22). The next two games after PSU are Northwestern and Nebraska at home before they end with Michigan State (road) and Michigan (home).
Michigan has a schedule that sets them up well this year, but there are a few challenging games. Like OSU, they play Penn State and Wisconsin in back-to-back games, but both are at home. They do have some possible trap games as well. After Michigan State on the road (Oct. 29), they play Maryland at home (Nov. 5) and then face Iowa on the road (Nov. 12). In between Iowa and Ohio State (Nov. 26) they have Indiana at home (Nov. 19). The Wolverines should handily win those games against Maryland and Indiana, but they cannot take those games lightly given their next opponent.
Looking at Ohio State and Michigan, they are the two best teams in the Big Ten. Michigan State might have something to say about that and even if either the Buckeyes or Wolverines win the Big Ten East, they still have to take care of business in the Big Ten Championship Game, which has proven to be a tough hurdle in the past for teams in position to make the Playoffs or National Championship.
5. Iowa will be pushed to the brink by North Dakota State – If this game were held in the Fargodome, this would be a prediction for an outright NDSU win. But then again, Iowa would not be scheduling a road game against an FCS opponent and FCS opponents will be a thing of the past for Big Ten teams in the near future.
North Dakota State will be going to Iowa City on September 17 in Iowa’s third game of the year. It is sandwiched between Iowa State (home) and the Big Ten opener against Rutgers (away). North Dakota State is the five time FCS National Champion, but their record against FBS teams is outstanding. They are 8-3 overall and have won five in a row against Kansas (6-3 in 2010), Minnesota (37-24 in 2011), Colorado State (22-7 in 2012), Kansas State (24-21 in 2013), and Iowa State (34-14 in 2014).
NDSU has a well known blueprint to beating teams: a strong rushing attack and offense that eats up the time of possession and a very good defense. Iowa boasts a strong defense as well, which could lead to a defensive game. If North Dakota State can grind out long possessions, they can make this game way too close for comfort and possibly pull off the upset.
The Prediction Schedule
With the Big Ten predictions above, predictions have been made for every conference with the exception of the SEC. Those predictions will be made next Saturday, August 27. Below are links to each of the conference predictions completed.
Connor Cook returned and Michigan State dominated Penn State on Saturday. (Joe Robbins/Getty Images North America)
2015 Week 13 Big Ten Roundup
The second to last week in the Big Ten regular season saw all fourteen teams playing in conference clashes with the Big Ten East Division winner still to be decided. It was easy for Michigan State – win against Penn State and they would be playing in Indianapolis on December 5. For Michigan and Ohio State, they needed to win against each other and hope for a Michigan State loss.
#4 Iowa Hawkeyes at Nebraska Cornhuskers
Result: Iowa Win 28-20 (Friday, November 27)
Iowa went on the road and took care of business against Nebraska to move into the Big Ten Championship Game undefeated.
C.J. Beathard was far from impressive throwing the ball going 9 of 16 for 97 yards and a touchdown. However, Jordan Canzeri picked up the slack with 140 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns on 17 carries. George Kittle had 2 catches for 35 yards and the lone receiving touchdown. Iowa put up just 250 yards of offense and did not convert a single one of their 9 third down attempts.
Iowa’s defense was the story as they forced four turnovers, all interceptions. Parker Hesse’s pick was excellent as he stepped in front of the pass at the four yard line, tipped the ball to himself, and easily scored the touchdown. Greg Mabin, Josey Jewell, and Cole Fisher all intercepted passes as well.
Tommy Armstrong did not have a good game for Nebraska throwing for 296 yards and those 4 picks on 25 of 45 passing. He did rush for 46 yards on 9 carries while Imani Cross had 19 carries for 55 yards and 2 scores. Cethan Carter led the Huskers with 4 catches for 76 yards while Brandon Reilly had 3 grabs for 50 yards. Jordan Westerkamp was held to only 2 catches for 41 yards. The Huskers were able to put up 433 yards of offense, but the turnovers hurt them. The Huskers did go 7 of 16 on third down.
Iowa (12-0, 8-0) will play Michigan State on Saturday to decided the Big 10 Champion. The winner is practically guaranteed a spot in the College Football Playoffs.
Nebraska (5-7, 3-5) is not guaranteed a bowl spot, but could end up going to one anyway due to a lack of 6 win teams.
#8 Ohio State Buckeyes at #10 Michigan Wolverines
Result: Ohio State Win 42-13
A week after a horrendous offense performance for Ohio State, they responded by crushing the Wolverines with a massive rushing performance.
JT Barrett went 9 of 15 for 113 yards and a touchdown through the air, but this game was all about the ground attack for the Buckeyes. Ezekiel Elliott ran for 214 yards and 2 touchdowns on 30 carries a week after he inexplicably had only 12 carries for 33 yards. Barrett also had his fun running the ball with 19 carries for 139 yards and 3 scores. Michael Thomas was the top receiver with 2 catches for 50 yards. Ohio State put up 482 yards on one of the top defense in college while going 7 of 13 on third down.
Jake Rudock had a decent game going 19 of 32 for 263 yards and a touchdown. He had no problem finding Jehu Chesson 8 times for 111 yards and a touchdown. Amara Darboh had 68 yards on 4 catches while Jake Butt had 5 grabs for 54 yards. The running game was virtually non-existent with 25 rushes for 57 yards as a team for the entire game. Michigan had 364 yards of offense and was a solid 9 of 18 on third downs.
Ohio State (11-1, 7-1) will not be playing in the Big 10 Championship, but will probably end up in a New Year’s 6 Bowl. Michigan (9-3, 6-2) finished a very good first year under Jim Harbaugh and will probably end up in a January bowl game.
Indiana Hoosiers at Purdue Boilermakers
Result: Indiana Win 54-36
Indiana had an offensive explosion against Purdue to get them into a bowl game. There was not a lot of defense played in this contest on either side.
Nate Sudfeld went 18 of 29 for 350 yards and 4 touchdowns while also had another touchdown rushing. No Jordan Howard for Indiana? No problem as Devine Redding had 144 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries and the Hoosiers ran for 309 yards as a team. Ricky Brookins had 64 yards rushing while Andrew Wilson also had 52 yards and a score on 15 carries.
Mitchell Paige had 5 catches for 92 yards and a touchdown, Simmie Cobbs had 5 catches for 84 yards and a touchdown, and Andre Brooker had only one catch, but it was a 72 yard touchdown. Indiana put up 659 yards of offense and went 5 of 15 on third down. The defense also forced four turnovers, which the offense turned into only 3 points.
Purdue did not play poorly on offense, but they did have 4 turnovers. Austin Appleby had 332 yards, two touchdowns, and 2 interceptions on 36 of 57 passing. Appleby also ran for two scores while Markell Jones had 16 carries for 96 yards and a touchdown. Four Purdue receivers had at least 5 catches and 50 yards (Danny Anthrop, DeAngelo Yancey, Domonique Young, and Cameron Posey), but the two touchdown catches came from Jordan Jurasevich and Cole Herdman. Purdue put up 486 yards of offense and went 6 of 16 on third down.
Indiana (6-6, 2-6) has finally reached bowl eligibility for the first time since 2007 when they played in the Insight Bowl. Purdue (2-10, 1-7) finished with a worse record than 2014 when they went 3-9. Under DarrellHazell, the team is 6-30, but opted to keep him for 2016 season.
Maryland Terrapins at Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Result: Maryland Win 46-41
Despite having no bowl implications, this game was one of the more entertaining ones of the week as Maryland came back from a 31-10 deficit to win 46-41 on a touchdown in the final five minutes of the contest.
Caleb Rowe went 16 of 32 for 239 yards passing with no touchdowns or interceptions. The run game was great for Maryland as Brandon Ross ran for 173 yards and 3 touchdowns on 28 carries. Rowe had 7 carries for 98 yards, Ty Johnson was incredibly efficient with 2 carries for 87 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Kenneth Goins had one carry for 42 yards and a touchdown.
Jahrvis Davenport led the team in receiving with 7 catches for 89 yards, DeAndre Lane had 4 grabs for 63 yards, and D.J. Moore caught 4 passes for 49 yards. Maryland had 656 yards of offense and went 5 of 15 on third down.
Rutgers had a good day on offense as well, but lost a 21 point lead. Chris Laviano went 21 of 33 for 344 yards with 4 touchdowns and a pick. Paul James had 17 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown, Josh Hicks had 61 yards on 10 carries, and Robert Martin had 16 carries for 42 yards. Leonte Carroo ended his season the way he started: with a big game. Carroo had 7 catches for 183 yards and a touchdown while Janarion Grant caught 4 passes for 56 yards and a score. Rutgers had 530 yards of offense and went 3 off 11 on third down.
Maryland (3-9, 1-7) and Rutgers (4-8, 1-7) will both be home for the bowl season and will also be looking for new head coaches for 2016.
Penn State Nittany Lions at #5 Michigan State Spartans
Result: Michigan State Win 55-16
With a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game on the line, Michigan State did not just take care of Penn State, they destroyed them.
Christian Hackenberg went 22 of 39 for 257 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions while SaquonBarkley ran 17 times for 103 yards. Chris Godwin had a good day catching 11 passes for 109 yards and 2 touchdowns while DaeSean Hamilton had 8 catches for 78 yards and Saeed Blacknall had one catch for 77 yards. Penn State had 418 yards of offense and went 5 of 15 on third down. Penn State went an excellent 4 of 5 on fourth downs as well.
Connor Cook came back from injury for the Spartans to go 19 of 26 for 248 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Spartans as a team had a solid rushing attack with 38 carries for 188 yards and 3 touchdowns. The touchdowns came from Gerald Holmes, LJ Scott, and center Jack Allen. Aaron Burbridge had 6 catches for 75 yards and his touchdown was spectacular as he took a hit and spun twice to reach the end zone. The Spartans had little trouble on third down going 8 of 11 and had 436 yards of offense.
Penn State (7-5, 4-4) had a terrible ending to the season losing their final three games. Michigan State (11-1, 7-1) has a date with Iowa on Saturday in the Big Ten Championship Game. The winner will all but be guaranteed a spot in the College Football Playoffs.
#16 Northwestern Wildcats at Illinois Fighting Illini
Result: Northwestern Win 24-14
Northwestern got out to a comfortable 21-7 halftime lead and held on from there to prevent in-state rival Illinois from reaching 6-6 on the year.
Clayton Thorson went 12 of 25 for 146 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception. Justin Jackson had his eighth 100 yard rushing game going for 172 yards and a touchdown on 37 attempts. Warren Long had 25 yards and a score on 5 carries as well. Austin Carr had 3 catches for 61 yards, MilesShuler hauled in 2 passes for 39 yards, and Dan Vitale had 3 catches for 32 yards and the lone receiving touchdown. Northwestern finished with 350 yards of offense and went 6 of 19 on third down.
Wes Lunt went 20 of 41 for 241 yards with no touchdowns and an interception, but ran for a score. Ke’Shawn Vaughn had 12 carries for 62 yards while Josh Ferguson had 14 carries for 40 yards and caught 7 passes for 100 yards. Desmond Cain had 4 grabs for 52 yards, Malik Turner had 3 caches for 46 yards, and Geronimo Allison had 5 grabs for 42 yards. Illinois had 319 yards and went 6 of 18 on third down.
Northwestern (10-2, 6-2) has reached double digit wins for the first time since 2012 when they went 10-3. In that year, Northwestern also won their bowl game. Illinois (5-7, 2-6) is not bowl eligible, but like Nebraska, may still be part of a bowl due to the lack of 6 win teams in the FBS.
Wisconsin Badgers at Minnesota Golden Gophers
Result: Wisconsin Win 31-21
A rivalry game between Wisconsin and Minnesota saw the Badgers’ rushing game get back on track.
Joel Stave’s first pass of the game was returned for a touchdown and the Badgers opted to keep the ball on the ground after that. Stave went 9 of 17 for 79 yards, no touchdowns, and the aforementioned pick. Dare Ogunbowale had his best game of the season with 33 carries for 155 yards and a touchdown. He looked much better this week with more decisive cuts, power running, and shiftiness. Taiwan Deal also had a good game with 90 yards and 2 touchdowns on 22 carries. Alex Erickson was the leading receiver with 6 catches for 66 yards.
The Badgers defense was excellent forcing 5 turnovers against Minnesota. Tanner McEvoy had 2 interceptions, Joe Schobert forced a fumble and recovered a separate one, and Darius Hillary had 2 fumble recoveries. Corey Clement did not travel with the team due to an incident on Wednesday.
