Week 9, 2024

Hey All,

It was a pretty bland weekend of games around the land, but we will still take a look back at the game with another edition of Notes on a Big Ten Scorecard.  We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

Summaries 

USC 42- Rutgers 20: Los Angeles, CA- On a Friday night where the first game of the World Series at Dodger Stadium captured most the attention of Angelinos, the Trojans snapped a three-game losing streak despite having four DBs out injured and losing DT Nate Clifton early on. The game was a disjointed and sloppy affair.  The same clock management issues and lack of pass rush issues affected the Trojans as they have all year. The only thing is that Rutgers didn't have enough talent to take full advantage of the opportunities they were given.  The Trojans offense went up early 7-0 on a 10 play, 77-yard drive that was capped off by a one-yard TD run by RB Woody Marks.  The Scarlet Knights would answer that score with a drive of their own that ended in a 33-yard FG from PK Jai Patel.  KR Makai Lemon took the ensuing kickoff back 65 yards to set USC up with a 1st and 10 at the Rutgers 20-yard line.  Four plays later Marks had his second score from a yard out and SC led 14-3.  After holding RU for downs, USC went up 21-3 on a 11-yard pass from QB Miller Moss to TE Kyle Ford.  Rutgers then found the end zone for the first time when RB Antwan Raymond ran untouched three yards for a TD.  The PAT failed and SC held a 21-9 lead.  That lead would extend to 28-9 When Marks sprinted to paydirt from 22 yards away for his third rushing score of the game.  However, Rutgers would get a 20-yard field goal to make the halftime score 28-12.  After half, USC came out listless and soon Rutgers had pulled within eight points at 28-20.  Christian Dremel caught a 25-yard TD pass from QB Athan Kaliakmains.  RU then got the two-point conversion on a Philly Special where RB Chris Long threw the ball to Kalikmanis. Suddenly the specter of another collapse by the Men of Troy had the crowd muttering to themselves.  However, USC did answer right back when Moss hit Lemon on a 70 yard catch and run for a 1st and Goal at the Knights five-yard line.  Three plays and a pass interference call later, Moss actually kept the ball on the RPO and sprinted to the left corner of the end zone for a 35-20 Trojans lead. The Trojans much maligned defensive line finally showed up in the final 20 minutes or so of game time and kept the Knights off the scoreboard the rest of the way.  The Trojans would put the game away when Moss found Lemon for a 40-yard TD.  For SC, Moss completed 20 0f 28 passes for 308 yards and two TDs.  Marks had a very good game, rushing for 94 yards on 15 carries with three TDs, while Lemon shined on special teams and in the receiving department.  He accounted for 256 all-purpose yards and a touchdown. For the Scarlet Knights, Kaliakmanis completed 27 of 47 throws for 313 yards and a TD.  WR Dyere Miller caught 11 of those passes for 131 yards and RB Kyle Monangai gained 86 yards on 18 carries.  

Telling Stat: 5, 31 and a W;  Despite being down five starters on defense and allowing Rutgers to run 31 more offensive plays than USC, the Trojan defense did enough to win.  They did Fight On. 

Oregon 38- Illinois 9: Eugene OR- The newly ranked #1 Ducks came out strong and buried the Illini before they had a chance to even blink at Autzen Stadium. The Quack Attack put up a quick 14 points on their first two drives.  Those drives were finished off by a pair of TD passes from QB Dillon Gabriel.  The first one was for 31 yards to WR Tez Johnson and the second was a 34-yarder to WR Justus Lowe. Illinois then got a 38-yard FG from PK David Olano to make the score 14-3 at the end of the first quarter.  Illinois would never be that close again.  The Ducks got TD runs of seven yards by Gabriel and 18 yard from RB Noah Whittington to go up 28-3.  Then, they closed out the half with a two-yard TD pass from Gabriel to Whittington to make the score 35-3.  The second half was just a glorified scrimmage with the Illini outscoring the Quacks, 6-3.  For Mighty Oregon, Gabriel completed 18 of 26 aerials for 291 yards, three TDs and an interception.  He also ran for a score.  Johnson caught six of Gabriel's passes for 102 yards and a TD. For the Illini, QB Luke Altmyer compared 17 of 35 passes for 161 yards and two interceptions.  RB Ca'Lil Valentine ran for 27 yards on five carries and the Orange and Blue's only score.

Telling Stat: Over in 30 minutes;  Oregon outgained Illinois 357 yards 84 and built up a 35-3 lead by the half to end this game early.

Penn State 28- Wisconsin 13: Madison, WI- The Fall chill was in the air for this night game at Camp Randall and both offenses were chill for the first half as well.  Yards were gained, but points were few as Wisconsin. held a 10-7 lead at the half on a 50-yard FG from PK Nathaniel Voss and a one-yard TD run from RB Tawee Walker. PSU's score came on a tough one-handed catch by RB Nick Singleton of a six-yard pass from QB Drew Allar.  The third quarter started off with a surprise as Allar came out for the second half warmups wearing a brace on his left knee.  After making some throws, it was obvious he couldn't play even with the brace and that left backup QB Beau Pribula to run the PSU offense.  The Lions offense was ineffective in Pribula's first two drives, but the defense helped the offense.  Safety Jaylen Reed picked off UW QB Braeden Locke and returned it 19 yards for a TD to give the Nittany Lions a 14-10 lead with 6:23 to play in the period.  The Badgers then closed within a point at the end of the quarter on 32-yard FG from Voss.  Pribula then led the Fighting Paternos on the best drive of his young career.  It covered 81 yards in 13 plays and was capped off with a one-yard TD pass from Pribula to TE Khalil Dinkins.  The Lions then stuffed Wisconsin on their next drive and forced a punt.  Pribula then marched his squad 76 yards in nine plays to put the game away.  RB Kaytron Allen ended the drive and the game with a 24-yard TD rumble.  For the now 7-0 Nittany Lions, Pribula was great in relief of the injured Allar completing 11 of 13 passes for 98 yards and a TD.  He also ran for 28 yards on six carries.  Allen was PSU's and the game's leading rusher with 86 yards 11 carries and a TD.  Meanwhile Locke completed 22 of 42 passes for 217 yards and an interception for the Badgers.

Telling Stat:  Owning the end;  Penn State dominated the fourth quarter 14-0 to stay undefeated.   

Ohio State 21- Nebraska 17: Columbus, OH-  After being embarrassed last week at Indiana, the Cornhuskers came out determined not to have that happen at The Horseshoe.  The Huskers did not get embarrassed, but the refs did as they enabled TheeeOSU to remain with one loss  on the season.  I won't go over the blow-by-blow description of this game as it was the Big Ten refs and their lack of calling obvious penalties on the Buckeyes and willingness to make some borderline calls on Nebraska that swung the game in Ohio State's favor.  A bad spot in the first half cost the Huskers a scoring chance and a couple of bad offensive PI calls cost the Big Red the game.  They also failed to flag TheeeOSU HC Ryan Day for throwing a tantrum on the sidelines worthy of P.J. Fleck.  In the ref-aided win, OSU QB Will Howard completed 13 of 16 passes for 221 yards, three TDs and an interception.  For the hard luck Huskers, RB Dante Dowdell led all rushers with 60 yards on 14 carries and TD.

Telling Stat: What stripes can do for you;  Bad officiating helped TheeeOSU overcome having the ball for only 24:53 and converting on only 1 of 10 3rd Downs.

Indiana 31- Washington 17: Bloomington, IN- College Gameday made their first ever trip to Indiana and it was an adoration festival for former IU HC Lee Corso with even the Mayor of Bloomington proclaiming it Lee Corso Day.  So how could the Hoosiers lose?  They didn't, heck they did not even trail as they grinided out the win.  IU took a 7-0 first quarter lead when D'Angelo Ponds picked off UW QB Will Rogers and took it back 67 yards to the house.   They started the second quarter with a 47-yard TD pass from QB Tayven Jackson, (in for the injured Kurtis Rourke),  to WR Omar Cooper, Jr. for a 14-0 lead.  UW cut the lead to 14-7 on a six-yard TD jaunt from RB Giles Jackson only to see IU take a 17-7 lead into the half on a 19-yard FG from PK Nicolas Radicic on the final play of the second quarter.  The game got tight immediately in the third quarter as Jackson's intended target was hit by a Husky defender before his pass arrived and was tipped int the hands of DT Jacob Bandes.  No flag was thrown for PI (shocker) and UW had a 1st and 10 at the IU 24-yard line.  Three plays later QB Demond Williams, Jr. ran for an eight-yard TD to bring the Dawgs within three at 17-14.  The Hoosiers answered that score on the ensuing drive.  They traveled 75 yards in 14 plays with RB Justice Ellison crossing the double stripe from five yards out for a 24-14 lead.  The Hoosiers would separate themselves from the Huskies for good when Jackson knifed into the end zone on a two-yard run with 8:55 left to make it a 31-14 Hoosiers advantage. UW would get a 23-yard FG from PK Grady Gross to pull whiten 14 points at 31-17 but they would never draw closer and IU got the win to move to 8-0 on the season.  Jackson had a decent day for IU completing 11 of 19 tosses for 124 yards, a TD and an interception while Ellison led all rushers with 123 yards on 29 carries and a score.  For the Huskies, QB Will Rogers completed 19 of 26 passes for 202 yards.  

Telling Stat: They Couldn't move the chains; Indiana held Washington to just 3 for 11 on 3rd Down Conversions.  

Iowa 40- Northwestern 14: Iowa City, IA- Its was picture perfect day at Kinnick Stadium where the Wildcats and Hawkeyes played a decidedly defensive first half.  Iowa led early, 3-0 on a 24-yard FG from PK Drew Stevens.  It looked like Iowa would extend that lead as they had a 2nd and 8 at the NU 24-yard line.  However, Cade McNamara's pass was intercepted by DB Theran Johnson who took it back 86 yards to paydirt and a 7-3 NU lead.  Iowa made the score 7-5 when Max Llewellyn nailed Wildcat QB Jack Lausch for a safety.  Things then got a little dicey for the Hawkeeys when McNamara was injured.  Iowa fans did not need to fear much as backup QB and former Wildcat Brendan Sullivan led a 35 point barrage to win this game going away.  Just before half RB Kaleb Johnson sprinted 26 yards for a TD and an Iowa 12-7 at the intermission.  The third period saw Iowa put up 28 straight points to take a commanding 40-7 lead.  A TD run of six yard from Sullivan, an 85-yard punt return for a TD by PR Kaden Wetjen and a pair of runs from Johnson that covered 41 and 25 yards accounted for the scoring.  Northwestern got a 72-yard punt return TD from PR Drew Wagner late in the final period to make the final score 40-14.  For the Hakweyes, McNamara and Sullivan combined to complete 16 of 27 passes for 162 yards and an interception.  Sullivan did run for a score.  Meanwhile Johnson led all rushers with 109 yards on 14 carries and three TDs.  For the moribund Wildcats offense Lausch completed 10 of 19 passes for 62 yards.

