North by Northwestern

Big Ten football was exciting, topsy-turvy and generally disappointing this weekend. Indiana and Wisconsin followed Northwestern’s example by narrowly escaping upset bids from weaker opponents, while Michigan scored a late touchdown to escape with a dramatic and crucial win against rival Notre Dame. Michigan State could not hold on, though, and slipped against an upstart Central Michigan team. Purdue and Ohio State battled BCS opponents and lost heartbreaking battles in the closing minutes. While other teams rolled over overmatched opponents, the poor showing from NU and company gave merit to questions about the Big Ten.

Click each matchup for game recaps. Care more about the ‘Cats? Head over to our Sidelines blog to read our recap and liveblog.

Indiana 23, Western Michigan 19

For the second straight week, Indiana barely held off a worse opponent and Western Michigan failed to upset a Big Ten team. The Broncos almost took the lead late in the game when it drove to the Indiana 5-yard line, but a fumble abruptly ended the promising drive. Senior halfback Demetrius McCray was the star of the game for the Hoosiers. After a weak showing last week against Eastern Kentucky, McCray galloped for a career-high 134 yards rushing, including a 59-yard touchdown run. Junior quarterback Ben Chappell had a very vanilla game for Indiana, not making any mistakes or any spectacular plays. He completed more than 64 percent of his passes for 185 yards and no scores or interceptions. The Indiana defense dominated the line of scrimmage and limited Western Michigan’s rushing attack to only 22 yards on 29 carries. Western Michigan senior quarterback Tim Hiller, an NFL prospect who struggled last week against Michigan, bounced back by throwing for 266 yards and a touchdown. Indiana faces its last cupcake of the season next week when it travels to play Akron, although anything is possible with this Hoosiers squad.
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Central Michigan 29, Michigan State 27

The Central Michigan Chippewas delivered the first big upset to the Big Ten as they stormed back to overtake Michigan State. The Chippewas took advantage of an onside kick recover to march down the field and kick a field goal to win the game. Senior quarterback Dan LeFevour rewrote the record books as well, passing Byron Leftwich for the most yards of total offense in Mid-American Conference history. LeFevour, who erupted for 328 yards passing and three touchdowns, now has 12,166 total yards for his career. Sophomore quarterback Kirk Cousins may have started to pull away in the Spartan quarterback controversy by throwing for 164 yards and a touchdown. The Spartans, who looked solid last week in a 44-3 trouncing of Montana State, will have to regroup quickly before taking on Notre Dame next Saturday in South Bend.
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Penn State 28, Syracuse 7

Penn State was on cruise control Saturday and put away the pesky Syracuse Orange. Senior quarterback Daryll Clark continued his strong start to the season by throwing for 240 yards and three touchdowns. The other sure-fire NFL prospect on offense, junior halfback Evan Royster, ran for 41 yards and a touchdown while catching two passes for 61 more yards and another score. While the Nittany Lion defense held the Orange in check for most of the game, senior quarterback Greg Paulus had a decent game and showed promise in his second career start after playing basketball at Duke for four years. Paulus completed 70 percent of his passes, but for only 105 yards and a touchdown. The ‘Cats travel to Syracuse to face the Orange next Saturday.
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Wisconsin 34, Fresno State 31

Wisconsin needed two overtimes to beat Fresno State Saturday afternoon. Senior safety Chris Maragos came up with an interception in the second overtime, setting up a 22-yard field goal by Philip Welch to seal the victory for the Badgers. Wisconsin managed to fight through the two additional periods after flulike symptoms spread through the team this past week and affected more than 40 players. The Badgers offense sported a very solid and fundamental performance, going through the whole game without turning the ball over. Junior quarterback Scott Tolzien threw for 225 yards and a touchdown, while sophomore superstar halfback John Clay ran for 143 yards and a touchdown, including a clutch 72-yard dash in the closing minutes of regulation. The Bulldogs, however, exposed Wisconsin’s defense. Fresno State’s passing attack threw for 289 yards, and the ground force added 179 yards rushing. The defensive troubles have been apparent after struggling to stop a mediocre Northern Illinois offense last week. The Badgers get a break from real competition next week when they host Wofford.
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Iowa 35, Iowa State 3

Iowa bounced back from last week’s near-upset to easily beat in-state rival Iowa State Saturday afternoon. After showcasing a questionable rushing attack last week, the Hawkeyes pounded the ball for 191 yards and a touchdown with two freshman halfbacks, Brandon Wegher and Adam Robinson, leading the way. Junior quarterback Ricky Stanzi completed 18 passes for only 197 yards but had a career-high four touchdown passes for Iowa. While no wide receiver emerged as a true favorite, Stanzi managed to throw to 12 different receivers. Although it didn’t produce any touchdowns, the Iowa State running attack did expose Iowa’s defense for 190 yards. The Hawkeyes hope this dominant performance will launch them back into the Top 25.
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Michigan 38, Notre Dame 34

