Hey All,
The final weekend the regular season has come and gone. Here's a look back a the Turkey Day weekend with the season's final edition of Notes on a Big Ten Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.
Summaries
Notre Dame 49- USC 35: Los Angeles, CA- On the 50th anniversary of "The Comeback" 5th ranked Notre Dame came to the Coliseum seeking to clinch their spot in the CFP while USC was looking for an upset to spoil ND's season and reclaim the Jeweled Shillelagh. The first half was an even battle that featured an ND fumble, missed field goal and a punch thrown on the goal line that wasn't flagged. It also saw USC get stopped on downs once, lose their top RB Woody Marks due to a concussion and give up a fake punt for a first down. The half ended at 14-14. USC's scores came on a one-yard sneak from QB Jayden Maiava and a 12-yard TD toss from Maiava to WR Ja'Kobi Lane. The Fighting Irish scored on a one-yard run from RB Jeremiyah Love and a 12-yard TD pass from QB Riley Leonard to TE Eli Rairdon. The second half was a roller coaster where USC was never in control of the game, but still had that puncher's chance to pull off the upset. ND went ahead 21-14 when RB Jordan Price broke through a USC blitz in zero coverage and sprinted 36 yards straight up the middle for a TD. SC answered right back with another sneak by Maiava to tie the game at 21-21. The Irish then quickly took a 28-21 lead on a two-yard run from Leonard. Then the Irish took control of the game where the Trojans failed to take advantage of an interception and turned the ball over on downs at the ND 38-yard line. USC HC Lincoln Riley's lack of confidence in the running game really came to forefront as he called four pass plays when a single run could have kept the drive alive. ND turned the good fortune into a 23-yard TD pass form Leonard to TE Mitchell Evans and a 35-21 lead. Still, the Men of Troy had the chance to tie this game when disaster struck twice. USC trailed just 35-28 and had a 1st and 20 at the ND 21-yard line with 3:39 to play. Maiava threw an ill-advised fade route to the short corner of the end zone. It was picked off by ND CB Christian Gray who returned the ball 99 yards for a touchdown. ND now led 42-28 and the game was in hand for the kids from South Bend. Incredibly SC got down into red zone again only see Maiava throw a 4th down desperation heave into the end zone only to see CB Xavier Watts pick off the ball and travel 100 yards for a 49-28 lead. The Trojans would get a cosmetic score with :13 left to make the final tally 49-35. For the CFP bound Fighting Irish , RBs Love and Price combined to rush for 210 yards on 25 carries and two TDs, while Riley completed 17 of 22 passes for 155 yards, two TDs and an interception. In the loss, Maiava completed 27 of 49 passes for 360 yards with three TDs and two pick sixes. Outside of the ND defense, his favorite targets were Makai Lemon who grabbed nine balls for 133 yards and Lemon who caught only three passes, but all went for TDs.
Telling Stat: When stats lie; USC led this game in every statistical category, but 199 hidden yards on pick sixes doomed the Trojans to defeat.
Minnesota 24 -Wisconsin 7: Madison, WI- The oldest rivalry in the FBS went decidedly in the favor of the Golden Gophers who took back possession of the Paul Bunyan Axe. It was a game where the Gophers emulated the mantra of slow and steady wins the race. They put up a score each quarter while their defense nearly pitched a shutout. QB Max Brosmer was responsible for all three Minnesota TDs by running a yard for one score and throwing TD passes of seven and 15 yards for the others. Up 21-7 late, PJ Dragan Kesich kicked a 43-yard FG to seal the win. Brosmer finished the contest compleitng 17 of 26 passes for 191 yards and two TDs. He also ran for a score. RB Darius Taylor was a workhorse for the Gophers, gaining 143 yards on 32 carries to lead all rushers. Wisconsin QB Braedyn Locke completed 15 of 32 passes for 130 yards and a TD in defeat.
Telling Stat: They couldn't run; Wisconsin was held to 36 yards rushing on 24 attempts. That's a not so nifty average of 1.5 yards per carry.
