Week 4, 2024

Hey All,

Time to look back on the week that was in college football with another edition of Notes on a Big Ten Scorecard.  We still miss you, Jim Murray.

Summaries 

Michigan 27- USC 24: Ann Arbor, MI- The Trojans hit the road to the Big House for their first ever Big Ten conference game.  SC faced not a small task in trying to beat the defending National Champs at their place.  However, as the early season unfolded it was clear that Michigan had problems on offense and USC's defense was much improved. The Wolverines were also changing QBs for this game with Alex Orji replacing stater Davis Warren who had problems moving the offense.  What would happen? Nobody really knew but it turned out to be an exciting, hard hitting affair.  Michigan dominated the first half.  The Wolverine defense, poor field position and epically poor play calling kept the SC offense dormant for most of  the half.  Meanwhile the SC defense did its' best against a one dimensional UM offense.  The Trojans allowed two long TD runs by RBs Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards of 53 and 41 yards to fall behind 14-0 midway through the second quarter.  The Trojans did manage to kick a FG right before half to cut their deficit to 14-3 going into the intermission.  Over the last decade this seemed like another episode of a sad story for SC football.  SC doesn't come back from double digit deficits lately.  However, this Trojan squad got up off the deck tomopen the second half and drove 75 yards in 12 plays to get within four points of UM when TE Duce Robinson caught a nine-yard scoring strike from QB Miller Moss.  Then after forcing a punt, SC had the ball back at their own 41-yard line facing a 3rd and 3.  Moss was then beautifully baited into an interception by the Maize and Blue.  CB Will Johnson deftly picked off Moss' sideline pass and took it back 42 yards for a touchdown.  The PAT was blocked and the Wolverines led 20-10 with 5:26 left in the third period.  Then came the weirdest drive of the game.  USC moved the ball down to the Michigan two-yard line on a 65-yard run by RB Woody Marks.  Then facing 3rd and Goal from the six-yard line, Moss dropped back under pressure and fumbled.  DT Kenneth Grant looked like he had a scoop and score goingto put the game away when Marks ran Grant down and then just ripped the ball out of his hands.  Suddenly Troy had the ball back with a first down at the UM 27-yard line. Two plays later Moss took advantage of a blown Michigan coverage to find WR Jay Fair for a 16-yard TD pass and SC trailed just 20-17.  The teams traded several punts as the Trojan defense shut down the UM offense and SC's OL still wasn't much of a match for UM DL.  Then SC got the break that should have won the game.  UM's Edwards had broken through the SC line only to have LB Eric Gentry punch the ball out and then recover it on the Wolverines' 18-yard line.  Four plays later Moss hit WR Jacob Lane with a 24-yard TD pass and the Trojans now led 24-20 with 7:01 to play.  After Michigan was forced to punt again, USC had the ball on their own 38-yard line with 5:01 to play.  The Trojans needed to just run clock and make Michigan use their timeouts on the upcoming drive.  The Trojans did neither as one run and two useless incomplete shovel passes forced the Trojans to punt with plenty of time on the clock.  Michigan got the ball back with 4:02 left and two timeouts.  They also had to travel 89 yards to win with an offense that couldn't throw the ball.  It was quite evident from the state of the game that Orji couldn't throw a pea in the ocean high tide, much less throw his team down the field.  Michigan would need big play on the ground and they got it.  Mullings burst through the Trojan line and refused to be tackled.  63 yards later, Michigan had a first down at the USC 16-yard line.  Then several,mplays later facing Fourth and Goal from the one, Michigan ran a classic off tackle play and Mullings rumbled into the end zone for the go ahead score.  USC's last chance to at least send the game to OT ended when Moss threw to Lane short of the sticks with  :12 left.  A game that had been won was lost to the frustration of Trojans everywhere. For the one dimensional Wolverines, Mullings led all rushers with 159 yards on 17 carries and two TDs.  For the Trojans Moss completed 28 of 51 passes for 283 yards and three TDs while Marks ran the ball 13 times for 100 yards.  Last, but definitely not least, the officials were basically non-existent in this game.  Two blatant facemarks that should have been called were not, a targeting call was missed and there were many blatant holding calls that were just ignored this pretty awful crew.  Michigan ran the ball 46 times and didn't get single holding call.  Hmmmmmm.

Telling Stat: Trenches lost= Game lost;  SC's absolutely abysmal effort by the offensive line lost this game.  

Illinois 31- Nebraska 24 OT: Lincoln, NE-  Tim Brando and the Fox crew covering this Friday night affair were all ready to crown Nebraska as being back and Dylan Raiola as the second coming of Patrick Mahomes. Evidently Illinois never got that memo and uglied their way to another win that ended in quite possibly the worst OT period a team could have.  Then Fighting Illini struck first with a six-play, 78-yard drive for a TD to go up 7-0 on a 27-yard pass from QB Luke Altmyer to WR Pat Bryant.  Nebraska answered back to take a 10-7 lead when they got a 21-yard FG from PK John Hohl  and a six-yard TD toss from Railoa to WR Isiah Neyor.  Illinois would tie the game at 10 a piece when PK David Olano split the uprights form 26 yards away.  NU would the take a 17-10 lead into the half when Raiola and Neylor hooked up again. This time it was form 11 yards out.  Early in the third quarter Nebraska stopped the Illini and it looked like the Huskers had the momentum and would takeover the game.  Uhhhh, no. UI just kept plugging away and the game was tied with 10:36 left in the fourth quarter at 24-24.  Illinois got TDs passes of thee and six yards from Altmyer to TE Tanner Arkin and OL Brandon Henderson.  Yes, the big man donned an eligible number and snuck out into the flat on the goal line and rumbled into the end zone for the game tying TD.  Nebraska's  last score of the night came on Raiola's third TD pass. It was a one-yard flip to WR Janiran Bonner.  The Huskers had a chance to win this one in regulation, but Hohl's 39-yarder sailed wide and off to OT they went.  This would go down as one of the worst OT periods ever played by any one team.  The Huskers stunk up Memorial Stadium.  Illinois had the ball first and in two plays scored a TD.  The score covered four yards on a pass from Altmyer to Bryant.  Then Nebraska got the ball.  On first down, NU got called for a false start, then Raiola got sacked for a nine yard loss.  On 2nd and 24 Raiola was sacked again for an 18-yard loss.  The Huskers now had a 3rd and 42 from their own 43-yard line.  They picked up 13 yards on a short pass. Now it was 4th and 29 from the Illinois 44-yard line.  Raiola was sacked again to end the game and send the stunned Huskers faithful home wondering if they will ever be back.  Altmyer had a great night for Illinois completing 21 of 27 passes for 215 yards and four TDs.  Bryant was his favorite target, hauling in five aerials for 74 yards and two scores.  Raiola completed 24 of 35 passes for 297 yards, three TDs and an interception in the gut wrenching loss.  

Telling Stat: 1 missed kick + 3 sacks = L;  Nebraska missed a game-wining field goal, then played the worst overtime period known to man by getting sacked three times to lose a winnable game.   

Ohio State 49- Marshall 14: Columbus, OH-  The Thundering Herd of Marshall momentarily silenced the crowd at the Horseshoe When RB Ethan Payne capped off a 75-yard drive with a one-yard TD plunge for a 7-0 lead.  I say momentarily because three plays later, the Buckeyes tied the game on a 68-yard TD pass from QB Will Howard to WR Emeka Ebuka.  Marshall would never lead again as the Scarlet and Gray outclassed their MAC opponent the rest of the way for the easy victory.  Howard completed 16 of 20  passes for 275 yards, two TDs and an interception in three quarters worth of work.  Buckeye RB Quinshon Judkins toted the rock 14 times for 173 yards and two TDs to lead all rushers. For the overmatched Marshall squad, QB Stone Earle compared 16 of 21 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown.  

Telling Stat: The Chip Kelly is your OC stat:  Ohio State racked up 49 points and 569 yards of offense in only 23:45 of possession time.  

Indiana 52- Charlotte 17: Bloomington, IN-  After a triumphant whipping of UCLA last week in Pasadena,  it would be natural for the Hoosiers to have a letdown against the Charlotte 49ers.  The score stood 17-14 IU ith 5:19 left in the second quarter, after the 49ers pulled within three on a 25-yard pass from QB Trexler Ivey to WR Isiah Myers.  The Hoosiers then woke up, put their foot on the gas and dominated the final 35 minutes of the game to stay undefeated on the year.  QB Kurtis Rourke competed 16 of 22 passes for 258 yards and a score while RB Ty Son Lawson gained 35 yards and scored two TDs on seven carries.  Ivey completed 14 of 23 passes for 119 yards and a TD in defeat.

Telling Stat: 21 in 5 = W;  In a 5:52  span covering the end of the first half to the beginning of the second half, Indiana went on a 21-0 run to go form a 17-14 lead to a 38-14 lead and total control of the game. 

