The Big Ten struggled out of the gate last week, but week two featured the biggest non-conference showdown of the year and several teams trying to bounce back into the win column. In 2014, week two brought a lot of heartbreak and the hottest of #HotTakes, but that wouldn't be the case this season.
The Big Ten is officially eliminated from placing a team in the playoff. It is September 6th.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravisBGID) September 7, 2014
No. 5 Michigan State 31, No. 7 Oregon 28
The Spartans pulled off the conference's signature win Saturday night in East Lansing, avenging last season's loss in Eugene. The Sparty secondary still didn't quite look up to snuff – allowing 300+ through the air while having a few coverage breakdowns – but they were able to produce a couple of key interceptions. Former Buckeye target Montae Nicholson made some plays for the Michigan State secondary, including a nifty first-half interception.
Montae Nicholson says "Gimme". #MichiganState #SpartyOn https://t.co/wISiLIXInv
— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) September 13, 2015
The Ducks' offense put up 432 yards of total offense and missed some key opportunities. They were stuffed by the Spartans defense on a crucial fourth and goal and quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. missed a wide open receiver late in the fourth quarter on what would have been the go-ahead touchdown.
A pair of Ohioans led the way for the Spartans' offense. Senior quarterback Connor Cook threw for 192 yards and two scores. True freshman running back LJ Scott continues to look like a force to be reckoned with, putting up 76 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Redshirt freshman running back Madre London added 103 yards on 18 carries as Sparty's stable of running backs continued to look mighty impressive.
On Michigan State's biggest recruiting weekend of the year, head coach Mark Dantonio had a message to those in attendance.
Mark Dantonio ends his postgame interview with "Come to Michigan State" on a day when over 200 prospects visited the Spartans.
— Lori Schmidt (@LoriSchmidt) September 13, 2015
Michigan 35, Oregon State 7
Things didn't start out so well for the Wolverines on Saturday, allowing a 79-yard touchdown drive to open up the game, but the defense eventually buckled down and the offense made strides as well. De'Veon Smith led the way on the ground with 23 carries for 126 yards and three scores. For the second week in a row, quarterback Jake Rudock didn't look especially sharp. Rudock completed 18 of 26 passes for 180 yards and one interception. Tight end Jake Butt was held in check; catching four passes for 25 yards.
Steven King/Icon Sportswire
The Michigan defense really clamped down after the opening drive, allowing a total of 138 yards on the day. Two players from the Buckeye state made their presence felt; defensive end Taco Charlton forced a fumble that was recovered by linebacker Joe Bolden. While Jim Harbaugh did get his first win as Michigan's lead man, the game did have its frustrating moments.
Michigan is up, 17-7, at the half. Jim Harbaugh is still not happy. (Vine by @SportsCenter) https://t.co/qVuxcXfHGe
— Eric Finney (@finneyeric) September 12, 2015
Wisconsin 58, Miami (OH) 0
The Badgers bounced back from last weekend's loss to Bama with a dominant performance against the Redhawks. Senior quarterback Joel Stave threw for 236 yards and three touchdowns while backup quarterback Bart Houston added another score through the air. Corey Clement didn't suit up due to a groin injury, but that didn't stop the Wiscy run game. Junior running back Dare Ogunbowale ran for 112 yards and a score. The Badgers' offense totaled 451 yards on the day despite taking most of their starters out in the second half.
Miami's running game couldn't do anything against the Wisconsin run defense, finishing the game with -3 yards rushing. The Redhawks used multiple quarterbacks who combined for 160 yards through the air while tossing three interceptions.
Minnesota 23, Colorado State 20
Jerry Kill's Gophers took the Rams into overtime to get the victory in Fort Collins. Defense dominated the game until late in the fourth quarter when both teams seemed to find some rhythm. Quarterback Mitch Leidner led the Minnesota offense down the field for the go-ahead touchdown with about a minute left on the clock. Colorado State answered with a nice drive of their own – with some help from a questionable interference call – kicking a field goal to tie things at 20-20 and force overtime.
On the first play of overtime, Minnesota defensive tackle Scott Ekpe stripped Rams' running back Dalyn Dawkins and the Gophs recovered. Minnesota kicker Ryan Santoso then connected on an 18-yard field goal to give the Gophs their first win.
Leidner finished with 280 yards of total offense and two passing touchdowns. Gophers' running back Rodney Smith added 108 yards on the ground.