Telling Stat: 0 for D;  The Iowa defense shutout the Northwestern offense.  That enabled the Hawkeyes offense the time it needed to take over the game. 

Minnesota 48- Maryland 23: Minneapolis, MN- The battle of teams that USC has embarrassing losses to this season went the way of the Golden Gophers.  The Minnesota defense picked off two passes from UM QB Bill Edwards, Jr. and also held for downs once to start the game. The first two Gophers scores were a pair of TD passes from QB Max Brosmer to WR Daniel Jackson that covered 10 and seven yards. Their third TD was a 29-yard pick six by DB Justin Walley.  Edwards second interception was turned into 40-yard FG by PK Dragon Kesich.  Minnesota held a 24-0 lead over a Terrapins squad that didn't look anything like the one that upset USC last week.  The teams traded scores to end to first half.  The Terps got a 33-yard FG from PK Jack Howes and a three-yard TD run from Edwards.  Minnesota's scores came on a 34-yard FG from Kesich and 4-yard TD toss from Brosmer to Jackson.  The Gophers took a 34-10 lead into the half.  The third quarter saw Minnesota take. a 41-10 lead on Brosmer's fourth TD toss of the afternoon.  It was a 25-yard toss to Elijah Jackson.  A 52-yard scoring jaunt by RB Darius Taylor made the score 48-10 to start the fourth quarter.  Benches were emptied on both sides after that with Maryland picking up a couple of late cosmetic scores with backup QB M.J. Morris throwing TD passes of two and 21 yards to TE D.J. Samuels and WR Shaleak Knotts.  For the Golden Gophers, Brosmer completed 26 of 33 passes for 320 yards and four TDs.  Jackson was Brosmer's favorite target hauling in nine tosses for 117 yards and two trips to the end zone.  For the Terrapins, Edwards early poor play was reflected in his stat line of 19 completions in 35 attempts for 201 yards and two interceptions.   

Telling Stat: 24 in 15:05 = Rout;  The Gophers raced out to a 24-0 lead in the first 15:05 of game time en route to a big win over Maryland.

Michigan 24- Michigan State 17: Ann Arbor, MI- Big Brother downed Little Brother again to retain possession of the Paul Bunyan Trophy.  MSU came out strong and dominated the first quarter holding the ball for over 13 minutes and gaining 150 yards, yet only had a 7-0 lead to show for it. PK Jonathan Kim, last week's FG kicking phenom against Iowa, missed a 25-yarder that would have set up the Spartans for a 10-0 lead.  Meanwhile, QB David Warren was back as the starting signal caller for the Wolverines and the offense sputtered. However the UM defense held the Spartans to those seven first half points. That led to the Wolverines taking a 9-7 halftime lead when Warren hit TE Colstion Loveland with a 10-yard TD pass, (The Two-point try failed), and PK Dominic Zvada made a 37-yard FG with just seconds left in the second quarter.  Michigan then extended their lead to 16-7 on the first drive of the third period.  Michigan QB Alex Orji subbed in on several plays of the drive and used his legs to move his squad down the field.  Orji capped off the 75-yard drive with a two-yard TD run.  MSU made the score 16-10 on a 46-yard FG from Kim, but Michigan grabbed control of the game for good when RB Donovan Edwards hit Loveland on the old halfback option play for a 23-yard TD pass and a 22-10 lead.  Warren then hit Colston for the two-point conversion and the Maize and Blue had a 24-10 advantage over the Spartans.  The Green and White would cut the lead to 24-17 when QB Aiden Chiles hit Nick Marsh with a 10-yard scoring strike.  However, the Spartans would never get closer as their last chance to tie the game ended when Chiles 4th Down pass from the Michigan 16-yard line fell incomplete with 1:52 left in the game.  Tempers flared when the clock hit triple zeroes as the teams had a brawl as they left the field.  The teams engaged in a brawl two years ago as well.  Tempers do flare in rivalry games. For. the now 5-3 Wolverines, Warren completed 13 of 19 passes for 123 yards and a score.  For the Spartans, Chiles completed 17 of 23 aerials for 189 yards and a TD.  His backfield mate, RB Nate Carter toted the rock 19 times for 118 yards and a score to lead all rushers.

Telling Stat: Red Zone Blues; Michigan State drove into the Michigan Red Zone four times, yet only scored 14 points on those drives.  That cost the Spartans the game.

Observations

...Defer, please defer;  It's pretty obvious with USC's clock management woes and inability to control the middle eight minutes of games that winning the coin toss and taking the ball first is not a good strategy.  By deferring your decision to the second half, you will always get the ball to start the third quarter.  How many times have we all seen a USC lead evaporate while their opponent has the ball for the final drive of the first half and the first drive of the second half? Sigh.

...0:00;  That's the amount of time Indiana has trailed this season.  The 8-0 Hoosiers have never been behind this year. 

...Mean Stat;  Notre Dame scored seven TDs at MetLife Stadium last Saturday v. Navy.  The Giants and Jets call MetLife home and  haven't scored seven TDs there combined all year.  

...A program restored; Whittier College dropped football back in 2022.  A fundraising initiative by Whittier alumni has raised over 800K and has gotten the apporval of the school's Board of Trustees to begin play in the 2026 season.  Go Poets!

...A different kind of awful;  Big Ten officials are as bad as the old Pac 12 ones were.  It's just in a different way. Whereas the Pac 12 called everything that might remotely constitute a penalty, the Big Ten refs call almost nothing, ignoring painfully obvious calls. They also make some awfully homer calls and often can't spot the football properly.  Facepalm.  

...Tables turned in the Beehive State; Utah is 4-4 after losing to Houston. So much for the Utes dominating the Big XII.  Meanwhile, much to Utes fans dismay, BYU is undefeated with a good shot at the Big XII title and the CFP.  

...Wright in front; RB Chavon Wright of D-II University of Charleston leads the entire nation in rushing. He's ran for 1,537 yards on 232 carries with 28 TDs in eight games this year. 

...He's gone; After losing 17-10 to UConn, Rice has fired HC Mike Bloomgren.  He went 24-52 in six plus seasons with the Owls.  Fired Rice 

...Tiger thoughts;  LSU has to keep wondering how they lost to USC.

...Failure Flashback;  The Bears brutal Hail Mary loss to the Commanders gave me wicked flashbacks of USC's loss to ASU on a Hail Mary back in 2014.  

...SEC Bias;  Seriously, how else do you explain Missouri still being ranked in the AP Poll? 

...ND  Bias;  How can a Notre Dame team that lost Northern Illinois be ranked ahead of undefeated Indiana?  

...A furry delay;  A squirrel ran for a TD much to the delight of the crowd at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium during the Oklahoma- Ole Miss game.  He- Could- Go -All- The- Way!

...Karma is a tipped ball;  Chicago Bears CB Tyrique Stevenson found out how Karma works in a very very public way.  Taunts and a TD

Big Ten Overreactions

USC is a 7-5 team.

Michigan will win 8 games on spite alone.

Rutgers is a 4-8 team.

Michigan State is two years away. 

Iowa has a QB controversy on their hands.

Northwestern needs an OL.

Indiana will be 10-0 heading to Columbus on 11/23.  

Illinois wonders if anyone saw the truck that ran them over in Eugene.

Oregon is on cruise control.

Wisconsin needs a QB.

Ohio State won't make the Big Ten title game.

Penn State has enough to win it all.

Minnesota may go 8-4.

Maryland still can't believe they beat USC.

CFL Update 

It's playoff time in the Great White North!  The Eastern Semi-Final features the Toronto Argonauts hosting the Ottawa RedBlacks.  The winner gets a trip to Montreal to take on the Alouettes  in the Eastern Final.  The Western Semi-Final will have the BC Lions take on the Saskatchewan Rough Riders in Regina.  Winner gets a trip to Winnipeg for the Western Final.  

Ugly Uniform of the Week

Ok, San Jose State wins for this oddball ensemble.  The Spartans played at Fresno State who wore all black.  So SJSU countered with black pants and white, blue and gold jerseys. Huh?  It doesn't make sense and it's just an ugly combo.

Departments 

Low Score Game of the Week: Ashland, OH- We go to the D-II ranks where PK A.J. Rhodes split the uprights from 23 yards out to lift the Ashland Golden Eagles to a 9-7 win over the Northwood Timberwolves. Ashland took an early 6-0 lead on an 18-yard TD pass from QB Trevor Bycznski to WR Jamari Croom. The PAT was blocked.  The the Golden Eagles fell behind when Northwood CB Ricky Pearson picked off Bycznski and rumbled six yards for a TD and a 7-6 lead.  After that it was a stalemate until Rhodes decisive kick.  The Golden Eagles are 5-2 overall and 5-0 in Great Midwest Athletic Conference play.  Oddball 50/50 stat notes, Northwood made 14 first downs in the game. Seven by rushing and seven by passing,  They also compiled 228 total yards.  they gained 114 yards rushing and 114 passing.  

Blowout Game of the Week: Jacksonville, IL- This game comes from the Midwest Conference in D-III where the Illinois College Blueboys crushed the Lawrence College Vikings, 84-0.  It was a 12 TD day for the Blueboys who outgained the Vikings, 724 yards to 174.  IC QB Destin Chance completed 15 of 21 passes for 346 yards and six TDs. IC put up 84 points with on 19:52 Time of Possession. 

Razorback Report: Starkville, MS- The Hogs went to Starkvegas and worked over the Bulldogs, 58-25.  Razorbacks QB Taylor Green had himself quite a day.  He complerted 23 of 39 passes for 314 yards with five TDs and an interception.  He also ran for 79 yards eight carries and score.  Backfield mate RB Braylen Russell led all rushers with 175 yards on 16 carries.  This week the Hogs are back home to host Ole Miss. 

