Notes on a Big Ten Scorecard: October 2025

Tuesday, October 28, 2025

Week 9, 2025

Hey All,

Here's yet another edition of the column that makes your Tuesdays feel like Saturdays, Notes on a Big Ten Scorecard. We still miss you, Braven Dyer.

Summaries

Nebraska 28- Northwestern 21: Lincoln, NE- It was a gray day in Lincoln and that kind of fit the mood for a pair of teams battling it out for bowl eligibility. The game was gritty affair with the Huskers taking an early 7-0 lead on a 9-yard scamper to paydirt by RB Emmett Johnson. Northwestern would answer with a pair of FGs that covered 40 and 25 yards from PK Jack Olsen. That's where the halftime score stood at 7-6, but Nebraska could have had a bigger lead. A missed 44-yard FG attempt by PK Kyle Cunanan and a fumble by QB Dylan Raiola on the Wildcats 24-yard line kept the score where it was. Nebraska KR Kenneth Williams took the kickoff to start the third quarter back 95 yards for a Touchdown and a 14-6 lead. A Raiola pass to WR Nyziah Hunter made the score 21-6 Big Red and it looked like the Wildcats were toast. Ahhhhh, but they weren't. A short TD burst from RB Chad Komolafe made the score 21-13. Then after forcing a Nebraska punt, the Wildcats faced a 3rd and 2 at their own 44-yard line. Komolafe took the handoff from QB Preston Stone and broke though the short yardage defense. He evaded one final tackler and ran 56 yards for a TD. After a successful 2-point try, the game was knotted at 21-21. The teams then traded interceptions. After that, the Big Red put together the game-winning drive. Johnson capped off the 60-yard 13-play march with a TD run of 4 yards. The Wildcats last chance to tie the game was halted on downs at the Nebraska 35-yard line. For the victorious Huskers, Johnson was their top man, lugging the leather 27 times for 124 yards and two TDs. His counterpart on Northwestern, Komolafe was just as good, carrying the ball 17 times for 125 yard and two scores.

Telling Stat: One drive; The game was even in all respects, Nebraska put together one drive more than Northwestern to win it.

Indiana 56- UCLA 6: Bloomington, IN- The bRuins were flattened by the steamroller that is Indiana football. After receiving the opening kickoff, UCLA QB Nico Iamaleava was sacked on the first play from scrimmage. He threw an interception on the second play from scrimmage and that was returned 25 yards for a TD by LB Aiden Fisher. Things didn't improve for the bRuins after that. The Hoosiers ran over UCLA en route to a 35-3 halftime lead. The bCrimson and Cream would tack on two more TDs in the third period before emptying the benches and watching the backups add another score to finish off the cold afternoon. IU QB Fernando Mendoza completed 15 of 22 passes for 168 yards, three TDs and an interception while also running for 45 yards on 5 carries and another score. Mendoza's favorite target was WR E.J. Williams, Jr. who caught fireballs for 109 yards and two scores. The Hoosiers rushed for 262 yards on the day with RB Roman Hemby toting the rock 17 times for 81 yards and two TDs. As for UCLA, Iamaleava completed 13 of 27 passes for 113 yards and 2 interceptions.

Telling Stat: A light workout; Indiana held UCLA to 1 for 11 on 3rd Down Conversions. That led to the IU defense allowing UCLA to run just 43 plays on offense.