Iowa 31, Iowa State 17
The Hawkeyes and Cyclones were knotted up at 17 going into the fourth quarter, but two late touchdowns helped Iowa get past their in-state rivals. The Iowa offense was led by quarterback C.J. Beathard and tailback Jordan Canzeri. Beathard threw for 215 yards and three scores while adding another 77 yards on the ground. The Iowa ground game yielded 260 yards; Canzeri led the way with 124 yards and a score.
It was an emotional week for the Hawkeyes. Former safety Tyler Sash passed away on Tuesday. Three days later, former basketball star Roy Marble lost his battle with cancer. The Hawkeyes honored Sash by adding his No. 9 sticker to their helmets. They also paid homage after the game.
Iowa capped the win against Iowa State with an emotional tribute. (via @BigWeitz) http://t.co/maZb3EdwWA pic.twitter.com/XXAxkTfiZZ
— SB Nation (@SBNation) September 13, 2015
Penn State 27, Buffalo 14
Penn State's pass protection was vastly improved this weekend, but they still have a lot of work to do on the offensive side of the ball. Tight end – and former Ohio State target – Mike Gesicki dropped a couple would-be touchdowns and the offense as a whole just never found much rhythm. Christian Hackenberg looked a bit more like a competent college quarterback on Saturday, but he still made some absolutely awful throws. Head coach James Franklin doesn't seem to have much trust for the junior signal-caller.
FWIW, scouts have told me Hackenberg isn't able to make protection changes or audibles at the line. Franklin doesn't want him "thinking"
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) September 12, 2015
Hackenberg completed 14 of 27 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. Perhaps the biggest bright spot for the Nits was the play of true freshman running back Saquon Barkley. The newcomer from Whitehall, Pa., rushed for 115 yards on twelve carries and added a score. Penn State suffered another blow as starting offensive tackle Andrew Nelson went down with an apparent knee injury just before halftime. Last week starting linebacker Nyeem Wartman-White was lost for the season with a knee injury of his own.
Nebraska 48, South Alabama 9
The Huskers recovered from last week's heartbreaker with a solid performance against the Jaguars of South Alabama, giving new head coach Mike Riley his first win in Lincoln. Tommie Armstrong Jr. threw for 270 yards and two scores. Running back Terrell Newby added a career-high 198 yards on the ground, 39 yards receiving, and three total touchdowns. The Huskers threw for 303 yards and added another 258 on the ground.
The Blackshirts' defense forced three turnovers and held the South Alabama ground game in check, allowing just 19 yards rushing. Quarterback Cody Clements led the way for the Jaguars, accounting for 271 of their 332 yards.
Bowling green 48, maryland 27
It was truly a tale of two halves in College Park on Saturday. The Terps opened things up with a 10-0 first-quarter lead and went into the half up 13-6. Maryland return man Will Likely returned a punt for a touchdown for the second straight week, as he continues to make his case as the nation's most dangerous return man.
Maryland DB Will Likely blows by entire Bowling Green defense for 85-yard #SCtop10 touchdown. http://t.co/c9WwBoqVjY
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 12, 2015
Then the second half happened; a half that saw Bowling Green score 42 points to Maryland's 14. Likely muffed a return that set up a touchdown for the Falcons and Maryland quarterbacks tossed three interceptions in the fourth quarter. The Terps' defense gave up a whopping 692 yards while the offense was only able to manage 341 of its own. Maryland quarterback Perry Hills tossed two touchdowns with one interception before being benched in the fourth quarter. Backup quarterback Caleb Rowe didn't fare much better, throwing a pair of interceptions while trying to get Maryland back in the game.
One-time Buckeye commit Roger Lewis (Pickerington, Ohio) had a huge game for the Falcons, hauling in 15 passes for 200 yards and a pair of scores.
washington state 37, rutgers 34
Washington State quarterback Luke Falk connected with wide receiver River Cacraft for the go-ahead touchdown with just 13 seconds left on the clock. The sophomore quarterback threw for 478 yards and four touchdowns while leading the Cougars over the Scarlet Knights. Cacraft and fellow wideout Gabe Marks caused all kinds of problems for the Rutgers' secondary. Cacraft caught eight passes for 121 yards and a score while Marks hauled in 14 for 146 and a touchdown of his own.