Mitch Leidner went 16 of 37 for 223 yards with a touchdown and three picks while being held to only 10 yards rushing on 6 carries. Rodney Smith had 7 rushes for 35 yards and a touchdown while ShannonBrooks was limited to 8 yards on 5 carries. Brooks was the top receiver with 3 catches for 53 yards while Nick Hart had 3 receptions for 45 yards. The Badgers did a good job limiting KJ Maye to 5 catches for 45 yards and Drew Wolitarsky had 2 catches for 44 yards and a touchdown. Minnesota finished with 276 yards, were 3 of 12 on third down, and missed both fourth down conversions.
Wisconsin (9-3, 6-2) finished third in the West Division, but still have a chance at 10 wins in the bowl game. Minnesota (5-7, 2-6) endured a tough season with the loss of their head coach midway through the season, but could still end up in a bowl game if there are not enough 6 win teams.
Michael Geiger kicks the game winning field goal for Michigan State against Ohio State. (Jamie Sabau/Getty Images North America)
2015 Week 12 Big Ten Roundup
The Big Ten had six conference games and one non-conference game in week 12. Once again, a team from Michigan was in the spotlight with Michigan State at Ohio State. Each game is looked at below.
Purdue Boilermakers at #5 Iowa Hawkeyes
Result: Iowa Win 40-20
Iowa got out to a big early lead and then kept the pesky Purdue Boilermakers at bay to keep their perfect season intact. The Hawkeyes also formally clinched the Big Ten West Division to reserve their spot in the Big Ten Championship Game against a yet to be determined team from the East division.
Purdue’s Austin Appleby had a solid game going 23 of 40 for 259 yards and a touchdown in relief after an injury to David Blough. Markell Jones ran for 87 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. DeAngeloYancey led Purdue with 9 catches for 117 yards while Domonique Young had 4 grabs for 52 yards. Purdue did manage to put up 405 yards of offense thanks to playing from behind for the entire game. They went 4 of 18 on third down, but a solid 5 of 8 on fourth down.
C.J. Beathard was good again going 12 of 20 for 213 yards with 3 touchdowns and no picks. JordanCanzeri had 95 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. LeShun Daniels ran for 2 touchdowns and 31 yards on 8 carries. HenryKrieger Coble had 4 catches for 76 yards and a touchdown while TevaunSmith had 4 receptions for 73 yards. Iowa had 387 yards on offense and went 5 of 10 on third down.
Purdue (2-9, 1-6) will finish their season at home against Indiana battling for the Old Oaken Bucket. Iowa (11-0, 7-0) faces Nebraska on the road on Black Friday.
#12 Michigan Wolverines at Penn State Nittany Lions
Result: Michigan Win 28-16
Michigan had a consistent effort on the road to defeat Penn State and keep their hopes of a Big Ten East title alive.
Jake Rudock went 25 of 38 for 256 yards with 2 touchdowns and an interception. The Wolverines rushing attack was ineffective against Penn State. De’Veon Smith was the top rusher with 39 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries while Michigan had just 87 yards on 30 carries as a team. Jehu Chesson led the team with 4 catches for 69 yards, but Amara Darboh (7 catches for 68 yards and a touchdown) and JakeButt (5 catches for 66 yards and a touchdown) also had good games. Michigan finished with 343 yards on offense and went 7 of 14 on third down.
Penn State struggled on offense and also struggled putting the ball in the end zone. ChristianHackenberg went 13 of 31 for 137 yards and a touchdown, but struggled mightily with accuracy. SaquonBarkley ran for 68 yards on 15 carries while also having 2 grabs for 19 yards. Chris Godwin led Penn State with 3 catches for 51 yards while Saeed Blacknall had a 25 yard touchdown catch in his only reception of the game. Penn State settled for 3 field goals in the red zone and only had 207 yards of offense. They went 3 of 14 on third down and 1 of 2 on fourth down.
Michigan (9-2, 6-1) will take on Ohio State at home next week. Michigan is tied atop the Big Ten East at 6-1 with both Ohio State and Michigan State. Michigan will need a loss by Michigan State as well as to beat Ohio State to make the Big Ten Championship Game.
Penn State (7-4, 4-3) will be on the road against Michigan State with a chance to ruin the Spartans Big Ten title hopes with a win.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Army Black Knights
Result: Rutgers Win 31-21
Rutgers was playing in the only non-conference game of the week and took care of Army on the road.
Chris Laviano went 13 of 21 for 105 yards with no touchdowns or picks. The rushing attack was excellent for Rutgers with Paul James leading the way. He had 116 yards and 3 touchdowns on 18 carries while Robert Martin had 99 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. Janarion Grant had only 2 carries, but managed to run for 40 yards. Grant also had 3 catches for 31 yards while Leonte Carroo had 4 catches for 37 yards. Rutgers had 395 yards of offense, but struggled on third down going 3 of 10. They did managed to convert both of their fourth down attempts.
Rutgers defense struggled to stop the run, but that is expected against Army who runs the triple option. They allowed 261 yards on 52 attempts, but were burned on the six passing attempts by Army. Army went 4 of 6 passing for 140 yards with a touchdown and a pick. Edgar Poe had 2 catches for 95 yards and a touchdown. Army also converted 9 of 13 on third down and 1 of 2 on fourth down. Rutgers gave up 401 yards of offense to Army.
Rutgers (4-7, 1-6) finishes their season next Saturday with Maryland coming to town.
Indiana Hoosiers at Maryland Terrapins
Result: Indiana Win 47-28
Indiana had big second and third quarters to propel them to a 47-28 win over Maryland and leave them one game from bowl eligibility going into the regular season finale. Indiana put up 37 points in the middle two quarters compared to just 7 for Maryland during the same time frame.
Nate Sudfeld had a big game going 23 of 35 for 385 yards and 4 touchdowns. He did not throw an interception and also ran for a touchdown. Devine Redding stepped up to rush for 130 yards on 24 carries after an injury knocked Jordan Howard out of the game early in the contest. Simmie Cobbs easily led the team and entire game with 9 catches for 192 yards. Andre Booker caught 2 passes for 79 yards and a touchdown while Mitchell Paige had 5 catches for 64 yards and 2 touchdowns. Indiana racked up 555 yards, but struggled on third down going just 4 of 14.
Maryland could not find any rhythm in the passing game between Caleb Rowe and Shane Cockerille. Rowe left the game in the second quarter after a concussion. Rowe finished 10 of 19 for 88 yards with a touchdown while also rushing for 27 yards on 4 carries. Cockerille went 10 of 21 for 87 yards while also rushing for 23 yards on 13 carries. Brandon Ross had a massive game rushing going for 250 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground for the best game of 2015 and his career. Levern Jacobs led Maryland with 4 catches for 50 yards. The Terps went 3 of 16 on third down and also went 2 of 6 on fourth down.
Indiana (5-6, 1-6) faces Purdue next week on the road with their final chance at making a bowl in 2015. Maryland (2-9, 0-7) will face Rutgers on the road with neither team having a chance at making a bowl.
#20 Northwestern Wildcats at #25 Wisconsin Badgers
Result: Wisconsin Win 13-7
A defensive battle between Northwestern and Wisconsin saw a tight finish in a controversial game. The Badgers had a punt return touchdown called back due to an illegal fair catch and also had a touchdown overturned in the final minute.
Northwestern’s Clayton Thorson was largely ineffective going 9 of 20 for only 60 yards. Justin Jackson was the workhorse for the Wildcats with 35 carries for 139 yards and a touchdown. GarrettDickerson had 2 catches for 24 yards as the Wildcats leading receiver. Northwestern finished with 209 yards of offense and went 7 of 20 on third down.
Wisconsin was led by Joel Stave going for 229 yards on 20 of 34 passing. He also threw 2 interceptions and also lost a fumble. He missed the final play of the game for Wisconsin as he took a sack with the Badgers on the 1 yard line of Northwestern and left due to concussion like symptoms. The Badgers were completely ineffective running the ball. Corey Clement went for 24 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, but the Badgers finished with NEGATIVE 26 yards rushing due to Stave taking so many sacks.
Jazz Peavy had 5 catches for 88 yards, but his touchdown catch in the final minute was overturned because he did not complete the process of a catch. Tanner McEvoy had 5 catches for 57 yards, but lost a fumble on one of those catches. Wisconsin finished with only 203 yards of offense, had 5 turnovers, and went a poor 2 of 13 on third down.
Northwestern (9-2, 5-2) faces Illinois at home on Saturday with a chance to get their second 10 win season under Pat Fitzgerald (2012). Wisconsin (8-3, 5-2) faces Minnesota on the road next week with a chance of winning 10 games for fifth time in the last 7 seasons. A win over Minnesota and their bowl opponent will get them to the 10 win mark.
#9 Michigan State Spartans at #3 Ohio State Buckeyes
Result: Michigan State Win 17-14
The game of the day for the Big Ten belonged to Michigan State and Ohio State. The Spartans won by a field goal despite not having quarterback Connor Cook.
Tyler O’Connor got the start in place of Cook and went 7 of 12 for 89 yards and a touchdown. GeraldHolmes ran for 65 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries while LJ Scott had 13 carries for 58 yards. The Spartans relied heavily on their rushing attack to the tune of 203 yards on 51 carries. Aaron Burbridge led the team with 4 catches for 62 yards while four others recorded a reception. Trevon Pendleton had the lone touchdown reception for the Spartans as they finished with 294 yards on offense and went 7 of 15 on third down.
Ohio State could hardly get anything going on offense. JT Barrett went 9 of 16 passing for 46 yards and a touchdown. Barrett was also the leading rusher for Ohio State with 44 yards on 15 carries. Ezekiel Elliott inexplicably had only 12 carries and went for 33 yards and a touchdown. Jalin Marshall was the top receiver with 2 catches for 22 yards and a touchdown. Ohio State had only 132 yards of offense and went 4 of 14 on third down.
Michigan State (10-1, 6-1) controls their destiny in the Big Ten East. They face Penn State at home on Saturday and a win would put them in the Big Ten Championship Game against Iowa.
Ohio State (10-1, 6-1) will face Michigan on the road next week. They need a win over Michigan and a loss by Michigan State to play in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Illinois Fighting Illini at Minnesota Golden Gophers
Result: Minnesota Win 32-23
The battle for two bowl hopefuls ended with Minnesota coming out on top as both teams now sit at 5-6 on the season.
Wes Lunt went 34 of 47 for 279 yards with 2 touchdowns and an interception for Illinois. Josh Ferguson led the Illini in rushing with 105 yards on 20 carries while Kendrick Foster got his most significant playing time to post 56 yards rushing on 11 carries. Malik Turner led the team with 11 catches for 126 yards and a touchdown. Illinois finished with 433 yards of offense and went 8 of 17 on third down, but also committed 3 turnovers.
Mitch Leidner did not have anywhere near the same passing efficiency in his past four games, but that did not hurt the Gophers. He finished 15 of 25 for 88 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 64 yards on 10 carries. Shannon Brooks ran wild all game with 174 yards and 3 touchdowns on 17 carries. KJ Maye had a quiet game going for 31 yards on 4 catches while Drew Wolitarsky had 2 catches for 26 yards and Brandon Lingen had 3 catches for 20 yards. Minnesota put up 343 yards of offense while going 7 of 13 on third down.
Illinois (5-6, 2-5) will need to beat Northwestern in Chicago to reach a bowl game in 2015. Minnesota (5-6, 2-5) is in the same position of needing a win against Wisconsin, but they will be at home.
Check back next Sunday for a roundup of the Big Ten’s final full week of the regular season.
Michigan had another thriller in 2015 and they came out on top once again. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images North America)
2015 Week 11 Big Ten Roundup
#3 Ohio State Buckeyes at Illinois Fighting Illini
Result: Ohio State Win 28-3
Ohio State did not have any issues dealing with Illinois despite a slow start on offense. JT Barrett returned at quarterback and went a solid 15 of 23 for 150 yards with a touchdown and interception. He was also effective with his legs running for 74 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.
Ezekiel Elliott continues to have an excellent season, albeit without the fanfare of over players in the nation. He ran for 181 yards and 2 touchdowns on 27 carries. Elliott has now ran for 100 or more rushing yards in 15 straight games dating back to last year.
Michael Thomas was the leading receiver with 6 catches for 76 yards and a touchdown, Jalin Marshall caught 4 passes for 38 yards, and Nick Vannett had 3 grabs for 31 yards. Ohio State struggled on third down with only 4 conversions on 13 attempts, but did convert 2 of 3 fourth down attempts. They put up 460 yards of offense.