Rutgers 27- Purdue 24: West Lafayette, IN- The battle for 14th place in the Big Ten was most likely the league's most exciting game of the weekend. Gray and rainy Ross-Ade Stadium saw two squads going after each other like it was a title game. The Boilermakers put the Scarlet Knights in a 10-0 hole on an 8-yard TD pass from QB Malachi Singleton to WR Malachi Thomas and a 20-yard FG from PK Spencer Porath. Rutgers cut the lead to 10-7 just before halftime when RB Antwan Raymond knifed across the goal line from a yard out. The teams traded TDs in the third period with Singleton, (Purdue's goal line specialist), throwing a 3-yard TD toss to RB Devin Mockobee. Rutgers answered that score with a 72-yard bomb from QB Athan Kaliakmanis to wide open WR K.J. Duff. Down 17-14 to start the final quarter, Rutgers took their first lead of the game when Kaliakmanis sneaked into the end zone from one yard away on Rutgers' version of the Tush Push. That lead did not last long as PU went up 24-21 when QB Ryan Browne hit WR Nitro Tuggle for a 14-yard TD strike. Now up 24-21 with 4:43 left to play, the Sons of John Purdue could see an end to their 13-game Big Ten losing streak. However, Rutgers turned defeat into victory. First, the Knights got a 20-yard FG from PK Jai Patel to tie the game at 24-24. Then on the ensuing possession with 1:05 left, Purdue's Browne had his pass batted into the air at the line of scrimmage. Browne caught his own tripped ball only to have RU DT Faro Gnago strip him of the ball. RU DB Jett Elad recovered the ball on the Boilermakers 30-yard line. Three plays later, Patel split the uprights as time ran out for a 27-24 win. Ross-Ade Stadum fell dead silent as the kick sailed over the crossbar. For the Scarlet Knights, Kaliakmanis completed 19 of 27 passes for 359 yards an a TD. Duff had a career day. He caught just 6 passes, but they were for 241 yards and a TD. Meanwhile, Raymond led all rushers with 116 yards on 29 carries and a score. For the devastated Boilermakers, Browne completed 11 of 20 passes for 117 yards and a TD. He also had that disastrous fumble. Singleton had the stat line of a goal line specialist. He completed 2 of 3 throws for 11 yards and 2 TDs. He also ran 4 times for 11 yards. PU's leading Rond gainer was Mockobee who gained 91 yards on 16 carries.

Telling Stat: They couldn't cover him; RU WR K.J. Duff's six long distance catches turned the game for the Scarlet Knights. He averaged 40 yards per catch. Wow

Washington 42- Illinois 25: Seattle, WA- The Illini came to Montlake and just could not keep up with the Dawgs as they pulled away in the second half. The first half was a battle as the Illini came back from a 14-3 deficit to go ahead 17-14 with 1:55 left in the second quarter on a 2-yard TD pass from QB Luke Altmyer to WR Collin Dixon. UW wasn't rattled about the lead change and took the lead back on the ensuing drive when WR Denzel Boston fielded a backwards pass and launched a pass of his own that covered 12 yards to wide open RB Jonah Coleman for a 21-17 lead at the half. The Dawgs would not give up that lead as they bracketed two TDs around an Illini interception to take a 35-17 lead a few seconds into the fourth quarter. The scores were a 7-yard TD jaunt by Coleman and a 6-yard scoring pass from QB Demond Williams, Jr. to Boston. After an Illini score cut the lead to 35-25, UW put the game away with Williams Jr.'s fourth TD pass of the game, this one covered 2 yards to TE Decker DeGraf. The Dawgs defense would snuff out the Illini's last chance for a comeback when Safety Rahshawn Clark picked off Altmyer at the Huskies 36-yard line. For the now 6-2 Huskies, Williams, Jr. completed 26 of 33 passes for 280 yards and 4 TDs while Boston caught 10 passes for 153 yards and a TD. He also threw for a score. Coleman was the game's top ground gainer with 75 yards on 14 carries with a TD. For the Illini, Altmyer finished the day completing 22 of 34 aerials for 199 yards, 2 TDs and two huge interceptions.

Telling Stat: 2 is a prime number; The 2 passes picked off by Washington was why they won.

Iowa 41- Minnesota 3: Iowa City, IA- Coming off their dominating, 24-6 win last Friday over Nebraska you figured HC. P.J. Fleck and his Boat Rowers had a good shot at bringing the Floyd of Rosedale Trophy back to Minneapolis. The Boat Rowers never got untied from the dock as Iowa just went out and slapped Minnesota around. Iowa took a 17-0 lead in the first quarter on a 2-yard TD Draw by QB Mark Gronoswki, A 34-yard FG from PK Drew Stevens and a 34-yard pick six by Safety Zach Lutmer. The second quarter saw the Hawkeyes extend their lead to 34-0 at half on a 29-yard TD pass from Gronowski to WR Reece Vander Zee, a 50-yard punt return TD from PR Kaden Wetjen and a 46-yard FG from Stevens. The second half was a glorified scrimmage with the teams trading FGs in the third quarter and Iowa backup QB Jeremy Hecklinski calling his own number for a 6-yard run across the double stripe to finish of the scoring late int he fourth quarter. Grownoskiw was Iowa's offense completing 12 of 19 passes for 135 yards and a TD while also running the ball 9 times for 24 yards and another score. For the overmatched Golden Gophers, QB Drake Lindsey completed 16 of 28 passes for 109 yards and 3 interceptions.

