How I'm writing this recapWelcome to the Big Ten Recap: Week 4 and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. This was the final week of nonconference action, and yesterday's slate was as thrilling as expected. Chances are, if you caught any of the games, you found yourself with a sudden case of narcolepsy, especially since the most exciting game was one between Illinois and Western Michigan, and the most noteworthy stat was a Penn State quarterback actually throwing a touchdown pass.
As such, I don't blame you if you need a little help finding out what happened with the other matchups. Purdue and Northwestern had byes, so there were only nine non-Buckeye contests this weekend across the B1G. That was nice for me, because when I inevitably forgot about Purdue, I didn't have to go back and insert a quick summary of their game.
For the insomniacs out there, I've got your cure. Now it's time to grab a little chamomile tea and get reading.
ILLINOIS 23, WESTERN MICHIGAN 20
Ranked #24, Illinois edged Western Michigan for their first 4-0 start since 19511. Down 13-10 right before half, the Illini were obviously frustrated. After taking a sack, QB Nathan Scheelhaase was intercepted on a desperation throw as the clock expired. OL Jeff Allen then did his best Bobby Cox impersonation and was ejected after committing a personal foul as the teams went to their respective locker rooms. In the second half, Illini decided to lean heavily on their rushing attack, particularly the read-option. Senior Troy Pollard racked up a personal best 133 yards, 90 of which were in the second half. It was his 49-yard run up the middle in the fourth quarter that set up Derek Dimke's go-ahead field goal. Freshman Donovonn Young added 100 yards and a score. Scheelhaase totaled 133 yards in the air (14/20, 1 TD, 1 INT) and 40 on the ground. His back-up, freshman Reilly O'Toole, was brought out for a few plays and went 3/6 and 34 yards.
The Broncos focused on their passing game, and QB Alex Carder threw for 306 yards on 30/48 passing (2 TDs, 1 INT). His favorite target was Jordan White, who caught 14 passes for 132 yards and one TD. But the Illini defense buckled down when they needed to, like in the second quarter, when Illinois RB James Ford fumbled the ball at his own 26 and the defense sacked Carder, leading to a 49-yard field goal miss. Then, with a minute left in the game, WMU had the ball and was unable to get into scoring range. In particular, A Lion Eye was very pumped about cornerback Terry Hawthorne, calling him "NFL impressive" as he recorded 9 tackles, 3 pass break-ups, and an interception.
Illinois opens up the Big Ten season with Northwestern next week. To the winner goes the Land of Lincoln Trophy.
MICHIGAN 28, SAN DIEGO STATE 7
In what some called the Brady Bowl2, a battle between Brady Hoke's current team and his former one, Michigan did what it does and rode Denard Robinson to victory. Shoelace ran for three touchdowns, all in the first half, and ended the day with 200 yards rushing on 21 carries. His passing stats were much worse, as he only threw for 94 yards (8/17) and was picked off twice. And yet once again, he was still running the ball late in the fourth quarter, and sooner or later, is headed for the kind of injury you expect to happen to a Boilermaker.
It was a sloppy game, with Michigan turning the ball over four times and SDSU doing so three times. Aztec RB Ronnie Hillman came into the game ranked second in the country in rushing, averaging 165.67 yards/carry. He finished under that number yesterday but still managed to reach the century-mark with 109 yards. The Michigan defense was led by DE Craig Roh, who had two TFLs, a sack, and a forced fumble. In a first for the Wolverines this season, they outscored their opponent in the first quarter (14-0). I guess that was enough to impress SDSU coach Rocky Long, who said, "Brady will win a national championship here". So puke on that.
Next Saturday, Michigan kicks off conference play at home against Minnesota, where they will vie for the Little Brown Jug.
MICHIGAN STATE 45, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 7
After a shoddy showing against Notre Dame last week, Michigan State took it to Central Michigan. The Sparty offense accumulated nearly 500 yards, despite dealing with several OL injuries. RB Le'Veon Bell led the way, scoring three TDs on 81 yards rushing. Kirk Cousins' had a so-so day (13/22, 213 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT), but he did complete a deep ball to B.J. Cunningham for 54 yards. Second-string QB Andrew Maxwell saw mop-up duty, and the sophomore tossed the first TD of his career.
Chippewa QB A.J. Westendorp derped his way to two interceptions, one of which safety Isaiah Lewis brought back for a TD, and starting QB Daniel Ryan Radcliff threw two picks of his own. They combined for just 90 yards in the air, which was abundant compared to the paltry 22 yards they gained on the ground. That sets the stage for the upcoming battle between the Sparty defense and Ohio State's run-first offense.
NEBRASKA 38, WYOMING 14
Hitting the road for the first time this season, Nebraska, as per usual, recovered from a slow start to win handily, this time defeating Wyoming. RB Rex Burkhead turned in a career performance, running for 170 yards and two scores. QB Taylor Martinez was his typical self through the air (12/21, 157 yards, 1 TD), but only added 37 yards rushing. Up just 14-7 at the half, kicker extraordinaire Brett Maher missed a 50-yarder, though the replay showed it could have been good. Bo Pelini argued with a ref to no avail, and in two weeks, that ref's body will be found floating in the Laramie River.
Redder than this next week: Pelini and Bielema's facesDT Jared Crick did not play due to an injury sustained last week. He broke his streak of 31 consecutive starts. It'd be a surprise if he's not available for their inaugural B1G matchup, a much-anticipated showdown against the Badgers in Madison. While noting that improvements need to be made, Husker Mike believes that the new plays the Cornhuskers unveiled last night will "give our new Big Ten opponents something else to chew on".
