Big Ten Conference News and Notes

Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) –

ILLINOIS: Trailing 14-3 at halftime of Saturday’s bout at Penn State, the Fighting Illini scored a TD in both the third and four quarters to grab a three-point lead. The Nittany Lions tied the game with under a minute to go in regulation, and then scored the only points in overtime to prevail in a 24-17 final. For Illinois, Josh Ferguson scored twice, once rushing and once receiving, while Nathan Scheelhaase went 33-of-52 for 321 yards with a TD and two INTs. Harris Spencer finished with 10 receptions for 81 yards, while Ferguson caught six balls for 73 yards. The UI run game didn’t generate much, tallying just 90 net yards. As for the defense, it surrendered 490 yards to the Lions, who got a 201 yards and a TD from running back Bill Belton. Zane Petty and Earnest Thomas III led the Illini with 10 tackles apiece, and the team was credited with only one sack and a single turnover. Illinois will try to snap a four-game skid, and win its first Big Ten game of the season, when it plays at Indiana this Saturday.

INDIANA: The Hoosiers trailed 35-13 midway through the third quarter of Saturday’s game against visiting Minnesota, but came storming back to grab a four-point lead late. Unfortunately, they surrendered a 50-yard TD pass with just over three minutes remaining to lose, 42-39. Indiana had two backs go over 100 yards in the setback, as Stephen Houston and Tevin Coleman ran for 111 and 108 yards, respectively, with each scoring a TD. Nate Sudfeld completed 13-of-20 passes for 189 yards with two TDs, and Tre Roberson went 8- of-18 for 80 yards and a score for the Hoosiers, who amassed nearly 500 yards of total offense, but gave up 573 to the Golden Gophers who also dominated the time of possession battle (38:02 to 21:58). Mark Murphy made a game-high 12 tackles, eight of which were solo efforts, while David Cooper tallied 10 (seven unassisted). As a collective unit, the IU defense was credited with seven TFL, but only one sack. It also logged just one takeaway. The Hoosiers have lost three straight games, and they’ll try to turn things around when they play host to Illinois this Saturday.

IOWA: The Hawkeyes failed to score a TD in Saturday’s home clash with Wisconsin, falling to the Badgers in a 28-9 final. Iowa was held to 294 yards of total offense, and was a miserable 4-of-18 on third-down conversion attempts. Jake Rudock completed only 12-of-24 passes for 109 yards with an INT, while the rushing attack was led by Jordan Canzeri who turned five carries into 58 yards, 43 of which came on one play. Damond Powell led the UI receiving corps with three grabs for 43 yards. Defensively, the Hawkeyes held the Big Ten’s second-leading rusher, Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon, to 62 yards on 17 totes, but allowed his backfield mate, James White (the league’s third- leading rusher), to rumble for 132 yards and two TDs. They also allowed two passing scores, despite three players logging double-digit tackles, led by James Morris with a dozen. In all, the Hawkeyes made six TFL, but had only one sack and just a single turnover. Iowa plays at Purdue this Saturday.

MICHIGAN: The Wolverines failed in their bid to keep possession of the Paul Bunyan Trophy, as they were summarily dismissed by hated rival Michigan State in a 28-9 final over the weekend. Quarterback Devin Gardner was sacked seven times by the Spartans defense, which ranks as the nation’s top unit, resulting in a loss of 49 yards and dropping the team’s overall rushing figure to -48 yards — the worst figure in Michigan’s storied history. Fitz Toussaint finished with a scant 20 yards on eight carries, Gardner threw for 210 yards with one INT, and three guys (Devin Funchess, Jeremy Gallon, Jehu Chesson) accounted for 214 receiving yards on a combined 14 catches. As for the UM defense, it allowed 394 total yards to the Spartans who converted half of their 18 third-down chances, compared to only 2-of-13 for the Maize and Blue. Raymon Taylor paced the Wolverines with 12 tackles, and he also added an INT and PBU to his stat line. After opening the season at 5-0, Michigan has dropped two of its last three, and will try to get back on the positive side of the ledger when it hosts Nebraska this Saturday.