Maryland 38- Villanova 20: College Park, MD- The Terrapins got to a 24-0 halftime advantage then found themselves having to hold off a feisty bunch Wildcats in the second half before pulling away for the win.  The Red, White, Black and Gold  jumped out a 17-0 first quarter lead on an 18-yard TD pass from QB Billy Edwards, Jr. to Kaden Prather, a six yard TD jaunt from RB Roman Hemby and a 46-yard FG from PK Jack Howes.  RB Nolan Ray gave the Terps a 24-0 when he bulled into the end zone from the one-yard line late in the second period.  It could have been a 31-0 lead and clear sailing for Maryland, but a fumble on the Wildcats 15-yard line with :34 left in the half killed that chance.  The second half saw Villanova wake up and fight to get back into the game.  The Wildcats wrapped a FG of 33 yards from PK Ethan Gettman and a 17-yard TD pass from QB Connor Watkins to WR Devin Smith around a Maryland interception.  Suddenly the stadium was a little tense and the crowd was nervous the home team clinging to 24-10 lead over their FCS foe with 4:15 left in the third quarter.  UM then eased the crowd's fears with a drive that covered 75 yards in eight plays to go up 31-10 on a nine-yard scoring strike from Edwards, Jr. to WR Tai Felton.  Maryland added another score on a 14-yard TD run by RB M.J. Morris.  The terrapins had the game well in hand, up 38-13 when Villanova got a cosmetic TD with 1:11 left.  Edwards finished the afternoon completing 28 of 32 passes for 328 yards, two TDs and an interception. Felton couldn't be stopped by Villanova.  He caught 14 passes for 157 yards and a TD.  Watkins threw for 106 yards and score in the loss for the Wildcats.

Telling Stat: Fast Start = W;  Maryland raced out to a 17-0 first quarter lead and outgained Villanova 162 yards to nine to pave the way for victory. 

   

Penn State 56- Kent State 0: Happy Valley, PA-  The Fighting Paternos figured to have no trouble with the winless Golden Flashes of the MAC.  Yes, the same Golden Flahses who were already whipped by Pitt and Tennessee and upset by St. Francis of the FCS.  PSU had a gaffe right off the bat with an interception on their opening drive.  Then they settled down to take a 28-0 halftime lead and then emptied the benches as they worked towards the final score of 56-0. PSU QB Drew Allar sliced and diced the KSU secondary, completing 17 of 21 tosses for 309 yards and three TDs.  He also ran for 26 yards and score on five carries. WR Omar Evens caught four of Allard's throws for 116 yards and a TD. Eight different backs combined to rush 50 times for 309 yards and three TDs.  Penn State's defense held KSU to 67 total yards. 

Telling Stat: Not even close;  This game was never in doubt as the closest Kent State got to scoring was the Penn State 41-yard line.    

LSU 34- UCLA 17: Baton Rouge, LA-  Nobody, including this intrepid reporter, gave UCLA much of chance to win at LSU after the way the bRuins looked in a rough win at Hawaii and a humiliating loss at the hands of Indiana at the Rose Bowl last week.  So when the UCLA went into the break tied at 17-17  with the Bayou Bengals, it sent some shockwaves across the country.  LSU's defense then woke up and stuffed the bRuins offense in the second half to allow their offense to grind out a much harder than expected win.  LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier completed 32 of 44 passes for 352 yards and three TDs while UCLA QB Ethan Garbers completed 22 of 36 passes for 281 yards with two TDs and an interception.

Telling Stat: 96 yards to control; On their first possession of the second half, LSU marched 96 yards in 14 plays in the Baton Rouge heat to take a 24-17 lead and control of the game.  UCLA never recovered from this march.

Rutgers 26- Virginia Tech 23: Blacksburg, VA-  Lane Stadium is a pretty hostile environment for visitors.  so it was pretty shocking to see Rutgers with a 23-7 lead as the fourth quarter began. The Scarlet Knights had a few flubs, but they seemed to be in total control of the game.  Then the final quarter began and things fell apart for the kids from New Jersey.  The Hokies cut RU's lead to 23-15 with 14:06 to play on a TD run of 14 yards from RB Bhayshul Tuten and two-point conversion pass from QB Kryon Drones to TE Benji Gosnell.  On their next possession the Hokies tied the game with the same players.  Tuten crossed the double stripe from two yards out and Drones and Gosnell hooked up for another two-point conversion.  Lane Stadium was rocking, the Hokies had come back and Rutgers looked shaken and ready to lose.  The Scarlet Knights had the ball with 4:33 left on their own 25-yard line.  One stunning 68-yard pass from QB Athan Kaliakmains to WR Ian Strong and Rutgers was in FG range.  Four plays later PK Jai Patel kicked a 24-yard FG to give Rutgers a 26-23 lead.  VaTEch had a chance to tie the game, but that chance ended when Drones was intercepted at Hokies 30-yard line by DB Robert Longerbeam with 1:24 left in the contest.  Rutgers RB Kyle Monangai gained 84 yards on 26 carries and a TD, but Kaliakmanis had good game completing 16 of 25 passes for 269 yards.  In defeat, Tuten rushed for 122 yards on 13 carries with three TDs for the Hokies.

Telling Stat: 3 looks good; Rutgers is 3-0 and that's huge for the Scarlet Knights. 

Washington 24- Northwestern 5: Seattle, WA- The Huskies needed a bounce back win after losing the Apple Cup to Wazzu last week.  Fortunately for them,  the Wildcats and their moribund offense were next on the schedule for UW.  The Dawgs took an early 7-0 lead on a 46-yard TD bomb from QB Will Rogers to WR  Denzel Boston.   PK Grady Gross made it a 10-0 lead on a 21-yard FG.  UW went up 17-0 on another TD pass from Rogers to Boston with 10:12 left in the second quarter.  Then, while the Northwestern offense continued to sputter throughout the game, the Huskies offense also went into funk.  The Wildcats showed some fight,  putting five points up on an intentional grounding call in the end zone against Rogers and a 18-yard FG from PK Jack Olsen that followed a Husky turnover.   The Husky portion of the fully purple clad crowd on Montlake was getting nervous watching their squad cling to a 17-5 when their team put the game away with 14:02 left to play.  RB Jonah Coleman finished off an 11-play, 77-yard drive with an eight-yard scamper to paydirt and a 24-5 lead.   The rest of the game was a blurt of turnovers on downs and punts, but the Dawgs did come away with a win and a 1-0 record in the Big Ten standings.  Rogers finished the day completing 20n of 28 passes for 223 yards and two TDs.  Coleman led all rushers with 67vyards on 15 carries and a score.  For the punchless Wildcats offense, QB Jack Lausch completed eight of 27 aerials for 53 yards and two interceptions.  

Telling Stat: 9 after 5 = L;  After Northwestern cut Washington's lead to 17-5 on a field goal, they were held to nine total yards over the final 20:05 of the game.  

Iowa 31- Minnesota 14: Minneapolis, MN- Gopher fans were feeling pretty good up 14-7 at the half last week.  It looked like there was a pretty good chance that the coveted Floyd of Rosedale trophy would reside for another year in Minneapolis.   Then the second half happened. The Hawkeye offense ran all over the Gophers while the Iowa defense sank Minnesota's offensive boat.  The Black and Gold scored the first four times they had the ball in the second half to take a 31-14 lead and send the Golden Gopher fans home early in Minneapolis. Meanwhile the Iowa defense never let the Gophers get closer than their own 37-yard line.  Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson had himself a career day, lugging the leather 21 times for 206 yards and three TDs. For the now Floyd-less Maroon and Gold, QB Max Brosmer completed 22 of 37 passes for 209 yards, two TDs and an interception. 

Telling Stat:  Second Half Beatdown;  In the first 15:09 of the second half, Iowa went on a 24-0 run while outgaining Minnesota 226 yards to 14 to put this game firmly in the win column. 

Boston College 23- Michigan State 19: Chestnut Hill, MA- It was the annual Red Bandana game at BC.  The game that is dedicated each year in. honor of BC alum Welles Crowther who perished while helping  others escape death on 9/11 at the Twin Towers. It's always an emotional affair.  The Eagles seem to dig. deep and come up with a little extra in this game. Couple that spirit with a prety good team this year under first year HC Bill O'Brien and you have the recipe for a comeback victory.  The game stood knotted at 16 with 4:12 left in the fourth quarter when PK Jonathan Kim booted one through form 27 yards away to put the Spartans up 19-16.  Boston College got the ball on their own 25-yard line after the ensuing kickoff.  In five plays they marched down two the MSU 42-yard line.  The next play saw QB Thomas Castellanos find streaking WR Lewis Bond down the right sideline for the game-wining TD.  The all-important PAT gave the Fighting Fluties a four point lead with 1:28 to play.  The Sons of Sparty had one last chance to pull out the win, but QB Aiden Chiles was picked off in the end zone by BC DB Max Tucker as the rain fell in Chestnut Hill to send MSU to their first defeat of the year.  Three kneel downs later and BC had an emotional comeback victory.  For the Eagles, RBs Treshaun Ward and Turbo Richard combined to tote the rock 24 times for 102 yards and two TDs while Castellanos completed 10 of 16 passes for 140 yards and a score.  Chiles competed 17 of 35 passes with three interceptions in the loss for Michigan State.

Telling Stat:  Turnovers kill;  Michigan State was -3 in turnovers and that cost the Spartans the game.

Oregon State 38- Purdue 21: Corvallis, OR-  The last game played in the Big Ten this past week was a battle of teams that had been humiliated by old rivals the week earlier.  Oregon State was smashed by Oregon while Purdue gave up more yardage than the Italian army in a drubbing by Notre Dame.  The teams stumbled their way through the first 42 minutes of game time.  OSU held a 17-7 lead thanks to a pick six by LB Zakaih Saez, a one-yard TD run from RB Anthony Hankerson and a 29-yard FG from PK Everett Hayes.  PU's only score came on a 32-yard TD pass from QB Hudson Card to TE Max Klare.  The last 18 minutes of play would see both teams combine for 35 points and 317 yards of offense.  Both teams did most of their damage on the ground with al, five TDs coining in the ground.  Simple story of this points explosion is that whatever Purdue did, Oregon State had an answer.  Up 31-21, the Beavers put the game away when Hankerson scampered 12 yards for the TD that put his squad up 38-21 with 1:53 to play.  OSU RB Jam Griffin ran for 137 yards on 22 carries with a TD while he combined with teammates Hankerson, Gevani McCoy and Zach Card to run for 337 yards on 54 carries and four scores. For the Boilermakers, RB Devin Mockobee led all rushers with 168 yards and a TD on 16 carries and a TD. 

