The week-seven slate featured three premier conference matchups and the day seemed to flow especially well as the more prominent games were conveniently spread out in different time slots. Perhaps more importantly, it allowed us all to see what was probably one of the most heartbreaking losses in the history of organized sports.
Let's take a gander at what transpired on Black Saturday.
No. 7 Michigan State 27, No. 12 Michigan 23
Connor Cook is asking the same question that we are all still asking ourselves.
This one definitely lived up to the hype. Yes, pretty much everyone in America is still wondering what the heck the officiating crew was doing all day, but how about that ending? I mean a Michigan fan legitimately had a heart attack in the stands. Fortunately it sounds like he will be okay.
Incredible. Absolutely incredible! Brought to you by @GrubHub. http://t.co/Tp1sXNvPm8
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 17, 2015
Michigan State's equipment staff had already delivered the Paul Bunyan Trophy to the Wolverines' locker room. That's how improbable the Spartans' victory was. Another example? How about Grand Rapids ABC station WZZM delivering a live report outside of the Big House. A live report documenting the Michigan win over the Spartans.
People will be wondering why Michigan punter Blake O'Neill didn't just go down with the ball; a reasonable thing to wonder about. Some have taken to social media where they have elected to send death threats to the Australian graduate student; a not-so reasonable thing to do. No one can really explain how or why it happened the way it did, but Saturday's finish in Ann Arbor won't be forgotten anytime soon.
Both teams' running games were held in check as the Wolverine put up 62 yards on the ground while the Spartans could only manage 58. Senior quarterback Connor Cook completed 18 of 39 passes for 328 yards and one touchdown. True freshman running back L.J. Scott was held to just 16 yards on eight carries but was able to find the endzone twice. Aaron Burbridge led all receivers with nine receptions for 132 yards.
The Wolverine offense could only muster 230 yards on the day. Jake Rudock completed 15 of 25 passes for 168 yards. De'Veon Smith averaged less than three yards per carry, finishing with 46 yards on 19 carries. Fullback Sione Houma rushed for 30 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns. Jabrill Peppers continues to be one of the more exciting players to watch as he made a couple nifty plays on special times, caught a few passes, and even lined up in the backfield on occasion.
BONUS: Here's each teams' radio call of the final play.
No. 17 Iowa 40, No. 20 Northwestern 10
Many were forecasting this one to be the first loss for Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes, but a lot of people are going to have to keep waiting as Iowa went on the road to Evanston and took down the Widcats. To make the win even more impressive, they did it without their top player on offense as tailback Jordan Canzeri exited in the first quarter with a foot injury.
The Wildcats kept it close for a while – trailing 16-10 at the half – but they failed to put up any points in the second half and were unable to stop the Iowa ground game. Sophomore Akrum Wadley filled in admirably for Canzeri as the Hawkeye running game didn't skip a beat. Wadley rushed for 204 yards and four touchdowns on 26 carries. Derrick Mitchell Jr. added 79 yards and a rushing score of his own. After losing offensive tackle Brandon Scherff to the NFL, the Hawkeye offensive line has looked like one of the best units in the conference. Quarterback C.J. Beathard threw for 176 despite being hampered by a sore hip and groin.
C.J. Beathard becomes the first Iowa QB in school history to win each of his first eight career starts. #Hawkeyes #GoHawks
— Matt Benson (@mbenson6) October 17, 2015
The Wildcat offense was held to just 198 yards on the day. Clayton Thorson threw for 125 yards with a touchdown and one interception. Justin Jackson struggled to get anything going on the ground, rushing for just 30 yards on ten carries.
