Week three of the college football season featured the start of Big Ten play and a couple of former national powerhouses battling it out in the Sunshine State. All four of the conference's ranked teams were victorious this weekend, but there's been a shake-up in the bottom half of the power rankings.
PENN STATE 28, RUTGERS 3
The Penn State ground game was too much for Rutgers as Big Ten play kicked off on Saturday night. The Nittany Lions rushed for 330 yards, most of which came from Saquon Barkley and Akeel Lynch. Barkley, a true freshman, continues to make an early impact as he rushed for 195 yards and two scores. Lynch added 120 yards and a touchdown of his own.
Unfortunately for Penn State, it was mostly the same old story for Christian Hackenberg. The junior completed 10 of 19 passes for 141 yards and an interception. In what has become a common theme, Hackenberg continues to miss open wide receivers, often skipping the ball to them on designed rollouts. The good news for the Nits? For the second week in a row, their opponent did not record a quarterback sack.
The Penn State defense continues to be stingy as they allowed less than 300 total yards and forced three turnovers. Rutgers' quarterback Chris Laviano threw for 213 yards and a pair of interceptions.
MIAMI 36, NEBRASKA 33
A wild comeback by the Huskers forced overtime, but they ended up falling just short after an errant pass by quarterback Tommy Armstrong. The Hurricanes got off to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter, and with just over eight minutes left in the fourth, that lead had grown to 23 points. Nebraska then answered with 23 unanswered points to tie the game at 33-33 and force overtime.
On the first play of overtime, Miami defensive back Corn Elder picked off Armstrong. An ugly late hit by Nebraska offensive tackle Alex Lewis gave the Canes great field position which ultimately led to a chip-shot field goal.
Armstrong tossed four touchdown passes on the day – three of which came in the fourth quarter to help lead the comeback. He threw for 309 yards but also added three costly interceptions. Quarterback Brad Kaaya and running back Joseph Yearby led the way for the Canes. Kaaya threw for 379 yards and a pair of touchdowns while Yearby added 125 yards and a score of his own.
NO. 23 NORTHWESTERN 19, DUKE 10
Northwestern bounced back from an early turnover to capture their third win of the season. Wildcat quarterback Clayton Thorson was picked off by defensive back DeVon Edwards late in the first quarter. The turnover led to to the first points of the game as the Blue Devils took a 7-0 lead. The teams then exchanged punts for the next twelve drives before the Wildcats forced a fumble and got on the board with a field goal before halftime.
The second half started off with a bang as sophomore running back Solomon Vault returned the kickoff 98 yards for a Northwestern touchdown. Duke would never regain the lead as Northwestern went on to add a field goal and another touchdown in the second half.
For the Wildcats, Clayton Thorson struggled throughout the day. The redshirt freshman was 9 of 23 for just 70 yards and a pair of interceptions. Tailback Justin Jackson added 120 yards on 35 carries. Backup running back Warren Long led the way for Northwestern. While the junior only touched the ball three times, he recorded a 55-yard touchdown run and recovered a punt late in the fourth quarter to seal the victory for the Wildcats.
NO. 4 MICHIGAN STATE 35, AIR FORCE 21
The Connor Cook/Aaron Burbridge connection was out in full force on Saturday. The pair hooked up for 156 yards and three touchdowns, including one of the better catches you will see this season.
Michigan State's Aaron Burbridge with the catch of the day against Air Force. https://t.co/fUtBKmBRLu
— Dr. Saturday (@YahooDrSaturday) September 19, 2015
Cook had an efficient afternoon, completing 15 of 23 passes for 247 yards and four scores. However, the Spartans' run game didn't have a particularly strong day. Madre London led the way with 17 carries for just 40 yards. Freshman LJ Scott added 23 yards on 11 carries. The ground game could only manage 77 yards on the day with a long of just 11 yards.
We've talked about the Sparty pass defense being a bit of a question mark thus far, and none of those questions were really answered while matching up against the Air Force triple-option attack. The Falcons threw just one pass in the first half – a screen – but midway through the third quarter their next attempt connected for a 38-yard touchdown as running back Benton Washington got behind the Spartans' secondary.
True freshman linebacker Andrew Dowell saw significant playing time for the Spartans. The former Lakewood, Ohio standout made his presence felt against the run and recovered a fumble in the second half.