Iowa 13- Nebraska 10: Iowa City, IA- It was a tale of two halves at Kinnick Stadium where it was a cold and windy Senior Night last Friday. The Huskers took a 10-0 lead into the half on an early 31-yard FG from PK John Hohl and then late just before the break when RB Dante Dowdell knifed into the end zone from a yard out. The second half ended up being all Hawkeyes thanks to a missed FG by Hohl and muffed punt by PR Vincent Shavers, Jr. that led to a 20-yard FG from PK Drew Stevens. Iowa now trialed 10-3, but tied the game on their next drive when walk-on QB Jackson Stratton hit RB Kaleb Johnson on a short-pass and he took it 72 yards to paydirt and a 10-10 tie. The rest of the game would be a series of hard hits and defensive stops. Only a big play would determine a winner and the Hawkeyes made the big play. With :22 left in the game, NU QB Dylan Raiola was sacked and forced to fumble by Iowa DE Max Llewellyn. Llewellyn also recovered the fumble and the Hawkeyes had the ball on the NU 35-yard line. Three plays later Stevens nailed a 53-yarder as time expired and Iowa had the win. Johnson was the Iowa offense carrying the ball 17 times for 45 yards and catching two passes for 73 yards and a TD. For the Huskers, Raiola comforted 22 of 32 passes for 190 yards.
Telling Stat: 3 = L; Nebraska's missed FG and two fumbles cost them the game.
Michigan 13- Ohio State 10: Columbus, OH- It was a chilly day at The Horseshoe for this historic battle between these ancient rivals. The game was a bare knuckled brawl for 60 minutes and resembled a 1970's Bo v. Woody matchup. One thing was quite evident from the start off this game though. It seemed like TheeeOSU was playing not to lose the game rather than to win it as double digit favorites. That led to a lot of tentative play by Buckeyes players not wanting to make the big mistake. Meanwhile Michigan played with a belief that they could win that grew as the game went on. That game stood tied 10-10 at the half. However the second half did see both teams make that big mistake, only Michigan was able to recover from theirs. TheeOSU threw an interception and missed a FG while the Wolverines threw two picks of their own. Then with 6:13 left in the game, Michigan, in the immortal words of the late, great Dan Jenkins, "Chose to win this (bleeping) game" The Wolverines marched 57 yards in 11 plays down to the Ohio State three-yard line. In came PK Dominic Zvada with :45 left. He calmly booted a 21-yard FG and the Wolverines had the lead at 13-10. TheeeOSU then went out meekly on offense, gaining just one yard in their final drive and Michigan had the upset win. For the Maize and Blue RB Kalel Mullings lugged the leather 32 times for 116 yards and a TD, While Zvada made FGs of 54 and 21 yards. For the devastated Buckeyes, QB Will Howard completed 19 of 33 passes for 175 yards, a TD and two interceptions.
Telling Stat:: A drive Bo Schembechler would have loved; Michigan's drive for the wining FG consisted of 11 straight running plays.
Illinois 38- Northwestern 28: Chicago, IL- It was a super chilly nine degrees at the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Filed for the kickoff when these two went to battle for the Land of Lincoln trophy. The first half was one of frustration for the Wildcats as they held the ball for over 20 minutes and made three trips into the Illinois red zone with only a field goal to show for it. Their only TD came via a 13-yard interception return when DB Devin Turner picked off Illinois QB Luke Altmyer and took it back to the house. Despite their seeming domination of the first half, the Wildcats trailed 14-10 at the half. A run of 30 yards by RB Aidan Laughery and a one-yard run by Altmyer accounted for Illini scoring. The third quarter saw the Illini get separation from the Cats when Laughery struck from long distance again. He burst through the line and raced 64 yards to paydirt and a 21-10 Illini lead. A few minutes later, Altmyer hit WR Pat Bryant on a seam route and he took it 43 yards for a TD and a 28-10 lead. NU did make a game of it at 28-20 on a 34-yard FG from PK Luke Akers and an 11-yard TD pass form QB Jack Lausch to WR A.J. Henning. However, the Cats wouldn't get any closer as Laughery got his third TD of the day on 31-yard scamper along with a 24-yard FG from PK David Olanao to make the score 38-20 with 11:06 to play in the final period. Northwestern got one final score with 1:00 left when Lausch hit TE Thomas Gordon with a 15-yard TD pass. However it was too little, too late and the Illini took possession of the Land Of Lincoln Trophy. For the Illini, Laughery had a career day, gaining 172 yards on 12 carries with three TDs. For the hard luck Wildcats, Lausch comforted 25 of 48 passes for 227 yards, two TDs and two interceptions.