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

Our last two pumpkins are harvested and nothing feels more Fall than seeing that Summer is a distant memory for your garden.

Malted milk balls rock.

Why does every Trader Joe's have a bad parking lot?

Until next time folks remember that wins are great , but they can hide what deficiencies your team has.

-The Commissioner

Week 8, 2024

Hey All,

It was another eventful weekend in college football. Let's look back with another edition of Noters on a Big Ten Scorecard.  We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

Summaries 

Maryland 29- USC 28: College Park, MD- Stop me if you've heard this one before.  USC takes a lead into the late fourth quarter only to lose in heartbreaking fashion at the end.  The Trojans held a 21-7 lead in the third quarter thanks to a 22-yard pass from QB Miller Moss to WR Kyron Hudson,  a 15-yard pass to Ja'Kobi Lane and a five-yard run by RB Woody Marks.  Then disaster struck.  Just as SC looked to put the game away. Moss threw yet another game-changing interception.  One play later, Maryland QB Billy Edwards, Jr. completed an 18-yard scoring strike to WR Tai Felton.  Maryland was now back in the game down just 21-14.  USC would then take a 28-14 lead on a 26-yard pass from Moss to WR Duce Robinson.  Maryland answered right back with a 10-yard TD pass from Edwards to RB Roman Hemby. They  then got the two-point conversion to trail just 28-22 with 9:56 to play.  The Trojans had a chance to put away the game with 2:00 to play and a 4th and 1 at the Terrapins 24-yard line.  SC HC Lincoln Riley decided to kick the FG for a nine-point lead instead going for the first down.  The FG attempt was blocked and retuned to the USC 47-yard line.  Five plays later, Edwards ran untouched three yards into the end zone for a 29-28 Terps lead.  The Men of Troy's last chance to win the game ended like most of their losses with a bad pass from Moss.  The ball fell incomplete and Maryland had the upset win.  (Are these road failures really upsets anymore?).  For Maryland, Edwards torched the trojans completing 39 of 50 passes for 373 yards, two TDs and an interception.  He also ran for the game-winning score.  WR Kaden Prather  was Edwards' top target catching nine balls for 111 yards.  For the now 3-4 Trojans. Moss completed 34 of 50 passes for 336 yards, three TDs and another huge interception.  Marks led all rushers with 82 yards and a TD on 17 carries. 

Telling Stat: 4th and WTF?!;  SC's failure to go for it on 4th and 1 cost the Trojans the game. 

Oregon 35- Purdue 0: West Lafayette, IN-  Media pundits tried to make folks wonder if the Ducks would stumble this week after their emotional win over Ohio State last week.  However, most of the country realized that they were facing Purdue Friday night and not much wonder or worry was to be found in their workmanlike pasting of the Boilermakers.  UO ended the competitive portion of the game in the first quarter with a pair short TD runs by RB Jordan James for 14-0 lead.  The Webfoots would take a 21-0 lead into the half on a 12-yard TD pass from QB Dillion Gabriel to WR Tez Johnson.  UO's offense spent a scoreless third quarter missing a FG, while the defense shutdown PU for downs twice to keep the shutout going.  The fourth quarter saw the team from Eugene score two more times on a an eight-yard TD pass from Gabriel to RB Noah Whittington and a 12-yard TD scamper from RB Jay Harris.  After that the only suspense left was whether the Ducks would keep the Boilermakers off the scoreboard.  They was accomplished when DB Kam Alexander picked off QB Ryan Browne in the end zone with :29 left in the contest. For the 7-0 Ducks, Gabriel completed 21 of 25 passes for 290 yards, two TDs and an interception.  For the 1-6 Boilermakers, RB Reggie Love III led all rushers with 93 yards on 11 carries which matched the passing total of Browne who competed just nine of 19 passes for 93 yards and an interception. 

Telling Stat: Three is a tragic number;  Purdue ran just three plays all night in the Oregon Red Zone and one of those was a missed field goal.  

Indiana 56- Nebraska 7: Bloomington, IN-  The Hoosiers moved to 7-0 on the year with a thumping of the Cornhuskers in front of a sellout crowd at Memorial Stadium.  The slow moving first quarter saw IU take a 7-0 lead win a five-yard TD run from RB Justice Ellison. Indiana then extended that lead to 14-0 to start the second period on a. seven-yard TD strike from QB Kurtis Rourke to WR Myles Price.  Nebraska cut their deficit to 14-7 when RB Jacory Barney, Jr. broke off a seven-yard TD scamper.  It looked like we might have a game here between two pretty good teams.  That didn't happen as Indiana just worked over the Huskers for the final two and a half quarters.  IU took a 28-7 into the half on a pair of TD runs of a yard and 31 yards from RB Ty Son Lawton and Ellison.  The lead came at a price as QB Kurtis Rourke hurt his thumb and wouldn't play in the second half.  All Indiana did after that was outscore the Huskers 28-0 with backup QB Tayven Jackson throwing two TD passes to go with two more rushing scores.  In his one half of play Rourke completed 17 of 21 passes for 189 yards, a TD and an interception.  Jackson completed seven of eight passes for 91 yards and two scores in his half of play.  Ellison led all rushers with 105 yards and two TDs on nine carries. For the hapless Huskers, Raiola completed 28 of 44 passes for 234 yards and three interceptions.  

Telling Stat:  There is a D in Blowout;  Indiana's defense forced five turnovers and held for downs five more times to set the stage for the big blowout in Bloomington.   

Wisconsin 23- Northwestern 3: Evanston, IL- It was NU's last game at their temporary stadium and it wasn't a great one for the home crowd as the Badgers wore down the Wildcats for the win.  First quarter was a scoreless affair.  The thing that came closest to resembling a scoring chance was when NU PK Luke Akers missed on a 51-yard FG attempt.  Wisconsin took over the ball on the their own 34-yard line and marched 66 yards in eight plays to take a 7-0 lead on an eight-yard TD scramble from QB Braedyn Locke.  The teams would then trade missed field goals before Wisconsin got the break that would see them take control of the game.  Badgers Punter Atticus Bertams set his team top for success having a punt being downed at the Wildcats one-yard line.  Five plays later, NU QB Jack Lausch was sacked and fumbled at the NU three-yard line.  DT Elijah Ellis recovered the ball at that spot for Wisconsin.  From there it took one play for RB Cade Yacameilli to burst into the end zone for a 14-0 lead for UW with :39 left in the half.  Northwestern showed some fight to start the seance half with a 26-yard FG from Akers and picking off the Badgers on their next possession.  However, Wisconsin forced a punt and the Wildcats never seriously threatened to get back into the game again.  UW extended their lead to 21-3 on a three-yard aerial from Locke to TE Tucker Ashcroft at the end of the third period.  The Sons of Bucky put the exclamation point on their win early in the fourth quarter when Lausch was sacked by LB Sebastian Cheeks and DT Curt Neal for a safety and a 23-3 lead.  Locke led the badgers attack completing 14 of 24 passes for 160 yards, a TD and an interception. RB Tawee Walker was the game's top rusher, gaining 126 yards on 23 carries to aid the Badgers cause.  For the Wildcats, Lausch completed nine of 24 passes for 82 yards and ran ten times for 55 yards. 

Telling Stat: They shall not pass;  Wisconsin held Northwestern to 82 yards passing on 24 attempts. That's a paltry 3.4 yards per attempt. 

UCLA 35- Rutgers 32: Piscataway, NJ-  The bRuins got their first ever Big Ten win by getting out to an early lead.  They then extended that lead and then hung on for dear life at the end as they almost collapsed down the stretch.  A pair of TD passes from QB Ethan Garbers and a 49-yard TD run from Garbers paced UCLA to a 21-10 halftime lead.  The third quarter saw Rutgers close the gap to 21-19 on a six-yard TD run from RB Kyle Monagai and 35-yard FG from PK Jai Patel.  UCLA then jumped out a 35-19 lead on two more TD passes from Garbers.  The bRuins then missed a FG and then fumbled late to set up Rutgers for a comeback.  Two more short TD runs for Monangai set the score at 35-32 with 1:45 to play.  RU then tried an onside kick which was recovered by the bRuins.  Three kneel down later and UCLA had the win.  Garbers had one of his better days as a bRuin completing 32 of 38 passes for 383 yards and four TDs. He also ran for 48 yards on nine carries and a TD.  For the Scarlet Knights Monagai led all rushers with 106 yards on 19 carries and three scores.  

Telling Stat: 1; UCLA has a Big Ten win.

Illinois 21- Michigan 7: Champaign-Urbana, IL- It was the 100th anniversary celebration of Memorial Stadium at Illinois and you couldn't have had a nicer day for it.  72 degrees and sunny with fall in full color.  Illinois also came out wearing some of the neatest throwback threads ever.  The Illini also honored the memory of Red Grange by beating the Wolverines as he did when the stadium was dedicated a century ago.  The Illini started this one off with a a drive of 46 yards that culminated with a 47-yard FG from PK David Olano of 47 yards for a 3-0 lead.  Michigan got the ball and started their third different QB of the year with Jack Tuttle trying to give life to the Wolverine passing game that has flatlined as the season has gone on.  Tuttle had one real good series and that was about it as he wasn't very accurate and had trouble turning the ball over.  His second quarter fumble led to a 32-yard FG from Olano for a 6-0 lead.  UM RB Donovan Edwards would fumble on the ensuing drive and Illinois turned that into a 13-0 lead when QB Luke Altmyer threw a two-yard TD pass to TE Tanner Atkins.  It looked like UM would get ran out for the building, but they put together a fine drive to cut the Illini lead to 13-7 when RB Kalel Mulings dove over the pile on 4th and Goal from the six-inch line for a TD.  Illinois extended their lead to 21-7 other first drive of the second half when Altmyer scored on QB sneak.  He lost his helmet on the play and that left backup QB Donovan Leary to run the two-point attempt.  He came in and threw a beautiful pass to the back of. the end zone where WR Zachary Franklin caught it for a successful conversion and Illiojns had a 21-7 lead.  The rest of the game was defensive struggle with Michigan completely shutting down the Illinois offense while the Illini defense managed to keep the Wolverines off the scoreboard forcing a missed FG and picking off Tuttle at their own two-yard line.  Michigan would never threaten again.  For the Illini, Altmyer completed nine of 18 passes for 80 yards and a TD. He also ran the ball 10 times for 48 yards and a score.  Tuttle finished the day completing 20 of 32 passes for 208 yards with an interception and a fumble.  Mullings led all rusher with 87b yards on 19 carries and Michigan's only TD.