MICHIGAN 28, UNLV 7
Last week it was De'Veon Smith leading the ground attack for the Wolverines. Saturday against UNLV, it was Ty Isaac's turn. The junior ran for 114 yards on eight carries and added a touchdown. The 76-yard score was far and away the biggest play for the Wolverines this season. Coming into Saturday's game, the offense hadn't put up a single play of 30+ yards.
What a run! @umichfootball RB Ty Isaac dances through the defense on this 76-YD TD. Brought to you by #GrubHub, http://t.co/Y4rgL7dimL
— Michigan on BTN (@MichiganOnBTN) September 19, 2015
Quarterback Jake Rudock was 14 of 22 on the day, throwing for 123 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Rudock now has thrown five interceptions on the season, already matching his 2014 total. After the interception and missing a wide open Jake Butt for a would-be touchdown, the senior settled down and seemed to be in better control of the offense.
De'Veon Smith added 33 yards on 13 carries while Jake Butt was held in check for the second straight week, managing just a pair of catches for 14 yards. Senior wide receiver Jehu Chesson found the endzone on a 36-yard jet sweep.
| SCHOOL | W-L | RANK | PREV |
|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO STATE | 3-0 | 1 | 1 |
| MICHIGAN STATE | 3-0 | 2 | 2 |
| NORTHWESTERN | 3-0 | 3 | 3 |
| WISCONSIN | 2-1 | 4 | 4 |
| IOWA | 3-0 | 5 | 6 |
| MINNESOTA | 2-1 | 6 | 5 |
| MICHIGAN | 2-1 | 7 | 8 |
| NEBRASKA | 1-2 | 8 | 7 |
| INDIANA | 3-0 | 9 | 10 |
| PENN STATE | 2-1 | 10 | 11 |
| ILLINOIS | 2-1 | 11 | 9 |
| MARYLAND | 2-1 | 12 | 13 |
| RUTGERS | 1-2 | 13 | 12 |
| PURDUE | 1-2 | 14 | 14 |
IOWA 27, PITTSBURGH 24
Icing the kicker has seen its controversy over the last several years. Sometimes it works out perfectly; other times it completely backfires. On Saturday night in Iowa City, it completely backfired for the Pitt Panthers. Iowa kicker Marshall Koehn missed what would end up being a practice try as Pat Narduzzi called a timeout right before the snap. Koehn then trotted back out and proceeded to nail the 57-yarder which would give the Hawkeyes their third win of the season.
Both offenses were mostly held in check on Saturday. Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard threw for 258 yards and an interception. Senior tailback Jordan Canzeri found the endzone twice for the first multi-touchdown game of his career.
The Panthers were led by quarterback Nathan Peterman and wide receiver Tyler Boyd. Peterman threw for 219 yards and two scores. Boyd hauled in ten passes for 131 yards and a touchdown.
You might consider taking :20 to watch this... http://t.co/tnBY96FyPu
— The Iowa Hawkeyes (@TheIowaHawkeyes) September 20, 2015
NORTH CAROLINA 48, ILLINOIS 14
After a nice start to the season for the Illini, things came crashing down in Chapel Hill this weekend. Tarheel quarterback Marquise Williams completed 17 of 24 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns. The senior signal-caller also added 105 yards on the ground. The Illini defense struggled to contain sophomore running Elijah Hood who ran for 129 yards and a score.
The Illinois running game was one of the few bright spots. Senior Josh Ferguson rushed for 133 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. On the day, the Illini totaled 227 yards and two scores on the ground. Junior quarterback Wes Lunt completed 15 of 32 passes for 140 yards and an interception.
VIRGINIA TECH 51, Purdue 24
The Boilermakers' passing game struggled on Saturday, totaling just 121 yards and zero touchdowns to go along with a pair of interceptions. Hokies' fullback Sam Rogers threw two passes – including a touchdown – and finished with a higher quarterback rating than either of the Boilermakers' signal-callers.
Junior Austin Appleby completed nine of 28 passes for 110 yards and two interceptions. Backup David Blough was three of seven for 11 yards. Markell Jones led the Purdue running game with 90 yards and a touchdown on just six carries. Virginia Tech quarterback Brenden Motley finished the day 15 of 23 for 220 yards and two touchdowns. He also added a rushing score.