Chris Laviano got the nod at quarterback for the Scarlet Knights after splitting time with Hayden Rettig last week. Laviano completed 23 of 29 passes for 204 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Sophomore running back Josh Hicks added 91 yards on the ground. Wide receiver Janarion Grant did his best to bring the Knights back. In addition to his 65 yards receiving, he also returned a punt and a kick for touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
The Janarion Grant kick return was nice, but this punt return was even better. http://t.co/y7HtT4NY2a
— Brent Yarina (@BTNBrentYarina) September 12, 2015
Northwestern 41, Eastern Illinois 0
| SCHOOL | W-L | RANK | PREV |
|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO STATE | 2-0 | 1 | 1 |
| MICHIGAN STATE | 2-0 | 2 | 2 |
| NORTHWESTERN | 2-0 | 3 | 3 |
| WISCONSIN | 1-1 | 4 | 5 |
| MINNESOTA | 1-1 | 5 | 4 |
| IOWA | 2-0 | 6 | 6 |
| NEBRASKA | 1-1 | 7 | 7 |
| MICHIGAN | 1-1 | 8 | 8 |
| ILLINOIS | 2-0 | 9 | 11 |
| INDIANA | 2-0 | 10 | 12 |
| PENN STATE | 1-1 | 11 | 13 |
| RUTGERS | 1-1 | 12 | 9 |
| MARYLAND | 1-1 | 13 | 10 |
| PURDUE | 1-1 | 14 | 14 |
The Wildcats' defense clamped down on Saturday en route to a shutout against the Panthers of Eastern Illinois. EIU was only able to manage 68 yards through the air and 70 on the ground. Redshirt freshman quarterback Clayton Thorsen threw his first career touchdown pass and added a rushing touchdown as well.
Northwestern had three players rush for at least 50 yards. Justin Jackson led the way with 78 yards and a touchdown. Warren Long added 72 yards and a score of his own. The Wildcats' ground attack amassed 344 yards. Thorsen didn't put up spectacular numbers, but he was efficient, completing 11 of 16 passes for 152 yards and the aforementioned touchdown.
Illinois 44, Western Illinois 0
It was another dominant performance for the Illini as they continue to fire on mostly all cylinders. The defense stymied Western Illinois, allowing just 141 yards of total offense and forcing two turnovers. Trenton Norvell and Sean McGuire both saw time at quarterback for Western Illinois but were only able to manage 43 yards on 24 attempts. Illinois safety Taylor Barton led the way with a pair of interceptions. Through two games, the Illini defense has given up only three points.
The Illinois offense was impressive as well, putting up 500 yards on the Leathernecks. Quarterback Wes Lunt threw for 316 yards and a score while the Illini ground game notched 147 yards and a pair of touchdowns, though they only averaged 2.9 yards per carry. Illinois wide receiver Geronimo Allison led all pass-catchers with eight receptions for 124 yards. Special teams got in on the action as well, blocking a punt and returning it for a touchdown.
Indiana 36, Florida International 22
For the second straight week, the Hoosiers found themselves trailing at the half. This week they scored 23 second-half points to take down the Panthers. The Indiana defense was atrocious last week, giving up 659 yards to Southern Illinois. This week's effort was better – allowing 406 yards – but there's still a lot of room for improvement. The IU secondary continues to be a glaring weakness for the team, missing tackles and blowing coverage assignments, though they did add a 95-yard pick six.
Senior quarterback Nate Sudfeld threw for 234 yards and a score. Running back Jordan Howard led the way on the ground with 159 yards on 27 carries.
Purdue 38, Indiana State 14
The Boilermakers bounced back from last weekend's loss with a win over the Sycamores of Indiana State. Purdue quarterback Austin Appleby threw for 289 yards and four touchdowns while also notching 50 yards on the ground. After throwing four interceptions against Marshall last week, Appleby responded with a mistake-free game. The Purdue offense featured a balanced attack on Saturday, netting 251 yards on the ground.
Indiana State quarterback Matt Adam threw for 194 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Adam also led the ground attack for the Sycamores, adding 88 yards rushing.
Overall, it was a much better week for the Big Ten. Michigan State's win over Oregon puts the Spartans on track to possibly come to Columbus as an undefeated team. Not to get ahead of ourselves, but there's a real chance that game could end up being a battle of the nation's top two teams. Michigan, Wisconsin, and Nebraska all bounced back this week. The biggest disappointment had to be in Maryland as the Terps were unable to slow down Bowling Green's offense.
What's on the docket for next week? Ohio State will take on unbeaten Northern Illinois, Nebraska travels to Miami to battle the Hurricanes, Iowa faces Pitt at Kinnick Stadium, and conference play will kick off as Rutgers travels to Happy Valley.
