Photo courtesy of Northwestern Athletics
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (Sports Network) -
ILLINOIS: With starting QB Nathan Scheelhaase on the sideline due to an ankle injury suffered in the season opener, the Illini showed very little fight in Saturday's trip to Arizona State, falling to the Sun Devils in a 45-14 final. ASU led 14-0 after one quarter and 28-7 at the half, and the home team racked up 510 yards of total offense compared to 332 for Illinois. RB Josh Ferguson ran for 101 yards on 14 carries, which included a 51-yard scamper in the third frame. In all, the Illini hammered out 231 yards on the ground, which was certainly needed as backup QBs Reilly O'Toole and Miles Osei combined to throw for just 101 yards with a TD and two INTs. LB Jonathan Brown led the team's defensive effort with nine tackles, which included 2.5 TFL and 1.5 sacks. The Illini will try to right the ship this Saturday when they welcome FCS foe Charleston Southern to Champaign for the first of three straight home games.
INDIANA: The Hoosiers dominated FBS newcomer UMass on Saturday, rolling up more than 600 yards of total offense in posting a 45-6 victory. It was the first time Indiana gained more than 600 yards in a game since doing so at Wisconsin back in 2001. Defensively, IU limited the Minutemen to 196 total yards, marking the first time it held an opponent below 200 yards since turning the trick against Penn State in 2008. QB Tre Roberson was more effective running the ball (114 yards, two TDs) than throwing it (76 yards, one TD, one INT), but the team as a whole generated 343 yards on the ground as nine different players logged at least one carry. DB Kenny Mullen was high man on the Indiana defense with eight tackles, which included two of the team's 11 TFL. Next up for the Hoosiers is this Saturday's non-conference clash with the visiting Ball State Cardinals.
IOWA: Despite playing some pretty stingy defense, the Hawkeyes came out on the short end of a 9-6 final against the visiting Iowa State Cyclones on Saturday. Iowa, which had its 12-game home win streak against non-conference foes snapped in the setback, forced four turnovers and held its intrastate rival to 101 rushing yards and only allowed them to score points on two of their five trips to red zone. LB Anthony Hitchens logged a whopping 19 tackles in the game, 14 of which came in the first half, while fellow LB James Morris finished with 12 to go with an INT and a fumble recovery. From an offensive standpoint, QB James Vandenberg threw for 236 yards, but completed fewer than 50 percent of his passes (20-of-42) and was picked off twice. With their record now at 1-1, the Hawkeyes have a chance to notch a couple of wins before the start of Big Ten play in a few weeks, as they welcome FCS foe Northern Iowa to town this Saturday, followed by another home date with Central Michigan on Sept. 22.
MICHIGAN: A week after suffering a demoralizing defeat at the hands of defending national champion Alabama, the Wolverines were able to put one in the win column on Saturday, as they opened the home portion of their schedule with a 31-25 victory over Air Force. QB Denard Robinson accounted for 426 yards of total offense (208 passing, 218 rushing) and four TDs (two passing, two rushing) to lead the Michigan offense, while LBs Jake Ryan and Joe Bolden paced the defense with 11 and 10 tackles, respectively. Air Force amassed 290 rushing yards in the game, and that came a week after Alabama churned out 247 yards on the ground against the Maize and Blue. Freshman TE Devin Funchess caught four balls for 106 yards and a TD against USAFA, while RB Fitz Toussaint, who sat out the opener due to suspension, made his season debut but was limited to just seven yards on eight carries. Michigan welcomes FBS newcomer UMass to the Big House this Saturday, before heading to South Bend the following week to take on nationally-ranked Notre Dame.
MICHIGAN STATE: The Spartans continue to do it on both sides of the ball, as they throttled Mid-American Conference foe Central Michigan on Saturday, 41-7. For the second straight week, Michigan State did not allow an offensive TD -- the Chippewas' only score of the game coming on a 55-yard INT return late in the fourth quarter. MSU outgained its hosts 495-245, with CMU tallying just 72 net rushing yards for the game. Through the first two games of the season, the Spartans are allowing a paltry 54.5 rushing ypg. QB Andrew Maxwell completed 20-of-31 passes for 275 yards and two TDs and no INTs for Michigan State, which was nice to see after he threw three INTs and no TDs in the narrow season-opening win over Boise State. RB Le'Veon Bell ran for 70 yards and pair of first-half TDs to lead the MSU rushing attack, which averaged 4.2 ypc and totaled 173 yards on the day. The Spartans will play the first of three straight home game this Saturday, as they entertain the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
MINNESOTA: The New Hampshire Wildcats offered little resistance over the weekend, as the Golden Gophers posted an easy 44-7 home victory. It was the most points scored by Minnesota since putting up 48 in a double-overtime loss to Northwestern in 2007, and the win put the brakes on a two-game slide against FCS competition -- Minnesota having lost to North Dakota State and South Dakota the last two years. QB MarQueis Gray threw for just 100 yards and two TDs, opting instead to do the bulk of his damage on the ground where he totaled 109 yards and scored twice. RB Donnell Kirkwood matched his career- high with 70 yards, and scored his first TD of the season on a two-yard plunge late in the third quarter. Defensively, UM allowed just 68 rushing yards and only 231 total yards, coming up with a pair of turnovers and four sacks along the way. For the second straight game, DB Derrick Wells was credited with eight tackles to lead the team. Minnesota plays the middle game of a three- game home stand this Saturday when it entertains the Broncos of Western Michigan.
