Welcome back, college football. We have missed you more than you will ever know.
The Big Ten season kicked off on Thursday night as Ohio State downed Indiana in Bloomington. This weekend's slate featured one of the season's top non-conference games, several new quarterbacks making their debuts, and a major upset in Austin.
No. 11 Michigan 33, No. 17 Florida 17
Florida basically suspended half of its team leading up to the opener against Michigan, and it was pretty obvious the Gators were missing something on Saturday. Truth be told, the offense has been missing something for years now, but the defense didn't look like its usual self.
The Wolverines donned some strange attire that looked like the love child of the Oregon Ducks and West Virginia Mountaineers, but Jim Harbaugh has to be pretty pleased with how his young team performed on a neutral site in Arlington; especially on defense. The Gator offense put up just 192 yards, turned the ball over three times, and failed to find the end zone. Both of Florida's touchdowns came on interception returns.
Wilton Speight wasn't great, completing 11 of 25 passes for 181 yards with one score and the two interceptions. The ground game got it done, though, tallying 215 yards and a touchdown. Surprisingly it was Ty Isaac – not Chris Evans – who led the way in the backfield. Isaac averaged over 10 yards per carry and totaled 114 yards on the day. Evans managed just 78 yards on 22 carries.
Speight finds the super frosh for a 46-yard strike and Michigan takes the lead vs. Florida.
— ESPN (@espn) September 2, 2017
Don't miss a play on ABC or the ESPN app. pic.twitter.com/oCFn9zu1bh
True freshman wideout Tarik Black – a player Ohio State once showed some interest in – had a nice debut. Black hauled in two passes 83 yards, including a 46-yard touchdown.
Josh Metellus replaces Jabrill Peppers on defense and his Heisman campaign is off to a roaring start. The sophomore recorded three tackles and a forced fumble.
No. 6 Penn State 52, Akron 0
This game went about as expected. Penn State scored a lot of points behind Trace McSorley and Saquon Barkley all the while Akron managed just 159 yards of total offense and exactly zero points.
The Nits' first drive of the season ended with a McSorley interception, but everything went quite swimmingly thereafter. The junior completed 18 of 25 passes for 280 yards and a pair of touchdowns while adding another 48 yards and one score with his legs. Saquon Barkley was doing Saquon Barkely things, i.e. rushing for 172 yards while averaging over 12 yards per carry and finding the end zone twice.
Juwan Johnson led all receivers with 84 yards while DaeSean Hamilton chipped in with 74. Tight end Mike Gesicki hauled in six passes for 58 yards and two touchdowns.
| Team | W-L | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 1-0 | 1 |
| Penn State | 1-0 | 2 |
| Michigan | 1-0 | 3 |
| Wisconsin | 1-0 | 4 |
| Maryland | 1-0 | 5 |
| Northwestern | 1-0 | 6 |
| Nebraska | 1-0 | 7 |
| Iowa | 1-0 | 8 |
| Michigan State | 1-0 | 9 |
| Indiana | 0-1 | 10 |
| Minnesota | 1-0 | 11 |
| Purdue | 0-1 | 12 |
| Illinois | 1-0 | 13 |
| Rutgers | 0-1 | 14 |
Maryland 51, No. 23 Texas 41
This one may have been the funnest game to watch all weekend.
Tom Herman's debut did not go as planned for the Longhorn faithful as D.J. Durkin's Terrapins put up half a hundred on a hapless Texas defense. Terps' quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome ran and threw all over the Horns and Maryland was able to hold onto the lead despite losing the sophomore in the fourth quarter with a knee injury.
It's difficult to describe exactly how bad the Longhorn defense looked after it took an interception to the house on the third play of the game. The Maryland offense pretty much did whatever it wanted in Austin.
The rushing attack averaged over six yards per carry and scored four times. Tailback Ty Johnson recorded 132 yards and a score on just 12 carries while Pigrome added 64 yards and a score of his own. After the Pigrome injury, true freshman quarterback Kasim Hill completed all three of his passes for 44 yards while adding 14 yards and a score on the ground.
The game literally ended with Texas fans taking out their frustrations by throwing debris onto the field. Not good, Tom.