Telling Stat: Turnovers Kill;  Michigan being -3 in turnovers was the difference in the game.

Michigan State 32- Iowa 20: East Lansing, MI- The first half of this one was a dominant one for the Spartans defense.  They held the Hawkeyes to 58 total yards.  However, the MSU offense did not take full advantage of what the defense did.  It was a FG festival as PK Jonathan Kim connected on four of five kicks that covered 42,43,36 and 29 to give the Spartans a 12-0 half time lead.  The third quarter saw both offenses wake up. Iowa wrapped  a TD pass of 18 yards from QB Cade McNamara to WR Reece Vander Zee and two-yard TD run by backup QB Brendan Sullivan around an 18-yard TD pass from MSU QB Aiden Chiles to WR Montorie Foster, Jr. to make the score 19-14 Spartans as the quarter ran out.  The Fourth period saw MSU extend their lead to 25-14 on two more FGs of 55 and 46 yards from Kim.  With 7:34 left,  Iowa looked to be finished down nine points.  Then lightning struck.  RB Kaleb Johnson took  handoff off tackle and zoomed down the sideline 75 yards to paydirt.  The ensuing two-point conversion attempt would fail, but the Hawkeyes were now in striking distance down, 25-20 with 7:22 to play.  Michigan State needed a game-clinching drive.  Something they hadn't really gotten all year.  Well, they got it.  It took nine plays and covered 75 yards with RB Nate Carter blasting throught he Hawkeye defense from a yard out for a touchdown 2:03 to play.  Iowa's last chance drive died at the Spartans 35-yard line.  McNamara completed a 31-yard pass on 4th and 10 to WR Jacob Gill.  However, the refs ruled that Gill had gone out of bounds prior to catching the pass and Iowa was flagged for illegal touching.  That penalty gave the ball to MSU and they took a knee to kill the clock and notch a big win.  For the Spartans, Chiles completed 22 of 30 passes for 256 yards, a TD and an interception.  WR Nick Marsh was his favorite target hauling in eight tosses for 113 yards.  For the Hawakeyes, McNamara compared 11 of 23 passes for 150 yards with a TD and an interception.  Johnson led all rushers with 98 yard son 14 carries and a TD.

Telling Stat: 6 X 3= W;  MSU PK Jonathan Kim's six field goals were the difference in this game. His six FGs are also a new Michigan State single game record. 

Observations

..Small schools, small price;  Did a little research here. For most D-II and D-III games you can get into the venue for 10 bucks, or just five dollars if you're 55 or older.   

...V for 2-0;  The State of Tennessee is 2-0 against Alabama.  Vandy and the Vols are having fun this year. 

...Kicking Atticus;  There are two kicking kids named Atticus in the Big Ten.  Atticus Sappington handles the PK duties for Oregon while Atticus Bertrams is the Punter for Wisconsin.  

...A rueful six;  I'm starting to think that Miller Moss' six TD passes in the Holiday Bowl may have been a bad thing for USC.  

...Perfect so far; Army, Navy, Indiana, BYU and Iowa State are a combined 34-0.  Whoa.  

...Gone;  Southern Miss HC Will Hall was fired. The Eagles went 14-30 overall under his guidance and started this year at 1-6. 

...Speaking of Moss;  The kid is suffering from poor pass protection, but he rarely hits any of his receivers in stride. most of his passes are too high, too low or behind his targets. He also can't throw the deep ball.  

...Out;  Utah's Andy Ludwig has "stepped down" as the OC for the Utes.  The Utes are 4-3 overall and 1-3 in Big XII play after being picked to win the Big XII by the media in the preseason.

...Pain in the City of the Angels; USC and UCLA are currently tied for 16th place in the Big Ten.

...Getting it right;  Seeing College Gameday head to Indiana this week is pretty cool. What a homecoming for Lee Corso.  I hope they do it well.

...That Texas mess;  For the refs to overturn the PI call on Texas after the crowd littered the field with water bottles is pretty gutless.  You never see PI calls overturned.  They stand no matter how bad the call may be and this was a bad one.  The optics on this one are very bad for the SEC.

...A confluence of major events in the area;  That just a nice way of saying that traffic will be a nightmare in LA on Friday night.  Running almost simultaneously, Game One of the World Series will be at Dodger Stadium, while USC hosts Rutgers at the Coliseum. Then the Lakers host the Suns at Crypto.com Arena and the East L.A. Classic between Roosevelt and Garfield will be played at Sofi while ELO will have a concert next door to that at the Kia Forum. Facepalm.

Big Ten Overreactions

Maryland wonders why SC didn't go for it. 

Oregon's NIL is undefeated.

Purdue is a 1-11 team.

Indiana plays the game with a confidence few teams have.

Nebraska has no idea what hit them.

Wisconsin is a 9-3 team.

Northwestern is a recruiting class away from going bowling.

Illinois should wear their throwbacks the rest of the season.

Michigan will overpay for a QB in the transfer portal.

Michigan State is starting to turn the corner for Jonathan Smith.

UCLA is improving week to week.

USC is stagnating.

Iowa is an 8-4 team.

Rutgers is a 5-7 team. 

Keeping Tabs on Your Exes

...Quietly making noise;  Wazzu is 6-1.  Their only loss is to Boise State and they could easily go 11-1.  

...Bay Area pain;  Cal and Stanford are a combined 1-7 in ACC play.

Cool Uniform of the Week

Folks, I'm going with the leather helmet days throwbacks that Illinois wore v. Michigan.  The Illini really pulled off this look well especially with the helmets that were all hand painted. 

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Marquette, MI- We got to the D-II ranks for this game. More specifically,  the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference where the Roosevelt University Lakers eked out a 16-10 overtime victory over the Northern Michigan Wildcats.  The game went to OT tied at 10-10 and the Wildcats had the ball first and fumbled on third down a the RU 16-yard line.  The Lakers recovered.  Then on their possession, RB Cyrus Zuell ran 11 yards right through the heart of the UNM defense for the game-winning touchdown.  The win was Roosevelt's first ever at the D-II level.  RU made the jump from the NAIA to D-II this year and is Chicago's only D-II football program.   

Blowout Game of the Week: Butte, MT- The Orediggers of Montana Tech put up 43 first quarter points en route to a 97-0 shellacking of Simpson University (CA) in a non-conference matchup of NAIA schools. Crazy thing is that the Orediggers put up those 43 points with 3:59 left in the quarter!  KR/WR Levi Torgersron had himself a game, or should we say half.  He returned the opening kickoff for a TD then caught three passes for 113 yards and two more scores.  He also ran once for 18 yards.  The Orediggers defense held Simpson to 30 total yards. 

Razorback Report: Fayetteville, AR-  Turnovers and failures in the red zone led to Hogs being whipped, 34-10 by LSU.  UP next for the Hogs is a trip to Mississippi State. 

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

One of my favorite parts of any Pixar movie is seeing the list of production babies in the credits.

Candy Corn is the worst Halloween candy. Period.

The most underrated Halloween candy is the Fifth Avenue bar.  They aren't easy to find, but they are great. 

Until next time folks remember,  this advice form a 1935 football card.  A lineman with his head down is out of the play.

-The Commissioner 

Week 7, 2024

Hey All,

Welcome to mid October where Halloween is just on the horizon, the stores are filled with giant bags of candy and the college football season is in full swing.  Let's take a look back at the week that was with another edition of Notes on a Big Ten Scorecard.  We still miss you, Joe Jares.

Summaries 

Penn State 33- USC 30 OT: Los Angeles, CA-  It was hot and hazy day at the old LA Coliseum for this battle of blue blood programs.  Penn State came into this one as the #4 ranked team in the land and SC was unranked as they were coming off an embarrassing loss at Minnesota.  On their first drive of the game it looked like the Nittany Lions were gonna blow the doors off SC.  They moved down the field quickly and efficiently and scored an apparent TD on a pass from QB Drew Allar to TE Tyler Warren.  However, in one of the rare times all year, a Trojan opponent was called for an obvious penalty. An offensive pass interference call wiped out the score.  PSU would settle for a 34-yard FG from PK Ryan Barker and a 3-0 lead.  SC answered back quickly when RB Quinten Joyner took the ball on a fake reverse and sprinted 75 yards for a touchdown.  USC led 7-3 and would control the rest of the first half.  A nine-yard TD pass from QB Miller Moss to Joyner and FGs of 45 and 47 yards from PK Michael Lantz would stake SC to a 20-6 halftime lead.  Penn State then came out and dominated the Third quarter.  The Lions took the second half kickoff and needed just five plays to travel 75 yards to cut SC's lead to 20-13 on a 32-yard TD pass from Allar to Warren on a beautifully executed double pass to cut SC's lead to 20-13.  Then after PSU forced a punt, they tied the game up at 20-20 on a one-yard run from RB Kaytron Allen.  PSU forced another SC punt and was poised to take control of the game when LB Easton Mascarnenas-Arnold picked off Allar and gave the Trojans a first down at the PSU 24-yard line.  SC couldn't move the ball, but did get another FG out of Lantz for a 23-20 lead.  From there the teams would trade scores with SC holding a 30-23 lead with 5:56 to play.  The Fighting Paternos needed a clutch drive to tie the game and they got it.  They converted two fourth downs, had a false start ignored by the refs and watched SC drop a sure interception along the way to game-tying TD pass from Allar to RB Nick Singleton that covered 14 yards.  The Men of Troy had one last shot to win the game in regulation and squandered it.  They had a first down at the PSU 49-yard line with 1:27 left and two timeouts left.  Then they just let the clock run down.  Then with :14 left Moss missed a wide open receiver and air mailed an interception to PSU DB Jaylen Reed.  Allar then returned the favor on a Hail Mary to end regulation play.  SC had the ball first in OT and sputtered.  Part of that was due to a bad run call on first down and the other part of that was two blatant PI calls that were ignored by the refs.  Lantz then came on for a 45-yard FG attempt and missed wide left.  PSU then used three plays to line up the ball in the middle of the field for Barker.  His 36-yard kick was true and Penn State pulled off the comeback victory.  For PSU Allar completed 30 of 43 passes for 391 yards and three TDs.  USC had no answer for his favorite target Tyler Warren.  He hauled in 17, yes 17 passes for 224 yards and a score.  He also threw a pass for nine yards and ran once for four yards.  For the Trojans, Moss completed 20 of 34 passes for 220 yards, two TDs and an interception, while RBs Woody Marks and Joyner combined to rush for 193 yards on 23 carries with a TD.  

