Hello and happy Sunday to you. Here's to hoping the coffee is flowing and you're preparing yourselves for the 2018 NFL season that is obviously going to be dominated by the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns.
Week two in the Big Ten is officially in the books, and yesterday's slate certainly had its ups and downs as a few programs struggled to get much going despite being home favorites. It was a much better week for a certain rival to the north, but the opposition was less fierce than what they faced in the opener.
There were no struggles in soaking wet Columbus, however, as the Buckeyes offense moved the ball with ease while the defense came dangerously close to maiming the Scarlet Knights' signal-caller. Ohio State's quarterbacks were especially lethal against Chris Ash and Co. as Dwayne Haskins and Tate Martell combined for close to 450 yards and six scores.
We look back at week two in Big Ten country.
No. 13 Penn State 51, Pittsburgh 6
Penn State's destruction of the Panthers was quite a spectacle in the second half as the Nittany Lions outscored the in-state foe 37-0 in the final two quarters. I watched the first half in its entirety and was thinking this one was on track to see an ending reminiscent of the Clemson/Texas A&M showdown. My prognostication couldn't have been any more wrong.
Trace McSorley wasn't spectacular but his 14 of 30 and 145-yard passing performance was more than enough in this one. He added 36 on the ground and scored three total touchdowns on the night. Miles Sanders ran for 118 and a touchdown as the Nittany Lion rushing attacked totaled 211 yards and three scores.
This was a bit of a weird one for the Pittsburgh offense. The Panthers ran all over PSU in the first half but the Nittany Lion defense was up to the task in the game's final 30 minutes. Senior tailback Qadree Ollison ran for 119 and a score, but the rainy conditions put a damper on the Pitt passing game. Quarterback Kenny Pickett completed 9 of 18 passes for just 55 yards and an interception.
Following last week's rough showing against Appalachian State, this was a performance that James Franklin and Penn State needed.
Arizona State 16, No. 15 Michigan State 13
If you stayed up until about 2:30 a.m this morning then you had the pleasure of watching Michigan State fall to Herm Edwards and the Sun Devils on a last-second field goal. The Spartans led all game until Arizona State tied things up with about nine minutes left in the fourth. Brandon Ruiz later connected on a 28-yard field goal – his third of the night – to bring ASU to 2-0 on the season.
Brian Lewerke completed 27 of 39 passes for 314 yards and a touchdown. The junior also tossed an ugly interception while at the Arizona State six-yard line. The ground game couldn't get much going on the night as Connor Heyward, L.J. Scott, and the rest of the committee combined for just 63 yards on 27 carries. Cody White hauled in nine passes for 113 yards and a score.
The Sun Devils have a solid group of pass-catchers and at times they were simply too much for the Spartan secondary. Quarterback Manny Wilkins threw for 380 yards with N'Keal Harry and Kyle Williams leading the way. Harry caught six for 89 and a score while Williams added seven receptions for 104 yards.
No. 21 Michigan 49, Western Michigan 3
The Wolverines are now 1-1 while the Broncos are sitting at 0-2. Michigan's defense nearly pitched a shutout on Saturday, but Western Michigan was able to get a field goal on the board in the fourth quarter. The Wolverines allowed just 208 yards of total offense and only 85 through the air.
Karan Hidgon and the Michigan ground game gashed WMU for 308 yards and a trio of touchdowns. Higdon ran for 156 and a score – while averaging 12 yards per carry – and Chris Evans added another 86 with two touchdowns. Shea Patterson had a much better performance than he did in South Bend. He completed 12 of 17 passes for 125 yards and three scores.
Nico Collins and Donovan Peoples-Jones both hauled in touchdown passes which put an end to a troubling trend for Jim Harbaugh.
For the first time in 364 days, a Michigan wide receiver scores a touchdown
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) September 8, 2018
(via @MichiganOnBTN)pic.twitter.com/f25ZWiqwOo
No. 5 Wisconsin 45, New Mexico 14
This one went about as most expected it would for the Badgers. Paul Chryst's squad got off to a sluggish start and trailed 7-3 after the first frame, but it was a Taylor-dominated show from that point on. Sophomore tailback Jonathan Taylor set a new career high with 253 rushing yards and three scores on 33 carries. Wideout A.J. Taylor hauled in five passes for 134 and a touchdown.