Beamer Ball was alive and well on Saturday as the Hokies scored a touchdown off a blocked punt. Both defenses also found the endzone by way of fumble recoveries.
NO. 24 WISCONSIN 28, TROY 3
Quarterback Joel Stave and the Badgers' running game led the way over the Trojans on Saturday. Stave completed 13 of 17 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown. The senior added a rushing touchdown as well. Starting tailback Corey Clement was held out again with a nagging groin injury, but redshirt freshman Taiwan Deal again filled the void, rushing for 84 yards on 16 carries. Wiscy's utility player – Tanner McEvoy – ran for a 32-yard score while lined up at quarterback.
The Wisconsin defense held Troy in check, allowing only 255 yards and a first-half field goal. Two Badgers' players – linebacker Leon Jacobs and defensive back Derrick Tindal – were ejected for targeting. The game also featured its share of strange moments, including a fourth-quarter delay for an errant fire alarm.
MINNESOTA 10, KENT STATE 7
It was a defensive battle Saturday in Minneapolis. The Minnesota offense could only manage 288 yards against the Kent State defense. The Gophers' defense pitched a shutout in the first half, but it was their offense that helped Kent State get on the board in the third quarter. Freshman wide receiver Rashad Still coughed up the football and the Kent State defense took advantage, returning it 80 yards for a touchdown.
Junior quarterback Mitch Leidner threw for 184 yards with a touchdown and a pair of interceptions. Running back Rodney Smith led the way with 73 yards on the ground for the Gophs, though he averaged just 2.4 yards per carry. The Kent State defense was led by cornerback Demetrius Monday. The freshman recorded two first-half interceptions and scored an 80-yard touchdown on a fumble he forced in the third quarter.
Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill was faced with some difficult questions after the game, declining to answer several about the play of his junior quarterback.
Minnesota coach Jerry Kill after10-7 home win vs Kent St: If I get fired tomorrow, Ive got a lake house. http://t.co/eYd4zWAuPh
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) September 19, 2015
INDIANA 38, WESTERN KENTUCKY 35
The Big Ten's leading rusher led the way for the Hoosiers this weekend as Jordan Howard ran for 203 yards on 31 carries. Quarterback Nate Sudfeld threw for 355 yards and a trio of touchdowns as the offense continued to have its way with opposing defenses. Junior wideout Ricky Jones hauled in five passes for 126 yards and a score. When all was said and done, the IU offense had amassed 639 yards.
On the other side of the ball, the Indiana defense continues to struggle. The Hilltoppers put up 568 yards with 484 of those coming through the air. The Hoosiers allowed two receivers to top the 100-yard mark; Taywan Taylor caught nine passes for 196 yards while Tyler Higbee added 11 receptions for 109 yards. Both WKU wideouts found the endzone as well.
MARYLAND 35, SOUTH FLORIDA 17
Coming off a torn ACL last season, quarterback Caleb Rowe was called upon to make his first start of the season for the Terps. After a rocky start, the junior settled down and put together a fairly impressive game. Rowe threw for 297 yards and four touchdowns, though he also tossed three interceptions.
Junior wideout Levern Jacobs was Rowe's favorite target on the day. Jacobs hauled in eight passes for 107 yards. Taivon Jacobs – Levern's younger brother and a former Buckeye commit – caught two passes for 82 yards and added a 72-yard touchdown.
Taivon Jacobs' first @MarylandPride TD was a big one. http://t.co/eKy7iBEriM
— Brent Yarina (@BTNBrentYarina) September 19, 2015
The USF ground game gashed the Terps' defense for 240 yards and a score. The Maryland secondary had a solid outing, allowing only 60 yards through the air while forcing two interceptions.
Overall, it wasn't a very impressive week for the conference. In what seemingly was a Big Ten/ACC challenge type of schedule, the conference notched a 9-3 record with Penn State also dominating Rutgers in the Big Ten's first matchup of the year. Nebraska and Illinois both suffered bad losses. The Buckeyes and Spartans weren't up to snuff against inferior opponents while Minnesota and Indiana barely squeaked by.
What's on the itinerary for week four? Michigan faces off against BYU. The Hoosiers will be on the road at Wake Forest. Maryland takes on an undefeated West Virginia squad. And the Buckeyes' offense will look to get back on track against Western Michigan.