Telling Stat:  6 from 3 = L;  USC forced three Penn State turnovers yet got only six points off those turnovers and that was the difference the game.  

Northwestern 37- Maryland 10: College Park, MD- The Terrapins came into this Friday night affair as double digit favorites over the Wildcats.  Evidently nobody in Evanston saw the memo as the Wildcats whipped the Terps from start to finish.  NU opened up the scoring in the first quarter when QB Jack Lausch scrambled his way nine yards into the end zone for a 7-0 lead.  The Purple and White then extended their lead to 17-0 early in the second quarter when RB Cam Porter crossed the double stripe from three yards out and PK Luke Akers made a 43-yard FG.  Maryland got on the board later in the quarter when QB Billy Edwards, Jr. bulled his way in for a one-yard TD run.  The Terps then now trialed 17-7 with 3:22 left before halftime.  The Northwestern offense then went into hibernation until the fourth quarter. That left the Wildcats defense to hold the lead and boy they sure did. They held UM for downs twice and only allowed field goal to cut their lead to 17-10.  Then two drives later, the Wildcat defense decided to score themselves if the offense wasn't going to do it.  They sacked Edwards, Jr, and forced a fumble.  DT Aidan Hubbard picked the ball up and held onto to it just long enough for a two-yard TD return.  That put NU up 24-10 and they never looked back.  Two more stops for downs and two more Maryland turnovers led to 13 more points for Northwestern and a big road victory.  Forget the offense, NU defense was the star of the show forcing four turnovers, holding three times for downs and then scoring a TD of their own to lead the way to a win.  For the Terps, Edwards, Jr. completed 28 of 51 passes for 296 yards and an interception. 

Telling Stat: Anatomy of a nightmare;  Maryland had a horrible second half at the hands of the Wildcats.  Their seven second half drives ended in three turnovers, three turnovers on downs and a field goal.  

Oregon 32- Ohio State 31: Eugene, OR-  It was a battle of the 20 million dollar NIL payrolls, I mean the #2 and #3 teams in the nation.  Yes, the Fighting Nike's of Oregon came away with a narrow one-point win in a back and forth contest that featured some skulduggery on Oregon's part and a boneheaded play on TheeeOSU's part in the game's final moments.  The first half saw the Quacks emerge with a 22-21 lead.  Oregon and Ohio State each found paydirt three times. UO scores were a three-yard run by RB Jordan James and two TD passes from QB Dillon Gabriel that covered 10 yards to Eva Stewart and 48 yards to WR Tez Johnson.  The Buckeyes scores came on a one-yard sneak from QB Will Howard, a one-yard run from RB Quinshon Judkins and 15-yard TD pass from Howard to WR Emeka Egbuka. The Ducks misfired on a pair of two-point attempts and also got a short field goal of 27 yards from PK Atticus Sappington to account for their one point lead.  The Third quarter saw the Buckeyes take a 28-22 lead on a six yard toss from Howard to WR Jeremiah Smith.  UO went back on top, 29-28 when QB Dillon Gabriel ran though TheeeOSU's defense for a 27-yard TD.  The teams the traded FGs to make the score 32-31 Duck with 1:47 left to play.  That was plenty of time for the Buckeyes to get into FG range.  However, things didn't go so well for OSU.  With :10 left in the game UO called time out. OSU had a 3rd and 25 at the Quacks 43-yard line. A short pass and a time out would have put the Scarlet and Gray into the edge of FG range.  However, Oregon sent 12 men onto the field for the play coning out of the time out.  The play was run and the Oregon defense caused Howard's pass to fall incomplete.  The Quacks were then penalized for having 12 men on the field. Now the Buckeyes had just :06 left and were not a lot closer to FG range which was why UO HC Dan Manning sent the illegal 12th man on in the first place.  Ohio State's final play saw Howard tuck the ball and run for 12 yards.  He also ran the clock out too and Oregon had the win.  For the Webfoots, Gabriel completed  23 of 34 passes for 341 yards and two TDs.  He also ran for 32 yards and a score.  James led all rushers with 115 yards on 23 carries and TD.  For the Hard luck Bucks, Howard completed 28 of 35 passes for 326 yards and two TDs.  His favorite targets were Smith and Egbuka who combined to catch 19 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns. 

Telling Stat: The only shade of yellow that mattered;  Oregon's play of the game was an intentional penalty. Hmmmmmmm  

Illinois 50- Purdue 49 OT: Champaign-Urbana IL- A funny thing happened on the Illini's way to a rout of the Boilermakers.  Over the course of their last four games Purdue had been beaten by an average score of 46-11.  So when Illinois held a 24-3 halftime lead it sure looked like another blowout loss for old PU.  Then the third quarter started and Purdue's came to life. Illinois extended their lead to 27-3 midway through the third period on a 49-yard FG from PK David Olano.  Purdue then. got their first TD of the game when QB Ryan Browne, who got the start for the injured Hudson Card, hooked up with WR Jahmal Edrine for a 53-yard TD pass. Eight seconds later DE Will Heidt recovered an Illini fumble and rumbled 16 yards to the house.  Suddenly Purdue trailed just 27-17 and had all the momentum.  The teams then traded punches all the way to end of regulation when UI's Olano nailed a 38-yard FG to send the game to overtime tied at 43-43.  Illinois had the ball first and wasted no time taking the lead again with a 25-yard TD pass from QB Luke Altmyer to WR Pat Bryant.  The Boilermakers took just a shade longer to score when they got the ball.  It took them two plays to find the end zone with the score coming a three-yard TD run from WR Ahmad Branch on and end around. Then, the Boilermakers decided to go for two and not head to a second OT.  Browne dropped back to pass and was sacked by the blitzing Illini defense. The sack allowed Illinois to  escape with the win.  For The Orange and Blue, Altmyer completed 20 of 34 passes for 379 yards and three TDs while backfield mate RB Josh McCray ran for 78 yards on 16 carries and two scores.  For the Sons of John Purdue, Browne completed 18 of 26 passes for 297 yards and three TDs.  He also ran for 118 yards on 17 carries.  His top receiving target was TE Max Klare who caught six balls for 133 yards.   

Telling Stat: A points and yardage frenzy;  In the final 22:30 of regulation play and OT the teams combined to score 61 pints and gain 595 total yards of offense. 

Iowa 40- Washington 16: Iowa City, IA- Stop me if you've heard this before.  A team in the Big Ten took a two time zone road trip and lost.  It wasn't the deciding factor in this game, but how else do you explain Iowa scoring 40 points for the first time since 2017?  The teams played a pretty even first half with a missed FG and a fumble by the Huskies being the main reason the score stood at 20-10 Hawkeyes at the half.  Then the second half began and the Iowa defense set the table for the offense to take control of the game. UW got the ball to start the third quarter and drove down to Iowa's 23-yard line.  On 3rd and 9 from  the 23 UW QB Will Rogers picked off by DB Jermari Harris and he returned it to the Iowa 46-yard line. That led to a 25-yard FG from PK Drew Stevenss and a 23-10 lead.  On the ensuing possession, the Hawkeyes stopped the Dawgs on fourth down at their own 39-yard line.  That led to a TD run of eight yards from Kaleb Johnson to start the final period.  Iowa now led  30-10 and the game was basically over.  For the Hawkeyes, Johnson led all rushers with 166 yards on 21 carries with two TDs and QB Cade McNamara completed eight of 14 passes for 108 yards and a two scores of his own.  In defeat Rogers completed 22 of 34 passes for 195 yards, a TD and an interception.  

Telling Stat: Miscues kill:  Washington led this game in every statistical category except the scoreboard thanks to two turnovers, a missed FG and failing on three fourth down conversions. 

Wisconsin 42- Rutgers 7: Madison, WI-  It was the second straight road game for the Scarlet Knights against a team that wears Red and White.  It was also Rutgers second straight loss on the road to a team the wears Red and White.  However, this one wasn't nearly as close as the Badgers whipped the guys from New Jersey.  The Badgers took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on a 16-yard TD pass from QB Braedyn Locke to Will Pauling and a two-yard TD run by RB Tawee Walker.  The second period saw the Badgers turn the ball over twice and miss a FG.  Wisconsin fans were a bit uneasy as their squad held a slim 14-0 lead at the half.  Ahhhh, but they didn't worry long as the Badgers put this game away with two more TDs in the third period to build a 28-0 lead.  RBs Darrion Dupree and Walker found the end zone from two yards and nine yards out for the scores.   Rutgers did manage to cross the double stripe early in the fourth quarter when RB Kyle Monangai ran 13 yards for a TD.  The score kept RU from being shutout, but not much more than that.  Wisconsin got another TD run from Walker that covered 55 yards and a one-yard QB keeper from Locker to finish off the rout.  For the Badgers, Walker lugged the leather 24 times for 198 yards and three TDs while Locke compared 20 of 28 passes for 240 yards, a TD and an interception.  In the lopsided loss, Monangai ran for 72 yards and a TD on 19 carries.

Telling Stat: They ran wild;  Wisconsin racked up 311 yards rushing on 46 carries with five TDs on the hapless Rutgers defense.  