Michigan upset Notre Dame in a battle of traditional powerhouses looking to regain national respect. Both teams have recently struggled with the introduction of new coaching staffs — Notre Dame went 3-9 two years ago and Michigan matched that mark last season. True freshman quarterback Tate Forcier looks like the dominant quarterback Wolverine fans hoped he would be, passing and rushing all over the Fighting Irish defense. Forcier finished with 240 yards passing and two touchdowns, along with 70 yards on the ground and another score. Halfback Brandon Minor also had a solid game, with 106 yards and a touchdown on only 16 carries. Junior quarterback Jimmy Clausen led the way for Notre Dame, picking apart the Wolverine defense for 336 yards and three touchdowns, while halfback Armando Allen Jr. complimented with 139 yards rushing and a score. The wide receiver tandem of Michael Floyd and Golden Tate, one of the best in the country, combined for a monster 246 yards and three touchdowns. Michigan can hope that this game marks the program’s turnaround, and Big Ten fans can be grateful that the Wolverines helped the Big Ten salvage some respect from this big win.
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Minnesota 20, Air Force 13

Minnesota opened the new $300 million TCF Bank Stadium with a thrilling win. Although the Golden Gophers did not win as convincingly as they should have, it still proved to be a special night. Senior linebacker Nate Triplett had a great performance, crushing the Air Force runners for 17 tackles and added a clutch 52-yard fumble return for a touchdown. Junior quarterback Adam Weber bounded back from an abysmal performance in Week 1, throwing for 219 yards and completing almost 69 percent of his passes. Eric Decker proved once again to be Weber’s only reliable target, continuing his strong start to the season with 113 yards and ten catches. Although the Falcons’ passing attack struggled, the Air Force rushing attack abused the Golden Gophers’ front seven with 261 rushing yards. Minnesota, who has struggled to put away two weaker opponents in its first two games, could have a wake-up call next week when California comes to town. The Golden Gophers travel to Evanston to face the ‘Cats the week after.
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Illinois 45, Illinois State 17

Illinois was without star quarterback Juice Williams, but still managed to beat up on an overmatched Illinois State team. Williams was hurt on a 49-yard scamper on the game’s first drive. If he misses significant time, the Fighting Illini could be in trouble when it plays stronger opponents. While backup Eddie McGee was serviceable, the running backs stole the show, combining for 384 yards and a monstrous five touchdowns. Sophomore halfback Jason Ford had the most success, running for 137 yards and a touchdown on only ten carries, including a 68-yard sprint. McGee was without superstar wide receiver Arrelious Benn, and no other receiver emerged as a consistent target. Starting middle junior linebacker Martez Wilson, widely considered the best defensive player on the team, sat out as well with a neck injury. The Fighting Illini secondary, which did not give Missouri any problems last week, was disappointing yet again against the Redbirds. The Illinois State quarterbacks combined for 354 yards and two touchdowns. The Fighting Illini defense will have to fix its problems before taking on powerhouses Ohio State and Penn State in its next two games. If Williams, Benn and Wilson remain injured, Illinois could easily start the season with a somber 1-3 record.
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Southern California 18, Ohio State 15

True freshman quarterback Matt Barkley engineered a late game-winning drive in hostile Ohio stadium, breaking the hearts of Buckeye fans and further validating the theory that the Big Ten cannot win big games in the most anticipated game of the college football season. Barkley, who had played a mediocre game prior to the final drive, finished with 195 yards passing and an interception. Both Trojan touchdowns were punched in by powerful halfback Stafon Johnson. The two powerhouses traded punts and possessions for most of the game, with neither team making a statement offensively. The game started on a sour note for Ohio State when linebacker Chris Galippo intercepted sophomore quarterback Terrelle Pryor on the Buckeyes’ first possession, setting up Johnson’s first score – his second won the game. Southern California has now beaten the Big Ten ten straight times, this time in front of a record-setting crowd of more than 106,000 excited and loud fans. While Ohio State did prove that it could compete with national powerhouses after receiving a 35-3 shellacking courtesy of USC last season in Los Angeles, it continues to struggle to put big games away.
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Oregon 38, Purdue 36

Purdue was a two-point conversion away from upsetting Oregon in Eugene Saturday night in yet another close game. Oregon, initially believed to have one of the most explosive offenses in the nation, lost its best weapon for the season last week after halfback LeGarrette Blount lost his temper and punched an opposing player in the face during handshakes. Blount had to be restrained by teammates and almost charged into the stands to fight fans. The Ducks still managed to run for 193 yards and three touchdowns, led by quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who charged for 84 yards and a touchdown and threw for 163 more yards. The Boilermaker offense continued to be promising, while its defensive problems are apparent. Halfback Ralph Bolden continued his strong start to the season, rushing for 123 yards and two touchdowns and catching three balls for 52 yards and another score after rushing for 234 yards last week against Toledo. The Boilermakers start a three-game home stretch next week when it hosts Northern Illinois.
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