Telling Stat: 3+3=W; Iowa forced three turnovers and scored on offense, defense and special teams to rout Minnesota.

The Floyd of Rosedale Trophy

Oregon 21- Wisconsin 7: Eugene, OR- It started out as a sunny afternoon at Autzen Stadium where the Ducks wearing Grateful Dead inspired uniforms were hosting a Badgers squad that literally hadn't scored in weeks. It looked on paper to be a blowout, but nobody told the Badgers defense that fact. Couple an inspired Wisconsin defense with an Oregon offense that looked like they had been smoking what you can smoke at a Grateful Dead concert along with weather that went from sunny to heavy rain and you get a closer than expected contest. Oregon took a slim 7-0 lead into the break when RB Jordon Davison barreled his way 3 yards to the end zone with 1:07 left in the second quarter. The Webfoots took the kickoff to start the third quarter and marched 75 yards in 7 plays to take a 14-0 lead. Davison scored the TD to cap off the drive when he took the handoff around the right side, made one cut and sprinted 20 yards to paydirt. Considering Wisconsin's scoring drought, 14 points might as well have been 140 points. UO had a safe lead and then extend that lead to start the final stanza when QB Brock Thomas, who subbed in for an injured Dante Moore, threw a one-yard pass to OT Genorris Wilson on a Tackle-Eilgible play to make the score, 21-0. The big excitement at the end pf the game is that Wisconsin snapped their scoreless drive streak at 34 when QB Hunter Simmons threw a 2-yard pass to TE Lance Mason to make the final score 21-7. For the Quacks, Davison was the big star carrying the ball 16 times for 102 yards and two TDs. Simmons finished the day for the Badgers completing just 7 of 21 throws for 86 yard and a TD.

Telling Stat: Duck D= W; The Oregon defense held Wisconsin to 196 yards total yards and just 11 first downs.

Michigan 31- Michigan State 20: East Lansing, MI- Its was an ugly, grinding, rainy affair in East Lansing where the Wolverines maintained ownership of the Paul Bunyan Trophy. The Maize & Blue won how they've won all their games this year. They used a strong running game, an underwhelming passing game and a strong defense to gradually pull away from the Spartans. A fumble by MSU on their opening drive led to a 3-0 UM lead on a 21-yard FG by PK Dominic Zvada. Michigan got a 13-yard run form QB Bryce Underwood to go up 10-0 to end the first quarter. Midway through the second period, MSU QB Aiden Chiles scored on a QB sneak to cut UM's lead to 10-7. The Spartans would never get that close again. The Wolverines dominated the third quarter with RB Justice Haynes scoring on runs of 5 and 14 yards to take a 24-7 lead into the fourth quarter. The Green and White cut their deficit to 24-13 on a 1-yard run from RB Brandon Tullis. UM then put the game out of reach when RB Jordan Marshall burst through the middle of the line, cut right and outran the Spartan defense 56 yards to the house for a 31-13 lead. A TD with :07 by the Spartans when the game was already decided rounded out the scoring. The RB combo of Haynes and Marshall gashed the MSU defense. They rushed for 262 yards on 41 carries with 3 TDs. In the losing effort, Spartan RB Makhi Frazier rushed for 109 yards on 14 carries.

Telling Stat: 276=W; Michigan ran for 276 yards on 49 carries to wear out Michigan State and grab the win.

Observations

...Ho-hum; Remember when this week's upcoming Penn State- Ohio State game was supposed to be a must watch game that could deiced the whole Big Ten race? Hmmmmmm

...He's gone; LSU has canned Brian Kelly after the Bayou Bengals were embarrassed at home by #3 Texas A&M, 49-25. He didn't even get a Tammy Wynnette. In fact, it was reported that Kelly had a rather contentious meeting with AD Scott Woodward after the game. Also gone is Kelly's OC Joe Sloan.

Not a Tiger no more

...Nuts; If I told you that Vanderbilt would head to Texas this week as the higher renamed team with a better record at the start of the season, you'd say I was crazy. Well, 7-1 #9 Vandy is headed to #20 6-2 Texas this week.