Minnesota 21- UCLA 17: Pasadena, CA- The final game of the Big Ten weekend featured a Golden Gophers squad in search of a Big Ten Command Center-aided sweep of the Los Angeles schools.  The Gophers did not need the video review guys this week, but they did need another late drive to get the win.  It looked like the two-time zone trip and the late kickoff may have doomed the Golden Gophers as UCLA held a 10-0 halftime advantage on a one-yard TD run by RB Keegan Jones and a 34-yard FG from PK Mateen Bhaghani.  That was not to be as the third period saw Minnesota take a 14-10 lead on a 12-yard TD pass from QB Max Brosmer to WR Elijah Spencer and a two-yard scamper into the end zone by RB Darius Taylor.  UCLA now trialed 14-10 as the final quarter ticked away.  The bRuins had the ball on their own 11-yard line with  12:35 to play.  The bRuins then put together their best drive of the night.  They took a little over five minutes march 89 yards in nine plays to take. a 17-14 lead.  QB Ethan Garbers hit WR J. Michael Sturdivant with a 42-yard TD pass to cap off the drive. After an exchange of punts, The Gophers had the ball at their own 39-yard with 2:16 to play.  UCLA just needed one more stop to get their first Big Ten win.  It didn't happen.  Minnesota swept down the field in seven plays with Bromser flipping a four-yard TD toss to Taylor for the game-winner.  Brosmer completed 26 of 37 passes for 193 yards and two TDs.  WR Daniel Jackson hauled in 10 of Browser's aerials for 89 yards.  For UCLA, Garbers completed 25 of 36 passes for 293 yards, a TD and three interceptions.  Sturdivant was the top pass catcher in the game with seven receptions for 107 yards and a score.  

Telling Stat: Pick and Flags will give you an L;  UCLA threw three interceptions and were flagged 10 times for 105 yards which paved the way for a loss to the Golden Gophers.

Observations

...Simple truth;  Great games are only great when you win.  

...200 and counting;  Iowa HC Kirk Ferentz got his 200th Big Ten Conference win this past Saturday.  That puts him just five wins away from tying Woody Hayes as the all-time career Big Ten leader.

...Harsh truth;  We keep hearing form USC HC Lincoln Riley that the Trojans are just a few plays away from being 6-0 instead of being 3-3.  SC is also a handful of plays away from being 1-5 instead of 6-0 as well.

...A march to futility;  Yale's opening drive against Dartmouth covered 48 yards in 21 plays and ended in a turnover on downs at the Dartmouth 10-yard line.  They went on to lose the game in OT, 44-43.  Ouch.  

...Taking their anger out;  After getting beat by USC, Wisconsin has beaten their next two opponents by a combined score of 96-13.

...Harsh truth redux;  USC receivers don't get enough separation and QB Miller Moss has accuracy issues.

...Losing is fun; It is fun to watch Colorado lose. 

...Lost in the O;  The Texas offense gets most of the media attention these days, but the Longhorn defense is only allowing 6.33 points per game.  

...Titan regret;  Be a Titans ball boy they said.  It will be fun they said.  Ouch.  He needs AFLAC now

...Double thud leaders;  Nebraska has had five kicks blocked this year. 

...Unprofessional;  ESPN's Mark Jones is incapable of impartiality in the booth when calling a Colorado game.  His play-by-play is a three hour infomercial for the Sanders family with a little actual football sprinkled in.  

...Rising Ridiculousness;  Utah HC Kyle Whittingham announced that QB Cam Rising has a lower leg injury and will be out for the rest of the season.  He now gets to apply for a medical redshirt and come back for an eighth year of eligibility. This is not a joke.  

...Dominant in the Dakotas;  The #1, 2 and 4 ranked teams in the FCS are South Dakota State, North Dakota State and the University of South Dakota.  However, the #3 team is farther west.  It's Montana State. Montana State is also the only 7-0 in the either the FBS or FCS.  

...Harsh Truth Returns;  This USC team will play at the level of their competition all year.  Especially so with a three time zone trip to Maryland this week.  Sigh.  

...Gotta throw the obvious flags;  There is such a thing as over officiating and how a ton of penalties can mess up a game, but the lack of calling obvious penalties hurts the game as well.  In all leagues obvious holding and PI's just are not being called.  Sideline behavior has gotten bad too. Coaches pushing players and coaches also handling refs and just screaming in their faces without a a single flag being thrown is ridiculous.  

...Speaking of ridiculous; How was Georgia HC Kirby Smart not penalized for pushing Mississippi State QB Michael Van Buren?  It's easily unsportsmanlike conduct at the very least.  Unacceptable

...Juked;  Colorado CB Shiloh Sanders was faked out of his jock by K-State RB D.J. Giddens.  On His Knees!  Oh, look at all the obvious holds on this play too.

...Legit Question;  Why is it when SEC teams all beat each other the national narrative is, "Hey look at how deep this conference is!"  However, when it happens in the Big XII. the national narrative is, "Boy this is just not a good league."  Hmmmmmmmmmm

...3-10;  The two/three time zone Big Ten road trip is a killer.  Teams taking that long of a trip in the league are 3-10 and two of those three wins are in Pasadena over what might be the worst UCLA team since 1971. 

...Lost in the shuffle;  Lost in all the furor over the end of the game, the return of Chip Kelly to Nike U as TheeeOSU's OC was largely overlooked.  

...Rising form the long dead;  Anyone notice that Louisina-Monroe, one of the true bottom feeders of the FBS, is 5-1?  Their only loss is to #1 Texas. 

...Stiffarm Statue is his to lose;  At the halfway mark of the season Boise State RB Austin Jeanty is your Heisman winner.  It's his trophy to lose.  He has already rushed for 1,248 yards this season.  He has more yards rushing than 109 other teams in the FCS.  Wow.

...3-10 Nugget;  Here's an overlooked point about playing at the Rose Bowl as a visiting team. Visiting teams that play at the Rose Bowl play in far superior conditions than they do as visitors at on campus stadiums. Making things difficult for your opponent is an art form at the collegiate level. Poor locker rooms are the norm.  At Rose Bowl it doesn't happen.  It's really just a neutral site despite how much signage UCLA hangs on the seats.  Is this the main reason UCLA has been beaten at home by Indiana and Minnesota?  No, the bRuins being generationally bad is the main reason,  but this does factor into the games. 

...1938;  Iowa State is 6-0 for the first time since 1938. Back then, they were in the forerunner of the Big XII then known as the Big 6.  They would finish the year at 7-1-1 with a 10-0 season ending loss to Oklahoma. 

...Stay Classy Quacks;  Oregon WR Traeshon Holden was ejected for spitting on TheeeOSU CB Davison Igbinosun.  He let one fly

...This will light the lamp; The Chicago Blackhawks are selling 24 oz. hockey stick beers. 

Big Ten Overreactions 

USC is a 7-5 team.

UCLA is a 1-11 team.

Washington can't believe they gave up 40 to Iowa.

Illinois wonder how Purdue scored 49 points .

Purdue even wonders how Purdue scored 49 points.

Wisconsin plays well when angry.

Ohio State is an 11-1 team.

Oregon may eventually play another road game. 

Minnesota wants to establish a satellite campus in LA.

Northwestern will ruin somebody's season.

Iowa may never score 40 points again.

Penn State plays knowing they will never be called for holding.

Rutgers is in search of an offense donor.

Maryland just fumbled again.

Keeping Up On Your Exes 

...Had 'em for a minute;  Stanford took an early, 7-0 lead at Notre Dame last week.  They then gave up seven straight touchdowns in a 49-7 loss to the Fighting Irish 

...Forked;  Utah got the business end of Sparky's pitchfork in a 27-19 loss at Arizona State. That pitchfork was named Cam Skattebo.  The ASU RB toted the rock 22 times for 158 yards and two TDs against the vaunted Utah defense.  

CFL Update 

There are still two weeks to go in the regular season, but all six playoff berths have been filled.  The East Division Champs are the Montreal Alouettes with an 11-3-1 record.  Fighting it out for second place are the Toronto Argonauts at 9-7-1 and the Ottawa Redblacks at 8-6-1.  The West Division still needs to crown a champion as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers hold a 10-7 record and a 1/2 game lead over the Saskatchewan Roughriders at 9-7-1.  In third place are the B.C. Lions at 8-9.  The guys at 3 Down Nation do a great job covering the league.  The 110-Yard Game

Unique Uniform of the Week:  There is a hell of lot of repetition in college uniforms and school colors, but nobody wears teal and does teal well like Coastal Carolina.

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Claremont, CA-  We got to the only D-III football conference in California, the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for this week's contest.  PK Jack Walker split the uprights from 15 yards out as time expired to lift the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens to a 10-7 victory over the Redlands Bulldogs.  The teams traded first quarter TDs and it was ac defensive standoff the rest of the way.  The game-winning kick was setup by Sagehens DB Joshua Yen who picked off Bulldogs QB Jayden McKay at the Redlands 30-yard line with 1:15 to play.  Defense ruled the night here as the offenses combined to convert on just seven of 29 third downs.  

Blowout Game of the Week: Selinsgrove, PA-  We now stay in D-III where the Susquehanna River Hawks crushed the Keystone College Giants, 79 -6 in Landmark Conference play.  The River Hawks built up a 41-0 lead at the half and then emptied the niches the rest of the way in this rout.  In about a half's worth of work River Hawks QB Josh Ehrlich was a perfect 11 of 11 passing for 203 yards and four TDs.  Meanwhile, nine different backs combined to rush for 377 yards on 43 carries and three TDs fro mighty Susquehanna.

Razorback Report: The Hogs had a bye this past Saturday and will host LSU on 10/19.  

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

I miss the old school NFL pencil sets.

Pitch dark here at 6:45 last night. The shortening of the days does creep up quickly.

Speaking of pencils, Ticonderoga No. 2 pencils are still the best.   

Until next time folks remember,  that it takes a full four quarters of effort to win games. 

-The Commissioner 

Week 6, 2024

Hey All,

While summer refuses to leave quietly and fall fights to take its' place around here, another week of college football has come and gone.  Let's take a look back at last week's games with another edition of Notes on a Big Ten Scorecard.  We still miss you, Alan Malamud.  

