This weekend's Big Ten schedule left a lot to be desired, but we were blessed with a pretty solid national slate. Houston falling to Navy was unexpected and the TAMU/Tennessee and FSU/Miami games were both good ones to watch.
Two of the biggest stories in the Big Ten continue to be the decline of the reigning conference champs and Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines' resurgence.
No. 4 Michigan 78, Rutgers 0
Is there a hotter team in America than Rutgers? Over the last two games, the Scarlet Knights have scored zero points while putting up 155 yards of total offense. Chris Ash and Co. really had the Wolverines on their toes Saturday, especially at one point in the third quarter when things looked like this:
Michigan Points: 50
— Drew Hallett (@DrewCHallett) October 9, 2016
Rutgers Yards: -5
Seriously, what in the actual hell do you even say about this kind of game? Rutgers may have the worst football team that has ever been assembled and the Wolverines are very good at the sport. People have been hesitant to buy into Michigan's defense due to the level of competition, but can we please stop doing that? Rutgers is horrendous, but holding a team to 39 yards of total offense is never something to scoff at.
Michigan has been hitting the state of New Jersey hard on the recruiting front, and they put on a show for them on Saturday. Jabrill Peppers returned to his home state and had an exceptional performance. The junior had three carries for 74 yards and scored twice while lining up at quarterback. He was all over the field, per usual.
The Wolverines tallied 600 yards of offense, but the ground game did most of the damage, putting up 481 yards and nine touchdowns — yes, N-I-N-E. Karan Higdon, Ty Isaac, Khalid Hill, and Peppers all found the endzone twice. True freshman Chris Evans led all rushers with 153 yards. Wilton Speight threw for 100 yards and a score while John O'Korn also tossed a touchdown pass.
You know things are going well for you when Shane Morris actually gets to see the field for non-injury related reasons. His lone pass was incomplete (of course) and he had one rush for three yards.
We aren't going to spend any time talking about the Rutgers' offense because Rutgers does not have an offense.
Woof.
BYU 31, Michigan State 14
The Spartans were up 7-0 in the first quarter and then I totally forgot about this game existing and turned it back to the Ohio State/Indiana game. The biggest takeaways are that Michigan State gave up 260 yards rushing and quarterback Tyler O'Connor was benched in the fourth quarter as the Spartan offensive struggles persisted.
The Cougars came into the game with one of the country's worst passing defenses, allowing 310 yards per contest which was good for 120th in the nation. Still, O'Connor and Damion Terry combined for just 121 yards and one interception.
As Michigan State fans were chanting Damion Terry's name...he throws a pick. Can't script it any better than that.
— Brad Muckenthaler (@MaizeBlueNation) October 8, 2016
The Spartan ground game also couldn't get things going as they totaled just 85 yards on 32 carries. Gerald Holmes led the way with 57 yards and a score while Terry added 29 yards and found the endzone on a one-yard keeper. Sophomore L.J. Scott saw just three carries for nine yards as he continues to trend in the wrong direction.
Rushing yards for LJ Scott game-by-game this season: 105, 98, 61, 38, 9.
— Luke Srodulski (@lsrodulski) October 8, 2016
Carries: 20, 22, 14, 11, 3.
Jamaal Williams led the BYU offense with 30 carries for 163 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Sophomore tailback Squally Canada – an absolutely incredible name – added another 50 yards on the ground.
Penn State 38, Maryland 14
The Penn State running game bounced back in a big way on Saturday. Following a 70-yard showing last weekend in Ann Arbor, the Nittany Lions compiled a whopping 372 yards on the ground against the Terps. Saquon Barkley led the way with 202 yards and a score. Trace McSorley added 81 yards and a score of his own. McSorley added 152 yards through the air and a pair of touchdowns.
The Terps threw just 16 passes en route to D.J. Durkin's first loss as head coach. Perry Hills threw for 72 yards with one touchdown and an interception. Lorenzo Harrison led the Maryland rushing attack with 76 yards while backup quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome added 39 and a score.
