With just one game decided by less than 21 points, it was the weekend of the blowout in the Big Ten. Maryland’s 20-19 victory over Penn State was the only game of six on Saturday to remain competitive in the second half as well. Ohio State won to remain undefeated in the Big Ten, while Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin all won to remain at one loss in conference play.
Iowa 48, Northwestern 7
Iowa dominated on both offense and defense as they cruised to 3-1 in the Big Ten. The Hawkeye defense held Northwestern to just 75 yards passing and 105 yards rushing. Justin Jackson was the lone bright spot for the Wildcats, rushing for 96 yards and their only score of the game.
Marc Weisman found paydirt three times on the ground to go with 94 yards. Akrum Wadley added 106 yards and a touchdown rushing in the victory. Jake Rudock threw for 239 yards and a touchdown on just 12-19 passing. Northwestern hosts Michigan on Saturday while Iowa takes a trip to Minnesota in a battle of one-loss teams in the Big Ten West.
Maryland 20, Penn State 19
It was a game that’s biggest fireworks came before the coin flip when Maryland’s captains refused to shake hands with the Penn State captains as the two groups approached at midfield. Maryland managed just 194 yards but still pulled off the road victory thanks to a Brad Craddock field goal with less than a minute to play.
The two teams combined for just 75 yards rushing and Penn State turned the ball over four times as the Nittany Lions fell to 1-4 in the Big Ten. Penn State goes to Indiana this weekend and Maryland has a week off to prepare for a visit from Michigan State.
Wisconsin 37, Rutgers 0
Wisconsin threw for just 87 yards but the ground game and defense did more than enough to welcome Rutgers to Camp Randall. Melvin Gordon ran for 128 yards and two touchdowns and Corey Clement complemented Gordon’s efforts with 131 yards and two scores of his own.
The Scarlet Knights managed just 139 yards of total offense (63 passing, 76 rushing) against a Badger defense that has now allowed just 7 points in its last two matchups. Rutgers is idle this week before hosting Indiana and Wisconsin will play at Purdue.
Nebraska 35, Purdue 14
In a game that star running back Ameer Abdullah left early, Nebraska still managed to run all over Purdue to improve to 4-1 in the Big Ten. Tommy Armstrong Jr. stepped up with his feet to add 70 yards on the ground to go with just 118 yards passing on a blustery day in Lincoln.
The Boilermakers actually outgained the Cornhuskers 340-297, but that was because the average starting field position for Nebraska was their own 49-yard line. Purdue has Wisconsin coming in to West Lafayette this weekend while Nebraska has a week off to get ready for their trip to Madison to play the Badgers.
Michigan 34, Indiana 10
It was an easy victory for the Wolverines as they welcomed Indiana into Ann Arbor for a date on Homecoming. Devin Gardner threw for 220 yards and two touchdowns and Drake Johnson had 122 yards and two scores on the ground as the Wolverines rolled to their 19th straight win over the Hoosiers.
Indiana had just 24 yards passing, but Tevin Coleman ran for 100 yards again as he is the only running back in the country to have hit the century mark in every game this season. The Wolverines will take a visit to Northwestern on Saturday and Indiana will play host to Penn State in Bloomington.
Ohio State 55, Illinois 14
In a matchup that turned into a tune-up game for the battle with the Spartans, Ohio State pounded Illinois for a total of 545 yards (249 passing, 296 rushing). J.T. Barrett only played the first half when he led the Buckeyes to a 31-0 halftime advantage behind 167 yards passing and two scores. Cardale Jone came in and threw two TDs of his own in the second half, and Jalin Marshall had a 30-yard rushing touchdown.
The Illini put up just 243 yards of offense while turning the ball over four times. Illinois did not put points on the board until the game was well in hand, 48-0, for Ohio State. Illinois has a week off before welcoming Iowa into Champaign and Ohio State makes the trek up to East Lansing for a de facto Big Ten East Championship Game against Michigan State.
What did you think of the Big Ten’s play this week? Are you ready for the game that will decide the Big Ten East? Let us know what you are looking forward to the most this weekend.
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