...That long ago; Vanderbilt is 7-1 for the first time since 1941. On 10-16-41 The Commodores were 7-1, 20 days before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Whoa.

...Captain Obvious lives; "That's not the winning formula to beat Iowa." That was said by Minnesota HC P.J. Fleck as he reflected on his team's 41-3 loss to the Hawkeyes in the postgame presser.

...It's all Curt; With Brian Kelly now canned, that leaves Indiana HC Curt Cignetti as the odds on favorite to stroke out on the sideline in 2025.

...Reality check; Despite all the hype, can we all agree that Deion Sanders has been just a bad HC at Colorado? He's 16-17 overall, 3-5 this year and 1-4 in Big XII play.

...Offense sells tickets; USC is averaging 530 yards of offense and 42.4 points per game.

...Down to #3; 7-1 Texas Tech is down to third string QB Micth Griffiths after losing their 2nd string QB Will Hammond v Okie State. The Red Raiders are hoping starting QB Behren Morton will return to action this week. He's been out the last few weeks with a right leg injury.

....The real deal; Ohio State, Indiana, Georgia Tech and Texas A&M are my top four teams right now.

...Just sailing along; Navy is 7-0.

...Billy sitting pretty; Former Florida HC Billy Napier's contract does not include offset language. That means if he takes another job, Florida does not get financial relief for the 21 million they owe him. Also, Napier's deal calls for half of the 21 million owed him has be paid within 30 days of his dismissal.

...Jerry-less in Bloomington; Funny how UCLA OC Jerry Neuheisal didn't get much screen time during the bRuins 56-6 loss to the Hoosiers.

...Defense wins games; Ohio State has given up 41 points all year.

...Trivia Time; What do following teams have in common? North Carolina, Florida State, Boston College, West Virginia, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Michigan State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Mississippi State, Arkansa, and Kentucky.

...He gave it back; In the postgame interview after Ole Miss beat Oklahoma, Rebels HC Lane Kiffin gave some grief back to an Oklahoma defender who had been talking all game. Take it, kid

...Feeling West Lafayette; Purdue has lost 14 straight Big Ten games.

...Special teams wins championships; Hawaii PK Kansei Matsuzawa has made al 20 of his FG attempts this year. He learned to kick from YouTube videos.

...More Lane attitude; Ole Miss HC Lane Kiffin had some historical digs at Oklahoma HC Brent Venables after Venables said OU was the Better team after losing to the Rebels last Saturday. Receipts

...Trivia answer; These teams are all winless in conference play.

Big Ten Overreactions

Iowa has finally found an offense.

Indiana plays to humiliate their opponents.

Minnesota stinks away from home.

UCLA wonders if anyone got the number of the truck that hit them.

Washington will beat Oregon.

Oregon may stumble into two more losses.

Wisconsin needs an offense donor.

Illinois isn't as good as a team with 19 returning starters should be.

Michigan still thinks the forward pass is illegal.

Michigan State is a 5-7 team.

Nebraska has a Billy Graham QB.

Northwestern is a 7-5 team.

Rutgers still won't make a bowl.

Purdue just can't buy a break.

Keeping Up With Your Exes

Cal lost in 2OT, 42-34 at VaTEch, Stanford was obliterated, 42-7 at Miami and Utah did everything but flatten the tires on Colorado's team bus after throttling the Buffs, 53-7.

CFL Update

We have reached the playoffs in the CFL. This Saturday Montreal hosts Winnipeg in the Eastern Semi-Final. The winner gets a trip to Hamilton the next week for the Eastern Final. The West Semi-Final feature Calgary at British Columbia. the winner there gets a trip to Regina to take on the Saskatchewan Roughriders the following week. Oh, and The Commissioner's team, the Edmonton Elks fished the season at 7-11 and last place in the West Division. Sigh.

Ugly Uniform of the Week

These 1932 Steelers throwback uniforms were just hideous.

A Chicle of Wisdom

This week's wisdom from the 1935 National Chicle football set comes from card #11 Turk Edwards. Turk was one of the biggest players in the NFL at the time at 6'2" and 250 lbs. Coach Casey speaks of Turk's size and how his stance makes him a fine Tackle.