Telling Stat: Not stopping the run = Ls;  In their two losses Purdue has given up 703 yards rushing.  That'a nifty 351.5 yards per game.  Whoa.

Observations 

...Fans of a certain age; All the fans of the Sunday game my around my age game grew up on the epic myth making of NFL Films.  First day of Fall was Sunday one thing comes to mind.  The Autumn Wind    Ahhhhh to hear John Facenda aka "The Voice of God."

...Three yards and cloud of field turf;  You can't tell me Bo Schembechler isn't smiling somewhere over how Michigan beat USC.  

...Need that A-1 sauce;  If Illinois' brand of football was a food, they'd be a nickel steak at a diner with a C rating from the board of health.  It's tough as hell and rough going down, but it gets the job done and fills you up.

...A lucky 3-1;  Michigan State is lucky to be 3-1.  This team gives away the ball like it's a free sample at Costco.   

...Eyes on Happy Valley;  All of a sudden, the Illinois-Penn State game looks a lot more interesting this week.  Illinois beat the Nittany Lions the last time they visited Beaver Stadium in 2021, The final was 20-18 in 9 OT. Yes, nine overtimes.  

...Quietly making noise;  Army and Navy are both 3-0 and are both favored to go 4-0.  Both academies haven't been 4-0 in the same season since 1945. 

...Thats what the white jerseys are for;  Ohio State actually plays a road game this week at Michigan State.

...A pure week;  There are only seven games in the Big Ten this week, but all are conference games.  

...Mazel Tov in Deseret; BYU has a jewish QB in Jake Retzlaff.  That is quite an anomaly for the Cougars, but he isn't the most memorable non-Mormon QB ever to play for BYU.  All of us old folks remember when Jim McMahon was the signal caller for HC LaVell Edwards way back when.

...17 years;  Alabama is a +2 v. Georgia this week.  Bama hasn't been a home underdog since 2007.

...Harsh Reality;  USC lost to a Michigan team that literally couldn't throw the ball.  

...Merging lane;  A good 140 million dollars or so spent on lawyers could have been saved if the Pac 12 and Mountain West had just merged two years ago.  

...State of Utah 2- Big XII 0;  The Big XII has some buyer's remorse after watching Utah and BYU whip Okie State and K-State.  

...Victory Lane;  In the battle of former USC HC's Lane Kififin's Ole Miss Rebels while Clay Helton's Georgia Southern Eagles, 52-13.  That's really cool. 

...Harsh Reality Part II;  USC's offensive line is nowhere near where it should be in year three of Lincoln Riley's tenure.  

...Irony, thy name is Pac 12;  Watching WSU and OSU poach teams from the Mountain West Conference is the definition of irony.  

...They ain't that bad; Purdue is awful, but they ain't Kent State.  The Golden Flashes are 0-4 and have given up 194 points and 2,420 yards of offense this year. That's 48.5 points and 605 yards per game!

...A sea change of fresh air;  San Jose State HC Ken Niumatalolo was a master of old school option football when he was at Navy, throwing the ball around 40 times all year.  His SJSU team this year is throwing the ball about 40 times a game. 

 

...Fading fast;  Missouri will be out of the top 25 soon. They just aren't that good.  SEC bias propped up a weak team here.    

Big Ten Overreactions 

USC in an 8-4 team.

UCLA is a 4-8 team.

Indiana is bowl bound.

Minnesota will fire HC P.J. Fleck soon. 

Nebraska can't have nice things. 

Northwestern is a 2-10 team because they just don't have enough players.

Purdue is a 2-10 team because the players they have stink.

Illinois is the can of Keystone Light in a bucket of champagne bottles.

Turnovers will cost Michigan State four more games. 

Penn State will James Franklin their way to three losses 

Michigan hasn't stopped holding yet.

Ohio State is the only 2-0 team in MAC play.

Maryland will just hang on in enough games to go bowling. 

Rutgers is happy to be ignored at 3-0.

Iowa would win every game 3-2 if they could.

Keeping Tabs on Your Exes

...Woo Hoo For Wazzu;  With their miracle comeback 2OT win over San Jose State, Wazzu is 4-0 in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1906-07. 

...A leg away;  If Cal had a real kicker they would be 4-0.  

...Scary Utes;  Utah is the team nobody wants to play in the Big XII.

Cool Uniform of the Week:  

Colorado State wins for this great looking ensemble that breaks my major rule about uniforms which is stick to your school colors.  This one definitely doesn't as CSU is Green and Gold. This is CSU's Salute to the State of Colorado uniform that uses the state flag and its' colors for a model. This is just a great uniform, so they get pass from me this week.

 

Departments 

Low Score Game of the Week: Columbus, OH- We go to the D-II ranks where 1,387 of the folks who couldn't get into the Marshall- Ohio State game watched the Thomas More University Saints down the Ohio Dominican Panthers, 6-0.  PK Luke Iden made a 31-yard FG in the first quarter and a 24-yard FG in the fourth quarter to lift the Saints to victory.  The Thomas More defense didn't allow a single third or fourth down conversion in the contest.  The Saints are now 2-1 overall and 1-0 in Great Midwest Conference play.

Best Game Almost Nobody Saw Last Week:  La Verne, CA- AT 11:06 PM  last Saturday night, Puget Sound RB Johnson Willsone's three-yard scamper for a TD in the second overtime lifted the Loggers to a 49-41 win over the La Verne Leopards.  The game featured almost 1,000 yards of offense and 49 first downs.  

Razorback Report: Auburn, AL- The Hogs went Jordan-Hare Stadium and beat the Tigers, 24-14.  Neither team handled the ball well but Auburn gave the ball back to Arkansas five times which included four interceptions by their QBs.  RB Ja'Quinden Jackson spearheaded the Razorback attack with 75 yards rushing and two TDs.  Up0 next for the Hogs is a trip to Jerryworld to face Texas A&M. 

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

Jimmy Buffett's been gone a little over a year, but man it feels like 10. 

The tortilla is a staple of SoCal life.

Variety packs of cereal are still cool.

Until next time folks, remember that moral victories aren't victories at all. Moral victories are for the Fresno States the world.

-The Commissioner 

Week 3, 2024

Hey all, 

Another football Saturday had come and gone.  There were the usual amount of ups, downs and surprises.  Let's take a look back at it with another edition of Notes on a Big Ten Scorecard.  We still miss you, Bill Gleason 

Summaries

Alabama 42- Wisconsin 10: Madison, WI-  Alabama 's recent sluggishness on the field led folks to believe that the Badgers had a chance of upsetting the Crimson Tide.  That chance ended shortly after Badger QB Tyler Van Dyke suffered a knee injury that ended his 2024 season on the first drive of the game.  However the Badgers fought through that to take an early 3-0 lead on a 53-yard FG from PK Nathaniel Vakos.  They then forced a missed FG and then drove to the Bama 39-yard line where they faced a 4th and 1. Wisconsin went for it and RB Tawee Walker was stuffed for no gain.  Nothing much went right for the Badgers after that.  The Tide then rolled to a 21-3 halftime lead.  TD passes of 31 and 26 yards from Bama QB Jalen Milroe  were sandwiched around a three-yard Milroe run for a TD to account for the 21 points.  Alabama then put the game away on the opening drive of the third quarter when RB Jam Miller capped off a five-play, 75-yard drive with a 34 yard trip to the end zone to make the score 28-3.  Wisconsin did make bit of game of it cutting the Bama lead to 28-10 when QB Braedyn Locke threw a three-yard TD pass to WR Will Pauling.  The Badgers wouldn't really threaten again.  Another TD pass and a TD run by Milroe would finish off the scoring.  Milroe's final stat line read 12 of 17 completions for 196 yard and three TDs with 75 yards rushing on 14 carries and two more scores.  In relief of the injured Van Dyke, Locke was good on 13 of 26 throws for 125 yards and a TD.  Pauling was his favorite target catching nine passes for 83 yards and a TD.  

Telling Stat: Down +2 + Miss = L; Wisconsin had a chance to be in this game but the Badgers were held for downs once, fumbled twice and missed a field goal.  Alabama turned those four miscues into 28 points.   

Michigan 28-  Arkansas State 18: Ann Arbor, MI- The restless Wolverine crowd in the Big House was anxious wondering if their team would shake off last week's whipping by Texas and grab a win over Arkansas State in impressive fashion.  The Maize and Blue won, but it wasn't impressive.  The Jekyll & Hyde Michigan offense took turns looking both efficient and erratic.  The Wolverine offense scored three TDs and also turned the ball over twice on interceptions from QB Davis Warren in the first half and took a 21-3 lead into the break.  Another interception was followed by another TD and the Wolverines held a 28-3 lead with 12:49 to play.  The interception was Warren's third of the game and it got him benched. Backup QB Alex Orji came in and threw the TD pass that made it 28-3.  Up until then Michigan's defense had done a good job holding the Red Wolves out of the end zone.  Then, they took the last half of the final period off allowing the Red Wolves to score two more TDs to cut the score to 28-18.  However, the last ASU score came worth :08 left in the game, so there was no danger of a comeback win for the Red Wolves.  The Michigan offense was led by their one-two punch of RB's  Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards.  Mullings ran for 153 yards on 15 carries and two TDs, while Edwards ran for 82 yards and a TD on 17 carries.  As a team Michigan ran for 301 yards on 44 carries.  Warren threw three interceptions but he did complete 11 of 14 other passes for 122 yards.  For the Red Wolves, QB Timmy McClain completed seven of 11 passes for 82 yards and two scores.  