Penn State kicker Joey Julius was targeted for the 2nd week in a row, this time by Maryland's Isaiah Davis. #PSUvsMD pic.twitter.com/5DUmYilIal
— Campus Insiders (@CampusInsiders) October 8, 2016
Meanwhile, opposing teams continue to try and take out Penn State's 260-pound clydesdale of a kicker. Maryland linebacker Isaiah Davis was ejected for the hit.
Iowa 14, Minnesota 7
I didn't watch a single second of this game and I now feel much better about my decision-making skills. What I do know is that Iowa maintains possession of a trophy that is shaped like a pig and that should certainly mean a lot to anyone.
Basically, it sounds like this game was summed up quite nicely in one tweet.
Iowa-Minnesota summary. pic.twitter.com/Nkp5JmbihQ
— Matt Hinton (@MattRHinton) October 8, 2016
Akrum Wadley led the way for the Hawkeyes with 107 yards and a score on 14 carries. Iowa was down 7-6 with just over five minutes left in the game when Wadley found the endzone from 54 yards out. C.J. Beathard didn't have his best day as the senior threw for 142 yards and a pair of interceptions.
Mitch Leidner didn't fare much better for the Gophers, connecting on just 13 of 33 passes for 166 yards and two picks. Shannon Brooks and Rodney Smith combined for 99 yards on the ground with the former scoring Minnesota's lone touchdown of the day.
Tai'Yon Devers Watch: The true freshman was ruled out earlier in the week with an ankle sprain but heroically suited up and saw the field for the Gophs. Unfortunately he did not do anything amazing, which means he is overdue and Maryland should slide their protection his way when the Gophs come to town next weekend.
| Team | W-L | Rank | Prev |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 5-0 | 1 | 1 |
| Michigan | 6-0 | 2 | 2 |
| Nebraska | 5-0 | 3 | 3 |
| Wisconsin | 4-1 | 4 | 4 |
| Maryland | 4-1 | 5 | 5 |
| Iowa | 4-2 | 6 | 9 |
| Indiana | 3-2 | 7 | 7 |
| Penn State | 4-2 | 8 | 10 |
| Minnesota | 3-2 | 9 | 6 |
| Michigan State | 2-3 | 10 | 8 |
| Northwestern | 2-3 | 11 | 11 |
| Purdue | 3-2 | 12 | 14 |
| Illinois | 1-4 | 13 | 12 |
| Rutgers | 2-4 | 14 | 13 |
Purdue 34, Illinois 31 (OT)
Darrell Hazell picked up his first conference win of the season on Saturday, matching the number of Big Ten victories Purdue has compiled in each of the last two seasons.
The Boilermakers went to Champaign and came out winners thanks in part to a struggling freshman kicker who had already missed three field goals on the season. J.D. Dellinger connected on a 28-yarder to give Purdue the win in overtime.
Boilermaker quarterback David Blough threw for 220 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Brian Lankford-Johnson rushed for 127 yards and a score while Richie Worship and Blough also found the endzone on the ground.
The struggles continue for Lovie Smith and the biggest news for the Illini was the injury to quarterback Wes Lunt. The senior exited the game in the second quarter after taking a hit from Purdue linebacker Danny Ezechukwu. Sophomore Chayce Crouch took over under center and finished the day with 142 yards passing. Crouch – a native of Newark, Ohio – did most of the damage with his legs as he rushed for 137 yards and two scores.
Overall, we didn't learn a whole lot this weekend. We knew Michigan would destroy Rutgers though I don't think anyone thought it would get that out of hand. The Spartans are in the midst of a three-game losing streak and are now faced with a quarterback controversy. Why the heck does everyone seem to hate Joey Julius? I understand that he's a large kicker, but I'm starting to feel bad for the dude.
Next weekend will be fun as everyone is looking forward to one particular matchup:
Take time to talk to your children about Illinois-Rutgers. It's happening next Saturday. pic.twitter.com/7lAUdhKaDR
— Vico (@ourhonordefend) October 9, 2016
Oh, the Buckeyes are traveling to Wisconsin for a Saturday night showdown and College Gameday will be on hand. That one should be sorta fun as well.