Illinois struggled to put together any big drives. Wes Lunt went 23 of 47 for 241 yards, but struggled to find his top playmaker in Geronimo Allison (1 catch for 38 yards). Josh Ferguson was held to 49 yards on 12 carries while also having 5 catches for 26 yards. Desmond Cain had 10 catches for 102 yards for his second consecutive big game for the freshman. Malik Turner finished with 5 catches for 61 yards. Illinois went 5 of 17 on third down and put up 261 yards of offense.
Ohio State (10-0, 6-0) has a big game next week at home against Michigan State while Illinois (5-5, 2-4) faces Minnesota on the road.
Maryland Terrapins at #13 Michigan State Spartans
Result: Michigan State Win 24-7
Michigan State played a large portion of their game against Maryland without quarterback Connor Cook, but that was not much of an issue as the defense stifled the Terrapins on offense.
Connor Cook struggled in his playing time going 6 of 20 for 77 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. Backup Tyler O’Connor went 6 of 11 for 44 yards and a touchdown pass to MacgarrettKings who finished with 4 catches for 48 yards to lead the team. R.J. Shelton had 3 catches for 35 yards while Aaron Burbridge was held to just 3 catches for 27 yards.
10 different Michigan State players registered a rush, but Gerald Holmes had the most rushes going for 83 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. The Spartans put up just 262 yards of offense and went 6 of 16 on third down. It was clear they were not the same offense with Cook out.
Maryland was led by Perry Hills again, but he only went 14 of 30 for 140 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. He finished second on the team in rushing as well with 39 yards on 16 carries. Caleb Rowe also had some time at quarterback, but went 3 of 5 for 42 yards with 2 interceptions.
Wes Brown had 52 yards rushing on 12 carries while Brandon Ross had the lone touchdown via the rushing game for Maryland. Amba Etta-Tawo led Maryland with 5 catches for 63 yards and LevernJacobs had 3 catches for 55 yards. Maryland actually outgained Michigan State by 27 yards (289 to 262), but went 4 of 16 on third down.
Maryland (2-8, 0-6) faces Indiana next weekend at home with a chance to keep Indiana out of a bowl game. Michigan State (9-1, 5-1) has the tough task of going on the road to the Horseshoe and play Ohio State.
Purdue Boilermakers at #18 Northwestern Wildcats
Result: Northwestern Win 21-14
Northwestern used a dominant rushing attack to power their way to 8-2. The Wildcats threw only 24 passes the entire game and needed a late touchdown to get past Purdue 21-14.
Clayton Thorson went 9 of 19 for 82 yards with an interception after an injury scare last week knocked him out against Penn State. Zack Oliver went 2 of 5 for 50 yards and threw an interception as well. JustinJackson ran for 116 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. It was his 6th game with over 100 yards rushing and Northwestern is 6-0 when he runs for over 100 yards this year.
Warren Long had 6 rushes for 52 yards and 2 touchdowns while Thorson had 48 yards on 7 carries. Miles Shuler even ran twice for 30 yards. Solomon Vault had 2 catches for 53 yards to lead the team. Northwestern ran for 250 yards as a team and finished with 382 yards of offense. They were solid on third down going 8 of 17.
Purdue did not play poorly, but could not get some of their drives going to threaten the Northwestern defense. David Blough went 26 of 45 for 287 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Markell Jones had 58 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, but the run game was largely held in check by Northwestern.
Domonique Young led the team in receiving with 5 catches for 107 yards thanks to his 68 yard touchdown grab early in the game. Markell Jones had 68 yards on 5 catches while DeAngelo Yancey caught 4 passes for 39 yards. Purdue’s offense had 360 yards and went 8 of 19 on third down.
Purdue (2-8, 1-5) will have a second straight road game next week with a trip to Iowa. Northwestern (8-2, 4-2) has a road game next week as well. They will play Wisconsin in Madison with the Badgers coming off a bye week.
#14 Michigan Wolverines at Indiana Hoosiers
Result: Michigan Win 48-41 in double overtime
Michigan survived yet another late game scare to keep their Big Ten title hopes alive. Indiana lost another close game to keep them winless in conference play.
Jake Rudock had himself a game going 33 of 46 for 440 yards with 6 touchdowns and one pick. He was able to pass at will on the defense while also leading the team in rushing with 64 yards. De’Veon Smith had 58 yards rushing on 12 carries.
Jehu Chesson had a big game as well catching four (!) touchdown passes to finish the game with 10 catches for 207 yards. Amara Darboh had 8 catches for 109 yards and the eventual game winning touchdown while Jake Butt had 7 grabs for 82 yards and a score. Michigan put up 581 yards of offense and went six of 12 on third down.
Nate Sudfeld had a solid game going 20 of 34 for 220 yards and a touchdown. However, the story was running back Jordan Howard rushing for 238 yards and 2 touchdown on 35 carries against what had been a stout Michigan defense. Simmie Cobbs had 4 catches for 86 yards and Ricky Jones had 4 catches for 42 yards. Indiana put up a staggering 527 yards of offense against Michigan and went a combined 9 of 22 on third and fourth downs.
Michigan (8-2, 5-1) faces Penn State next week on the road while still having a chance to win the Big Ten East division and play in the Big Ten Championship. Indiana (4-6, 0-6) has to win their final two games to make a bowl game, but they are both winnable. They face Maryland next week on the road before playing against Purdue in two weeks on the road.
Nebraska Cornhuskers at Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Result: Nebraska Win 31-14
Nebraska followed up their big win last week against Michigan State with a nice victory over Rutgers on the road.
Tommy Armstrong had an up and down day going 14 of 21 for only 188 yards. He had 3 touchdowns through the air, but also threw 3 picks. Imani Cross ran for 90 yards on 20 carries. Cethan Carter had his best game in 2015 going for a not only 32 yard touchdown run, but also catching 4 passes for 57 yards and another score. Jordan Westerkamp was relatively quiet catching 3 passes for 32 yards and a touchdown. Nebraska put up 362 yards of offense and went 5 of 11 on third down.
Rutgers was led by Chris Laviano at quarterback, but he only went 13 of 27 for 165 yards and 2 interceptions. Janarion Grant had the lone passing touchdown for Rutgers throwing to Laviano on a trick play for the 5 yard score.
Josh Hicks had 61 yards rushing on 12 carries while Robert Martin had 12 carries for 40 yards and a touchdown. Leonte Carroo came back from injury to post a team high 62 yards on 4 catches. Janarion Grant had 4 catches for 58 yards as well as his passing touchdown. Rutgers posted 259 yards of offense, but went 3 of 14 on third down and did not convert any of their 4 fourth down attempts.
Nebraska (5-6, 3-4) will need to win the final regular season contest on November 27 against Iowa to make it to a bowl game. That game will be at home so the Huskers will have that in their corner. Rutgers (3-7, 1-6) faces Army on the road next week in their final non-conference game.
Minnesota Golden Gophers at #5 Iowa Hawkeyes
Result: Iowa Win 40-35
A defensive game was expected between Minnesota and Iowa, but the offenses took over the show as Iowa held on for a 40-35 victory to stay undefeated.
Mitch Leidner had another big game through the air again going 19 of 27 for 259 yards and a touchdown. He also had a rushing touchdown along with 32 rushing yards. Shannon Brooks showed off his wheels and arm with a 42 yard touchdown pass to Drew Wolitarsky and rushing for 86 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.
KJ Maye had 7 catches for 106 yards to keep his hot streak going. In the last 4 games, Maye has caught 34 passes for 374 yards and a touchdown. In the first 6 games, he had 22 catches for 256 yards and three touchdowns. Brandon Lingen had 6 catches for 105 yards and a touchdown for his second 100 yard receiving game in the last 3 contests. Wolitarsky finished with 3 catches for 71 yards and the score from Brooks. Minnesota put up 434 yards per game and went 5 of 10 on third down.
C.J. Beathard went 18 of 26 for 213 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions, but did have success on the ground. He had 50 yards and 2 scores on 10 carries while LeShun Daniels ran all over the field to the tune of 195 yards and 3 touchdowns on 26 carries. Jordan Canzeri ran just 10 times for 31 yards in his return from injury.
Matt VandeBerg recorded 6 catches for 74 yards, Henry Krieger Coble had 3 catches for 61 yards, and George Kittle had 5 grabs for 44 yards. Tevaun Smith had 2 catches for 35 yards. Iowa racked up 506 yards of offense and went an excellent 10 of 15 on third down.
Minnesota (4-6, 1-5) can still make a bowl game by winning out and it begins next week at home against Illinois. Iowa (10-0, 6-0) clinches the Big Ten East title with a win at home against Purdue next week.
Check back next Sunday for a recap of Week 12’s Big Ten action.
Nebraska defeated Michigan State on a controversial ending to keep their bowl hopes alive. (Eric Francis/Getty Images North America)
2015 Week 10 Big Ten Roundup
All fourteen teams were in action for the Big Ten this week and, what seems to be the norm, is a controversial ending.
Illinois Fighting Illini at Purdue Boilermakers
Result: Illinois Win 48-14 (Saturday, November 7)
Illinois made quick work of Purdue as they coasted to an easy 34 point victory. Wes Lunt went 19 of 33 for 169 yards and 3 touchdowns with no interceptions. The run game was incredibly effective with Ke’ShawnVaughn gashing the Purdue defense for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns on 16 carries. Josh Ferguson had 133 yards on 12 carries while backup quarterback Chayce Crouch even ran for 45 yards. Illinois finished with 382 yards rushing on 41 carries.
Desmond Cain had his best game on the year with 6 catches for 74 yards and a touchdown to lead the team in receiving. Ferguson added 6 catches for 41 yards and a touchdown through the air while MalikTurner had 2 grabs for 36 yards and a score. Illinois racked up 595 yards of offense and went 5 of 14 on third down.
Purdue had trouble getting much going with David Blough throwing for 174 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions on 29 of 47 passing. He found 10 different receivers with DeAngelo Yancey leading the team with 5 catches for 51 yards and a touchdown. Markell Jones had 84 yards rushing on 14 carries. Purdue’s offense put up 263 yards and went 8 of 22 on third and fourth down combined.
Illinois (5-4, 2-3) sits one game from bowl eligibility with Ohio State coming to town next week. Purdue (2-7, 1-4) is eliminated from bowl contention, but head coach Darrell Hazell will be back in 2016. The Boilermakers face Northwestern next week on the road.
Penn State Nittany Lions at #21 Northwestern Wildcats
Result: Northwestern Win 23-21 (Saturday, November 7)
Northwestern defeated Penn State on a late field goal, but lost quarterback Clayton Thorson. His backup, Zack Oliver, did well in place of him going 11 of 24 for 111 yards with a touchdown and interception. Oliver also ran for another touchdown.
Justin Jackson had a massive game rushing the ball with 28 carries for 186 yards as the Wildcats rushed for 227 yards on 47 carries as a team. Nine different receivers caught a pass for Northwestern with DanVitale tallying 4 catches for 40 yards. Garrett Dickerson had 2 catches for 34 yards and Christian Jones caught 2 passes for 27 yards and a touchdown. Northwestern finished with 396 yards on offense and were 6 of 17 on third down.
Christian Hackenberg went 21 of 40 for 210 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Receiver Geno Lewis threw a nice 32 yard touchdown pass in his only attempt of the game. Saquon Barkley ran for 120 yards and 2 touchdowns on 25 carries while Chris Godwin was easily the top receiver with 8 catches for 104 yards. DaeSean Hamilton had the 32 yard touchdown catch from Lewis and finished with 3 grabs for 50 yards. Barkley also added 6 catches for 50 yards. Penn State converted only 4 of 17 third downs and put up 362 yards of offense.
Penn State (7-3, 4-2) has a bye week before taking on Michigan at home on November 21. Northwestern (7-2, 3-2) will play Purdue at home next week.
Wisconsin Badgers at Maryland Terrapins
Result: Wisconsin Win 31-24 (Saturday, November 7)
It was far from a pretty game for Wisconsin, but they came out with the victory on the road against Maryland.
Joel Stave went 15 of 24 for 188 yards with a touchdown and an interception while the surprise rushing leader was Joe Schobert on his lone 57 yard carry. Corey Clement did not make the trip while DareOgunbowale had 19 carries for 47 yards and a touchdown and Taiwan Deal had 42 yards on 9 carries. Unsurprisingly, Alex Erickson led the team in receiving with 5 catches for 83 yards. Ogunbowale also had a touchdown receiving to go along with 3 catches for 16 yards.
The Badgers were boosted by a nice 98 yard kickoff return from Natrell Jamerson and two interceptions by Tanner McEvoy. He now has 4 interceptions on the season. The Wisconsin offense had 305 yards and went a poor 3 of 13 on third down. They did convert both of their fourth down attempts.