Telling Stat: Defense saved them;  Michigan won this game despite turning the ball over three times with two of those turnover being deep in their own territory.  

Illinois 30- Central Michigan 9: Champaign-Urbana IL- It wasn't pretty, but Illinois just kept griding away at Central Michigan until they came away worth a lopsided looking win.  Illinois started the game with an 11-yard TD pass from QB Luke Altmyer to WR Pat Bryant.  The game then turned into a FG kicking contest for the rest of the first half as CMU's Tristan Mattson made short field goals of 32 and 29 yards.  Illinois then boomed them from long distance.  PK David Olano nailed a 49-yard FG and missed a 54-yard attempt. Then as time ran out in the half, the Illini gave PK Ethan Moczulski a shot at a 59-yarder.  His kick was true and Illinois held a 13-6 halftime lead.  Illinois got the ball to open the third quarter and drove 75 yards in four plays to take a 20-6 lead.  Altmyer hooked up with Bryant again. This time it was from 20 yards away.  While the Orange and Blue defense was busy shutting down the Chippewas, Olano added a 34-yard FG in the third quarter and RB Kaden Feagin put the game firmly in the win column when he crossed the double stripe from the two-yard line with 9:34 to play. In the middle of the Illinois scoring, Mattson kicked a 25-yard FG to finish CMU's scoring.  Altmyer had a good game connecting on 19 of 29 aerials for 242 yards and two TDs for the Fighting Illini.  In the losing clause, QB Joe Labas threw for 125 yards and an interception.

Telling Stat: 59 is one for the books;  Illinois PK Ethan Moczulski's 59-yard FG is the new Illinois record long kick. 

Oregon 49- Oregon State 14: Corvallis, OR- Reser Stadium was packed to the gills with angry Beavers fans looking to exact some revenge on the Ducks for abandoning them for the Big Ten when the Pac 12 collapsed last year.  Oh, and the chances for a Beavers upset looked decent as they trialed just 22-14 at the half to the Quacks.  Then the roof caved in on the Beavers.  The Webfoots came out and scored on their first five drives of the second half to silence the crowd and give everyone around the nation a glimpse of how good they could be this year. While the offense rolled, the Ducks defense held OSU to 74 total second half yards with no drive getting deeper than UO's own 46-yard line.  UO QB Dillon Gabriel had himself a game completing 20 of 24 passes for 291 yards and two TDs.  He also ran for 64 yards on four carries and a score. WR Tez Johnson was Gabriel's best receiver grabbing seven aerials for 110 yards. RB Jordan James led all rushers with 86 yards on 12 carries and two TDs for the Webfoots.  For the beaten Beavers QB Gevani McCoy completed 22 of 34 passes for 172 yards while RB Anthony Hankerson gained 57 yards on 15 carries with two TDs. 

Telling Stat: 334-74 = 27-0;  Oregon outgained Oregon State 334 yards to 74 yards and outscored the Beavers 27-0 in the second half to turn this rivalry game into a rout.  

Notre Dame 66- Purdue 7: West Lafayette, IN- After losing to Northern Illinois last week, it looked like Purdue had a chance of handing Notre Dame another loss.  Purdue beat their big drum in pregame, then ND beat the absolute heck out of Boilermakers showing us why many had them ranked as the 18th place team in the Big Ten coming into the season.  The Fighting Irish moved the ball with ease putting up a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter on a 48-yard TD run by RB Jeremiyah Love and a three-yard TD jaunt by QB Riley Leonard.  Leonard's ground game then staked the Irish to a 28-0 lead on TD runs of 34 and 13 yards.  Then ND put the game away late in the period with a 34-yard pick six form DL Boubacar Traore and a 70-yard TD run from RB Jadarian Price.  ND emptied then benches to start the second half and immediately went up 49-0 on a 28-yard TD pass from QB Steve Angeli to TE Cooper Flanagan.  The rest of the day was ND just getting the rest of their frustrations out on the hapless Sons of John Perdue.  Leonard ended up rushing for 100 yards on 11 carries and three TDs. He also completed 11 of 16 tosses for 112 yards.  Purdue's only sign of life was a five-yard TD pass from QB Hudson Card to De'Nylon Morrissette long after the game was decided.  

Telling Stat: Running Roughshod; Notre Dame ran over, around and through Purdue for 364 yards on 43 carries. That's a nifty 8.5 yards per carry.  

Michigan State 40- Prairie View A&M 0: East Lansing, MI- The Panthers of the FCS were a perfect cupcake game for the Spartans to work on things and move to 3-0 for the first time since 2021.  The Spartans are still a work in progress as they had two TDs called back on penalties and racked up 11 total flags for 102 yards.  Turnovers have also been a problem for  MSU but hey didn't hand out any freebies to the Panthers.  QB Aiden Chiles completed 12 of 19 passes for 173 yards and one TD.  He also ran for a score. His backup, Tommy Schuster completed eight of 10 throws for 97 yards in mop up duty. Spartan RB Nate Carter led all rushers with 91 yards in eight carries and a TD.  MSU was up 27-0 at the half, the rest of the game was a glorified scrimmage with everyone earning their letter for the Spartans. In the lopsided loss, QB Cameron Peters completed nine of 17 aerials for 123 yards and an interception for the Panthers.

Telling Stat: 3 of 4 = Rout;  Michigan State scored on three of their first four possessions and the rout was on against Prairie View A&M. 

Minnesota 27- Nevada 0: Minneapolis, MN- The Golden Gophers moved to 2-1 on the season and picked up their second shutout of the season as well in a win over the Wolfpack.  It was pretty sloppy first half with both teams combining for a missed FG and three interceptions.  However, the Golden Gophers forged a 20-0 halftime edge on a pair of FGs that covered a 52 and 21 yards form PK Dragan Kesich and two TDs from RB Darius Taylor.  The first TD was a 10-yard pass from QB Max Brosmer and a the second was a four-yard run to paydirt.  Kesich's 52-yarder was a career long kick.  The second half saw Taylor strike again, this time it was an 80-yard sprint to the end zone to give Minnesota a 27-0 lead with 8:58 to go in the third quarter.  The rest of the game was a sloppy snoozer with the Gophers defense easily keeping the Wolfpack form anywhere near the end zone.  Taylor was the Minnesota offense gaining 124 yards on 11 carries with two TDs and catching five passes for 37 yards and. another score.  For the outclassed Wolfpack, QB Brendon Lewis completed 15 of 22 passes for 114 yards and three interceptions.

Telling Stat: They took the air out for the ball;  With 6:55 left in the game, Minnesota went on a 12-play, 68-yard drive that killed the clock and gave the Golden Gophers an second straight shutout. 

Washington State 24- Washington 19: Lumen Field, Seattle, WA-  Strong CeeLo Green vibes could be felt all afternoon in Seattle as the Cougars upended the Huskies for a huge upset win and possession of the Apple Cup.  This was a hard hitting, sloppy affair with Washington piling up penalties and Wazzu piling up missed opportunities.  Going into then half, Washington held a 13-10 lead and looked like it would go into the half at worst tied with the Cougs.  WSU faced a 3rd and 20 a the UW 25-yard line.  Then QB Jason Mateer scampered his way through the Dawgs defense for 25-yard TD run and a 17-13 lead at the half.  UW would never lead again.  UW PK Grady Gross kept his team in the game with a pair of third quarter FGs from 24 and 43 yards out, but a 16-yard TD pass from Mateer to WR Josh Meredith gave the Cougars a 24-19 lead heading into the final period.  With 3:40 left in the game, Washington started driving towards the Wazzu goal line.  It looked ike WSU would Coug it again and allow the Dawgs to claim the win.  UW had a 4th and Goal from the one-yard line with 1:07 to play.  This next play call by Washington HC Jedd Fisch will be debated for decades.  He called for a speed option to the short side of the field and QB Will Rogers had nowhere to go.  The Cougars stuffed him back at the three-yard line.  A couple of plays later, WSU had the win and the trophy that goes with it.  Mateer accounted for all of Wazzu's scores.  He completed 17 of 34 passes for 245 yards with a TD and an interception.  He also ran for 62 yards and two scores.  For the stunned Huskies, Rogers completed 23 of 31 passes for 314 yards and a TD. 

Telling Stat: 2 Plays, 2 Halves, 1 Win;  Washington State scored a TD to end the first half and stopped the Huskies with a goal line stand in the second half to win the game. 