The Big Red Network says that "seeing such a businesslike outing on the road gives hope that Nebraska can play well enough on both sides of the ball to compete with anyone", Wisconsin included.
WISCONSIN 59, SOUTH DAKOTA 10
Wisconsin continued their killing spree, massacring poor FCS school South Dakota. Coming into the game, QB Russell Wilson's completion rate on the season was almost 76%, and the robot hit that number exactly, going 19/25 for 345 yards and 3 TDs. The Wisconsin RBs, led by Montee Ball and James White, rushed for five TDs and like every game since week two of last year, did not fumble. Nick Toon pitched in with two scores on seven catches for 155 yards and at one point, went all Evan Spencer and snagged a pass with one hand.
Wisconsin, the B1G's top offense, improved on the 505.7 yards they were averaging per game. Yesterday, they put up 612. However, their defense was delivered a blow when safety Shelton Johnson had to leave the game with a bruised leg. It's unclear whether he'll be ready for the Nebraska game. Bucky's 5th Quarter notes that some Badgers are comparing the matchup against the Cornhuskers to last year's Ohio State game. Better work on your kick coverage, then, Nebrasky.
PENN STATE 34, EASTERN MICHIGAN 6
Returning to the sideline, Joe Pa witnessed Penn State's best performance of this early season as they beat Eastern Michigan. Entering the day, no Penn State quarterback had thrown a TD pass this year, but Matt McGloin (14/17, 213 yards) recorded three of them, two going to WR Derek Moye. Chop's brother Joe Suhey caught the other. Devon Smith also hauled in one from starting QB Rob Bolden (7/13, 115 yards), who was also intercepted.
Unfortunately for Penn State, their best defensive player, LB Michael Mauti, is probably out for the year after suffering an ACL injury3. In the scariest moment of the day, CB D'Anton Lynn was carted off the field on a stretcher. Happily, it was precautionary and he was moving his extremities at the hospital and was later released. He should be fine, though it's unclear if he'll be ready to go in their conference opener against Indiana.
IOWA 45, LOUISIANA-MONROE 17
Iowa had no problem handling Louisiana-Monroe on the afternoon. The Hawkeye offense was efficient with James Vandenberg throwing for three TDs (21/32, 273 yards) and running for another. Marvin McNutt caught two of the TD passes, and Marcus Coker toted the rock for two scores on 107 yards. While only giving up 72 yards rushing, the Iowa defense did allow ULM 292 passing yards. Or, as BGHP sums it up, "that went pretty well, defensive breakdowns in the second half notwithstanding."
| Legends | ||
|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 0-0 | 4-0 |
| Nebraska | 0-0 | 4-0 |
| Iowa | 0-0 | 3-1 |
| Michigan State | 0-0 | 3-1 |
| Northwestern | 0-0 | 2-1 |
| Minnesota | 0-0 | 1-3 |
| Leaders | ||
| Illinois | 0-0 | 4-0 |
| Wisconsin | 0-0 | 4-0 |
| Ohio State | 0-0 | 3-1 |
| Penn State | 0-0 | 3-1 |
| Purdue | 0-0 | 2-1 |
| Indiana | 0-0 | 1-3 |
In support of Bruce Greenwood, a 2010 Iowa graduate and former safety who has been in the hospital for a few weeks, the team adorned their helmets with green decals. Iowa fans also wore green. Greenwood collapsed after a workout but is said to be doing better.
After a bye, Iowa will begin Big Ten play against Penn State on October 8.
NORTH DAKOTA STATE 37, MINNESOTA 24
Like last season when they lost to South Dakota, Minnesota was topped by a FCS team at home. The play of the game came right before halftime, when Golden Gopher QB MarQueis Gray tossed up a prayer, which was intercepted by Colten Heagle. He then ran down the field on the return and fumbled the ball, but his teammate Marcus Williams was right there to scoop it up and run it in for the score as the Benny Hill theme song was cued. That gave NDSU a 28-14 halftime lead, and it was the first of Williams' two defensive TDs in the game.
Gray and Max Shortell rotated at QB, though neither could accomplish much. RB Donnell Kirkwood was the lone bright spot for Minnesota, rushing for two scores and 70 yards on 10 carries. While The Daily Gopher acknowledges that it's "going to be a long season", the blog also pleads with fans to be patient, as disheartening as it is losing to FCS opponents.
NORTH TEXAS 24, INDIANA 21
Down 24-0 in the fourth quarter, Indiana fell just short of a comeback. Mark Murphy got the Hoosiers on the board when he returned a North Texas interception for a TD. Indiana QB Edward Wright-Baker passed for 209 yards, but it was back-up Dusty Kiel who threw two TDs late in the game. A failed onside kick sealed the win for the Mean Green. Yup, Indiana lost to a directional school called the Mean Green.
Once again, Indiana's ground game was unable to get going, gaining just 50 yards. For reasons unknown, their best WR, Damarlo Belcher, did not make the trip. Like Minnesota supporters, Hoosier fans are also in for a long season.
- 1 Also the last time they won a national championship. Time to book those flights to New Orleans, Illinois fans!
- 2 Presumably so Michigan players could know what it feels like to win a bowl game.
- 3 /Purdue-d