Maryland employed a dual quarterback system with mixed results. Perry Hills went 6 of 16 for 107 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Caleb Rowe, who came in during the fourth quarter, had very similar stats going 7 of 18 for 97 yards with a touchdown and interception as well. Playmaker WilliamLikely led the Terps in rushing with 56 yards on 3 carries while Wes Brown had 34 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.
DeAndre Lane led the team with 3 catches for 63 yards, but the next two guys caught the touchdown passes. DJ Moore had 2 catches for 51 yards while Levern Jacobs had 48 yards on 2 catches. Maryland put up 316 yards of offense and went 5 of 16 on third down.
Wisconsin (8-2, 5-1) still has a longshot possibility of winning the West Division, but will be more focused on getting to 10 wins. They have a bye before facing Northwestern at home on November 21. Maryland (2-7, 0-5) faces Michigan State on the road next week.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights at #17 Michigan Wolverines
Result: Michigan Win 49-16 (Saturday, November 7)
Michigan got back to their dominating ways even if they ruffled some feathers along the way.
Rutgers had trouble getting anything going on offense. Chris Laviano went 11 of 26 for 97 yards with an interception. Robert Martin had 81 yards on 10 carries while Josh Hicks went for 41 yards on 9 carries. Andre Patton led the team in receiving with 3 catches for 35 yards. Rutgers finished with 225 yards, went 3 of 13 on third down, and their lone touchdown came on special teams with Janarion Grant’s 98 yard kickoff return.
Michigan had a career passing game from Jake Rudock, who went 18 of 25 for 337 yards, 2 passing touchdowns, and a rushing touchdown. De’Veon Smith ran for 73 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries with Drake Johnson rushing for 27 yards and a touchdown on 7 carries. Jake Butt had 4 catches for 102 yards and Amara Darboh had 3 grabs for 53 yards and a score. Michigan tallied 487 yards and went 7 of 13 on third down.
Michigan was up 35-16 when De’Veon Smith punched the ball in from 4 yards out. Harbaugh decided to go for two and Rudock was able to run it in near the pylon to make it 43-16, which caused some chatter and controversy.
Rutgers (3-6, 1-5) faces Nebraska next week at home with the loser eliminated from bowl eligibility. Michigan (7-2, 4-1) still has a chance to win the Big Ten East and play in the Big 10 Championship Game by winning out. They face Indiana next week on the road.
#9 Iowa Hawkeyes at Indiana Hoosiers
Result: Iowa Win 35-27 (Saturday, November 7)
Iowa did not always play perfect against Indiana, but a win is a win and they are still undefeated.
C.J. Beathard went 19 of 31 for 233 yards and a touchdown, but also showed some decent wheels with 38 yards and a touchdown on 5 rushing attempts. With Jordan Canzeri still out, Akrum Wadley led the way with 12 carries for 120 yards and a touchdown. LeShun Daniels also had 23 carries for 78 yards and 2 scores.
The passing game was dominated by three receivers for Iowa. Matt VandeBerg had 5 catches for 68 yards, Tevaun Smith had 4 catches for 55 yards, and Jacob Hillyer finished with 4 catches for 53 yards. The lone touchdown pass went to George Kittle, who finished with 2 catches for 19 yards. Iowa went 7 of 14 on third down and put up 467 yards of offense.
Indiana had a good game against a solid defense, but it was not enough. Nate Sudfeld threw for 180 yards, a touchdown, and an interception on 16 of 37 passing. Jordan Howard ran wild with 174 yards and 2 touchdowns on 22 carries. Mitchell Paige had 2 catches for 51 yards while Ricky Jones caught 4 balls for 39 yards. Indiana put up 407 yards of offense while going a combined 10 of 19 on third down.
Iowa’s Desmond King continues to be an interception machine. He has recorded at least one interception in six of the nine games for Iowa and has 8 on the season.
Iowa (9-0, 5-0) will be focused on going undefeated, which is a strong possibility with their remaining schedule. They face Minnesota at home this week. Indiana (4-5, 0-5) has dropped five in a row and needs to win two of their final three to make a bowl game. They face Michigan at home next week.
#7 Michigan State Spartans at Nebraska Cornhuskers
Result: Nebraska Win 39-38 (Saturday, November 7)
Nebraska played in yet another close game this year, but, for once, this one turned out in their favor. It was a controversial ending on whether Brandon Reilly should have been called for illegal touching, but the Huskers will not care after how their season has gone.
Connor Cook had another good game passing going 23 of 37 for 335 yards with 4 touchdowns and an interception. His top target was none other than Aaron Burbridge with 10 catches for 164 yards and a touchdown. Macgarrett Kings had 4 receptions for 97 yards and 2 touchdowns as well.
Gerald Holmes ran for 117 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries as the featured back. Michigan State had 491 yards of offense and went 9 of 16 on third and fourth down. Their struggles on defense continue to be a worry and it caught up with them in this contest.
After missing last week, Tommy Armstrong returned with a vengeance going 19 of 33 for 320 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He also ran for two scores while Imani Cross led the team in rushing with 98 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Jordan Westerkamp had 9 catches for 143 yards and a touchdown while Brandon Reilly had 3 catches for 87 yards and the big touchdown grab down the sideline. Nebraska had 499 yards of total offense and went 6 of 12 on third down (1 for 1 on fourth down).
Michigan State (8-1, 4-1) can still win the Big Ten East, as they have to face Ohio State and beat Michigan earlier this year. They face Maryland at home next week. Nebraska (4-6, 2-4) can still make a bowl game by winning their final two games. They face Rutgers next week on the road with the loser not making a bowl game for the 2015 season.
Minnesota Golden Gophers at #3 Ohio State Buckeyes
Result: Ohio State Win 28-14 (Saturday, November 7)
Ohio State did not have JT Barrett, but that was no problem as they relied on Ezekiel Elliott and CardaleJones to lead the way.
Jones went 12 of 22 for 187 yards and a touchdown, but was also effective running the ball. He ran 12 times for 65 yards and a late touchdown to ice the game. Elliott was a workhorse with 26 carries for 114 yards and a touchdown. Jalin Marshall had 2 catches for 56 yards while Braxton Miller had a big 45 yard catch, but that was his only one on the night. Michael Thomas finished with 4 grabs for 39 yards and a touchdown. Ohio State had 376 yards of offense and went 7 of 16 on third down.
Minnesota got another good game from quarterback Mitch Leidner. He went 27 of 44 for 281 yards with 2 touchdowns and an interception. The rushing attack could not get anything going as they managed only 33 yards on 26 carries as a team. Shannon Brooks was the leader with 27 yards on 11 carries.
KJ Maye had a wonderful game with 10 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown. Brandon Lingen caught 4 passes for 50 yards, Rodrick Williams had 2 catches for 44 yards, and Rashad Still had 6 grabs for 41 yards and a touchdown. Minnesota had 314 yards of offense, went 7 of 19 on third down, and converted one of two fourth downs.
Minnesota (4-5, 1-4) still needs two wins to reach bowl eligibility. They face Iowa on the road next week. Ohio State (9-0, 5-0) faces Illinois next week on the road, still with a massive chance to defend their National Title.
Check back next week for a recap of Week 11 in the Big Ten.
JT Barrett was named starter earlier this week and the Ohio State offense looked great under his guidance. (Rich Schultz/Getty Images North America)
2015 Week 8 Big Ten Roundup
There were five Big Ten Conference games in Week 8 with Michigan, Iowa, Purdue, and Minnesota all on a bye week. Below is a look at each game.
Northwestern Wildcats at Nebraska Cornhuskers
Result: Northwestern Win 30-28 (Saturday, October 24)
Northwestern’s offense came to life against Nebraska, but their defense continued to struggle. Meanwhile, Nebraska lost another close game to drop them to 3-5 on the year.
Clayton Thorson went 13 of 28 for 177 yards and a touchdown, but it was his legs that led the Wildcats in the first half. He had two big runs to propel him to 126 yards and a touchdown on 9 carries. Justin Jackson struggled in the first half and finished the game running for 40 yards on 14 carries. Jackson made his presence felt in the passing game with 2 catches for 55 yards. Dan Vitale also had a nice game with 5 catches for 55 yards and a touchdown.
The offense had 333 yards total and went 5 of 13 on third down. Nick VanHoose had a 72 yard interception returned for a touchdown midway through the second quarter to give Northwestern a 14-5 lead, but the defense had their issues in the second half giving up 16 points.
Tommy Armstrong had an inaccurate game going 24 of 49 for 291 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also ran for two touchdowns while Terrell Newby led the team with 52 yards on 16 carries. Jordan Westerkamp had 5 catches for 92 yards while Brandon Reilly caught 4 passes for 83 yards and a touchdown. The Huskers finished with 373 yards of offense and were 9 of 20 on third down. They also held the ball for almost 39 minutes compared to 21 for Northwestern.
Northwestern (6-2, 2-2) has reached bowl eligibility for the first time since 2012. They face Penn State on November 7 after a bye next week.
Nebraska (3-5, 1-3) has lost their 5 games by a combined 13 points. They will face Purdue next week on the road.
Wisconsin Badgers at Illinois Fighting Illini
Result: Wisconsin Win 24-13 (Saturday, October 24)
Wisconsin put together a solid offensive performance despite losing quarterback Joel Stave very early in the game.
Stave went 3 of 7 for 49 yards, but was knocked out due to a head injury. He was replaced by Bart Houston, who did well at times, but also made some poor throws. Houston went 22 of 33 for 232 yards with 2 touchdowns, but also threw two picks. Those two interceptions were thrown in the end zone taking the chance for more points away. The offense finished 9 of 16 on third down, but racked up 419 yards.
Alex Erickson, normally the leading receiver, led the team in rushing with 81 yards on 4 carries. DareOgunbowale had 16 carries for 42 yards while Alec Ingold had the lone rushing touchdown to go along with 26 yards on the ground. Erickson did lead the team in receiving as well with 10 catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. He was a big target for Houston to move the chains with Ogunbowale catching 5 passes for 63 yards. Troy Fumagalli had 5 catches for 52 yards while Robert Wheelwright had 3 catches for 47 yards and a touchdown that was pure determination on his part.
Illinois was stymied at times on offense with Wes Lunt going 22 of 43 for 278 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. Ke’Shawn Vaughn was the only player to record a carry with 13 attempts for 55 yards and a touchdown. Geronimo Allison had 8 catches for 99 yards while Malik Turner caught 4 passes for 80 yards. Illinois finished with 333 yards on offense, but managed just 3 of 12 on third down conversions and also went 0 for 2 on fourth down.
Wisconsin (6-2, 3-1) will go back home to face Rutgers next week with an uncertain situation at quarterback. Even if Stave cannot play, Houston looked capable of picking up the slack while the defense will probably be its usual stout self.
Illinois (4-3, 1-2) still sits two games from bowl eligibility and next week’s road contest at Penn State will not be easy.
Penn State Nittany Lions at Maryland Terrapins
Result: Penn State Win 31-30 (Saturday, October 24)
Penn State’s offense came to the rescue this week to secure a big 31-30 road win over Maryland.
Christian Hackenberg went only 13 of 29, but threw for 315 yards with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. He found Chris Godwin 4 times for 135 yards and a touchdown while also hitting DaeSean Hamilton with 5 catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. Saquon Barkley was not as effective this week with 65 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. Penn State was an awful 3 for 12 on third down including a terrible third down throw in the final 90 seconds clinging to a one point lead. They finished with 363 yards of offense despite having the ball only 24 minutes.
Perry Hills went 19 of 28 for Maryland with 225 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions. He also had a nice game on the ground with 26 carries for 128 yards and a touchdown. He was giving the Penn State defense fits throughout the entire game. Levern Jacobs led the team with 5 catches for 93 yards and Malcolm Culmer had 3 catches for 65 yards. Maryland was barely better than Penn State on third down with a 4 of 13 tally. The Terps finished with 470 yards of offense, but will rue the fact they settled for 4 field goals (converted 3 of them) and had 5 turnovers that yielded a touchdown, but also caused them to miss out on potential points on three occasions.
Penn State (6-2, 3-1) takes on Illinois at home next week. Maryland (2-5, 0-3) faces a tough task next week on the road against Iowa, the leaders of the Big 10 West Division.
Indiana Hoosiers at #7 Michigan State Spartans
Result: Michigan State Win 52-26 (Saturday, October 24)
The final score of this game is far from indicative of how close this contest was until late in the fourth quarter. Indiana kept it close, but the Spartans pulled away late.