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: La Grande, OR- We go to the NAIA's Frontier Conference where it was a dark and stormy night at Community Stadium where the Eastern Oregon Mountaineers hosted the College of Idaho Coyotes. This game was a defensive standoff that stood scoreless with 1:10 left to play in the fourth quarter. EOU lined up for a 49-yard field goal attempt to win the game. However, the attempt was blocked and DB Dee'Shon Swafford picked up the blocked kick and took it 60 yards to paydirt for a the game's only score. COI walked away with a 7-0 win. The Coyotes or Yotes as they are known to their fans move to 6-1 on the season with hopes of making the playoffs.

Blowout Game of the Week: Once again we go to the NAIA ranks for this game where the Florida Memorial Lions crushed the Thomas University Night Hawks, 85-7 in Sun Conference play. FMU KR Myron Levy took the opening kickoff back 85 yards for a TD and the Lions never looked back to build up a 42-7 lead at the half. They held a 49-7 lead going into the final period. They then put 36 points more points to seal the rout. QB Tedric Wilcox completed 17 of 29 passes for 259 yards and 8 TDs to lead the Lions attack.

Razorback Report: Fayetteville, AR- The Hogs defense failed to show up yet again in a 33-24 loss to Auburn. Up next for the Razorbacks is a home date with Mississippi State.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

Felix's BBQ With Soul in Oceanside is pretty darn good.

It never fails how most of the things you order all arrive on the day you're not home.

My favorite Halloween candy is still the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.

Until next time folks, remember that it's easy to waste your bye week.

-The Commissioner

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Week 8, 2025

Hey All,

Let's take a final look back at the week that was in college football with another edition of Notes on a Big Ten Scorecard. We still miss you, Jim Murray.

Summaries

Notre Dame 34- USC 24: South Bend, IN- Well, where does one begin in describing another frustrating loss in South Bend for the Trojans? Let's start at the beginning where USC had the ball first and drove right down the field and went up 7-0 on a perfectly thrown ball from QB Jayden Maiava to TE Lake McRee. USC would then be on their heels the rest of the game because the Fighting Irish owned the line scrimmage on both sides of the ball. This was especially true on defense where USC could not stop the ND rushing attack. The defensive line was pushed around and the linebackers were nowhere to be found as ND RB Jeremiyah Love ran for 228 yards on 24 carries with one TD. Love's 228 yards were the most ever rushed for by an Irish player ever at home. In all, the Fighting Irish ran for 306 yards on 44 carries. Still, despite this abject failure by the defense, the Trojans were still in this game in the late third quarter. In fact USC, took a 24-21 when Maiava hit WR Ja'Kobi Lane with a beautiful 59-yard TD pass. Then less than 10 seconds later, Notre Dame was back ahead, 27-24 when RB Jadarian Price took the ensuing kickoff back 100 yards for a TD. After he crossed the goal line you could see the heart drain out of the Trojans. The fourth quarter saw USC blow chances to get back into the game. One time HC Lincoln Riley called a trick play on the ND 37-yard line which resulted in a 13-yard losss on a fumble that ND recovered at midfield. The came a 4th and Inches call where Riley got cute and did not just run a sneak for the first down. Instead he called a pass parallel to the line of scrimmage that the defense was waiting for. All Maiava could do was throw ball away to end SC's last legitimate chance to get back into the game. In addition to the Fighting Irish's great rushing effort, QB C.J. Carr completed 16 of 26 passes for 136 yards, a TD and an interception. For USC, Maiava completed 22 of 42 passes for 328 yards, 2 TDs and 2 interceptions. RB King Miller was Troy's top rusher with 70 yards on 18 carries while Lane caught 6 passes for 111 yards and a TD.

Telling Stat: 306-68; The Trojans were out rushed 306 yards 68. That tells you all you need to know to figure out how the game went for USC.