No. 9 Wisconsin 59, Utah State 10
The Badgers had a rough start to their season on Friday night, quickly getting behind 10-0 to the Aggies of Utah State. Whatever Paul Chryst said to his team at that point certainly ended up working as Wisconsin then racked up 59 unanswered points en route to a blowout in Madison.
Wiscy's first four drives resulted in three punts and a lost fumble as the offense struggled to find its groove. Sophomore quarterback Alex Hornibrook eventually settled down and threw for 244 yards and three scores. Troy Fumagalli – who may be the Big Ten's top tight end – hauled in five passes for 105 yards and a touchdown.
Learn this freshman's name, @B1GFootball fans.@BadgerFootball nation already knows how special @23J_Taylor is: https://t.co/k0HcC6n1um
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 2, 2017
Wisconsin is known for producing talented running backs, and it may have found the next great one. True freshman Jonathan Taylor provided a second-half spark with 87 yards and a touchdown on just nine carries.
No. 8 Washington 30, Rutgers 14
This one didn't go nearly as bad as many expected it would. Chris Ash had Rutgers ready to play, and it showed early on when Heisman hopeful Jake Browning took a big shot on a sack by defensive end Darnell Davis.
The Huskies headed to Piscataway as a 30-point favorite but failed to live up to the hype on Friday. Browning threw for 284 yards and a pair of scores but struggling through a half isn't a good sign when facing off against one of the country's worst teams from a season ago.
The Scarlet Knights' running game struggled while averaging just over 3.0 yards per carry on the day. Quarterback Kyle Bolin threw for 178 yards with two touchdowns and a pair of picks. Senior tailback Gus Edwards led the way on the ground with 79 yards on 24 carries.
Chris Ash has now lost 10 games in a row dating back to last season. The Scarlet Knights haven't recorded a win since week three of 2016 – a home victory over New Mexico.
No. 16 Louisville 35, Purdue 28
The Boilermakers nearly pulled off a major upset in Jeff Brohm's debut as new head coach. Reigning Heisman winner Lamar Jackson put up some big-time numbers, but the Purdue defense prevented Louisville from firing on all cylinders.
Jackson totaled 485 yards of total offense and threw for a pair of touchdowns, but the Boilermakers forced three turnovers and limited the Louisville running game outside of its quarterback. Junior wideout Jaylen Smith had a big night with eight receptions for 117 yards.
Purdue split its snaps between two quarterbacks. Last season's starter – junior David Blough – threw for 175 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Sophomore Elijah Sindelar added 118 yards, two scores, and an interception of his own. The running game never really got going as they rushed for just 51 yards on 21 carries. Jackson Anthrop caught seven passes for 82 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Nebraska 43, Arkansas State 36
This one was a little too close for comfort in Lincoln. The Red Wolves run a fast-paced, quick-scoring offense and it gave the Huskers all they could handle Saturday night. Arkansas State had the ball deep in Nebraska territory as time expired but failed to reach the end zone for the game-tying score.
Before delving into the game a bit more, it's worth mentioning that Arkansas State head coach Blake Anderson received some fantastic news earlier in the week when he learned that his wife had beaten cancer.
JESUS CHRIST still in the business of answering prayers & miracles... got the call that @2day4fun is CANCER FREE !!! Thx for all the prayers
— Blake Anderson (@CHbanderson) August 31, 2017
Anderson and the Red Wolves totaled just shy of 500 yards of total offense with over 400 of those yards coming through the air. Seven different receivers caught at least three passes as quarterback Justice Hansen completed 46 of 68 pass attempts.
Nebraska quarterback Tanner Lee made his long-awaited debut and it's a much different presence than we've gotten used to seeing with Tommy Armstrong running the show. Lee threw for 238 yards and a pair of scores but only had one carry on the day.
Tre Bryant and Stanley Morgan Jr. came through in a big way for the Husker offense. Bryant rushed 31 times for 192 yards and a score. Morgan Jr. hauled in five passes for 102 yards and a touchdown. Former Buckeye pledge Tyjon Lindsey recorded three receptions for 14 yards in his first game.
Iowa 24, Wyoming 3
Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen has been drawing massive NFL hype and there's even been some buzz about the 6-foot-5, 233-pounder being the top overall selection next April. Saturday in Iowa City, Allen hardly looked the part.