Nate Sudfeld went 23 of 37 for 308 yards with 3 touchdowns and an interception. Jordan Howard returned to the lineup and went for 78 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. Simmie Cobbs had 5 catches for 108 yards and a touchdown while Mitchell Paige had 8 catches for 99 yards. The offense put up 389 yards of offense and went 5 of 11 on third down.
Connor Cook nearly had a record day passing for the Spartans with 398 yards and 4 touchdowns on 30 of 52 passing. The running game was bolstered with the game in hand late. LJ Scott ran for 68 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries while Gerald Holmes had 10 rushes for 39 yards and a touchdown. AaronBurbridge finished with 8 catches for 128 yards and a touchdown, R.J. Shelton had 6 catches for 76 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Macgarrett Kings had 7 receptions for 69 yards. The Spartans were dominant on offense with 570 yards, holding the ball for 39 minutes, and 13 of 20 on third down.
Indiana (4-4, 0-4) still need two wins to reach bowl eligibility after losing four games in a row. They have a bye next week before taking on Iowa at home on November 7.
Michigan State (8-0, 4-0) also have a bye next week and face Nebraska on the road November 7.
#1 Ohio State Buckeyes at Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Result: Ohio State Win 49-7 (Saturday, October 24)
Ohio State looked well oiled on offense with JT Barrett behind center as they crushed Rutgers on the road.
Barrett finished the game going 14 of 18 for 223 yards with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. He also ran for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns on 13 carries. Ezekiel Elliott ran for 142 yards and 2 touchdowns on 19 carries while Michael Thomas had 5 catches for 103 yards and a touchdown receiving. Braxton Miller had 2 catches for 55 yards, as the offense racked up 528 yards. They went 5 of 10 on third down and 2 of 3 on fourth down.
Rutgers struggled for much of the night with Chris Laviano going 10 of 20 for 117 yards and an interception. Hayden Rettig went 3 of 7 for 72 yards and a touchdown in garbage time to give Rutgers their only points. Paul James ran for 56 yards on 10 carries while Robert Martin had 6 rushes for 43 yards. Carlton Agudosi had 2 catches for 76 yards and Leonte Carroo had 3 grabs for 55 yards.
Rutgers finished the game with 293 yards of offense and went 5 of 15 on third down. They managed just 12 first downs for the game.
Ohio State (8-0, 4-0) have a bye next week before a home date against Minnesota on November 7. Rutgers (3-4, 1-3) will travel to face Wisconsin next week.
Check back next Sunday for a recap of the ninth week of Big Ten action.
Michigan State celebrates after their improbable win against Michigan. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images North America))
2015 Week 7 Big Ten Roundup
Week seven of the college football season saw six Big Ten Conference games. Sitting idle were the Maryland Terrapins and Illinois Fighting Illini.
#17 Iowa Hawkeyes at #20 Northwestern Wildcats
Result: Iowa Win 40-10 (Saturday, October 17)
Iowa put forth a dominant win over Northwestern on the road to put a virtual hammerlock on the Big Ten West Division midway through October. There was a loss in the form of running back Jordan Canzeri, but they did just fine with his replacements.
Iowa raced out to a 16-0 lead before a 10-0 run by the Wildcats made it 16-10 at the half. It was all Iowa after that with the final 24 points. C.J. Beathard had a pedestrian game with 15 of 25 passing for 176 yards with no touchdowns and an interception, but this was all about Iowa’s rushing attack.
Canzeri went down early with an injury and was seen in a walking boot a short time later. Akrum Wadley stepped right in and made it seem like Canzeri never left. Wadley ran for 204 yards and 4 touchdowns on 26 carries. Derrick Mitchell Jr. had 79 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries as well. Iowa finished with 492 yards of offense and went 9 of 18 on third down. Matt VandeBerg had 8 catches for 78 yards.
Northwestern’s offense struggled once again. Clayton Thorson went 17 of 35 for 125 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also had 11 carries for just 10 yards. Even Justin Jackson was stymied with only 30 yards rushing on 10 carries. The Wildcats saw 10 different receivers catch a pass and six of them had at least two catches.
Northwestern had only 198 yards of total offense and went 8 of 19 on third down. For Iowa, Desmond King recorded his sixth interception this season and continues to be a one-man turnover machine.
Iowa (7-0, 3-0) will welcome the bye next weekend before a home game against Maryland on Halloween. Northwestern (5-2, 1-2) have lost back-to-back games and face a road test at Nebraska next week.
Purdue Boilermakers at Wisconsin Badgers
Result: Wisconsin Win 24-7 (Saturday, October 17)
Wisconsin waited until late in the third quarter to put some breathing space between them and Purdue in a lackluster performance by the offense.
Joel Stave went 30 of 39 for 322 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. His interception was an overthrown ball with a big return that eventually led to a touchdown for Purdue. The running game was handled by Dare Ogunbowale with Taiwan Deal out with an injury. Corey Clement was dressed for the game but did not play. Alec Ingold had 9 rushes for 19 yards, but had the first and last touchdowns of the game.
The passing game for Wisconsin was made up of mostly the short variety of passes. Alex Erickson had 9 catches for 86 yards while Robert Wheelwright had 6 catches for 61 yards. Dare Ogunbowlae also had 6 catches, but for 51 yards. The Badgers racked up 418 yards of offense and went 7 of 14 on third down.
Rafael Gaglianone missed a field goal late in the first half, which marks sixth game this year that he has missed a field goal. He is 10 for 17 on the season.
David Blough could not get any rhythm as he finished 15 of 26 for 136 yards. Markell Jones ran for 46 yards on 12 carries and D.J. Knox had 10 carries for 24 yards. Purdue had 191 yards of offense and went a paltry 4 of 13 on third down. The Boilermakers held the ball for only 22 minutes and 14 seconds during the game.
Purdue (1-6, 0-3) has a bye next week and will play at home against Nebraska on October 31. Wisconsin (5-2, 2-1) faces Illinois on the road next week. The Illini are coming off a bye.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Indiana Hoosiers
Result: Rutgers Win 55-52 (Saturday, October 17)
This game was about offense and only a touch of defense. It was also about Indiana blowing a 52-27 lead in final 18 minutes of the game.
As one can imagine with a 55-52 score line, the quarterbacks had pretty good games. Chris Laviano went 28 of 42 for 386 yards with 3 touchdowns and a pick. His top target was none other than Leonte Carroo who had another massive game. Carroo had 7 catches for 157 yards and 3 touchdowns, but left in the third quarter after an injury and did not return.
Robert Martin ran for 124 yards and 3 touchdowns on 17 carries while Paul James added 42 yards and a touchdown on 6 carries. Rutgers rushed for 210 yards as a team. Rutgers did pretty well on third down going 12 of 20 and amassed 596 yards of offense.
Indiana was glad to see Nate Sudfeld back and he had a big game going 32 of 42 for 464 yards with 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Jordan Howard was still out, but Devine Redding was able to rush for 99 yards and 2 touchdowns including a 66 yard touchdown run in the third quarter to make it 52-27.
Three different Hoosiers finished with at least 100 yards receiving. Mitchell Paige had 8 catches for 126 yards, Ricky Jones had 6 grabs for 119 yards and a touchdown, and Simmie Cobbs Jr. had 7 catches for 107 yards. Jordan Fuchs had just two catches for 9 yards, but both went for touchdowns.
Indiana had 627 yards of offense, but struggled on both third and fourth down. The Hoosiers went a combined 3 of 14 on those two downs.
After Redding’s touchdown run made it 52-27, a series of miscues allowed Rutgers to tie the game. A 26 yard fumble return by Kemoko Turay made it 52-39 while the two interceptions by Sudfeld were turned into touchdowns as well.
Rutgers (3-3, 1-2) faces Ohio State next week at home. Indiana (4-3, 0-3) saw one of their better opportunities for a win fade away in the final quarter and have to play Michigan State next week in East Lansing.
#7 Michigan State Spartans at #12 Michigan Wolverines
Result: Michigan State Win 27-23 (Saturday, October 17)
Of the craziest finishes to a college football game in history, this ranks up there near the top. The Spartans pulled off a shocking final play to win 27-23.
Connor Cook was not very accurate going 18 of 39, but threw for 328 yards with a touchdown. The rushing game for both teams was stuffed all game long. The Spartans finished with 58 yards on 33 carries with Gerald Holmes leading the team with 8 carries for 33 yards. LJ Scott had two touchdown rushes on 8 carries for 16 yards.
Aaron Burbridge had a big game with 9 catches for 132 yards. MacgarrettKings had 3 catches for 57 yards and a touchdown, but also had a few big drops. The Spartans had 386 yards of total offense, went 3 of 12 on third down, and 0 for 4 on fourth down.
Michigan was led by a decent performance from Jake Rudock. He went 15 of 25 for 168 yards with no touchdowns, but did not commit a turnover. The rushing game did only slightly better than Michigan State with 33 rushes for 62 yards. De’Veon Smith led the team with 46 yards on 19 carries while Sione Houma had 3 rushes for 30 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Jehu Chesson had 4 catches for 58 yards and Amara Darboh had 3 catches for 52 yards. Michigan had only 230 yards of offense and converted 4 of 15 on third down.
There was just one turnover in the game and it came on the last play. A bobbled punt by Blake O’Neill was returned by Michigan State’s Jalen Watts-Jackson for the win in a truly incredible finish.
Michigan State (7-0, 3-0) faces Indiana next week at home. Michigan (5-2, 2-1) has a bye week and faces Minnesota on the road October 31.
Nebraska Cornhuskers at Minnesota Golden Gophers
Result: Nebraska Win 48-25 (Saturday, October 17)
Nebraska played a good game on offense and did not have to worry about another heartbreaking loss this week. In fact, it was the defense that made sure there would not be another late loss.
Tommy Armstrong went 18 of 26 for 261 yards with 3 touchdowns while also rushing for 38 yards. Terrell Newby had a nice game on the ground with 116 yards and 2 touchdowns on 13 carries. AlonzoMoore had 4 catches for 84 yards and a score while Jordan Westerkamp made 6 grabs for 76 yards. Nebraska had 464 yards of offense and went 7 of 13 on third down.
With under three minutes to play, Minnesota was mounting one last challenge down 16 points before a 41 yard pick six by Joshua Kalu. Just to be safe, Nate Gerry intercepted Minnesota on the next drive to truly end the game.
Minnesota got a rare big game passing from Mitch Leidner. He went 26 of 40 for 301 yards with a touchdown and the two aforementioned picks. The rushing game was held in check with only 65 yards on 26 carries. Shannon Brooks had 25 yards, KJ Maye had 21 yards and a touchdown, and Rodney Smith had 20 yards.
Maye also had 11 catches for 94 yards while Eric Carter caught 4 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown. Minnesota had 366 of offense and went 6 of 15 on third down.
Nebraska (3-4, 1-2) faces Northwestern next week at home. Minnesota (4-3, 1-2) will play Michigan on October 31 after a bye next week.
Penn State Nittany Lions at #1 Ohio State Buckeyes
Result: Ohio State Win 38-10 (Saturday, October 17)
It was a slow start for the Ohio State offense, but a 21 point stretch on three straight touchdown drives gave them more than enough points.
Cardale Jones had poor numbers going 9 of 15 for only 84 yards and was substituted in or near the red zone by J.T. Barrett. Barrett went 4 for 4 with 30 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air, but was most effective with his legs. He ran for 102 yards and 2 touchdowns on 11 carries and really helped spark the offense.
Ezekiel Elliott had his usual good game with 153 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries. Braxton Miller had some rushes finishing with 4 carries for 30 yards. Miller lead the team with 4 catches and was second with 33 yards along with a touchdown catch. Michael Thomas had 3 catches for 34 yards and a touchdown as well. The offense had 429 yards while going 5 of 11 on third down.
Penn State had a rough time passing the ball with Christian Hackenberg going 7 of 13 for 120 yards and a touchdown. Penn State had success on the ground thanks to Saquon Barkley’s 194 yards on 26 carries. Chris Godwin had 3 catches for 103 yards and a big 56 yarder. Penn State had 315 yards of offense, but struggled mightily on third down with only 1 conversion on 12 attempts.
Penn State (5-2, 2-1) will face Maryland next week at home looking to secure bowl eligibility. Ohio State (7-0, 3-0) will travel to play Rutgers next weekend.
Check back next Sunday for the Week 8 edition of the Big Ten Roundup.