Alex Hornibrook did what he usually does as the signal-caller wasn't asked to do a whole lot against the Lobos. He completed 8 of 11 passes for 148 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The Wiscy ground game amassed 417 yards with fullback Alec Ingold also finding the end zone. New Mexico managed just 211 yards of total offense while turning the ball over three times.
| Team | W-L | Rank | Prev |
|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO STATE | 2-0 | 1 | 1 |
| WISCONSIN | 2-0 | 2 | 2 |
| PENN STATE | 2-0 | 3 | 3 |
| MARYLAND | 2-0 | 4 | 5 |
| MICHIGAN | 1-1 | 5 | 7 |
| MICHIGAN sTATE | 1-1 | 6 | 6 |
| IOWA | 2-0 | 7 | 8 |
| NORTHWESTERN | 1-1 | 8 | 4 |
| MINNESOTA | 2-0 | 9 | 11 |
| NEBRASKA | 0-1 | 10 | 10 |
| INDIANA | 2-0 | 11 | 12 |
| PURDUE | 0-2 | 12 | 9 |
| RUTGERS | 1-1 | 13 | 13 |
| ILLINOIS | 2-0 | 14 | 14 |
Duke 21, Northwestern 7
This was an ugly showing for Pat Fitzgerald and the Wildcats as they've now fallen to Duke in consecutive seasons. Following a road win over Purdue, the Northwestern offense just couldn't get anything going against the Blue Devils. The offense scored on the opening drive but didn't do a whole lot for the next 54 minutes. Duke got up to a 21-7 lead at halftime and there'd be zero scoring in the third and fourth quarters.
Clayton Thorson and T.J. Green combined for 282 passing yards and each of them tossed an interception. I'm still not sure what to make of the Wildcat quarterback rotation, but it certainly didn't work out yesterday. Jeremy Larkin and Flynn Nagel were the bright spots on offense. Larkin ran for 121 and a score while Nagel hauled in a whopping 12 passes for 133.
The Wildcat defense only gave up 301 yards of total offense, but Duke was able to convert when it needed to as quarterback Daniel Jones completed 16 of 22 passes for 192 yards and three scores.
Iowa 13, Iowa State 3
I didn't watch a lot of this one, and I honestly feel bad for anyone who made the poor decision to do so. Following the 2017 shootout, this year's rivalry game was a defensive struggle in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes notched their fourth-straight win in the series thanks in part to an 83-yard touchdown drive late in the game. The drive was capped off with a two-yard Mekhi Sargent rush.
Iowa quarterback Nathan Stanley completed 16 of 28 passes for 166 yards. Toren Young led all rushers with 68 yards on 21 carries. The Cyclone offense was led by Massillon native Kyle Kempt's 126 passing yards. The Hawkeyes held David Montgomery in check as the tailback managed just 44 yards on 17 carries.
I would not recommend you search for any highlights from this contest.
Colorado 33, Nebraska 28
This was not the debut Scott Frost and the Nebraska faithful had in mind. Adrian Martinez was exceptional in his first start, but the true freshman exited the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent leg injury. The quarterback depth could be a real problem in Lincoln, and the Husks didn't move the ball with much success when walk-on Andrew Bunch took over.
Colorado quarterback Steven Montez connected with Laviska Shenault Jr. for the go-ahead touchdown with just over a minute left in the game. Nebraska got the ball into Buffalos' territory with just seconds on the clock, but a late heave to the end zone fell incomplete as time expired. The Montez/Shenault connection was the story of the day for the offense as the signal-caller shredded the Husks for 351 yards and three scores. Shenault Jr. hauled in 10 passes for 177 yards and two total scores; including the game-winner.
For the most part, Nebraska had little trouble moving the ball as the offense put up 565 yards of total offense. Martinez threw for 187 and a score while adding another 117 and a pair of touchdowns with his legs. The Husker wideouts were plagued by some pretty bad drops, but Stanley Morgan Jr. led the way with five catches for 75 yards.
Before leaving the game late due to injury, @HuskerFBNation freshman @MartinezTheQB turned in quite the debut.
— Nebraska On BTN (@NebraskaOnBTN) September 8, 2018
Hoping for good news on Adrian's injury and that we see him back on the field ASAP! pic.twitter.com/7Owv11YJtW
The severity of the Martinez injury is unknown at this point and should be the top storyline moving forward. Tristan Gebbia had been battling Martinez for the starting gig, but he elected to transfer to Oregon State when the true freshman won the job.
Maryland 45, Bowling Green 14
The Terps trailed at the half, but a 28-point explosion in the fourth quarter brought interim head coach Matt Canada to 2-0 on the season. Kasim Hill threw for 121 yards and a score, but it was the Maryland ground attack that was too much for Bowling Green. The Terrapins totaled 444 yards rushing with five touchdowns as both Ty Johnson and Tayon Fleet-Davis topped the century mark.