| School | W-L | Rank | Prev |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 7-0 | 1 | 1 |
| Michigan State | 7-0 | 2 | 2 |
| Iowa | 7-0 | 3 | 4 |
| Michigan | 5-2 | 4 | 3 |
| Wisconsin | 5-2 | 5 | 7 |
| Penn State | 5-2 | 6 | 5 |
| Northwestern | 5-2 | 7 | 6 |
| Nebraska | 3-4 | 8 | 13 |
| Minnesota | 4-3 | 9 | 8 |
| Rutgers | 3-3 | 10 | 11 |
| Illinois | 4-2 | 11 | 10 |
| Indiana | 4-3 | 12 | 9 |
| Maryland | 2-4 | 13 | 12 |
| Purdue | 1-6 | 14 | 14 |
Nebraska 48, Minnesota 25
Juniors Tommy Armstrong and Terrell Newby led the way for the Huskers Saturday in Minneapolis. Armstrong connected on 18 of 26 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns while adding another 38 on the ground. Newby rushed for 116 yards and a pair of scores. Alonzo Moore and Jordan Westerkamp were Armstrong's favorite targets. Moore ended the day with four receptions for 84 yards and a score while Westerkamp hauled in six for 76.
The Huskers played mostly mistake-free football but the turnovers were the story of the day for the Gophers. Quarterback Mitch Leidner was picked off twice in the second quarter; the first of which was returned 41 yards for a score by Nebraska cornerback Joshua Kalu. Running back Shannon Brooks lost a fumble in the first quarter which also led to a Huskers' touchdown.
Leidner threw for 301 yards on the day and was responsible for two Gopher touchdowns. The Minnesota rushing game struggled as they were only able to manage 65 yards against the Husker defense.
Wisconsin 24, Purdue 7
At one point, the Badgers had 317 yards of total offense while hapless Purdue had 74. Yet somehow the score was just 10-7 in favor of Wisconsin. Two second-half touchdowns and a dominant performance by the defense helped Paul Chryst and the Badgers move to 5-2 on the season.
Joel Stave completed 30 of 39 passes for 322 yards. The Wiscy running game accounted for all three touchdowns on the day. True freshman linebacker-turned-running back Alec Ingold scored twice including a 4th and goal carry where he found paydirt despite being hit at the four-yard line. Dare Ogunbowale found the endzone as well. Alex Erickson led Wisconsin receivers with nine catches for 86 yards.
Prediction: Pretty sure Alec Ingold won't be moving back to LB anytime soon. Brought to you by @hotelsdotcom. http://t.co/sWtIqlNYy6
— Wisconsin on BTN (@WisconsinOnBTN) October 17, 2015
The Purdue offense could only manage 191 yards on Saturday. David Blough threw for 136 yards and added a touchdown on the ground. Tailback Markell Jones was held in check, amassing just 46 yards on 12 carries.
Rutgers 55, Indiana 52
If you are a fan of Big Ten defensive battles, then Bloomington definitely wasn't the place for you on Saturday. If you are a fan of up-and-down college football games, then Bloomington probably felt like paradise.
End of 1st Q: Indiana leads 17-7 Halftime: Rutgers leads 27-24 End of 3rd: Indiana leads 52-27 End of game: Rutgers wins 55-52
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) October 17, 2015
Indiana turned the ball over four times which led to 21 Rutgers' points and ultimately cost the Hoosiers the game. Quarterback Nate Sudfield threw for 464 yards and four touchdowns. Three IU receivers had 100+ yards on the day. Mitchell Page led the way with 126 yards, Ricky Jones went for 119 and a score, and sophomore Simmie Cobbs Jr. hauled in seven passes for 107 yards.
Rutgers' wideout Leonte Carroo continues to shred Big Ten defenses. The senior caught seven passes for 157 yards and three scores on the day. Sophomore tailback Robert Martin also found the endzone three times as he rushed for 124 yards on 17 carries. Chris Laviano threw for a career-high 386 yards and three scores. Kyle Frederico kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired.
The Hoosiers and Scarlet Knights combined for 1,223 yards of offense and 15 touchdowns.
All in all, week seven definitely wasn't lacking for excitement. The Michigan collapse was certainly lol-worthy and is probably going to be the talk of the college football world for the next week, but the Hawkeyes' performance need not be overlooked. Iowa has now gotten through the most difficult part of their schedule and they're still unscathed. Perhaps a road trip to Bloomington will present a challenge, but Ferentz has his squad looking like contenders right now.
Next week's schedule is looking pretty meh. The Spartans will be hosting the Hoosiers, Ohio State travels to Rutgers, and Penn State will be looking to avenge last season's home loss to the Terrapins.