Minnesota 24- Nebraska 6: Minneapolis, MN- Was it the rumors swirling around about Nebraska HC Matt Rhule possibly leaving the land of corn for Happy Valley? Rumors that he didn't really squelch in his press conference earlier this week. Did that impact his team adversely or were they just whipped by a superior Minnesota squad? Either way, it was ugly for the Cornhuskers last Friday night. It was really ugly for the Huskers O-line that gave up 9 sacks. Those 9 sacks are a new single-game school record for the Golden Gophers. While the Huskers had no time to throw the ball, they couldn't run it either. Minnesota held the Big Red to just 36 yards rushing. Meanwhile, the Golden Gophers put together a balanced attack to grab the win. QB Drake Lindsey completed 16 of 20 passes for 153 yards and TD while RB Darius Taylor rushed for 148 yards on 24 carries with a TD of his own. Even with all this bad play by Nebraska, they still trailed just 7-6 to start the third quarter. After forcing a punt by the Huskers to start the period, the Gophers went on a back breaker of a drive to take control of the game. They marched 98 yards in 14 plays to take a 14-6 lead Lindsey's 20-yard TD pass to WR Le'Meke Brockington. Yes, NU was down just 8 points after the score, but it might as well been 100 as their offense just couldn't muster anything against the Gophers defense. The Maroon and Gold move to 5-2 on the season with the win.

Telling Stat: 9 is fine; Minnesota's 9 sacks paved the way to victory for the Golden Gophers.

Michigan 24- Washington 7: Ann Arbor, MI- The Wolverines hosted the Huskies looking to bounce back after falling last week at USC. They did just that with their usual formula of strong defense and just enough offense to pull away late for the win. The game felt like a Rose Bowl of old as the teams battled to a 7-7 tie in the first half. Both TDs came after missed field goals. In the first quarter, UW PK Grady Gross fired wide on a 36-yard attempt. The Wolverines used the momentum from the missed kick and traveled 80 yards in 7 plays to take a 7-0 lead when QB Bryce Underwood hit WR Andrew Marsh on a jailbreak middle screen and he took it 22 yards untouched to the end zone. Then, late in the second quarter, following a 48-yard missed FG attempt from PK Dominic Zvada, the Dawgs drove for the tying score. RB Jonah Coleman did the honors, bulling his way 1 yard across the double stripe. The third quarter saw the Michigan defense pave the way to victory for the Wolverines. They picked off 2 Husky passes on consecutive drives to change the game. The first one by LB Cole Sullivan gave UM a 1st and 10 at the UW 14-yard line. RB Jordan Marshall then ran the ball 14 yards off left tackle to give his squad a 14-7 lead. The second interception was by LB Jimmy Rolder at the his own 36-yard line. 9 plays later, Underwood hit TE Zack Marshall with a 10-yard TD pass for a 21-7 Wolverine lead. On their next drive, Zvada put one through from 26 yard out and UM had a 24-7 lead. That would be the final score as the Wolverines would pick off one more Washington pass to end the game. When it was over, Underwood had completed 21 of 27 aerials for 230 yards and 2 TDs. Jordan Marshall was the game's top ground gainer toting the rock 25 times for 133 yards and a TD. For the stifled Huskies, QB Demond Williams, Jr. completed 20 of 32 passes for 209 yards and 3 costly interceptions.

Telling Stat: Turnovers kill; Washington's three turnovers cost them the game.

Northwestern 19- Purdue 0: Evanston, IL- It was a warmer than expected, but gray and threatening day at Northwestern's temporary home on the shores of Lake Michigan. The gray skies seemed to be the one thing that threatened the Wildcats as their defense easily kept Boilermakers off the scoreboard all afternoon. The Wildcats recorded their first shutout since blanking Minnesota, 39-0 in 2017. The Purple and White dominated the early action, wrapping an opening 27-yard FG from PK Jack Olsen and a 3-yard TD toss form QB Preston Stone to TE Hunter Welcing around a Purdue 3 and Out. The two drives covered 140 yards, in 28 plays and ate 15:25 off the clock. Purdue did not get their second possession of the game until the 13;12 mark of the second period. The NU defense forced another punt and then went up 13-0 on a 38-yard FG from Olsen. Down 13-0 things got worse for Purdue as QB Ryan Browne was knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury just a few seconds into the third quarter. Malachi Singleton came in for Browne but was ineffective and Purdue was forced to punt. Northwestern then went on long march, eating up 7:34 and culminating in a 12-yard TD pass from Stone to WR Griffin Wilde for a 19-0 lead. NU then went for two to try and make the score 21-0, but that attempt failed. It really didn't matter much as Purdue couldn't put together a serious scoring threat. Turnovers and turnovers on downs was how this game ended for the Boilermaker offense. For the Wildcats, now winners of 4 games in a row, Stone completed 11 of 26 passes for 132 yards, 2 TDs and an interception. RB Jospeh Himon II ran the ball 22 times for 87 yards to lead all rushers while backfield mate Caleb Komolafe racked up 67 yards on 12 carries before leaving the game with an injury in the third quarter. For Purdue, Singleton completed 11 of 20 passes for 187 yards and an interception in relief of the injured Browne.