Michigan continues to trend up in the Big Ten with their third straight shut out. (Leon Halip/Getty Images North America)
2015 Week 6 Big Ten Roundup
The sixth week of the college football team saw all 14 Big Ten teams playing in conference clashes. Some teams performed well while others did not. Let’s take a look at each game.
Maryland Terrapins at #1 Ohio State Buckeyes
Result: Ohio State Win 49-28 (Saturday, October 10)
Ohio State may be the top ranked team, but they have not played like the team was saw last year.
Cardale Jones started the game, but J.T. Barrett saw plenty of action as well. The offense had a pretty good performance overall with almost 500 yards, but the defense gave up 21 points to a previously hapless Maryland offense.
Jones went 21 of 28 for 291 yards and 2 touchdowns while Barrett had 3 rushing touchdowns along with 62 yards rushing on 12 carries. Ezekiel Elliott was held in check compared to last week, but still finished with 106 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground. Michael Thomas had 7 catches for 107 yards while Braxton Miller was electric again with 5 catches for 79 yards and a touchdown.
For Maryland, they opted to go with Perry Hills and it appears to have paid early dividends even if they still lost by 3 touchdowns. They key here is the offense found something that was not there previously. Hills was a terrible 10 of 27 for 133 yards with a touchdown and 2 interceptions, but was a menace running the ball. He had 25 carries for 170 yards and 2 touchdowns to give the Buckeyes fits.
Ohio State gave up 386 total yards and allowed 6 of 16 on third and fourth down conversions. They struggled early against a team that also had their coach relieved earlier this week. It is a troubling pattern for a team that is ranked number one.
Maryland (2-4, 0-2) has a bye next week before facing Penn State at home on October 24. Ohio State (6-0, 2-0) will get Penn State next week at home.
Illinois Fighting Illini at #22 Iowa Hawkeyes
Result: Iowa Win 29-20 (Saturday, October 10)
Iowa’s offense looked better at home one week after struggling on the road at Wisconsin. This week was against Illinois.
C.J. Beathard went a paltry 15 of 31 through the air, but had 200 yards and 2 touchdowns in a secondary performance to the running back. Jordan Canzeri ran wild for Iowa on offense with 256 yards and a touchdown on 43 carries. Jerminic Smith had a big game with 4 catches for 118 yards including a few nice grabs. The offense had 478 yards of total offense with no turnovers.
One of the only knocks on the offense was they ended up settling for 3 field goals with all three converted by Marshall Koehn. Koehn did miss an extra point early in the game that nearly had consequences late in the fourth quarter, but was good outside of that miss. Another knock was that they converted just 4 of 16 third downs.
Illinois seemed to have trouble finding consistency in the first half with only 7 points that came on their second drive. Part of the issue may have been due to the absence of Josh Ferguson, who missed the game due to a shoulder injury. Illinois’ touchdown drive went for 67 yards while their other six drives totaled 49 yards combined.
The second half was better for Illinois with some up-tempo offense. Wes Lunt looked better throwing the ball and he combined with Geronimo Allison for several big plays. Lunt finished 25 of 42 for 317 yards and a touchdown while Allison caught 8 passes for 148 yards and a score. Ke’Shawn Vaughn had 67 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.
Illinois will need to be better on defense as noted by the 256 rushing yards allowed to Canzeri. They will also need to force more turnovers to give their offense a chance to build a lead.
Illinois (4-2, 1-1) has a bye next week and will face Wisconsin at home on October 24. Iowa (6-0, 2-0) play Northwestern on the road next week with a chance to put a hammerlock on the Big Ten West division with a win.
Indiana Hoosiers at Penn State Nittany Lions
Result: Penn State Win 29-7 (Saturday, October 10)
Indiana struggled on offense this week while Penn State was decent on offense and very good on defense to lead them to yet another win.
Zander Diamont got the start with Nate Sudfeld out. He suffered an injury of his own in the third quarter and was replaced by Danny Cameron. Diamont led Indiana to a touchdown early, but the offense did not do much after that. Diamont finished the game going 9 of 17 for 90 yards passing as well as 11 rushes for 38 yards and a touchdown.
Cameron was 6 of 16 with 65 yards and an interception. Devine Redding had 13 carries for 32 yards with Jordan Howard not playing. It was not pretty for Indiana outside their touchdown drive. For the game, Indiana went 3 of 16 on third down and finished with 234 yards of total offense.
Penn State did not have any issues on offense as Christian Hackenberg went 21 of 39 for 262 yards and 2 touchdowns. On top of that, he also had 9 rushes for 21 yards and 2 touchdowns thanks to two short runs near the Indiana goal line.
The Nittany Lions continued to be without their top two rushers. Nick Scott got 8 carries for 57 yards while Mark Allen also had 8 carries and 45 yards. Penn State had 420 yards of total offense and held a nearly 36-24 minute lead in time of possession.
Penn State’s defense was led by Carl Nassib, who had two forced fumbles and two sacks. The entire defense had a very good game and continue to look good.
Indiana (4-2, 0-2) will face Rutgers at home hoping to see Nate Sudfeld and Jordan Howard play. Penn State (5-1, 2-0) have a big test on the road at the Horseshoe against Ohio State.
#13 Northwestern Wildcats at #18 Michigan Wolverines
Result: Michigan Win 38-0 (Saturday, October 10)
Michigan continued their incredible defensive streak by posting a third straight shut out. All phases of the game got in on the act as well.
Jake Rudock had a quiet, but efficient game going 17 of 23 for 179 yards. De’Veon Smith had 8 carries for 59 yards while Derrick Green had 47 yards and a touchdown on 12 rushes. The offense finished with 380 yards of offense and went 7 of 14 on third downs. Northwestern had only allowed 35 points in the first five games prior to this contest.
The Michigan defense was superb. Justin Jackson had only 25 yards on 12 carries. Clayton Thorson went 13 of 27 for 106 yards with an interception. Northwestern totaled 168 yards of offense and went a putrid 2 of 13 on third downs. A lot of that is due to the Michigan defense, which got a pick six from Jourdan Lewis, who ripped the ball out of the receiver’s arms and sprinted down the sideline for a 37 yard return.
Michigan’s special teams started the day with a 96 yard kickoff return by Jehu Chesson and it was all Wolverines after that.
Northwestern (5-1, 1-1) faces Iowa next week at home in a massive Big Ten West game. Michigan will take on Michigan State at home next week in a huge game of their own.
Wisconsin Badgers at Nebraska Cornhuskers
Result: Wisconsin Win 23-21 (Saturday, October 10)
Stop if you have heard this one before: Nebraska lost a heartbreaker. It was their fourth loss of the season, all in close fashion.
Wisconsin had a tough time getting their running game involved early on. It was not until the fourth quarter when the Badgers were able to run the ball. Dare Ogunbowale finished with 18 carries for 117 yards while Taiwan Deal managed just 4 carries for 8 yards and left early due to an ankle injury. AlecIngold was the third string running back and finished with 14 yards and a touchdown on 8 carries.
Joel Stave went to the air quite a bit due to the poor rushing attack. He went 24 of 50 for 322 yards with a touchdown. He found two of his favorite targets in Alex Erickson (7 catches for 113 yards) and Robert Wheelwright (5 catches for 81 yards). With Austin Traylor out at tight end, Troy Fumagalli stepped up to finish with 6 catches for 60 yards and a touchdown. The offense struggled on third down again going just 5 of 16, but racked up 469 yards of offense.
Nebraska ha issues moving the ball at times against Wisconsin. Tommy Armstrong went 11 of 28 for 129 yards and a touchdown through the air, but was dangerous running the ball with 50 yards and a touchdown on 8 carries. Andy Janovich and Terrell Newby both had 59 yards rushing while Janovich had a nice 55 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to give the Huskers a slim lead. Nebraska had 325 yards of offense and went 8 of 18 on third downs.
The defenses were both solid for much of the game. In the fourth quarter, the offenses came to life to provide an excellent game. Wisconsin was lucky to get the win thanks to Rafael Gaglianone, but he went 3 of 5. Nebraska kicker Drew Brown missed his only field goal attempt in another play that could be looked back on as a what if moment.
Wisconsin (4-2, 1-1) faces Purdue at home next weekend. Nebraska (2-4, 0-2) has another tough game with Minnesota next week on the road.
Minnesota Golden Gophers at Purdue Boilermakers
Result: Minnesota Win 41-13 (Saturday, October 10)
A potentially dangerous game for Minnesota turned into a rout with a big 28 point third quarter for the Gophers.
Minnesota’s passing game was hardly featured, but it was not needed often. Mitch Leidner went 8 for 12 for 59 yards with 2 touchdowns and an interception. Brandon Lingen caught both of those touchdowns and had 3 catches for 22 yards total. Shannon Brooks had a great game rushing with 176 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries while Rodney Smith had 52 yards on 13 carries. The Gophers ran for 326 yards and 2 touchdowns on 48 carries as a team.
Purdue struggled on offense. David Blough went 21 of 49 for 207 with a touchdown, but also threw 3 interceptions. D.J. Knox had 13 carries for 60 yards and a touchdown with Purdue managing just 275 yards of total offense. One of the interceptions was returned for a touchdown by Minnesota’s Jalen Myrick. Purdue went 3 of 17 on third down and the turnovers hurt them immensely.
Minnesota (4-2, 1-1) faces Nebraska next week at home. Purdue (1-5, 0-2) has the tough task of going into Madison and playing Wisconsin next weekend.
#4 Michigan State Spartans at Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Result: Michigan State Win 31-24 (Saturday, October 10)
Michigan State was able to escape their road game at Rutgers thanks to a blunder by the Scarlet Knights on a night that featured both quarterbacks.
Connor Cook had a good game going 23 of 38 for 357 yards with 2 touchdowns and an interception. His top target once again was Aaron Burbridge, who had 9 catches for 146 yards. The Spartans struggled to run the ball at times with LJ Scott led the team with 9 carries for 42 yards and 2 scores.
Michigan State seemed as if they had no trouble converting on third down and they finished 11 of 17 on that important down. Rutgers was led by Chris Laviano going 15 of 24 for 208 yards and 3 touchdowns, but most importantly did not throw an interception. Leonte Carroo had his second three touchdown receiving game of the year with 7 catches for 134 yards and 3 scores. Paul James had only 2 carries, but that was good enough for 74 yards thanks to his long 72 yard run. Robert Martin had 61 yards on 13 carries as well.
Rutgers was the opposite going 3 of 12 on third down and 2 of 3 on fourth down. Neither defense played terribly, but neither was outstanding. Laviano spiked the ball with seconds remaining on fourth down after a sack, which caused Rutgers to lose. It was fourth and 20 at midfield so the chances were not great, but it became zero with the spike.
Michigan State (6-0, 2-0) will face in-state arch-rival Michigan on the road next week. Rutgers (2-3, 0-2) plays Indiana on the road next weekend.
Check back next Sunday for the Week 7 edition of the Big Ten Round Up.
Illinois celebrates their victory, as Nebraska suffers another crushing last-minute loss. ( Michael Hickey/Getty Images North America)
2015 Week 5 Big Ten Roundup
The Big Ten started conference play in Week 5 with six conference games. Only Penn State (at home versus Army) and Rutgers (idle) did not play a conference game. A look at each game is below.
Purdue Boilermakers at #2 Michigan State Spartans
Result: Michigan State Win 24-21 (Saturday, October 3)
In a theme across the Big Ten, it was a day of concern for some teams and that includes the second ranked Michigan State Spartans.
The Spartans looked well on their way to an easy win with their rushing game leading them to a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter. That was the score at halftime, but the offense sputtered to just 3 points the final 40 minutes of the game. The offense lost one fumble and missed a field goal on back-to-back possessions that led to 14 points for Purdue.
Connor Cook had a pedestrian game going 13 of 19 for 139 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 48 yards on just 5 carries. LJ Scott had a big game, particularly in the first half with 146 yards and 2 touchdowns on 18 carries. Madre London got his share of playing time with 17 carries for 97 yards.
The Michigan State defense forced three turnovers in the first half, but did not force any in the second half. One drive did begin right outside the red zone, which was not the fault of the defense. They were susceptible to the big play at times as well.
Purdue could not get anything going on offense in the first half due largely to their turnovers. The second half saw the narrative completely flip and the offense looked much more comfortable. Two of their touchdown drives went for 79 and 80 yards while Markell Jones had a big day including a long touchdown on one of those. He rushed for 157 yards and 2 touchdowns on 22 carries while David Blough looked okay going 15 of 31 for 136 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 pick.
If Purdue’s defense can play each game like they did in the second half, they will be a tough opponent for the rest of the season.
Purdue faces Minnesota next week at home while Michigan State takes their perfect record on the road to face Rutgers.