Summaries 

Minnesota 24- USC 17: Minneapolis, MN- The Trojans went out and stumbled and bumbled their way through a lackluster defeat at the hands of the Golden Gophers and the Big Ten replay crew. USC got the ball first and looked to take an early lead when WR Zachariah Branch continued his subpar year by dropping a key third down pass that would have set the Trojans with a first down in the red zone.  PK Michael Lantz then came on and missed a 47-yard FG attempt.  That was the beginning of another poor first half by the Trojans. USC found themselves down 10-7 late in the half after Minnesota sandwiched a 32-yard FG from PK Dragon Kesich and a one-yard TD run from QB Max Brosmer around a three-yard TD pass from SC QB Miller Moss to TE Duce Robinson.  SC did tie the game before the half on a career long, 54-yard FG from Lantz.  It would have been just a 49-yarder, but just before Lantz kicked that one, UM HC P.J. Fleck called a timeout that had been given back to him by the refs to use.  Then USC committed a false start.  Fleck had the refs in his pocket all night long with his sideline histrionics.  So, the third quarter began and the Trojan defense stopped the Gophers and then the offense went on 12-play, 91-yard drive that was capped off with a one-yard run by RB Woody Marks in the Wildcat formation.  The Men of Troy led 17-10.  They then forced another punt by the Gophers.  USC marched the ball down to the Minnesota 35-yard line where they faced a 3rd and 5. Miller Moss dropped back to pass on third down and his RT Mason Murphy threw a lookout block. Moss was hit as he threw and the ball popped into the hands of Gopher DE Devon Williams.  After that play USC collapsed.  Minnesota would score the final 14 points of the game to claim victory.  The Gophers last score was highly controversial.  The Gophers ran two straight Brotherly Shove plays on the goal line.  The first one was reviewed to see if Brosmer had crossed the goal line.  It was ruled that there wasn't enough evidence to overturn the call.  You just couldn't see the ball.  You couldn't see the where the ball ended up on the second shove either.  Ahhh, but the refs ruled that Brosmer had not crossed the goal line.  The would be a turnover on downs and SC would get the ball back on their own half-yard line.  UM's Fleck went ballistic on the refs. He cried, he whined, he screamed at them until a review was signaled for.  The replay crew at the Big Ten Command Center then decided that this time they could rule on a play where they had no incontrovertible evidence to overturn the call on the field. They handed Minnesota the winning TD and Fleck tried to first bump the refs.  Sigh. USC's last chance to tie the game ended when Moss' pass was picked off in the end zone by DB Koi Perich with a few seconds left.  Brosmer completed 15 of 19 passes for 169 yards, but ran for three Minnesota TDs.  For the Trojans,  Moss completed 23 of 38 passes for 200 yards, a TD and two interceptions while his backfield mate, Marks ran for 134 yards on 20 carries and a TD of his own.

Telling Stat:  -2 and a Miss = L;  Finishing -2 in turnovers and missing a FG cost USC the game. 

Oregon 31- Michigan State 10: Eugene, OR-  MSU HC Jonathan Smith had been here before.  In fact most of his coaching staff and a few of his players had been here before too. They all were parts of a few rivalry victories at Autzen stadium as they were members of the Oregon State program.  Well, nowhere near an upset occurred last Friday night.  The Quacks easily moved the ball on the Spartans and went into the half with a 21-0 lead.  The UO lead couldn't have been much more, but QB Dillon Gabriel's trend of throwing interceptions in the shadow of his opponent's goal line continued to manifest itself.  MSU picked off Gabriel in their own end zone and at their own two-yard line to wipe out two scoring chances for the Webfoots.  However, the Oregon defense shutdown the MSU offense for the first 51:33 of the game so that the mistakes did not come back to haunt them. Gabriel's evening ended with 20 completions in 32 attempts for 257 yards, two TDs and two interceptions.  He also ran for 22 yards on three carries and a score. Duck WR Tez Johnson was the game's top wideout catching 10 passes for 84 yards and a TD, while RB Jordan James lugged the leather 24 times for 166 yards and a score of his own.  For the moribund Spartan offense, QB Aiden Chiles completed 10 of 17 passes for 154 yards.

Telling Stat: Chained up;  Oregon's defense held Michigan State to just 2 of 11 on 3rd Down Conversion and just 59 yards rushing to pave the way for the win.

Penn State 27- UCLA 11: Happy Valley, PA- The Nittany Lions took awhile to get started, but they eventually pulled away from an overmatched bRuin squad for a win in their fourth straight home game after starting the season at West Virginia.  UCLA did have a chance to take a lead on their opening possession of the game.  HC DeShaun Foster eschewed a 40-yard FG attempt and deiced to go for it on 4th and 1 on the PSU 23-yard line.  RB T.J.Harden was stuffed in the backfield for a one-yard loss and the game stood scoreless with 7:04 left in the opening frame.  After the teams exchanged punts, Penn State took a 7-0 lead on a 82-yard, 16 play drive that took 7:36 off the clock.  QB Drew Allar bulled his way into the end zone from one yard out to finish off the drive.  UCLA did answer back with a drive that covered 68 yards in 3:49 that ended with a 25-yard FG from PK Mateen Bhaghani. PSU then took control of the game with their last drive of the first half and first drive of the second half.  It was only 10 points, but against an outmanned UCLA offense with young Justyn Martin at QB in place of injured starter Ethan Garbers, it was more than enough.  The Lions held 14-3 lead at the break on a five-yard TD pass from Allar to TE Tyler Warren and a 25-yard FG from PK Ryan Barker with 8:30 to go in the third quarter.  Throw in a a one-yard TD run from Kaytron Allen late in the period and the Fighting Paternos held a 24-3 lead to start the final quarter.  Barker would add a 40-yard FG midway through the final period for a 27-3 lead.  UCLA's lone TD came very late when WR Logan Loya caught a  one-yard TD toss from Martin.  RB Keegan jones would catch the two-point try to make the final score 27-11. Allar had an efficient day for the Lions completing 17 of 24 passes for 237 yards and a score. He also ran for a TD.  WR Liam Clifford was his top receiver grabbing three passes for 107 yards.  Meanwhile Allen led all rushers with 78 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown.  For the bRuins, Martin completed 22 of 30 passes for 167 yards and a TD.

Telling Stat: They owned the middle;  Penn State went on a 17-0 run from the end of the first half through the third quarter.  During that span they held UCLA to -9 yards. 

Wisconsin 52- Purdue 6: Madison, WI- The Badgers needed a feel good home win after getting worked over in the second half by USC last week.  The Biolermakers were just what Wisconsin needed to feel good about themselves.  The Sons of Bucky jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on a 12-yard TD run by RB Tawee Walker and a 52-yard TD pass from QB Braedyn Locke to WR Vinny Anthony II.  Purdue then made a game of it for awhile.  PK Spencer Porath was good from 21 and 23 yards put to cut the Badgers lead to 14-6 with 3:27 left in the second quarter.  Wiscosmnin then realized that Purdue stinks and blew their doors off the Boilermakers over last 33 plus minutes of play.  Two more TD runs from Walker covering one yard and 17 yards plus two TDs passes from Locke to WR Trech Kekahuna that covered 69 and 25 yards gave the Badgers a 42-6 lead after three quarters of play.  A 30-yard TD run from Cade Yacamelli and a 26-yard FG from PK Nathanial Vakos in the final stanza rounded out the scoring for the Red and White.  Locke finished the afternoon completing 20 of 31 aerials for 359 yards, three TDs and two interceptions.  Kekahuna was the top pass catcher with six receptions for 134 yards and two TDs. Walker led all rushers with 94 yards on 19 carries with three scores.  For the Purdue squad that once again Pur-didn't, QB Hudson Card completed 11 of 21 passes for 111 yards.

Telling Stat: There is no O in Purdue;  The Boilermakers only ran 48 offensive plays and were a dismal 1 for 11 on 3rd Down Conversions in this laugher at Camp Randall.

Ohio State 35- Iowa 7: Columbus, OH- It was picture perfect day a the Horseshoe where the Buckeyes just wore down the Hawkeyes and denied Iowa HC Kirk Ferentz his 200th Big Ten victory.  The first half was a near standoff with the Buckeyes taking a 7-0 lead when QB Will Howard connected with WR Emeka Egbuka for a 14-yard score with 3:41 left in the first quarter.  The only highlight the rest of the half was when Iowa held TheeeOSU for downs at their own 41-yard line after they stuffed Howard on a QB keeper. The Third quarter saw the Scarlet and Gray take control of the game by putting three TDs on the board in a little over 11 minutes.  TheeeOSU took the second half kickoff and drove 86 yards in 10 plays to take a 14-0 lead.  The score came on a four-yard toss from Howard to WR Jeremiah Smith.  On the first play for Iowa from scrimmage after the score, McNamara was sacked and fumbled. LB Cody Simon recovered the ball at the Hawkeyes 19-yard line.  It then took TheeeOSU just three plays to go out to a 21-0 lead on a four-yard TD dash by Howard. Iowa handed the ball over again on the next possession when McNamara was picked off at the Bucks 15-yard line by CB Davison Igbinosun who took the ball back 45 yards to. the Iowa 40-yard-line.  Howard engineered another scoring drive.  This one covered 40 yards in seven plays and was capped off with a 15-yard TD pass from Howard to Egbuka. Suddenly the Buckeyes had a 28-0 lead and total control of the game.  After yet another Iowa turnover, Ohio State took a 35-0 lead on Howard and Egbuka's third hookup of the day.  It covered three yards and the game was basically over at that point.  Iowa got their lone score on a 28-yard TD run by RB Kaleb Johnson with 8:07 left in the final period.  Howard led the Buckeye attack by completing 21 of 25 passes for 209 yards with four TDs and an interception.  Egbuka was his favorite target hauling in nine passes for 71 yards and three trips to the end zone.  For the outclassed Hawkeyes, McNamara completed 14 of 20 passes for 98 yards and an interception while Johnson was the top ground gainer with 86 yards on 15 carries with a TD.

Telling Stat: 21 in 11= W;  In the first 11 minutes of the third quarter Ohio State forced two turnovers to spur a 21-0 run that gave them total control of the contest.

Indiana 41- Northwestern 24: Evanston, IL- It was a Chamber of Commerce afternoon at Northwestern's temporary stadium on. the banks of Lake Michigan.  The fans there saw a pretty good game too as the Hoosiers finished strong to get past a feisty bunch of Wildcats to go 6-0 on the year.  The first half saw the teams trade scores worth IU taking a 17-10 advantage into the break on a five-yard TD sprint from RB Justice Ellison, a seven-yard TD pass from QB Kurtis Rourke to WR Miles Cross and a 37-yard FG from PK Nicholas Radicic.  NU's scores came on a an eight-yard TD scamper by RB Cam Porter and a 32-yard FG from PK Jack Olsen.  The Hoosiers took a 24-10 lead in the middle of third quarter on a 13-yard TD pass from Rourke to WR Ke'Shawn Williams.  The Wildcats immediately got back to within a TD at 24-17 when QB Jack Lausch connected with WR A.J. Henning for a 38-yard scoring strike. Another Radicic FG, this one from 28 yards gave IU a 27-17 lead with 14:54 left into game.  Northwestern answered that score with a 2-yard TD pass from Lausch to Henning and suddenly the score stood 27-24 IU with most of the final period left to play.  This is when the Hoosiers finished strong to claim the win.  Indiana marched 75 yards in 10 plays on the their next possession to take a 34-24 lead when RB Ty Son Lawton rumbled into the end zone from one-yard out.  Northwestern still had time to get back into the game, but Lausch's pass was deflected and fell incomplete on 4th and 10 from NU's 36-yard line.  Five plays later IU sealed the game with a TD pass of four yards form Rourke to TE Zach Horton.  Roueke had quite an afternoon on the lakeshore completing 25 of 33 passes for 380 yards and three TDs.  Ellison was the game's leading rusher with 68 yards on 14 carries and a score.  For Northwestern, Lausch completed 23 of 38 passes for 243 yards and two TDs.