Telling Stat: Lost in the first half; Northwestern's first half red zone woes where they only produced three points on three trips cost them the game.
Penn State 44- Maryland 7: Happy Valley, PA- With the Buckeyes being upset by Michigan, the path to the Big Ten title game became clear for the Nittany Lions. All they had to do was take care of business against the Terrapins. After falling behind, 7-3 early the Fighting Paternos put up 28 unanswered points in the second quarter to put away the team from College Park. There of the four TDs came on short bursts into the end zone from RB Nick Singleton, QB Drew Allar and backup QB Beau Pribula. The fourth score was a seven-yard aerial from Allar to TE Tyler Warren. The third quarter was a snoozer, but PSU took a 38-7 lead early in the fourth quarter when Singleton dashed 18 yards for his second score of the day. The game was over at that point, but there was a bit of controversy at the end when Pribula hit WR Tyseer Denmark for a 15-yard TD as time expired. When the teams shook hands at midfield postgame, Maryland HC Mike Locksley pulled PSU HC James Franklin aside and took issue with the late score. Allar had a good day completing 17 of 26 passes for 171 yards and a TD, while Singleton led all rushers with 87 yards on 13 carries and two scores.
Telling Stat: D led the way; During their 28-0 run, the Penn State defense picked off two passes and forced two punts to set their offense up for success.
Rutgers 41- Michigan State 14: East Lansing, MI- Snow falling and a wind chill that dipped into the teens was the backdrop for this one at Spartan Stadium. Rutgers scored early and often to finish off the season with a winning record while also keeping the Green and White from reaching a bowl game. Two pairs of legs and one foot did the damage for Rutgers. The legs were RB Kyle Monangai who toted the rock 31 times for 129 yard and a TD while his backfield mate, RB Antwan Raymond tallied 71 yards on nine carries and two more scores to lead the Scarlet Knights attack. The foot was PK Jai Patel who made good on all four of his FG attempts in the wind and snow. QB Aiden Chiles was the one bright spot for the Spartans completing 13 of 23 passes for 150 yards and a TD.
Telling Stat: 8 of 9 is fine; Rutgers scored on eight own their first nine drives to easily outclass the Spartans.
UCLA 20- Fresno State 13: Pasadena, CA- In front of most of the city of Fresno who made the road trip and a smattering of their own fans, UCLA rallied for a win over the Bulldogs to finish off their season. UCLA took a 6-0 lead on a pair of FGs covering 23 and 40 yards from PK Mateen Bhaghani only to be down 10-6 at the half. Fresno took the lead on a seven-yard TD pass from QB Miley Keene to WR Raylen Sharpe and a 48-yard FG from PK Dylan Lynch. bRuin RB T.J. Harden put his team up 13-10 on a 5-yard TD run early in the third period. The game then went into defensive struggle mode with neither team generating much offense until the midway point of the fourth quarter. UCLA took the ball on their own 22-yard line and drove 78 yards on 15 plays for the game clinching score when QB Ethan Garbers through threw a slew of Bulldog defenders to WR J. Michael Sturdivant for a two-yard TD. The drive took 6:14 off the clock and left FSU with a 10-point deficit with just 1:07 left not the clock. FSU did rally for a field goal, but the ensuing onside kick was recovered by the bRuins to effectively end the game. In his final game as a bRuin, Garbers completed 26 of 40 passes for 289 yards and a TD. TE Moliki Matavao was his top target catching eight passes for 120 yards. For the now 6-6 Bulldogs, Keene completed 30 of 43 passes for 219 yards and a score.