MICHIGAN STATE: The Spartans bullied bitter rival Michigan over the weekend, scoring 23 unanswered points to earn a 29-6 victory and reclaim the Paul Bunyan Trophy. Michigan State, owners of the nation’s top-rated defense, put forth another dominating defensive effort in holding the Wolverines to 168 total yards, including -48 yards rushing — the worst output in UM’s storied history. The Spartans sacked Michigan QB Devin Gardner seven times (loss of 49 yards), but did allow him to complete 14 passes for 210 yards. He did not throw a TD pass and was picked off once. Denicos Allen, Shilique Calhoun and Ed Davis each had multiple sacks, with Allen pacing the unit with nine total tackles. As for the MSU offense, it rolled up 394 yards, with Jeremy Langford rushing for 120 yards and a TD, and Connor Cook throwing for 252 yards with a TD and an INT. Bennie Fowler (six rec., 75 yards, one TD) was one of three Spartans to record at least 62 receiving yards. Michigan State is idle this week, using the additional time off to prepare for its trip to Nebraska on Nov. 16.

MINNESOTA: The Golden Gophers seemingly had control of Saturday’s tilt at Indiana, but squandered a large lead in the second half to make it much more interesting than they would have liked. A 50-yard TD pass from Philip Nelson to Maxx Williams with only 3:06 to go in regulation capped off a wild afternoon and Minnesota prevailed, 42-39, to improve to 7-2 overall and 3-2 in the Big Ten. David Cobb was a man possessed for the Gophers as he rushed for 188 yards and a TD, helping the team generate 573 yards of total offense and control the ball for more than 38 minutes. As for Nelson, he went 16-of-23 for 298 yards and four TDs, two of which landed in the hands of Derrick Engel (four catches, 97 yards). The UM defense had a tough day as it permitted 496 yards to the Hoosiers, who used a balance attack (227 yards rushing, 269 yards passing) to stay in the game. Cedric Thompson made eight of his team-high nine tackles by himself, but the Gophers defense was credited with only one turnover while failing to record a sack. UM shoots for its fourth straight win when the Penn State Nittany Lions come to Minneapolis this Saturday.

NEBRASKA: Trailing by three late in Saturday’s home game versus Northwestern, Ron Kellogg III’s 49-yard Hail Mary heave landed in the arms of Jordan Westerkamp, giving the Cornhuskers a miraculous 27-24 win. It was the first career TD catch for Westerkamp, who finished with four grabs for a career-high 104 yards. Kellogg III and Tommy Armstrong, Jr. combined to complete 22-of-42 passes for 277 yards and two TDs, but they were picked off four times (three belonging to Armstrong), and were sacked four times. The Big Ten’s leading rusher, Ameer Abdullah, rumbled his way to 127 yards on 24 carries, helping the Huskers amass 472 yards and 28 first downs on the day. The Nebraska defense was battered to the tune of 245 net rushing yards (5.2 ypc) and three TDs, but did well against the pass (81 yards, no TDs). The Wildcats converted only 2-of-14 third-down opportunities, and Ciante Evans led the Huskers with eight tackles, five of which he made behind the line of scrimmage. Nebraska logged a total of 10 TFL on the day. Avery Moss returned an INT 25 yards for a TD midway through the third quarter. Nebraska plays at Michigan this Saturday.

NORTHWESTERN: The Wildcats appeared to be on their way to a hard-fought road win at Nebraska over the weekend, but the visitors surrendered a long TD pass as time expired to fall, 27-24. The loss, which was Northwestern’s fifth straight, spoiled an outstanding individual effort from RB Treyvon Green, who recorded his third 100-yard rushing game of the season as he gained 149 yards on 19 carries. He also scored a career-high three TDs, but that was pretty much it in terms of offensive production as QBs Trevor Siemian and Kain Colter combined to go just 8-of-21 for 81 yards with no TDs and one INT. The ‘Cats wound up with 245 net rushing yards, and they would have had even more if not for four sacks for a loss of 38 yards they surrendered. The defense allowed 195 yards on the ground and 277 yards through the air, but logged four INTs and four sacks, two going to junior Chance Carter (the first ones of his career). Damien Proby and Ibraheim Campbell led the way with 10 tackles each, and the unit as a whole made eight stops in the Nebraska backfield. With a bye this week, the Wildcats have some additional time to try and figure out a way to stop their current slide. They return to action on Nov. 16 against visiting Michigan.