The Maryland defense stymied Bowling Green's offense; especially the ground game as the Falcons only managed 15 yards on 28 carries. Quarterback Jarrett Doege threw for 143 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
Eastern Michigan 20, Purdue 19
One of the dumbest penalties you'll ever see likely cost Purdue the game against Eastern Michigan. The Eagles had the ball late in the fourth quarter as they were driving down the field to potentially take the lead. Purdue linebacker Cornel Jones sacked EMU quarterback Tyler Wiegers which should have led to a fourth and long. However, Jones's inexcusable late hit penalty gave the Eagles a first down and allowed for the drive to continue. Freshman kicker Chad Ryland made a chip-shot field goal as time expired, giving EMU the win on the road.
The Boilermaker ground game was too much for the Eagles as D.J. Knox, Markell Jones, and the rest of the team went for 341 yards. Knox also found pay dirt with a 45-yard scamper in the fourth quarter. It was a much different story for Eastern Michigan as the passing game did most of the damage. Wiegers threw for 312 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Not the start Jeff Brohm was looking for in season No. 2.
Indiana 20, Virginia 16
The Cavaliers had the football inside the Indiana 30-yard line late in the fourth quarter. With no time remaining on the clock, the desperation pass into the end zone fell incomplete and the Hoosiers recorded their second win of the season.
True freshman tailback Stevie Scott was the story on offense fo the Hoosiers. The 240-pound bruiser pounded the Cavalier defense for 31 carries, 204 yards, and a touchdown in the soggy conditions. Quarterback Peyton Ramsey threw for 150 yards with two scores and an interception.
Virginia quarterback Bryce Perkins topped 100 yards both with his arm and his legs as the junior totaled 229 yards of offense and a pair of scores. Jordan Ellis chipped in with 63 yards on the ground.
Minnesota 21, Fresno State 14
Antoine Winfield Jr. once again did something amazing for the Golden Gophers. This time the diminutive cornerback pulled off a ridiculous interception in the end zone to seal the deal for Minnesota.
.@liltweeze26 in DIFFERENT!
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 9, 2018
The @GopherFootball DB comes up with the insane pick to help seal a win over Fresno State: pic.twitter.com/z28DS70Des
It was a mediocre showing for quarterback Zack Annexstad as the true freshman walk-on completed 16 of 26 passes for 175 yards with no touchdowns. Both Gopher scores came via the ground game as Seth Green rumbled into the end zone twice. Bryce Williams led all rushers with 87 yards on 25 carries.
Minnesota allowed just 299 yards of total offense and forced a pair of interceptions. Fresno State quarterback Marcus McMaryion threw for 205 yards and two scores.
Illinois 34, Western Illinois 14
The Fighting Illini hosted Western Illinois this weekend and you can only imagine the excitement surrounding this one. The Illini slowly got things on track after trailing 7-0 after the first quarter, but even as they move to 2-0 this still has to be considered the worst team in the Big Ten.
The biggest story in this one was probably the injury to A.J. Bush, the starting quarterback for the Illini. Bush exited in the first quarter after suffering a leg injury and would not return thereafter, but it's not believe to be serious. M.J. Rivers took over at quarterback and would go on to complete 9 of 16 passes for 105 yards and two scores. Mike Epstein led the way on the ground with 105 yards on just eight carries.
In case you were wondering, Western Illinois' nickname is the Leathernecks and its mascot is an English bulldog named Rocky. #TheMoreYouKnow
We've reshuffled the power rankings a bit, but things remain the same at the top with Ohio State, Penn State, and Wisconsin. The Wildcats fall after going down at home to Duke, and Maryland jumps up to No. 4. It's never easy to go all the way out to the West Coast and come back with a win, but the Spartans have to feel like they let that one get away late last night.
You can probably make an argument for Michigan to be ahead of Maryland, but we've still got the Terps on top for now. The win against Texas was impressive and even though the Wolverines looked much better this weekend, it's tough to put too much stock into a win over Western Michigan.
Whether you're a "conference pride" type of person or not, it's difficult to ignore the Big Ten's non-conference losses thus far. We're two weeks into the season and defeats have already come at the hands of Notre Dame, Colorado, Duke, Eastern Michigan, and Arizona State.
Outside of one big game, next weekend's slate is pretty ugly. The best matchups may be Purdue hosting Missouri and the Badgers taking on BYU. Michigan should have no problem with SMU and the same goes for Penn State who is set to square off against Kent State.
The game of the week will be in Texas as the Buckeyes travel to AT&T Stadium to take on the Horned Frogs. ESPN's College GameDay will be heading to TCU's campus and you can expect all kinds of coverage leading up to that one.