Telling Stat: The last one was a memory; The last pass in the UCLA career for QB Ethan Garbers went for a touchdown.
Indiana 66- Purdue 0: Bloomington, IN- The Hoosiers wanted to get the bad taste out of their mouths after failing at TheeOSU last week and they sure did. The Hoosiers took a whole to of frustrations out on the Boilermakers. IU QB Kurtis Rourke tied the school record with six TD passes while nine different backs combined to rush for 237 yards and three TDs on the hapless Sons of John Purdue. The Indiana defense had a great day limiting Purdue to 67 total yards and five first downs. When the rout was over, Rourke had completed 23 of 31 passes for 349 yards and those six TDs. There was no offense to speak of for Purdue.
Telling Stat: 9 to 5 was not a way make a livin'; On their 14 possessions in the game, Purdue punted nine times and turned the ball over five times.
Oregon 49- Washington 21: Eugene, OR- The Ducks continued their cruise to the Big Ten title game by wiping out the Huskies at Autzen Stadium. The Huskies just did not have enough to compete with the Webfoots. QB Dillon Gabriel sliced up the highly ranked UW pass defense competing 16 of 23 aerials for 209 yards and two TDs. He also ran the ball three times for 20 yards and a score. UO RB Jordan James led al rushers with 99 yards on 15 carries and two TDs. UW QB Demond Wiliams, Jr. got the start over season long starter Will Rogers and completed 17 of 20 passes for 201 yards and a TD in the lopsided loss.
Telling Stat: 3 is a magic number; The Huskies had won their last three meetings with Oregon and that's all the motivation the Ducks needed for a win.
Observations
...He's gone; Purdue fired HC Ryan Walters. In two seasons in West Lafayette, the Boilermakers went 5-19 overall and 1-11 this year without a single win in Big Ten play and sole possession of last place in the league.
...And he's gone; West Virginia has cut ties with HC Neal Brown who went 37-35 in six seasons in Morgantown.
...And he's also gone; Wazzu has fired DC Jeff Schmedding after their season collapsed down the stretch.
...And he's taken a demotion; Gus Malzahn has left the HC gig at UCF to become the OC at Florida State.
...Flashback Redemption for an old PK?; Seeing Michigan clad in all white with PK Dominic Zvada making the winning kick to beat TheeOSU, 13-10 made me think of how UM PK Mike Lantry had what looked like a winning kick called no good in a 12-10 loss to TheeOSU back in 1974. Funny how things circle around every 50 years or so. You can see Lantry's kick here. Fast Forward to the 2 hour, 40 minute mark. No Good? Hint: you need a full screen view for the replay of the kick.
...No more planting season; After several dustups and outright brawls over visiting teams planting flags on home teams logos, you can be sure that new rules barring flag planting will be coming for the 2025 season. I prefer the old way to handle flag planting. If you don't want a visiting rival celebrate on your field, beat them so they never get the chance.
...8 OT's; Georgia outlasting rival Georgia Tech in 8 OTs was an epic contest, but man, the home cooking calls that UGA got down the stretch were an embarrassment to officiating.
...Tollner II; USC HC Lincoln Riley seems so dull in public, he reminds me of Ted Tollner. Hmmmm
...A Nightmare in Scarlet and Gray; Buckeye fans gravely fear that HC Ryan Day is the second coming of John Cooper.
...College Station Blues; You can't ell me Texas A&M fans are not just bitter as hell over watching Texas punch their ticket to the SEC tile game on their home field in the Longhorns firstyear in the SEC. WOW.