Iowa 38- Troy 21: Iowa City, IA- After suffering a stunning loss to Iowa State last week, the Hawkeyes had to dig deep to bounce back for a win over the Trojans of the Sun Belt Conference.  After a scoreless first quarter, Iowa went up 7-0 on four-yard TD rumble by RB Kaleb Johnson.  Troy tied the game on the ensuing drive when QB Matthew Caldwell connected with WR Devonte Ross for a 63-yard touchdown.  After Iowa took a 10-7 lead on a 42-yard field goal from PK Drew Stevens it  looked like the Hawkeyes would take a 10-7 lead into the break.  Then Ross struck again.  With 1:00 left Ross fielded a punt from P Rhys Dakin and raced 77 yards to the end zone and a 14-10 halftime lead.  The stunned crowd watched the Hawkeyes forge a 24 -14 lead on a two-yard TD pass to TE Addison Ostrenga and a 28-yard pick six from CB Jermari Harris. Iowa seemed to have distanced themselves from the Trojans then Ross struck again.  This time it was a 62-yard scoring strike from QB Tucker Kilcrease.  Troy trailed 24-21 to start the final period.  The fourth quarter saw the Hawkeyes dominate both sides of the line of scrimmage.  The result was Iowa scoring on runs of 33 and 39 yards to put the game away.  Johnson had a great game for Iowa lugging the leather 25 times for 173 yards and two touchdowns.  For the other Men of Troy,  Ross had an amazing day catching five passes for 142 yards and two TDs to go with his 77-yard punt return TD.  

Telling Stat: 146-25= 14-0;  Iowa outgained Troy 146 yards to 25 and outscored them 14-0 in the final period. to win the game. 

Nebraska 34- Northern Iowa 3: Lincoln, NE- Coming off their spanking off Colorado a Cornhusker letdown against FCS contender Northern Iowa could be expected.  QB Dylan Raiola and the Huskers defense did not let that happen.  Raiola had a fine game leading three TD drives.  He threw for scores of 24 and 18 yards while RB Jacory Barney, Jr. had a 10-yard TD jaunt.  The second half saw Raiola and the offense struggle a bit as they had against Colorado with some miscues and untimely penalties, but the Huskers defense was not going let this one slip away.  They allowed just an early field goal then never let UNI get close to the end zone again until the game had long been decided.  Raiola completed 17 of 23 passes for 247 yards with two TDs and an interception.  QB Aidan Duane threw for 117 yards and a pick in the lopsided loss. 

Telling Stat: Red Zone blues for the Purple Panthers;  Northern Iowa drove into the red zone three times in this game and came away with a grand total of three points.

Indiana 42- UCLA 13: Pasadena, CA- The Hoosiers hadn't been to Pasadena since January 1, 1968 when a capacity crowd some guy named Simpson run for two short TDs that set the stage for USC to send IU down to a 14-3 defeat in the Grandaddy of Them All.  Cut to last Saturday afternoon when an announced crowd of 47,000 watched the Hooisers dismantle the bRuins in UCLA's first ever Big Ten Conference game.  Indiana marched 75 yards in 12 plays on the game's opening drive to take a 7-0 lead on a three-yard scoring pass from QB Curtis Rourke to WR Miles Cross.  On the ensuing possession, UCLA fumbled the ball right back to IU when QB Ethan Garbers coughed up the rock on his own 19-yard line. Three plays later IU led 14-0 when Rourke hit WR Ke'Shawn Williams for a TD from 14 yards out.  The teams then traded scores to get to the break with IU ahead 21-7.  UCLA would cut their deficit to 21-10 on a 28-yard FG from PK Mateen Bhaghani on the first drive of the third quarter.  The bRuins would never be that close again.  Indiana finished the game off in style going on a 21-3 run to get to our final score of 42-13.  Rourke shredded the UCLA defense completing 25 of 33 passes for 307 yards and four TDs.  Cross caught six of those passes for 90 yards and a TD.  Garbers completed 14 of 23 passes for 137 yards and an interception in the blowout.  

Telling Stat: 6 for 7 is heaven;  When you throw out the two possessions that Indiana used to run out the clock in the second and fourth quarters, the Hoosiers scored TDs on six of their seven possessions and the seventh one stalled on the UCLA 33-yard line for a turnover on downs.

Northwestern 31- Eastern Illinois 7: Evanston, IL-  The Wildcats made change at Quarterback after losing in 2OT to Duke last week.  Mike Wright was benched in favor of Chicago native Jack Lausch.  Launch led the Wildcats to a win over the Fighting Tony Romos of the FCS.  Lausch and the Wildcats started slowly on offense and made their mistakes, but in the end he completed 20 of 31 passes for 227 yards and two TDs. RB Cam Porter gained 77 yards on 15 carries with a TD.  Northwestern turned a 14-7 halftime edge into 31-7 win thanks in good part to their defense that held EIU to 63 total second half yards.  QB Pierce Holley was the EIU offense competing 17 of 31 passes for 167 yards a TD and an interception. 

Telling Stat: 1-0;  Northwestern QB Jack Lausch is 1-0 and that's the most important thing to the Wildcats and their fans. 

Maryland 27- Virginia 13: Charlottesville, VA-  These two revived their ild rivalry last year after a decade hiatus and Maryland took that last year's tilt, 42-14 at College Park.  Could they make it two wins in a row?  It sure did not look like after the Terps stumbled their way through a first half that saw the Cavaliers take a 13-7 lead into intermission.  The only reason that Maryland was still in the game was that the Wahoos turned the ball over twice deep in Maryland territory.  The second half turned out to be a whole different animal as the Terps defense completely shut down the UVa  offense while their offense woke up and scored 20 straight points to claim another win in this old rivalry.  Terps QB Bill Edwards, Jr. completed 28 of 43 passes for 263 yards and a TD.  He also ran for another score to account for all of Maryland's trips to the end zone.  WR Tai Feltonn had his third straight 100 yard receiving game catching nine balls for 117 yards and a touchdown.  In the loss, UVa QB Anthony Colandrea completed 21 of 37 passes for 247 yards and two interceptions.  He also ran for the Cavaliers only touchdown. 

Telling Stat: Second half freeze out;  Maryland's defense never let Virginia near their end zone in the second half.  The Cavaliers offense never got farther than the Terrapins 37-yard line in the final 30 minutes of play. 

Observations 

...It is alive!; The Pac 12 will live on with teams that never would have gotten into the old Pac12.  Hmmmm.  Funny enough this news broke after dark last Wednesday night.  The new Six Pac

...Land! Lots of Land!;  Purdue's defense gave up so many yards it looked like Notre Dame was reenacting the Oklahoma land rush at Ross-Ade Stadium.

...Cal gonna Cal;  Bad fan behavior and Cal football have gone hand in hand for many years, So it was no surprise when the Golden Bears picked up two 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalties due to their student section hurling the cards used for card section stunts onto the field.  Here's Cal HC Justin Wilcox pleading with the crowd to stop the card throwing.  Knock it off!

...Surf and Sin; The new Pac 12 needs two more teams to meet the minimum NCAA requirement for a Conference by 2026.  Just add Hawaii and UNLV.  League trips to paradise and sin city sound cool to me.

...Fashionably Late;  The Ivy League begins play this week.  Something seems so quaint about the Ancient Eight starting up on the last day of Summer. 

...Puke Happens; Green Bay Center Josh Myers' digestive issues led to a run by QB Malik Willis. Best excuse ever

...They want the house and the car too;  Wazzu HC Jake Dickert's musings about the status of the Apple Cup Trophy after the Cougars upset of Washington dripped with bad breakup vibes. He said in the post game shuffle, "I think we might retire this trophy. I think it's a Pac-12 trophy. I think that might stay at our place and we'll bring a new one next year."

...Florida (State) of mind;  The fact the Florida HC Billy Napier and FSU HC Mike Norvell are both still employed this week is shocking. 

...Trivia Time; Northwestern opens up Big Ten play at Washington this week. The two schools haven't met since 1984.  Who were the HCs for both schools from that last game in 1984? 

...Evoking the name of Randall;  UNLV is 3-0 for the first time in 40 years.  That's when some guy named Randall Cunningham was the QB of the Rebels.

...For more than a trophy;  After the announced exodus of four Mountain West schools to the Pac 12, Air Forces is drawing considerable interest from the American Athletic Conference.  How cool it would be if Air Force does joined the AAC?  Those rivalry games with Army and Navy would then be conference games too. Wow!

...They didn't show me;  Missouri won't be highly ranked for long.  

...Passing blues;  Iowa can't throw a deep pass and they can't defend the deep ball either. 

...Desporation or Inspiration?;  Michigan has switched out QBs for this week's matchup with USC.  Starter Davis Warren has been benched and Alex Orji will now run the Maize and Blue offense.  Hmmmmmm

...Historically bad; UCLA actually has good talent, what they don't have is good coaching, infrastructure or administration.  

...He's great but;  Colorado two-way players Travis Hunter is great and is deservedly in the Heisman race, but don't you want a Heisman winner from a good team?  Heisman winners elevate their team not just shine on a 4-8 squad.  

...Bruin Brutality;  UCLA's next three games are at LSU, home for Oregon and at Penn State.

...Manning speed;  Filling in for injured Texas starting QB Quinn Ewers, Arch Manning ran for a 67-yard touchdown to make him the only Manning to ever run that far, that fast ever.  Arch's dad, Cooper gave the praise where it was due and posted on instagram, "Definitely got his speed from his mom."

...Delusions come in many forms; Seminioles HC Mike Norvell on lackluster QB D.J. Uiagalelei in a Monday press conference, "I am pleased wih the way he is prepping. I am pleased with the things he is doing. You see the moments where he's giving us a chance. He's giving us opportunities to have big plays."     

...Gone; Wisconsin QB Tyler Van Dyke is out for the year with a torn ACL.  