Telling Stat: Anatomy of a shutout; Purdue's 11 drives ended with 5 punts, 3 turnovers, and being stopped for downs 3 times.

Ohio State 34- Wisconsin 0: Madison, WI- The painful countdown to when Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell will be canned continued as TheeeOSU put in a light workout at Camp Randall Stadium. The Buckeyes raced out to a 17-0 lead after one quarter of play on two TD passes that covered 33 and 10 yard to WR Carnell Tate from QB Justin Sayin and a 38-yard FG from PK Jayden Fielding. The competitive portion of the game was over at this point. Only thing left to see was if the Buckeyes offense would make their defense proud. After a scoreless second quarter, Sayin threw two more TD passes. They were a 2-yard flip to TE Will Kaczmarek and a 13-yard strike to WR Brandon Inniss. The TDs went with a 37-yard FG that Fielding booted earlier in the third quarter. The fourth quarter saw the Buckeyes empty the benches with a 34-0 lead. Sayin sliced and diced the Badgers, completing 36 of 42 passes for 393 yards and 4 TDs. For Wisconsin, their offense or what could be called an offense was held to 143 total yards and 9 first downs.

Telling State: There is no O in Wisconsin; The Badgers have scored 93 points all year. Oh, and 42 of those points came in a win over Middle Tennessee State.

Indiana 38- Michigan State 13: Bloomington, IN- The weather mirrored the afternoon for Michigan State in this game. Under gray threatening skies the Spartans played a first half that was threatening to the Hoosiers. The Spartans opened the game with a 55-yard rive that resulted in a 3-0 lead on a 38-yard FG from PK Martin Connington. IU answered right back with a 75-yard drive of their own to take a 7-3 lead on a 13-yard TD pass from QB Francisco Mendoza to WR E.J. Williams, Jr. MSU then retook the lead when QB Aiden Chiles led a 12-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Chiles throwing a 15-yard TD pass to WR Nick Marsh on a well executed post pattern. IU would then forge a 21-10 lead going into intermission as Mendoza hooked up with WR Elijah Sarratt for a 24-yard TD toss and 29-yard run right through the middle of the MSU defense from RB Kaelon Black. Then the weather deteriorated in the second half and so did the Spartans. As the rains came. Mendoza threw two TD passes in the third quarter to put the game away. The first one was 48-yard bomb to WR Omar Cooper, Jr. who easily lost his defender and was wide open on the play. The second one was a precision 27-yard strike on a corner route to Sarratt. The teams then traded field goals in the fourth quarter to finish of the game as rain pounded down. For the Hoosiers, Mendoza was deadly efficient again completing 24 of 28 passes for 332 yards and 4 TDs while Black was the game's top grand gainer with 64 yards on 10 carries and a score of his own. Cooper was Mendoza's favorite target on the day catching eight balls for 115 yards and a TD. In defeat, Chiles was the Spartan offense. He completed 27 of 33 passes for 243 yards and a TD while also rushing for 48 yards on eight carries.

Telling Stat: Bent not Broken; After giving up 10 quick points, the Indiana defense gave up just 3 points over the final 40 minutes of the game to pave the way to victory.

Oregon 56- Rutgers 10: Piscataway, NJ- The three time zone trip didn't dampen the Ducks desire to rebound as they took out a great deal of frustration out on the Scarlet Knights after being manhandled by Indiana last week. It was a come from behind butt-kicking by UO as an early fumble led to a 51-yard FG by PK Jai Patel and an early 3-0 lead for Rutgers. Oregon would then find the end zone on their next six drives to go up 42-3 at the half. The second half was a glorified scrimmage with the Webfoots tacking on two more scores before the Rutgers subs scored a TD on the Oregon subs late in the fourth quarter. QB Dante Moore completed 15 of 20 passes for 290 yards with 4 TDs and an interception. The Quacks ran over, around and through the Rutgers defense to the tune of 415 yards on 36 carries with four TDs. RB Noah Whitington led all rushers with 125 yards on 11 carries and 2 TDs. Rutgers had no offense to speak of.