The Hawkeyes stymied the Wyoming offense, holding Allen to just 174 yards passing and two interceptions. He completed just one pass that went for more than 14 yards. The Cowboys' ground game didn't fare much better, amassing 59 yards on 30 carries.
Nathan Stanley made his debut at quarterback for Iowa, but the sophomore wasn't asked to do a whole lot. He completed 8 of 15 passes for 125 yards but did record three touchdowns on the day; two of those going to tight end Noah Fant. Akrum Wadley led the running game with 116 yards on 24 carries.
Michigan State 35, Bowling Green 10
Following an off-season filled with turmoil and dismissals, the Spartans took down the Falcons on Saturday. They are now ready to avenge 2015's 38-0 loss to Alabama.
Michigan State beats Bowling Green, 35-10, and the Hype Train is boarding! #GoGreen pic.twitter.com/HZi5NNsFHB
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) September 2, 2017
Brian Lewerke and the passing game came out firing, completing 22 of 33 passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns. Sophomore wideout Darrell Stewart Jr. led the way with six receptions for 85 yards. Felton Davis III caught two of the three touchdown passes.
It wasn't the best day for the Spartan ground game, though. L.J. Scott led the way with 15 carries, but the Ohioan could only manage 39 yards on the day. Madre London chipped in with 54 yards and a score on 10 carries. Lewerke was actually the most effective rusher, finishing with eight carries for 69 yards.
The Spartan defense held Bowling Green to just 212 yards of total offense.
Northwestern 31, Nevada 20
Pat Fitzgerald and the Wildcats found themselves down to the Wolf Pack at halftime, but Northwestern outscored Nevada 24-3 in the second half en route to a 31-20 home win.
Junior quarterback Clayton Thorson had a huge day totaling 367 yards of offense and four touchdowns. Senior tailback Justin Jackson led the ground game with 109 yards on 30 carries. Austin Carr is no longer lining up at wideout, but Thorson appears to have a new favorite target in Bennett Skowroneck. The sophomore led all pass-catchers with eight receptions for 123 yards.
Minnesota 17, Buffalo 7
The boats were rowing in Minneapolis on Thursday, but it wasn't exactly the most exciting debut for P.J. Fleck.
With Conor Rhoda now leading the offense, the Gophers put up 408 yards but couldn't find the end zone after the first quarter. Rhoda connected with sophomore wideout Tyler Johnson for a 61-yard touchdown strike in the first quarter. Johnson hauled in six passes for 141 yards, all of which came in the first half. The senior quarterback threw for 176 yards and the touchdown but also tossed a bad interception in the end zone.
Senior tailback Rodney Smith should be one of the top backs in the conference, but he had some struggles against Buffalo. Smith recorded 76 yards on 23 carries for an average of just over three yards per carry. Backfield mate Shannon Brooks added 69 yards (nice) and a score.
Illinois 24, Ball State 21
If Alabama hadn't been squaring off with Florida State this weekend then the Illinois/Ball State clash probably would have gotten the attention it deserved. Lovie Smith and the Illini were up at halftime but then Ball State scored a pair of third-quarter touchdowns to take the lead. True freshman tailback Mike Epstein found the end zone with just over two minutes left in the game and that was enough to give Illinois the win.
Illini quarterback Chayce Crouch threw for 145 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Epstein led the way on the ground with 54 yards and two scores. Wide receiver Mikey Dudek was one of the country's top freshman wideouts in 2014, but he would go on to miss the next two seasons with knee injuries. Dudek made his much-anticipated Illini return on Saturday and hauled in two passes for 47 yards and a touchdown.
The Illini offense could only manage 216 yards on the day.
Not a bad start for the Big Ten. The Maryland and Michigan victories were both big in terms of national perception (if you're into that sort of thing), but the former was certainly the most surprising outcome of the weekend. Purdue looks like it may be on the right track under Jeff Brohm, and Rutgers wasn't nearly as putrid as the world was expecting.
What's on the docket for next weekend? Luke Fickell and the Bearcats travel to Ann Arbor, the Nits will look to avenge last season's loss to Pitt, and the Huskers head west to take on Oregon.
Oh, and the Buckeyes will be hosting the Sooners. You may be slightly interested in that one too.