...Stark days in Starkville;  Mississippi State is 1-2 and just got boat raced at home by Toledo, 41-17.  Ouch.

...Trivia Time; The two HCs for that 1984 UW-NU gam were Don James for Washington and Dennis Green for Northwestern. 

 Big Ten Overreactions 

You can't stop Indiana, you can only hope to contain them.

Washington isn't as good as they thought they were.

Nebraska's defense will cost them three games.

Minnesota is a very hollow 2-1.

Michigan isn't as bad as they've looked.

Maryland is a seven win team.

Michigan State is farther along than anyone thought they'd be.

Wisconsin needs an offense transplant.

Iowa is an 8-4 team. 

Purdue will Purdon't their way to maybe four wins.

Oregon can be great, but will they be?

Northwestern found a QB, but they need so much more. 

Illinois will win ugly or not at all.

Calling UCLA a 2-10 team presumes that they will get a second win. 

Keeping Tabs on Your Exes

...Just a rumor; There's no truth to the rumor that Stanford lost to their bye week. 

...Streak Stopped;  Arizona had their nation leading nine-game winnng streak stopped emphatically by Kansas State in a 31-7 loss.  However, those new red helms looked cool.  

...Not so hot;  Utah didn't look good in a struggle to beat Utah State, 38-21.  

Ugly  Uniform of the Week

This week's winner is UNLV.  Seriously, UNLV has a pretty decent color combo of Silver and Red.  These all-gray uniforms against Kansas were just flat and ugly. 

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Manchester, NH-  It was a defensive slugfest between the Bentley Falcons and the St.Anselm Hawks of the Northeast 10 Conference in D-II.  PK Mason Campbell split the uprights from 34 yards out with :25 left in the second quarter to give Bentley a 3-0 lead.  That's all they would need  as their defense would pitch a shutout to ensure a 3-0 victory.  The Falcons defense especially stood tall in the final quarter picking off two St. Anselm passes on drive deep into their territory. 

Blowout Game of the Week: Bridgewater, VA- We got to the D-III ranks where the Bridgewater College Eagles opt the Old Dominion Conference wiped out the Southern (VA) Knights of the USA South Athletic Conference, 80-0. The Eagles were up 28-0 after the first period and 45-0 at the half.  Then they emptied the benches the rest of the day for the 80-0 final.  BC QB Jaciere Bateman complete 14 of 16 passes for 227 yards and three TDs while his backfield mate Brendan Robinson gained 130 yards on 14 carries with a TD to lead all rushers.  The Eagles defense picked off four passes on the day.  

Razorback Report: Fayetteville, AR- Forget Cardiac Hogs, our field agent in Bismarck called this team the Heart Attack Hogs after they did just enough to outlast UAB, 37-27. The Razorbacks were on the wrong end of a 17-3 score in the second quarter when they fought back to tie them game 20-20 at the half.  Arkansas held a slim 30-27 lead late when QB Taylen Green rumbled nine yards to paydirt for a 37-27 lead with 3:36 to play.  In the win, Green completed just 11 of 26 passes for 161 yards, a TD and an interception.  He also ran for 96 yards on 17 carries  with two scores.  Up next for the Hogs is a trip to Auburn. 

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

Started wearing my jacket again for the last few hours of work each night.  Fall has arrived.

Yellow and white corn dominate in our markets, multicolored flint corn is just beautiful.

Why do hardwood floors look dusty again within minutes of sweeping them?

Until Next time folks, remember that teams with their backs up against the wall are the most dangerous.

-The Commissioner

Week 2, 2024

Hey all,

What was supposed to be ho-hum week two in college football with very few marquee games turned into a festival of upsets, scares, close calls and blowouts.  Let's take a look back with another edition of Notes on a Big Ten Scorecard.  We still miss you,  Bill Jauss.

Summaries 

USC 48- Utah State 0: Los Angeles, CA- It was the home opener for the Trojans coming off their great win over LSU last week. Would USC suffer a letdown and fall like others had done earlier in the day? Would they open the door for Aggie QB Bryson Barnes to pull off a win over SC as he did when he subbed for an injured Cam Rising for Utah a couple years ago?  The answer to both of those questions was an emphatic NO!.  The Trojans led 27-0 at the half, but could have led 42-0 if not for the sloppy play on offense. Several dropped passes and some outs of sync passes from QB Miller Moss resulted in leaving points the field.  However, it was quite evident that SC's offense would get the time to start lighting up the scoreboard because the defense wasn't going to let this game turn into the way too close for comfort squeaker it would have been just last year.  DC D'Anton Lynn had the Aggie offense shutdown so quickly that it was clear to all in the stands that that end zone was an unattainable goal for the team from Logan.  The only real suspense in the second half was whether the whole game would get played.  The third quarter started late due to a partial power outage that affected mainly the north side of the Colisuem. The game continued in half light until the 10:12 mark of the fourth quarter when most of whatever lights that were functioning went out. After a 10  minute delay, the banks of lights started coming on one by one and the game was played out.  The last two exciting moments of the game was when QB Jayden Maiava scored his first TD as a Trojan in relief of Miller Moss.  Maiava was pressured, then scrambled through the Aggie defense for a nine-yard TD run to make the score, 48-0.  The last bit of suspense was whether the Trojans would indeed post a shutout. USU PK Elliott Nimord's 52-yard FG attempt sailed wide with 1:08 to play and the shutout was assured.  Moss finished the game competing 21 of 30 passes for 229 yards and a TD. Backfield mate Woody Marks led all rushers with 103 yards on 13 carries and a TD to go with three receptions for 39 yards.  For the Aggies, Barnes completed 18 of 27 passes for 103 yards and an interception.  

Telling Stat: Not even that close; Utah State gained 40 of their 190 total yards and made their only serious scoring threat of the game on their final drive which came long after SC had emptied the benches.     

Indiana 77- Western Illinois 3: Bloomington, IN- Western Illinois entered this game as an FCS also-ran on a 25-game losing streak. The only question was if IU would let the Fighting Leathernecks hang around or if they would take them out early and let everyone earn their letter for the Hooisers. The Hoosiers went out to a 28-0 lead in the first period to end this one early.  12 different IU backs combined to run the ball 46 times for 325 yards and seven TDs, while three different QBs combined for 19 of 21 passing for 378 yards and three scores.  IU QB Kurtis Rourke threw for 268 yards and two scores.  Meanwhile the IU defense held WIU to 121 total yards with just 12 of those yards coming on the ground.

Telling Stat: 121-1+ 14-0= Rout;  After the first 5:30 of the game, Indiana had outgained Western Illinois 121 yards to 1 and held a 14-0 lead.  

Duke 26- Northwestern 20- 2OT: Evanston IL- The beautiful temporary stadium on Lake Michigan saw a thriller under the Friday Night lights.  The two evenly matched squads got to overtime tied at 13.  Up 13-10 with 2:00 to play, Northwestern gave up a 51-yard, 11-play drive that ended in the shadow of their own goal line with a 22-yard FG by Duke PK Todd Pellino to send the game to OT.  The teams traded TDs on the first extra period with RB Cam Porter scoring first for Northwestern on a 10-yard run.  Then Duke QB Maalik Murphy threw 25-yard TD pass to WR Jordan Moore send the game to a second OT.  The Blue Devils went ahead 26-20 on a three-yard toss from Murphy to TE Eli Pancol.  It was NU's turn with the ball and they looked poised to at least tie the game as they faced a 3rd and 1 at the Duke three-yard line.  However NU QB Mike Wright was sacked for an eight-yard loss.  That left the Wildcats with one last chance. Wright's fourth down pass fell incomplete and Duke had the win.  Murphy completed 24 of 39 passes for 243 yards, three TDs and an interception in the win for Duke.  Wright finished the game with 156 yards passing, a TD an interception.  Porter was the game's top ground gainer with 94 yards on 16 carries and two scores.

Telling Stat: Sack= L;  Teams that take a sack in overtime usually lose the game.  Northwestern took a sack and lost.  It was Duke's only sack of the game.

Texas 31- Michigan 12: Ann Arbor, MI-  This game had been circled on many a calendar as one of the games of the year and it turned out to be a Texas sized beatdown of the Wolverines.  The Longhorns didn't have much trouble moving the ball through the air or on the ground and turned a 7-0 first quarter lead into a 24-3 halftime advantage that left the Big House a very quiet place for the rest of the afternoon.  Meanwhile the Michigan offense just could never get going. A pair of long field goals covering 55 and 42 yards from PK Dominic Zvada were all the Maize & Blue could celebrate while proceeding to turn the ball over three times and being stopped for downs once. The game was basically a glorified scrimmage in the second half with Texas content to run the ball to kill clock and throw when they had to.  QB Quinn Ewers completed 24 of 36 passes for 246 yards and three TDs to lead the Longhorns attack.  For those who weren't victors valiant, QB Davis Warren completed 22 of 33 passes for 204 yards, a TD and two interceptions.  

Telling Stat: They couldn't move the chains;  Michigan converted only three of 12 third downs against a Longhorn defense that bent, but did not break.  