Minnesota Golden Gophers at #16 Northwestern Wildcats
Result: Northwestern Win 27-0 (Saturday, October 3)
This game was all about defense, specifically Northwestern’s defense.
The Northwestern defense stymied Minnesota at every turn. The Gophers could only managed 173 yards of offense the entire game with 99 through the air and 74 on the ground. Minnesota converted only 4 of 16 third downs and were 0 of 4 on fourth down. It was a dominating performance from Northwestern on defense.
Mitch Leidner was ineffective going 10 of 21 for 72 yards with an interception. Shannon Brooks mustered just 33 yards rushing on 10 carries while Rodney Smith had just 32 yards on 11 carries.
Northwestern’s offense was not out of this world, but they were effective. Clayton Thorson looked better this week going 14 of 19 for 128 yards. He also had 2 rushing touchdowns and was once again aided by Justin Jackson’s running attack. Jackson had 120 yards on 20 carries.
Anthony Walker was responsible for a 13 yard fumble recovery that he returned for a touchdown to put the exclamation point on the defense dominance Northwestern showed.
Minnesota will face Purdue next week on the road in a game that will need to see the offense have some sort of spark. Northwestern will go to Ann Arbor to face Michigan in what is setting up to be a classic Big Ten defensive struggle.
Iowa Hawkeyes at #19 Wisconsin Badgers
Result: Iowa Win 10-6 (Saturday, October 3)
If you are a fan of defense, this was the game for you. That is in large part due to the inept offenses that both Iowa and Wisconsin provided in this contest.
Wisconsin never seemed comfortable at any point in this game on offense. They were able to get a field goal on their opening drive, but only were able to get 3 points the rest of the way. Joel Stave had 234 yards passing on 21 of 38 attempts, but had two interceptions and lost two fumbles including one at the Iowa one yard line.
The rushing attack was virtually non-existent for Wisconsin. They had 86 yards on 34 carries as a team and Taiwan Deal was the top back with only 59 yards on 15 carries.
The one positive for Wisconsin was their defense and Joe Schobert shined. He made tackles, constantly was in the backfield, had two forced fumbles, and also recovered one of those forced fumbles. He was in full beast mode, but unfortunately his performance was wasted in the loss.
As bad as Wisconsin was on offense, Iowa was worse and still managed to win this game. C.J. Beathard had only 77 yards passing on 9 of 21 passing. He had a touchdown pass late in the second quarter, but also threw a pick that was intercepted by Michael Caputo. Jordan Canzeri was a workhorse with 125 yards rushing on 26 carries.
The Iowa defense gave up 320 yards of offense, but they stood tall when put up against their backs. They forced four turnovers including several that kept points off the board. They also held the Badgers to 3 field goal attempts with them going 2 of 3 on those kicks. Desmond King had the two interceptions and he was impressive in coverage.
Iowa improved to 5-0 with this win and they will continue their Big Ten schedule with Illinois at home next week. Wisconsin has a tough road trip to Nebraska in another crucial Big Ten West matchup.
#22 Michigan Wolverines at Maryland Terrapins
Result: Michigan Win 28-0 (Saturday, October 3)
Michigan’s defense continues to look impressive this year with another shutout performance.
The Michigan offense was okay, but they did not have to do much with their defense continuing to shut down the opponents. Jake Rudock went 16 of 32 for 180 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Drake Johnson was the main running back with 13 carries for 68 yards and a score, but a plethora of others got a chance to run the ball. Jehu Chesson had a wonderful 66 yard touchdown run for his only rushing attempt of the game.
The story, though, is about the defense and the Maryland offense. Maryland put up a total of 105 yards of offense for the entire game! They were an awful 1 of 18 on third down. The quarterbacks combined to go 10 of 36 passing for 76 yards with 3 interceptions. Brandon Ross had 44 yards on 14 rushes, but the rest of the team was so bad they finished with 29 yards rushing on 26 attempts as a team. All of those stats are a combination of Michigan’s defense and Maryland’s offense.
Michigan has a big defensive battle next week at home against Northwestern. Maryland has to face Ohio State at home with the hope that they can get something, anything positive going.
Army Black Knights at Penn State Nittany Lions
Result: Penn State Win 20-14 (Saturday, October 3)
Penn State was the only Big Ten team in action to not play another conference member. They took on Army in an offensive struggle for them again. To be fair, the Nittany Lions were without their top two running backs.
Christian Hackenberg went 10 of 19 for 156 yards and a touchdown through the air. Nick Scott led the rushing attack with 12 carries for 54 yards and a touchdown. Chris Godwin was the top received easily with 4 catches for 66 yards. The offense only converted on 5 of 15 third downs, but did not turn the ball over.
The defense had some issues against the triple-option, but played well in the first half. They recovered three fumbles that the offense was able to convert into 10 points. The second half is when they struggled against the option giving up two touchdown drives of 75 yards or longer. Perhaps they were beginning to wear down against the run, as Army had 55 rushing attempts and only 1 passing attempt for the entire game.
Penn State faces Indiana at home next week in their second Big Ten game. They beat Rutgers two weeks ago 28-3 in their conference opener.
#1 Ohio State Buckeyes at Indiana Hoosiers
Result: Ohio State Win 34-27 (Saturday, October 3)
The Big Ten opener for both Ohio State and Indiana showed both teams quite a bit on both sides of the ball.
For Ohio State, the offense continued to look disheveled at times, but they did get back to one tenant that made them so good in 2014: pound the rock with Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott was explosive against Indiana with 274 yards and 3 touchdowns on 3 touchdowns. Elliott’s touchdown runs were from 55, 65, and 75 yards and helped to repel the upset bid of Indiana.
Cardale Jones went 18 of 27 for 245 yards with 1 touchdown and a pick, but also looked bad at times. He will have to play way better for Ohio State to repeat this year. Jalin Marshall had 6 catches for 110 yards, but also lost 2 fumbles.
The defense was not great against Indiana, but they got the job done. They held the Hoosiers to 17 of 36 passing (226 yards) and also allowed only 176 yards on 55 carries (3.2 average). They did not force a turnover, but held Indiana to only 7 of 22 on third downs. This is another part of the team that will need to improve from this game.
For Indiana, this was actually a solid game. They were ultimately hurt by injuries that may have prevented them from the upset, but that is part of the game.
Nate Sudfeld left the game with an ankle injury, but went 10 of 21 for 134 yards and did not have a turnover. Star running back Jordan Howard ran for only 34 yards on 14 carries before he too suffered an ankle injury.
Zander Diamont had a solid game in place of Sudfeld going 6 of 14 for 76 yards. He was also elusive when running the ball with 7 carries for 98 yards and a score. That touchdown run was a 79 yarder that made the game 34-27 with 10 minutes left to play. Devine Redding carried a bulk of the load with Howard gone. He had 30 carries for only 45 yards, but two went for touchdowns.
Ultimately, it was the defense that struggled for Indiana and cost them the game with those long runs by Elliott. It is a common theme for the Hoosiers, but if they can improve slightly over the course of the final 7 games, they could win 7 or 8 games and improve their bowl slot.
Ohio State will have a chance to remedy some of their issues next week against Maryland at home. Indiana will face Penn State on the road next week.
Nebraska Cornhuskers at Illinois Fighting Illini
Result: Illinois Win 14-13 (Saturday, October 3)
Nebraska suffered another heartbreaking loss in a theme that has been all too common for the Husker faithful this year.
Let’s start with Illinois on offense, which had opportunity after opportunity to score early in the game. A muffed punt gave them a chance to get points, but they missed a field goal. They were stopped on fourth and one at the Nebraska 10 and missed another field goal on the next two drives.
The Illini finally broke through early in the fourth quarter with a 22 yard touchdown pass from Wes Lunt to Marchie Murdock. Lunt also threw a touchdown pass on fourth down to Geronimo Allison with seconds left to tie the game before the extra point gave them the win. Lunt finished the game going 23 of 45 for 251 yards with those two touchdown passes.
The Illini were hurt on offense when Josh Ferguson left in the first quarter due to injury. He had 4 carries for 50 yards prior to that. Ke’Shawn Vaughn ended up getting most of the carries the rest of the way finishing with 98 yards on 24 rushes.
Nebraska will rue the loss, but there is plenty of blame to go around. Tommy Armstrong went a putrid 10 of 31 for 105 yards with an interception. He also had 8 rushes for 38 yards while Devine Ozigbo had 7 rushes for 70 yards and a score. The offense went 4 of 17 on third down and also had 2 turnovers with neither coming back to haunt them.
Nebraska falls to 2-3 and has a good game next week against Wisconsin at home. Illinois moved to 4-1 and has to go to Iowa in another Big Ten West clash that could determine the winner by season’s end.
The Week 6 edition will be up next Sunday so be sure to check back for thoughts on the game’s from next weekend.
De’Veon Smith had a spectacular 60 yard touchdown run (pictured above). The defense for Michigan was also impressive. (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images North America)
2015 Big Ten Week 4 Roundup
The Big Ten had a full week of non-conference games before starting its conference schedule next week. It was a positive Saturday overall with the conference going 12-2, but, as always, there is room for improvement. Each game is broken down below.
Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles at Nebraska Cornhuskers
Result: Nebraska Win 36-28 (Saturday, September 26)
Nebraska improved to 2-2 on the season, but it was another poor performance from the defense that should cause concern in Lincoln. Quarterback Tommy Armstrong went 23 of 35 for 368 yards with 2 touchdowns and an interception. He was also effective in the running game with 63 yards and a touchdown on 7 carries.
Wide receiver Jordan Westerkamp had another big game with 11 catches for 118 yards and a touchdown. Brandon Reilly had a few big plays, as he caught 3 passes for 112 yards. Terrell Newby had 76 yards on 18 carries to lead the Huskers in rushing. Andy Janovich was quietly effective with just five carries, but went for a total of 68 yards.
While the offense was good by racking up 610 yards, it was not very effective when it needed to be. Kicker Drew Brown attempted 7 field goals and connected on five. An 8 point win could have been a lot more comfortable had they converted two or three of those field goals into touchdowns. The offense went 4 of 13 on third down.
The defense largely held the Southern Miss running game in check with only 11 yards allowed, but gave up 447 yards through the air. Most worrisome is that the defense gave up three touchdown drives of at least 53 yards and 21 points. It has been a constant them for the Huskers that their defense is giving up quite a few points in the fourth quarter and we have already seen it cost them one game on the final play.
Nebraska faces Illinois next week on the road in their conference opener.
Kansas Jayhawks at Rutgers Scarlet Knight
Result: Rutgers Win 27-14 (Saturday, September 26)
Rutgers took care of business against Kansas, one of the weakest (if not the weakest) teams in all of FBS. That makes it hard to judge the performance, but a win is a win.
Chris Laviano had a decent game going 18 of 25 for 201 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. The rushing game was very good for the Scarlet Knights as they rushed for 312 yards and 2 touchdowns on 58 carries as a team. Josh Hicks led the way with 113 yards and 2 touchdowns on 21 carries while Robert Martin also broke the century mark at 102 yards on 17 carries. Overall, the offense was very effective with 513 yards, but converted on 8 of 12 third downs as well.
Defensively, it is hard to gauge this effort. They held Kansas to 342 yards of total offense including 64 yards on the ground. They forced just one turnover, but did not have a lot of trouble overall. Perhaps this will give them some confidence as they continue on in the Big Ten conference schedule.
The Scarlet Knights are off next week. Rutgers will have a stern test at home in two weeks against Michigan State.
#22 BYU Cougars at Michigan Wolverines
Result: Michigan Win 31-0 (Saturday, September 26)
Michigan looked incredible on Saturday against BYU, a team that had impressed the first three weeks. The defense was particularly impressive for the Wolverines.
Jake Rudock had a solid game with 14 of 25 passing for 194 yards and a touchdown. There were no interceptions or fumbles from him and he accounted for another two touchdowns on the ground (10 carries for 33 yards). De’Veon Smith had 125 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries while his bruising 60 yard touchdown run was the highlight of the game. Smith did leave the game in the second half and did not return, but he is expected to be fine for next week’s game.
Amara Darboh had 4 catches for 57 yards and a touchdown including a wonderful one handed catch in the first half. Nine different players caught a pass for Michigan in a very equal passing game by Rudock.
The real story for Michigan was the defense. They allowed 105 total yards of offense to BYU with 55 through the air and 50 on the ground. BYU went 4 of 15 on third down and had just 8 first downs the entire game. The Wolverines did not allow them to get into a rhythm and this is what we expect from a JimHarbaugh coached defense.