Telling Stat: They owned the end;  Indiana scored two TDs and held for downs twice in the final 11:19 to grab the W over the Wildcats. 

Nebraska 14- Rutgers 7: Lincoln, NE-  The early October heat could have been a factor in the lackluster offensive performance of both teams.  However, the most obvious answer is that two teams with good defenses and mediocre offense played to a near stalemate at Memorial Stadium.  The Huskers led 14-0 at the half thanks to a one yard plunge into the end zone from RB Dante Dowdell is the first quarter and a scamper to paydirt from 11 yards out from RB Janiran Bonner.  Rutgers made a game of it late,  When QB Athan Kaliakmanis threw an 11-yard TD pass to WR Ben Black with 4:08 left in the final period.  However, the Big Red defense would hold on the rest of the way to secure the win.  NU QB Dylan Raiola was not very Mahomes-like compleitng 13 of 27 passes for 134 yards and an interception.  Dowdell was the Huskers leading rusher with 57 yards on 14 carriers and a TD.  For the Scarlet Knights, Kaliakmanis completed 15 of 37 passes for 186 yards, a TD and an interception while RB Kyle Monangai was held under 100 yards, but still managed to lead all rushers with 78 yards on 18 carries.  

Telling Stat: They couldn't move those chains;  Rutgers was held to 2 for 14 on 3rd Down Conversions and that was the difference in the game.  

Washington 27 - Michigan 17: Seattle, WA- A flew weeks ago, Michigan benched ineffective QB Davis Warren in favor of backup Alex Orji.  Then last Saturday UM HC Sherrone Moore made another change at QB.  With the Wolverines down 14-0 in the second quarter Orji was benched in favor of Jack Tuttle.  Tuttle didn't light up the stat sheet on his first two drives.  He completed just three of four passes for 26 yard and also ran twice for 14 yards.  Tuttle did inspire his squad though and the Wolverines cut UW's lead to just 14-10 at the break.  Tuttle came out of the half and led another scoring drive. This time he threw an eight-yard TD pass to Colston Loveland to give the Maize and Blue a 17-14 lead in the third quarter..  The Dawgs did tie the game early in the final period on a 28-yard FG from PK Grady Gross.  After that the spark that Tuttle provided fizzled.  The next two times Michigan had the ball, Tuttle turned the ball over.  The first was a fumble and the second was an interception.  The Huskies took advantage of both mistakes and went out to a 27-17 lead on a 1-yard TD run from RB Jonah Coleman and a 32-yard FG from Gross. The FG gave the Dawgs a two score lead with just a little over a minute to play.  Michigan didn't generate anymore offense and the Huskies had won their 18th in a row at home and snapped Michigan's 24-game Big Ten regular season winning streak.  UW QB Will Rogers did use the forward pass and completed 21 of 31 throws for 271 yards, 2 TDs and an interception.  Coleman was the Huskies top rusher with 80 yards and a TD on 18 carries.  For the Wolverines, Tuttle finished the game with 10 completions in 18 attempts for 98 yards and a score.  

Telling Stat: 10 out of 2 = W;  Washington forced two Michigan turnovers in the fourth quarter and turned those into 10 points for a 27-17 win. 

Observations

...Old Man Trojan rant incoming;  This year's USC squad looks as listless as a mid 1980's Ted Tollner team at the opening kickoff of every game. Sigh.

...Memo to Michigan HC Sherrone Moore;  The forward pass became legal on April 6, 1906.

...Fall ball rules;  Playoff baseball is almost always great to watch.  Always has been.

...Quietly making noise; FSU's freefall, North Caroliona's troubles and Duke's fine start in the ACC has let Pitt's 5-0 start fly under the national radar. 

...Long and short;  UTEP hosted Sam Houston State.  They are both in Texas and 728.9 miles apart. Meanwhile old Southwest Conference foes Rice and Houston are only 3.4 miles apart in the Lone Star State.

...A whole book full;  This pic from Vanderbilt on Saturday night is worth far more than a 1,000 words.

...Travel takes a toll;  There have been eight times in the Big Ten this year when teams have traveled at least two time zones for a game.  Those road teams are 1-7.  Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

...It's a Hoosier world;  Indiana is the first bowl eligible team in the Big Ten this year at 6-0.  They are also 6-0 for the for the first time since 1967.  

...Yay for Sam;  You gotta love Arkansas HC Sam Pittman when asked by Holly Rowe about fans storming the field after the Razorbacks upset Tennessee last week in Fayetteville. Who cares?

...South for North;  Jack Lausch, a kid form the Southside of Chicago has staked his claim as Northwestern's QB.

...Appreciation for the pros;  You just don't realize how good major college and pro football camera work and announcers really are until you try to watch a small town high school football livestream.  

...Just a rumor;  There's no truth to the rumor that Iowa's offense is so conservative it received a 98% rating from the NRA.  

...It fits; The last time Vanderbilt beat Alabama was September 29, 1984.  The #1 song on the Billboard Pop Chart was Prince's"Let's Go Crazy."   Go Crazy Commodore fans, Go Crazy.  

...A disturbing pattern;  Big losses leading to redshirts and transfers. This week its Bama DT Jaheim Oatis after the Crimson Tide lost to Vandy and Iowa WR Kaleb Brown and RB Leshon Williams after the Hawkeyes lost to Ohio State.  Hmmmmm

...Can't get off the field; UCLA is dead last in the nation allowing opponents to convert third downs at a 58.2% clip.  

...Pucks eh?;  The National Hockey League starts its' 108th season on October 8th.

...Paper Tigers;  Missouri never should have been in the top 10 in the first place.  SEC bias lives. 

...Head scratcher; How Army and Navy can both be undefeated and neither of the them ranked in the Top 25 is a mystery.  

...Only for the skill guys;  It seems like holding only exists in the Big Ten if you're a WR or TE on the edge of the formation.

...Asking for a friend;  How can a replay crew overturn a call as to whether the ball broke the plain of the goal without a single camera angle that shows where the ball is?   

....Cal's other missed call;  Cal's defense collapsed with the help of the ACC officials in their 39-38 loss to Miami.  While everyone focuses on the targeting that wasn't called, there was at least one other ACC officiating gaffe near the end of the game.  This is a screenshot of Miami's go ahead TD play with :26 left. Notice anything?  It was 2nd and Goal from the five-yard line. How is that not an ineligible man downfield penalty on the Hurricanes? Sigh 

Big Ten Overreactions

USC will be lucky to be an 8-4 team.

UCLA is still a 4-8 team.

Nebraska will bore folks to death on their way to eight wins.

Oregon still isn't as good as they think they are.

Ohio State is a 12-0 team.

Penn State is an 11-1 team.

Northwestern has the best temporary stadium ever.

Everyday is Christmas right now for Indiana. 

Michigan needs to rediscover the forward pass.

Rutgers will lose a lot of close games.

Wisconsin wishes they could play Purdue every week.

Iowa is in need of an offense transplant.

Minnesota has the most annoying HC in all of football.

Purdue is a 1-11 team. 

Washington still can't believe they lost to Rutgers.

Michigan State has heart, but not enough talent. 

Keeping Up On Your Exes

...Cal-lapse; Cal's ref-aided heart breaking, 39-38 loss ruined one of the best days the Cal football program has had in at least 20 years. 

...Odd cheers;  I find it odd that I cheer for the former Pac 12 schools,  However, Utah will never be one of those that gets my cheers.  Ain't gonna happen.

Ugly Uniform of the Week

Ohio State wins this week's award for this prison gray ensemble they wore against Iowa.  Ohio State has a great color scheme.  No need to ruin it with this look. 

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Lindsborg, KS- We go the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference of NAIA for this week's game. The Bethany College Swedes held on for a 13-0 win over the Ottawa University Braves.  RB Zamarion Spencer ran 11 yards for a TD at the 9:19 mark of the first quarter for a 6-0 Bethany lead.  Their two-point attempt failed.  Then with 10:08 left in the half, PR Malaki Daniels took a punt back 36 yards for a TD and a 13-0 lead.  The Swedes defense made those 13 points hold up for the W. 

Blowout Game of the Week: Des Moines, IA- We stay in the NAIA and more specifically the Heart of America Conference where the Grand View Vikings crushed the Clarke University Pride, 89-0.  Duke Williams Stadium was packed for Homecoming and the crowd saw their Vikings roll out to a 48-0 halftime lead.  The Vikings emptied the benches the rest of the way and piled upon the points on the hapless Pride.  13 different backs combined to rush for 296 yards on 46 carries and seven TDs while QBs Jackson Waring and Peyton Rottingh completed nine of 16 passes for 146 yard and three more scores.  The Grand View defense had a huge day as well holding Clarke to 80 total yards and -20 yards rushing. They also gave up only four first downs.  

Razorback Report: Fayetteville, AR- Down 14-3 in the third quarter it looked like the Hogs would go down to defeat again and HC Sam Pittman's hot seat would get that much hotter.  The Razorbacks then pulled off a miracle comeback with 16 unanswered points to knock off the #4 Tennessee Volunteers.  The Razorback defense really shined down the stretch in shutting down the vaunted Volunteer offense.  Uo next for the Hogs is a bye week followed by home date with LSU on 10/19.  

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

Honeycrisp Apples are the best apples. 

Frosted Flakes still rock.  

I often wonder how long it takes the people who report missing cats to put 2+2 together when they hear reports of coyotes in the neighborhood.  Hmmmm

Until next time folks, remember that team with a weak O-line is like a having house with a weak foundation.  You really have nothing to build on.

-The Commissioner