OHIO STATE: The Buckeyes won for the 21st straight time on Saturday, as they rolled Purdue on the road, 56-0. The win obviously kept the team perfect on the season, and in nearly two full seasons Urban Meyer has been at the helm. It was the most lopsided victory in the 56-game series between the two teams, and was aided by 640 total yards (345 rushing, 295 passing) and outstanding individual efforts by a slew of players. Braxton Miller was nearly perfect in completing 19-of-23 passes for 233 yards, four TDs and one INT, while TE Jeff Heuerman turned five receptions into a career-high 116 yards and a score. Carlos Hyde led the ground attack with 111 yards on only eight carries, while backup QB Kenny Guiton added 98 yards and a pair of scores on nine totes. The Boilermakers were limited to just 27 net rushing yards, and 116 total yards in the game. Ryan Shazier continued his stellar campaign by posting a team-high seven tackles, two of which were sacks. The Buckeyes were credited with six sacks, 10 TFL and two takeaways, including a 33-yard pick-six by Doran Grant to start the scoring less than a minute into the contest. OSU is idle this week, next returning to action at Illinois on Nov. 16.

PENN STATE: Bill Belton ran for a career-high 201 yards and a TD, and Christian Hackenberg threw for 240 yards and a score to push the Nittany Lions past the visiting Illinois Fighting Illini in overtime on Saturday afternoon, 24-17. Allen Robinson had another monster game as well, pulling down 11 balls for 165 yards — the effort moving him into fifth place at PSU in career receptions, and fourth in receiving yards. He is just 12 grabs away from breaking his own single-season school record of 77 catches (2012). Hackenberg, who also ran for a TD against the Illini, went 20-of-32 passing without an INT, and he was sacked only once. The Penn State defense gave up 321 yards through the air, but stood tall against the run in permitting only 90 yards. Mike Hull logged a career-high 13 tackles, and Glenn Carson tacked on 11 for the Lions, who came up with a pair of picks in the contest, including one in overtime that helped them secure the victory. Hoping to string together consecutive wins for the first time since starting the season 2-0, PSU plays at Minnesota this Saturday.

PURDUE: The Boilermakers’ season of woe continued on Saturday as they were throttled by the visiting Ohio State Buckeyes, 56-0. It was the sixth straight loss for Purdue, which has yet to beat another team from the FBS this year, its first under head coach Darrell Hazell. Danny Ettling had an outing he would rather forget, as would just about everyone associate with the program, as he completed just 13-of-29 passes for 89 yards with no TDs and an INT. The run game didn’t produce either, as Akeem Hunt’s 23 yards on six carries led the way. Defensively, the Boilermakers took it on the chin as they were torched for 640 yards by an Ohio State squad which owns the nation’s longest active winning streak at 21 games. The Buckeyes churned out 345 yards on the ground, averaging a gaudy 8.4 ypc. Despite the poor effort, Frankie Williams recorded 11 tackles, eight of which were unassisted, and Ricardo Allen came up with an INT. Purdue will try once again to secure its first conference win of the season when it plays host to Iowa this Saturday.

WISCONSIN: By virtue of their 28-9 win at Iowa over the weekend, the Badgers retain the Heartland Trophy and broke a 42-42-1 tie in the all-time series with the Hawkeyes. James White paced the Wisconsin offense, which generated 362 total yards compared to only 294 for Iowa, with 132 yards and two TDs on 19 carries. It was the 14th 100-yard game in White’s stellar career, and the effort has him ranked third in the Big Ten this season in rushing, trailing teammate Melvin Gordon and Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah. Speaking of Gordon, he was limited to 62 yards on 17 totes, while QB Joel Stave hit 11-of-19 passes for 144 yards, two TDs and one INT. Jacob Pedersen was high man among the receivers with three grabs for 73 yards and a score, while Jared Abbrederis was limited to 30 yards on three receptions. He did have a TD however, as the Badgers won for the third straight time and the sixth time on the season, making them bowl eligible for the 12th straight year. Wisconsin takes a break from conference play this Saturday to entertain the BYU Cougars.

Categorized in: NCAA Football