Michigan travels on the road next week to face Maryland.
Central Michigan Chippewas at #2 Michigan State Spartans
Result: Michigan State Win 30-10 (Saturday, September 26)
Michigan State looked far from the #2 team in the nation on Saturday against Central Michigan, but they got the job done.
Connor Cook went 11 of 19 for 143 yards and a touchdown, but the offense did not always look great. Madre London ran for 73 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries while Gerald Holmes rushed for 22 yards and 2 touchdowns (both coming in the fourth quarter) on 4 carries.
The defense also had its issues against the Central Michigan offense. Cooper Rush threw for 285 yards and a touchdown on 26 of 39 passing. The trio of Jesse Kroll, Anthony Rice, and Corey Willis all had at least 5 catches and 57 yards.
Shilique Calhoun was disruptive for the Spartans on defense and also blocked a field goal. That was one of two blocked field goals by the Spartans. More worrisome for Michigan State is the possible losses of JackConklin, RJ Williamson, and Josiah Price.
Michigan State takes on Purdue next week at home in their Big Ten opener.
Bowling Green Falcons at Purdue Boilermakers
Result: Bowling Green Win 35-28 (Saturday, September 26)
Purdue slumped to 1-3 this year thanks to a loss to MAC opponent Bowling Green. It was not the worst loss for Purdue, as there was a good sign of improvement at quarterback.
David Blough was named the starter for this game and he did well. He went 29 of 39 for 340 yards with 2 touchdowns and an interception. He also ran for a touchdown, but the Boilermakers were not good rushing with just 77 yards on 38 carries as a team.
The defense was all or nothing in the first half. Bowling Green scored a touchdown, then lost a fumble, scored a second touchdown, was intercepted, and ended the first half with a third touchdown. Purdue was able to turn one of the turnovers into a touchdown, but missed a field goal on the other.
The defense was better overall in the second half, but still could not do enough to hang on for the win. They allowed 539 yards of offense and also allowed Bowling Green to convert 11 of 16 third downs.
It will be a tall task next week for Purdue with a road trip to Michigan State.
Indiana Hoosiers at Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Result: Indiana Win 31-24 (Saturday, September 26)
Indiana got a road win to open the season 4-0 and sit just two games away from bowl eligibility. The defense was improved, but there is still plenty of concern on that side of the ball.
Nate Sudfeld had pedestrian numbers considering his normal output. He went 19 of 34 for 205 yards with 2 touchdowns. Jordan Howard had another big rushing game with 168 yards and a touchdown on 33 carries. The offense converted 7 of 17 third down opportunities.
The defense played well early on for Indiana. The first three drives for Wake Forest yielded just one yard. The Hoosiers did allow 10 points in the second quarter, but held a 17-10 lead at the break. The defense played well again after halftime. A 20 yard pick six early in the fourth quarter by Kendall Hinton put the Hoosiers up 31-10. The concern is that Wake Forest scored two touchdowns on the next two drives. They did hold the Demon Deacons to 363 yards of offense including 99 on the ground and 4 of 18 on third down.
Indiana goes from facing Wake Forest on the road to Ohio State at home next weekend.
Maryland Terrapins at West Virginia Mountaineers
Result: West Virginia Win 45-6 (Saturday, September 26)
The worst Big Ten performance of the week belongs to Maryland. It was terrible performance, particularly from the quarterbacks.
Caleb Rowe went 10 of 27 for only 67 yards, no touchdowns, and 4 interceptions (!). Daxx Garman came in and threw for 86 yards with one touchdown and one pick. Brandon Ross did well to pick up 130 yards on 15 carries, but he was the lone bright spot in a dismal offense.
The defense struggled to put up any resistance to the West Virginia offense. The Mountaineers put up 601 yards of offense and it was nearly even with 297 through the air and 304 on the ground.
Maryland may find themselves struggling to get offense going again next week. They face Michigan at home, a team that has been solid on the defensive side of the ball.
North Texas Mean Green at Iowa Hawkeyes
Result: Iowa Win 62-16 (Saturday, September 26)
Iowa completely crushed North Texas to finish their non-conference schedule 4-0. It was a complete domination by both sides of the ball for Iowa.
C.J. Beathard was deadly accurate and efficient. He went 18 of 21 for 278 yards with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. Jordan Canzeri had a field day running the ball as well. He had four rushing touchdowns to go along with 115 yards on 22 carries. Tevaun Smith had 4 catches for 115 yards and a touchdown.
The defense had only two turnovers, but both were interceptions returned for touchdowns. First, it was Josey Jewell for a 34 yard pick-six late in the third quarter. The second one came late in the game with BoBower taking a pick 88 yards to the house.
Big Ten play begins next week with one of the toughest games on their schedule. Iowa travels to play Wisconsin in Madison with the winner having an early inside track on the Big Ten West.
Ohio Bobcats at Minnesota Golden Gophers
Result: Minnesota Win 27-24 (Saturday, September 26)
For the second week in a row, Minnesota escaped at home against a MAC foe. This week, at least there was more scoring.
Mitch Leidner had a solid day going 22 of 32 for 264 yards with no touchdown or interceptions. He also ran for 22 yards and a touchdown on 8 carries. Rodney Smith had a solid day as well with 94 yards on 16 carries, but Shannon Brooks emerged with 10 carries for 82 yards and 2 touchdowns including the game winner late. The offense looked much better this week and they put up 468 yards of offense and had only one turnover.
In an odd twist, the defense did not play as well as we have seen. They certain were not terrible, but it was not as stout as they were in the first three games. They allowed 8 of 16 on third down conversions and also gave up 345 yards of offense. They allowed 10 points in the fourth quarter that made it way too uncomfortable for the Gopher faithful.
Another worry, at least late, was the special teams. A muffed punt by Cody Grilliot was recovered by Ohio and led to a touchdown. They also gave up a massive kick return with less than 30 seconds remaining to Ohio after they just took the lead.
Minnesota finished their non-conference slate at 3-1 and they will have a defensive battle next week against Northwestern on the road.
Western Michigan Broncos at #1 Ohio State Buckeyes
Result: Ohio State Win 38-12 (Saturday, September 26)
Ohio State may have decided on a quarterback, but it still does not look like the Buckeyes we saw in 2014.
Cardale Jones went 19 of 33 for 288 yards with 2 touchdowns and an interception. His second half left a lot to be desired as he completed only 6 of 14 passes. Ezekiel Elliott, unsurprisingly, was good with 124 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Curtis Samuel had 2 carries for 55 yards including a 40 yard run for a touchdown just before the midway point of the fourth quarter. The offense still managed to put up 511 yards with 288 passing and 223 on the ground. They did go 8 of 13 on third downs, which is a big improvement over the 2 of 13 they managed against Northern Illinois last week.
The defense was very good for Ohio State. They did not allow Western Michigan quarterback Zach Terrell to get into a rhythm. He finished 18 of 33 for 169 yards with 2 touchdowns and an interception. That interception was returned 20 yards for a touchdown by Adolphus Washington. The Buckeyes did allow Daniel Braverman to catch 10 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown, but they clamped down in the second half.
Ohio State begins the defense of their Big Ten title next week on the road at Indiana.
San Diego State Aztecs at Penn State Nittany Lions
Result: Penn State Win 37-21 (Saturday, September 26)
Penn State relied on their running backs last week to get the offense going, but it was Christian Hackenberg that woke up the dormant offense this week. Hackenberg threw for 296 yards and 3 touchdowns on 21 of 35 passing.
Saeed Blackwell led the Nittany Lions with 4 catches for 101 yards while Chris Godwin had 5 receptions for 78 yards with a touchdown. The running game was dealt not one, but two blows, thanks to injuries. Saquon Barkley and Akeel Lynch both left leaving Nick Scott and Mark Allen to try and pick up the slack. Allen ran for 5 yards on 5 carries, but did catch 2 passes for 29 yards and a touchdown. Scott had 6 carries for 9 yards. Those numbers will surely need to improve or Hackenberg will be primary target number one if Barkley and Lynch miss any time.
The defense was decent, but the highlight went to Austin Johnson. The defensive tackle ran (rumbled?) 71 yards for a fumble return touchdown that put Penn State up 34-21 early in the fourth quarter. The defense did only allow 242 yards of offense to SDSU including a poor 10 of 29 for 141 yards throwing.
The special teams is still a question mark after week four’s performance. They gave up a 100 yard kick return, fumbled a punt return that led to a touchdown, and also missed a field goal.
Unlike much of the Big Ten, they have not completed their non-conference schedule. Army visits next week in an early kickoff.
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Illinois Fighting Illini
Result: Illinois Win 27-25 (Saturday, September 26)
Illinois bounced back from last week’s thrashing at North Carolina, but it was not easy by any means. They needed a last minute field goal from Taylor Zalewski and also needed a missed field goal from Middle Tennessee with seconds remaining to pull out the win.
Wes Lunt went 29 of 49 for 238 yards with 1 touchdown and no interceptions. The large amount of incompletions are a bit worrisome, especially after he went 15 of 32 against North Carolina a week ago. Josh Ferguson ran for 83 yards on 20 carries while Ke’Shawn Vaughn ran for 80 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.
Geronimo Allison easily led the team in receiving with 10 catches for 128 yards. Desmond Cain was also involved in the passing game with 7 catches for 48 yards. Coming into the game, Cain had 8 catches for 53 yards on the year.
The defense gave up only 38 yards rushing to Middle Tennessee thanks largely to -30 yards rushing by the Middle Tennessee quarterback on sacks. They allowed 330 yards through the air as well as 3 touchdowns. The defense allowed 13 fourth quarter points as the Blue Raiders moved down the field with ease.
The special teams unit was good overall. There was a missed field goal, but a blocked punt subsequently allowed Illinois to build a 14-3 in the second quarter. Clayton Fejedelem fell on the ball in the end zone for the score.
Illinois enters Big Ten play 3-1 and they immediately get Nebraska next week at home. It is a potentially big game, as Illinois needs three wins to make bowl eligibility.
Ball State Cardinals at #17 Northwestern Wildcats
Result: Northwestern Win 24-19 (Saturday, September 26)
Northwestern was able to hang on against Ball State in a deceivingly good second half from the offense. The first half left a lot to be desired from the Wildcats, especially at the quarterback position.
Clayton Thorson looked like a freshman during the first half. He lost a fumble after a nice run, which led to a field goal for Ball State. He also threw an interception (led to a missed field goal), but his fumble late in the first half allowed Ball State to score a touchdown and take a 10-7 lead at halftime.
The second half was like a whole new ball game for the Wildcats on offense. Their first three drives resulted in 17 points and a 24-10 lead. Thorson finished the game going 18 of 31 for 256 yards with 3 touchdowns and the interception. He also ran for 45 yards on 9 carries. Justin Jackson had a big game rushing the ball with 184 yards on 33 carries. Dan Vitale easily had his best game of the year with 5 catches for 108 yards and 2 touchdowns. His emergence really helped Thorson in the final 30 minutes.
The defense played solidly and it is worth noting that they kept the game close while the offense struggled in the first half. They recovered a fumble deep in their own territory and forced a total of four field goals from Ball State. Ball State missed two field goals, which would have been the difference.
Northwestern is likely to have a defensive battle next week at home in their Big Ten opener against Minnesota.
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at #22 Wisconsin Badgers
Result: Wisconsin Win 28-0 (Saturday, September 26)
Taiwan Deal rushed for 147 yards and 2 touchdowns on 26 carries while Dare Ogunbowale had 15 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown. The Badgers rushed for 326 yards and 3 touchdowns as a team on 54 carries. Most importantly, the offense looked to have gotten their running game back, if only for this week. The offense nearly held a 2-1 advantage in time of possession, another good sign.
Joel Stave was not overly impressive, but he was smart with the ball and did not force unnecessary throws. He went 14 of 23 for 164 yards and a touchdown. In no surprise, Alex Erickson was his top target with 9 catches for 87 yards. Austin Traylor had 2 catches for 23 yards and a touchdown and is quietly becoming a big red zone target for Stave.
The defense did not make any big plays, but they did not allow any type of rhythm for the Hawaii offense. Hawaii’s longest drive was 60 yards, but the defense held firm on fourth and three at the Wisconsin 33. Another drive got as close to the Wisconsin 1 yard line, but a series of penalties by Hawaii resulted in a missed 49 yard field goal. In the last three games, Wisconsin has allowed a total of 3 points and has two shutouts.
Wisconsin faces Iowa at home in their Big Ten opener next week.
Check back next Sunday for a look at the Week 5 Big Ten Roundup. There will be plenty of Big Ten Conference action that is dissected.
