With the exception of the huge Purdue win over Ohio State, this weekend didn’t really teach us much. Illinois is still terrible, Iowa is still undefeated and Northwestern still gets hurt and turns the ball over way too much. Let’s take a look at the action.
Michigan State 24, Northwestern 14
After one half of play Saturday in East Lansing, it looked like Northwestern was back on track and a contender for a legitimate bowl. Another half later and ‘Cats fans should consider any bowl a blessing. The first half looked phenomenal; the Northwestern defense was impenetrable and senior quarterback Mike Kafka was cool, calm and collected in the pocket. Kafka finished with impressive statistics, throwing for 291 yards and two touchdowns and adding 42 more yards with his feet, usually when trying to avoid a sack. Senior wide receiver Zeke Markshausen had 16 catches for 111 yards and a touchdown, good for the second-best single-game reception performance in school history. The 16 catches also rank the fourth most in Big Ten history, tied with five other players. Fellow senior wide receiver Andrew Brewer also had success, catching eight balls for 104 yards and a score. Past that though, there’s really not much to say about the Wildcats’ offensive performance. Outside of an 18-yard run by senior Stephen Simmons to end the first half, the running backs combined for a dreadful 16 yards, putting way too much pressure on Kafka. The offensive line continued to struggle, unable to pave holes and often making Kafka scramble. Junior running back Drake Dunsmore, usually one of the most reliable players on the team, only had two receptions for 16 yards. More importantly, his third-quarter fumble completely changed the game.
Fighting for more yards, the ball was ripped out of his hands. A few plays later, Michigan State was in the end zone. On the ensuing kickoff, sophomore running back Jeravin Matthews muffed the catch and the Spartans recovered, leading to another score. With that one fumble, the entire complexion of the game changed. Later, Dunsmore dropped a possible first down catch, leading to a Northwestern punt. Nevertheless, the loss can’t be blamed on Dunsmore and Matthews. Injuries continue to plague the ‘Cats, who had to play most of the game without senior safeties Brad Phillips and Brendan Smith, with the latter missing the whole game. Junior safety Brian Peters played very well while replacing Smith, but sophomore safety Jared Carpenter seemed dazed and confused. Michigan State senior wide receiver Blair White took advantage, catching 12 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns. With an inexperienced secondary, the ‘Cats refused to blitz and were unable to put pressure on the quarterback, allowing sophomore Kirk Cousins to wait until somebody was open.
The ‘Cats have the potential to play very solid football, but they just continually make mental mistakes and do not have the talent and depth to overcome so many injuries. Kafka looks like a superstar, but he can’t do it alone, especially without blocking. There is still good to be taken from the game, though — when healthy, even without Smith and senior defensive end Corey Wootton, the defense looks like it can be dominant.
Michigan 63, Delaware State 6
This just really wasn’t fair. Michigan set team records for yards in the first half and total yards in the game with 442 and 727, respectively, and tied a school record for 28 points in the first quarter. Four Wolverine quarterbacks combined for 266 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 14.8 yards per attempt. The running game was just as astonishing. The halfbacks, mostly backups, combined for 461 yards and six touchdowns, and the Wolverines even added a score off of a blocked punt. After losing two close, tough games to Michigan State and Iowa, this is just the type of confidence-booster that the Wolverines needed before taking on Penn State next week in yet another big matchup.
Iowa 20, Wisconsin 10
Iowa’s defense came up huge as the Hawkeyes stayed undefeated against Wisconsin. Badgers junior quarterback Scott Tolzien threw for only 143 yards and no touchdowns while tossing up three interceptions, two to Iowa junior cornerback Amari Spievey. In addition, the Wisconsin running game couldn’t get going. Sophomore John Clay, who has been unstoppable this year, was held scoreless with only 75 yards. While Iowa’s offense wasn’t outstanding, junior quarterback Ricky Stanzi was clutch and freshman halfback Adam Robinson was consistent. Stanzi tied the game with a 24-yard toss to senior tight end Tony Moeaki, who finished the game with 55 yards and the score, and Robinson put the Hawkeyes up for good in the fourth quarter with a touchdown on ten of his 91 yards. Iowa only has one ranked team, Ohio State, left on its schedule and has a great shot at going undefeated, pending a slip-up against a mediocre team. With no real superstars on the team, the Hawkeyes keep successfully exhibiting consistent, defensive football.
Purdue 26, Ohio State 18
In the biggest upset so far this year in the Big Ten, Purdue got its second win of the season in a shocker against the Buckeyes. Ohio State sophomore quarterback Terrelle Pryor gave the Boilermakers some help with two fumbles and two interceptions, while Purdue senior quarterback Joey Elliott played nearly flawless football to lead the Boilermakers to victory. Elliott threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns, doing just enough to get the job done. Wide receivers junior Keith Smith and senior Aaron Valentin continued to be the only real receiving threats on the team. They combined for 222 yards on 22 catches for two touchdowns, making them one of the best receiving duos in the Big Ten. Yeah, that’s a lot of 2’s. The Ohio State offense, on the other hand, was laughable. The ground “attack” only averaged 2.4 yards per carry, rivaling Northwestern’s, and Pryor played one of the worst games of his career. Statistically, he still managed to throw for 221 yards and a touchdown and run for another, but his mistakes cost the Buckeyes a shot at any BCS bowl.
Penn State 20, Minnesota 0
The Nittany Lions continue to roll, playing one of their most balanced and solid games of the season. Senior quarterback Daryll Clark threw for 287 yards and a touchdown, and junior halfback Evan Royster added 137 yards on the ground. Defensively, they held the Golden Gophers to 138 total yards, including just 12 from their two top halfbacks. Minnesota junior quarterback Adam Weber failed to perform up to expectations as well, throwing for only 101 yards and an interception. Senior wide receiver Eric Decker, regarded as one of the best in the Big Ten, was held to just one catch for 42 yards. It wouldn’t be suprising to see Decker have ten catches for 125 yards and a couple touchdowns, so keeping him in check is quite an accomplishment for the Penn State defense. If Penn State can stay on a roll, it has a shot at a BCS bowl.
Indiana 27, Illinois 14
In a battle of possibly the two worst teams in the Big Ten, one thing was decided: Illinois is the worst team in the Big Ten. Senior quarterback Juice Williams actually had a decent game, throwing for 258 yards and two touchdowns after being benched last week. The running game also delivered, combining for 185 yards. However, any defense that allows Indiana’s junior quarterback Ben Chappell to throw for 333 yards and three touchdowns has serious issues, especially when the Hoosiers ground attack runs for 149 more yards. Indiana will march into Evanston next weekend, hopefully cooled off after this performance. If Illinois wants to win any more games this season, though, they’re going to have to fix something, and fast.