NEBRASKA: Despite a productive rushing attack that generated 260 yards and accounted for three TDs, the Cornhuskers came up short in their recent clash at UCLA, falling to the Bruins in a 36-30 final. RB Ameer Abdullah produced a career-high 119 yards and two scores, while QB Taylor Martinez added 112 yards and a TD for Nebraska, which unfortunately had a ton of difficulty stopping the Bruins' suddenly potent offense, which accounted for 653 total yards (344 rushing, 309 passing). Martinez threw for 179 yards with an INT -- 109 of which went to WR Kenny Bell who tallied six grabs on the day (both career highs). Nebraska was just 1-of-11 on third-down conversion attempts, while UCLA went 9-of-20. LB Will Compton led the Husker defense with a dozen tackles, but the unit as a whole came up with only one turnover in nearly 38 minutes on the field. The Cornhuskers open a three-game home stand this Saturday when they entertain the Arkansas State Red Wolves.
NORTHWESTERN: Trailing 10-3 at the half, the Wildcats made the necessary adjustments and kicked it into gear over the final 30 minutes as they scored a 23-13 win over visiting Vanderbilt on Saturday. RB Venric Mark rushed for a career-high 123 yards and a TD to fuel the Northwestern offense, while LB Chi Chi Ariguzo paced the defense with 10 tackles, which included three TFL and a sack. In all, the 'Cats logged three sacks and two fumble recoveries, while allowing just 318 yards to the Commodores (101 rushing, 217 passing). NU coach Pat Fitzgerald is just eight wins shy of taking over the school's all-time wins record currently held by Lynn "Pappy" Waldorf (1935-46). The Boston College Eagles are next up for the Wildcats, who will be playing the second of four consecutive home games this Saturday. FCS foe South Dakota and Big Ten rival Indiana round out the home stand.
OHIO STATE: Behind a tremendous individual effort from QB Braxton Miller, the Buckeyes took care of visiting UCF over the weekend, topping the Knights in a 31-16 final. Miller ran for 141 yards and three TDs, becoming the first Ohio State signal-caller in more than three decades to score three rushing TDs in a game, and he threw for 155 yards and another score to help the Buckeyes improve to 2-0 under new head coach Urban Meyer. OSU committed three turnovers in the game, but the defense came up with three of its own (all INTs) while holding UCF to just 103 net rushing yards. In addition to the turnovers his offense committed, Meyer obviously didn't like the fact that his team was penalized 10 times for a loss of nearly 80 yards. Ohio State will play the third of four straight home games to open the season when it welcomes Pac-12 foe California to the Horseshow this Saturday.
PENN STATE: The Nittany Lions' season of despair took another hit over the weekend, as they dropped a 17-16 decision at ACC foe Virginia. PK Sam Ficken missed four field goals, including the potential game-winner from 42 yards out as time expired, wasting a solid outing by the Penn State defense which allowed the Cavaliers just 32 net rushing yards and came up with four turnovers. Truth be told, with the defense playing as well as it did, the offense should have done more, but the run game produced just 121 yards, with no back rushing for more than 47 yards (Derek Day). QB Matt McGloin went 19- of-35 for 197 yards and two TDs, with WR Allen Robinson serving as his favorite target by hauling in 10 balls for 89 yards and a score. LBs Michael Mauti and Gerald Hodges combined for 17 tackles, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and a pass breakup, while freshman DE Deion Barnes had two of the team's three sacks. Penn State will try once again to give head coach Bill O'Brien his first career win when the team plays host to Navy this Saturday.
PURDUE: The Boilermakers stood tall against the run in Saturday's road clash with in-state rival Notre Dame, allowing the Fighting Irish a mere 52 net rushing yards. But the home team still managed to earn a hard-fought 20-17 victory thanks in large part to 324 yards passing and a defensive effort that permitted Purdue just 288 total yards, including only 90 on the ground. The QB tandem of Caleb TerBush and Robert Marve combined to complete 19-of-37 passes for 198 and two TDs, but the former was picked off twice and the latter sacked four times. WR Antavian Edison caught both of TerBush's TD passes, tallying six grabs for 50 yards on the day. PU's defensive effort was led by CB Josh Johnson who made nine tackles, logged both a forced fumble and fumble recovery, and broke up four passes. DT Kawann Short was credited with two of the team's five sacks. Purdue returns home to face Eastern Michigan this Saturday.
WISCONSIN: The typically-bruising Badger rushing attack was held to just 35 net yards on Saturday by an Oregon State team that earned a hard-fought 10-7 home victory. RB Montee Ball's Heisman hopes took a serious hit as he finished with just 61 yards on 15 carries, and Wisconsin QB Danny O'Brien threw for 172 yards with a TD and an INT, hitting WR JEff Duckworth seven times for 55 yards. LB Ethan Armstrong led the Badger defense with 10 tackles, while DB Shelton Johnson finished with nine, and LBs Chris Borland and Mike Taylor tallied eight apiece. The Beavers ran for just 78 yards, but produced 276 yards through the air. Wisconsin was terrible on third down (2-of-14), and the team lost the time of possession battle by more than 10 minutes. Hoping to restore some lost pride, the Badgers play host to a pesky Utah State squad this Saturday.