Penn State 34- Bowling Green 27- State College, PA- The Nittany Lions came out flat as pancakes against the Falcons.  With 12:48 left in the second quarter the Fighting Paternos found themselves down 17-7 having allowed BGSU QB Connnor Bazelak to engineer scoring marches of 75, 60 and 73 yards.  PSU then began the process of mounting a comeback by outscoring Bowling Green 13-7 for the rest of the period to trail just 24-20 at the half.  The second half saw the Lions defense assert itself and allow just a late field goal which allowed the PSU offense to put two TDs on the board the escape with a victory.  The game clniching score came when RB Nick Singleton sped through the BGSU defense for a 41-yard TD run with 4:09 left in the fourth quarter. The one-two punch of Singleton and fellow RB Kaytron Allen combined for 27 carries for 220 yards and a TD.  QB Drew Allar completed 13 of 20 passes for 204 yards and two TDs to further aid the PSU cause.  Bazelak completed 25 of 39 aerials for 254 yards, two TDs and two interceptions for the Falcons in the losing effort. 

Telling Stat: 3+81= A Comeback;  The Penn State defense held Bowling Green to 81 yards and just three second half points to set the stage for victory.

 

Rutgers 49- Akron 17: Piscataway, NJ- Last week Akron was whipped by TheeeOSU, 52-6 in Columbus. Last Saturday the Zips completed another stop on their Big Ten embarrassment tour by being crushed by Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights game plan was simple.  Just let their OL open holes for RB Kyle Monangai and then let him do the rest. Moangai did just that toting the rock 27 times for 208 yards and three TDs. Monangai's running prowess let QB Athan Kaliakmanis  have the time to work on his game and he completed 14 of 23 passes for 230 yards with three TDs and an interception.  The Rutgers defense kept the Akron offense in check, giving up most of the Zips' 309 yards against the subs.  QB Ben Finley completed 14 of 31 passes for 138 yards with a TD and an interception in the blowout loss.

Telling Stat: 373 and 2-0;  Rutgers is 2-0 and RB Kyle Monangai already has 373 yards rushing and four TDs in two games this year. 

Minnesota 48- Rhode Island 0: Minneapolis, MN- After their heart wrenching loss to North Carolina the Golden Gophers needed something good to happen. That good was the fact that the Rhode Island Rams of the FCS showed up for the game.  Gopher QB Max Brosmer shredded the Rams secondary completing 24 of 30 passes for 271 yards and two TDs.  UM's rushing attack didn't shine, but RB Darius Taylor gained 64 yards on 14 carries and a score.  The Minnesota defense made life miserable for the Rhode Island offense picking off three passes and causing a fumble on the day. They also returned one of those interceptions for a TD. 

Telling Stat: Dialing long distance; Minnesota scored on drives that covered 83, 85, 73, 79, and 55 yards.

Iowa State 20- Iowa 19: Iowa City, IA- Last week in Hawkeyeland hearts were bright with and offensive production that they hadn't seen in years.  Now there is no joy in Mudville as their offense faded away against arch-rival Iowa State.  The first half went all Iowa's way except for the scoreboard.  The Hawkeyes built a 13-0 halftime advantage on the strong running of Kaleb Johnson who broke off several runs of 20+ yards.  However, the Iowa settled for field goals instead of TDs.  That left Iowa State with a puncher's chance in the second half and they took advantage of it.  What turned the game around was that the Cyclones remembered that the forward pass was legal.  After missing a two-point conversion, Iowa led 19-7 in the the third quarter when ISU QB Rocco Becht on 1st and 10 from his own 25-yard line threw a bomb to WR Jaylen Noel for a 75-yard TD to make the score 19-14. All of a sudden Iowa State was back in the game and had the momentum.  However, it looks Iowa would survive to win this game clinging  to a 19-17 lead with ISU backed up on their own 22-yard line with just :38 left.  That's when Becht and Noel went to work again and suddenly the Cyclones were on the far edge of FG range with :09 left at the Iowa 36-yard line.  In came PK Kyle Konrad for a 54-yard FG attempt.  Konrad's attempt was a no doubter form the moment his toe met leather and the Cylones pulled off the comeback and took possession of the Cy-Hawk Trophy.  For the Cyclones, Becht connected on 23 of 35 passes for 272 yards, a TD and an interception.  Hecht's favorite target was Noel who had five grabs for 133 yard and a score. In the stinging defeat, Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson lugged the leather for 187 yards on 25 carries with two TDs.  

Telling Stat: 23 twice is nice;  After Iowa extended their lead to 19-7, the Iowa State defense held the Hawkeyes to just 23 yards on 23 plays to give their offense shot at victory.     

Michigan State 27- Maryland 24: College Park, MD-  The Terrapins looked like the team to beat here as QB Billy Edwards, Jr. came into the game riding a personal five-game winning streak while Michigan State struggled just to pull out a win over FAU last week.  The teams traded TDs on their opening drives then MSU outscored Maryland 10-7 the rest of the half to take a 17-14 lead into intermission.  However, The Green and White saw themselves fall behind 24-17 just a few seconds into the final period when Edwards ,Jr. threw a 28-yard TD pass to TE Dylan Wade.  Things looked bleak for MSU as they still trailed with 4:14 left and faced 1st and 10 at their own 23-yard line. Spartan QB Aiden Chile then unleashed a bomb that fell softly into the hands of WR Nick Marsh who managed to hold off a pair of defenders as he raced to the end zone.  Suddenly it was 24-24 and the air had been taken out of SECU Stadium.  The Terps went 3 and Out on the ensuing drive which set MSU up with a 1st and 10 at their own 16-yard line with 2:12.  12 plays and 65 yards later the Spartans had the ball one the Maryland 19-yard line with :05 left.  Out came PK Jonathan Kim who calmly sent a 37-yard FG through the uprights for an MSU victory.  Chiles was the Spartan offense for better or worse, competing 24 of 39 passes for 363 yards with three TDs and three interceptions.  He also ran for 11 yards on eight carries.  Edwards, Jr. finished the game with 253 yards through the air with two TDs and an interception.  UM RB Tai Felton was the top ball carrier with 152 yards on 11 carries and a score. 

Telling Stat;  Lucky to win at -2 and 10;  Michigan State was -2 in the turnover department and racked up 10 penalties yet managed to escape with a win. 

Washington 30 - Eastern Michigan 9: Seattle, WA- The Huskies got one good quarter and three mediocre quarters from their offense, but that was enough to beat the Eagles from Ypsilanti, MI.  The first period saw the Eagles take a 3-0 lead on a 57-yard FG from PK Jesus Gomez.  The Dawgs then outscored the Eagles 21-3 in the second quarter to take a 21-6 lead into the half.  UW QB Will Rogers accounted for those 21 points on a TD pass to TE Decker DeGraaf and two more scoring tosses to WR Denzel Boston. The UW defense came out in the second half and shutdown the EMU offense while Rogers threw a TD pass to WR Jeremiah Hunter. PK Grady Gross accounted for the his team's final points with a 28-yard FG at the end of the third quarter.  EMU would get two more FGs from Gomez, but that woudnlt be enough to tame the Dawgs who now stand at 2-0 under new HC Jedd Fisch.  Rogers fished the afternoon on Montlake connecting on 21 of 26 tosses for 261 yards and four scores.  EMU QB Cole Snyder completed 16 of 27 passes for 129 yards in defeat.

Telling Stat: 1 in 2= No Comeback;  Eastern Michghan never seriously threatened to make a comeback in this one as they only crossed into Washington territory once in the second half.   

Wisconsin 27- South Dakota 13: Madison, WI- Playing with a heavy heart RB Chez Mellusi led the Badgers to a win over the Coyotes of the FCS. According to various news outlets, Mellusi's grandfather died on Friday night, but he played the game on Saturday without letting just about anybody know the death had occurred until after the game.  All Melluis did was rush for 60 yards on 16 carries and two TDs while catching another pass for a score to lift the Badgers to victory.  The win was a little too close for comfort for most Badgers fans as they know that they are hosting Alabama this coming Saturday. The Badgers had trouble sustaining drives and even turned the ball over once.  Meanwhile the Coyotes just could not generate enough offense to pull off the upset.  They only converted two of 11 third downs and that will have that effect on an offense. USD RB Charles Pierre, Jr. led all rushers with 83 yards on 12 carries in the loss.

Telling Stat: Finishing in style;  Wisconsin scored a TD and ran 11:01 off the clock on their final two drives to assure a win over the Coyotes.    

Illinois 23- Kansas 17: Champaign-Urbana, IL- The Fighting Illini forged a come form behind win to knock off a ranked non conference opponent at home for the first time since beating Arizona State back in 2011. Thanks to a two TD passes from QB Jaylon Daniels and 29-yard field goal from PK Tabor Allen, Kansas held a 17-13 lead over then Illini as the fourth quarter began.  Illinois really had nothing to show form their offense as their 13 points came form a pair of FGs that covered 23 and 50 yards form PK David Olano and a 30-yard pick six from DB Xavier Scott.  So, it was a big deal when Orange and Blue marched 80 yards in eight plays to take the lead with 9:34 left on a one-yard plunge into the end zone from RB Kaden Fagin.  Then after forcing a Three and Out  from Kansas on the ensuing series, the Illini traveled 42 yards in 15 plays and ate 6:46 off the clock before putting the game out of reach with Olano's third FG of the day from 43-yards away.  It wasn't an impressive stat line, but it was a winning one for UI QB Luke Altmeyer who completed 16 of 25 passes for 192 yards.  In the bad loss, KU's Daniels completed  28 of 32 passes for 141 yards, two TDs and three interceptions.  

Telling Stat:  Turnovers still kill; Kansas lost a very winnable game by being -3 in turnovers.  