...Brutal non call; How did the refs miss this full punch thrown by ND DL Ryan Mills on USC OL Emanuel Pregnon? He should have been ejected. Facepalm. Cheap Shot Irish
...Eschewing the run; USC has a Mike Leach disciple for a HC in Lincoln Riley. That means he will always choose a risky pass play when a simple run will get the job done. The adage will always hold true. Teams that run well win titles.
...Title link; Here's your link to all the FBS conference title games this week. Titles Tilts
Big Ten Overreactions
USC needs 5 more OL and 5 more DL to compete for titles.
UCLA Sucks.
Illinois is a sneaky good, 9-3 team.
Northwestern is glad the year is over.
Purdue needs a complete program overhaul.
Michigan State is an 8 to 9 win team next year.
Rutgers won't win seven games next year.
Maryland is glad Purdue is in the league.
Ohio State will lose their first round playoff game.
Michigan can't let themselves be trapped in the "All we need is a good QB" mentality.
Oregon will boat race Penn State.
Penn State can't afford another slow first quarter.
Washignton is a four year rebuild.
Wisconsin will fire Luke Fickell next year.
Iowa still needs an offense transplant.
Nebraska doesn't do the little things right.
Indiana is a one-and-done in the CFP.
Minnesota has reached their ceiling with P.J. Fleck.
Cool Helmet of the Week
Illinois wins for their helmets for their game v. Northwestern at Wrigley Field. The Illini saluted the ivy covered walls of the Friendly Confines with Ivy on their helmets. Please forgive the poor picture quality here.
Keeping Up With Your Exes
...Trophy and Title Shot; Arizona State dismantled Arizona, 49-7 to regain possession of the Territorial Cup and more importantly earn a spot in the Big XII Championship Game. They will take on the Iowa State Cyclones who needed a win by BYU over Houston late Saturday night to get their spot in the contest. 10-2 and a playoff shot is pretty awesome for ASU considering the preseason pundits all had ASU picked to finish dead last in the league.
...The flip side of ASU; Utah beat UCF, 28-14 to finish their year at 5-7 and no bowl after being picked to win the Big XII. Utah may also lose HC Kyle Whittingham to retirement leaving the whole program in flux.
Departments
Low Score Game of the Week: Cortland, NY- The SUNY-Cortland Red Dragons got out to an early lead and held on for a 17-9 lead over the Endicott College Gulls in the second round of the D-III Playoffs.
Blowout Game of the Week: Big Rapids, MI- This one comes from the second round of the D-II playoffs. The Bulldogs of Ferris State trounced the Central Oklahoma Bronchos, 78-17. The Bulldogs traded 10-7 early in the second quarter then went on a 71-7 run to send the Bronchos back to Oklahoma with their tails between their legs. RB Kannon Katzer ran for 200 yards on just 12 carries with three TDs while his backfield mate, RB Trinidad Chambliss ran for 116 yards on 18 carries with four scores. The Bulldogs will take on the Bison of Harding University in the D-II Quartefinals next week.
Razorback Report: Columbia, MO- The Hogs led late, but fell 27-20 to the Tigers. Up next for the Hogs is finding out what bowl they will be playing in.
This Week's There Notes About The End Of The Regular Season...
The garage needs to be cleaned.
Tailgate supplies need to be put away properly and inventoried.
I need to figure out where I'm going to find a Missouri State helmet for next year.
The Final Note For 2024
Well, it certainly was an up down season for the Trojans. Oh, and for me too. Writing about the new league felt like learning Esperanto. My Pac 8, 10, 12 cultural roots were gone. It wasn't easy to do, but a deeper familiarity with the Big Ten did eventually come to me. However, the one thing that stayed the same was the quality of the people that make these weekly ramblings all worth while. From the great tailgate crew I'm a part of to my field agents everywhere on the football map to my understanding wife, I only have a deep gratitude and love for you all. I hope to see you all here again next year when we gather to follow the game with funny bouncing ball. Fight On!
-The Commissioner.