Ohio State 56- Western Michigan 0: Columbus, OH- Another week, another blowout for the Buckeyes.  As opposed to last week, this one did not have a slow start as the sturdy sons of Ohio went out to an early 21-0 first quarter lead over the Broncos.  TheeeOSU then just kept piling up yards and points until emptying the benches near the end of the third quarter.  TheeeOSU QB Will Howard completed 18 of 26 passes for 292 yards and a TD, while the RB tandem of Quinshon Jenkins and TreVeyon Henderson combined for 154 yards on 19 carries and four trips to the end zone. For the hapless Broncos, QB Hayden Wolff completed only eight of 15 throws for 71 yards.  That was sadly the highpoint for the WMU offense as the Ohio State defense held them to 99 total yards. 

Telling Stat: 45 is fine;  TheeeOSU's defense gave up just total 99 yards and was on the field for only 45 plays v. Western Michigan.  . 

Nebraska 28- Colorado 10: Lincoln, NE- The circus that is Colorado football hit the road last week and was treated very poorly by their Cornhusker hosts.  Nebraska physically abused the Buffaloes in a game that wasn't nearly as close as the score indicates.  The sluice gate that is the CU offensive line allowed the Huskers to rack up seven sacks and 10 tackles for loss.  The Nebraska defense pounded on CU QB Shedeur Sanders all night and the watched him leave the game with a little over three minutes to play.  As for the Nebraska offense, they rushed for 149 yards on 35 carries total with RB Dante Dowdell gaining 74 yards on 17 carries and two TDs.  For Colorado, Shedeur Sanders finished the game completing 28 of 38 throws for 244 yards, a TD and an interception. His favorite target was WR/CB Travis Hunter who caught 10 balls for 110 yards.  Cornhusker QB and Patrick Mahomes clone Dylan Raiola completed 23 of 30 passes for 185 yds and a TD en route to the victory.

Telling Stat: No OL = L;  Colorado's offensive line couldn't protect their QB allowing seven sacks and they couldn't run block either.  CU rushed for just 16 yards. 

Oregon 37- Boise State 34: Eugene, OR- The Quacks came out and once again did not impress anyone in this closer than it should have been contest with the Broncos. It's pretty clear that this year's Oregon team ain't last year's Oregon team.   Pundits say they are still trying to find their identity.  Forget that, they just aren't very good at the line of scrimmage.  BSU RB Ashton Jeanty ran all over the Quacks.  He racked up 25 carries for 192 yards and three TDs for the Broncos.  As for the Ducks, their strength cane from the passing game where QB Dillion Gabriel completed 18 of 21passes for 243 yards and two scores.  His favorite target was WR Evan Stewart who grabbed five passes for 112 yards and a touchdown.  However UO found themselves down 34-27 after Jeanty's third TD of the night with 10:15 left in the fourth quarter.  16 seconds later the game was tied when KR Noah Whittington took the ensuing kickoff back all the way for a 100-yard touchdown.  Or did he?  Whittington seemed to let the ball go a little early beef crossing the goal line. The play stood as called and three drives later, PK Atticus Sappington made good from 25 yards out as time expired to give UO the win.  

Telling Stat:  Special Teams 14 is keen for Quacks;  Oregon got an 85-yard punt return for a TD and 100-yard kickoff return for a TD to escape an upset by Boise State. 

Observations

...A Spartan honor; By winning the first conference game of the Big Ten season, Michigan State is all alone in first place in the 18 team Big Ten. 

...This just in;  ND QB Riley Leonard isn't that good. 

...Hold that Arch;  Texas QB Quinn Ewers has road wins at Alabama and Michigan the last two seasons, Thats pretty darn good. 

...College Station blues;  Texas A&M team and fans have to be despondent right now.

...The unthinkable in Fayetteville;  With Sam Pittman's hot seat getting hotter and hotter could the admin at Arkansas fire Sam and promote current OC Bobby Petrino back to his old job? Hmmmmmm

...A very orange fall;  Tennessee is really good.

...Pining for St Nichols of Tuscaloosa;  After their sloppy showing against USF, Bama fans are jumping off the bandwagon for new HC Kalen DeBoer. Grow up Bama fans.  De Boer has won everywhere he has been and will win for you too.  He ain't gonna be another Nick Saban because nobody will be. Get over it. 

...Boomless Sooners;  Oklahoma must be happy that ND lost because means almost nobody is paying attention to the their decidedly lackluster 16-12 win over a Houston team that UNLV spanked by 21 points one week earlier.  

...Fashion update;  It's nice to know the Notre Dame Student Section is wearing gold shirts this year.

...Their songs comes first;  Colorado is not a serious program.  The Colorado band has to wait to play the school fight song after a score by Shedeur Sanders.  The band waits for a small part of Shedder's own song to play over the loudspeakers before they can play. They also have to wait for PK Alejandro Mata's song to play after successful kicks.  Facepalm.  

...It was all good for him;  Former USC long snapper Jake Olson wasn't phased by the power outage at the Coliseum last Saturday. Jake has it down

...Can't recall;  When was the last time that Auburn was impressive?

...Memo to Oregon; If you're going to punch an opposing player at least do it under the pile like a civilized team. Cheap Shot  

...Stop. Burro Time; Colorado Mines has a live burro that they run around the field after touchdowns. A TD Burro

...At their level;  Penn State will frustrate all their fans again by playing to the level of their competition every week.

...Sparty is #1;  By virtue of winning the first league game of the year, Michigan State sits alone atop the Big Ten Standings. 

...What could have been;  The teams that once made up the Pac 12 conference are currently a combined 21-2 this year.  Only Colorado and Stanford have lost a game.   

...Party in DeKalb; The final play call from the Northern Illinois- Notre Dame game by NIU' s announcer on WDKB is pretty epic and the stuff upsets are made of.  Blocked!!! 

...NFL anger;  This rant by Mike Francesa on how bad the New York Giants are is epic. Francesa has had enough in week one! Giant Pains

...NFL history; One of the most controversial plays and epic radio calls of all time occurred 46 years ago on September 10, 1978 when the Holy Roller became a part of NFL lore.  Enjoy the call by the great Bill King. it was real   

Big Ten Overreactions

Maybe Oregon just isn't that good.

USC will lose a game due to dropped passes.

Michigan needs Connor Stallions back.

Indiana is a 4-8 team.

Maryland is a 7-5 team. 

Nebraska wishes they could play Colorado every week. 

Ohio State will be on cruise control until November.

Turnovers will cost Michigan State three games. 

Wisconsin is a 6-6 team.

Minnesota is just happy to be 1-1.

Indiana is a 4-8 team.

Illinois is gonna ruin somebody's season.

Penn State is an 8 win team.

Iowa needs Kirk Ferentz to be suspended more often.

Washington doesn't have a single deep threat at WR.

Northwestern is a 2-10 team. 

Keeping Tabs On Your Exes

...ACC powerhouse; The Golden Bears of Berkeley went to Jordan-Hare Stadium at Auburn and beat the Tigers, 21-14.  QB Fernando Mendoza threw for 233 and two scores while the Cal defense picked off Auburn QB Payton Thorne four times and forced a fumble to shock the Tigers. 

...Sparky's hot; ASU is 2-0 after a 30-23 win over Mississippi State.

...Undefetaed and ready;  Both Wazzu and OSU are 2-0 and will do everything to make life miserable for UW and UO this week. 

Ugly Uniform of the Week

Heading to the NFL for this one.  The New York Football Giants are in their 100th season and decided to wear throwback uniforms for their game with Minnesota.  Throwback uniforms are a great concept until you see them in action.  These come off as a possible result of what would happen if Michigan and the Montreal Canadiens mated. 

Departments 

Low Score Game of the Week: Galesburg, IL-  We go to the D-III ranks where the Knox College Prairie Fire got a late score to knock off the Eureka College Red Devils, 7-6.  A crowd estimated at 1,000 saw RB Mario Byrd speed his way 28 yards for the game-winning TD with 10:26 left in the fourth quarter.  Eureka's lone score happened in. the second quarter when RB Angel Garcia plunged into the end zone from a yard out.  However, the Red Devils' PAT was blocked and that was the difference in the game. 

Best Game Nobody Saw Last Week: Houghton, MI- Oh, it was a crazy one in D-II where the Michigan Tech Huskies beat the South Dakota Mines Hardrockers, 52-50 in 4 OT.  Tech trialed 35-21 entering the fourth quarter, but the Huskies shutout SDM 14-0 down the stretch to force overtime.  The schools traded punches in the first two OT's matching each other score for score.  From the third OT on each team takes turns with two-point conversion attempts and neither team scored in the third OT.  The fourth saw Tech score their two-point conversion on a pass from QB Alex Fries to WR Ethan Champney.  Then, the Huskies swatted away the Hardrockers pass on their two-point attempt for the victory.  Fries set a school record with 457 yards passing and five TDs.  The teams combined for almost 1,110 yards of offense.   

Razorback Report: Stillwater, OK-  The Razorbacks held a 21-7 lead at the half over the Cowboys and all was happy in Hogland.  Then, the second half began and the Hogs found themselves in shootoutnthat ended in a bitter 39-31 double overtime loss.  The Hogs outgained OSU by 263 yards, had 12 more first downs and held the ball for 36:14 and lost. Wow.  Sigh.  Up next for the Razorbacks is a home date with Alabama- Birmingham. 

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

You know the heat wave here is bad when the sunflowers in your garden tap out. 

It's amazing how many people around here just don't stop at stop signs anymore.

I've been running errands these last few days just so I can hang out in someone else's air conditioning.

Until next time folks, remember that turnover margin will usually tell you who won the game.

-The Commissioner