Telling Stat: 548 eh; 548 isn't just the area code for southwestern Ontario Canada. It's also the number of yards that Oregon outgained Rutgers by in this laugher in New Jersey.

Iowa 25- Penn State 24: Iowa City, IA- It was tumultuous week to say the least for the Nittany Lions as they had to prepare to play at Iowa in the week after HC James Franklin was fired. Interim HC Terry Smith did seem to have his team ready for the challenge. On the opening drive of the game, Iowa QB Mark Gronowksi had his 3rd Down pass tipped and it was intercepted by DB Zakee Wheatley at the Iowa 35-yard line. 10 plays, yes 10 plays later, RB Kaytron Allen got the nose of the ball over the goal line for a TD and a 7-0 lead for the Lions. Iowa came right back on the next possession and picked up a 39-yard FG from PK Drew Stevens to cut PSU's lead to 7-3. After that, the game was a festival of errors for the rest of the first half. Iowa did take a 10-7 lead on after PSU QB Ethan Grunkemeyer was picked off at his own 28-yard line. DB Xavier Nwankpa returned the ball to the 1-yard line. Gronowski then crossed into the end zone from a yard out to take the lead. The Fighting Paternos then took a 14-10 lead into the break when they blocked Steven's 66-yard FG attempt on the final play of the half. CB Elliot Washington II picked up the blocked kick and took it 35 yards for a TD and a 14-10 lead. The Lions opened up the second half with a 75-yard, 10-play drive that ended with Allen finding paydirt from 8 yards out. Iowa was suddenly on the wrong end of a 21-10 score. Iowa needed a big play to get back in the game and they got it from Gronowski. on 3rd and 3 from his own 33, Gronowski took off and ran for 38 yards to the Penn State 28-yard line. Gronowski then capped off the drive with a 4-yard TD jaunt. The 2-point conversion attempt failed and Iowa trailed 21-16. The teams traded FGs to start the final quarter, then Iowa got another big play to take the lead for good. It was Groowski again, this time it was 67-yard run off an option right through the middle of the defense. On the next play WR Connor Wetjen took the handoff on an end around and weaved his way into the end zone. Now up 25-24, The Hawkeyes needed one more stop on defense to secure the victory. They got it when Grunkemeyer's 4th Down pass at midfield fell incomplete with 1:14 left to play. For the now 5-2 Hawkeyes, Gronowski was the focal point of the offense. He only completed 10 of 16 passes for 68 yards and an interception, but he ran for 130 yards on 9 carries with two TDs. For the luckless Lions, Allen once again was their top man, lugging the leather 28 times for 145 yards and two TDs.

Telling Stat: 2 Downs = W; Iowa held Penn State on downs twice in the second half and that was the difference in the game.

UCLA 20- Maryland 17: Pasadena, CA- The Terrapins moral victory tour continued this week with another close, frustrating loss. Maryland did find a way to stop UCLA's offense for the most part. However UCLA shutdown the Terps attack as well. In fact, Maryland had a slim 10-7 lead as the fourth quarter began. UCLA would crack double digits with 3:33 left in regulation as WR Mikey Matthews hauled in a 14-yard TD pass to give the bRuins a 14-10 lead. The action really picked up form here as UCLA then picked off UM QB Malik Washington to set up a FG to take a 17-10 lead with 2:04 left. The the Terps traveled 75 yards in a 1:24 to tie the score at 17-17 on an 8-yard TD pass from Washington to WR Jalil Farooq. That left UCLA with :40 seconds left to try and win the game and not face OT. They did just that. RB Anthony Frias II had the big play when he took the ball and ran 35 yards down to the Terps 5-yard line. In came PK Mateen Bhaghani who booted a 23-yard FG as time ran out for the win. For UCLA, Frias led all rushers with 97 yards on 4 carries, while QB Nico Iamaleava made good on 21 of 35 passes for 221 yards, a TD and 2 interceptions. For the snake-bitten Terps, Washingon completed 23 of 48 passes for 210 yards, a TD and an interception.

Telling Stat: 13-6 for the win; UCLA outscored Maryland, 13-6 over the final 3:33 to get their third win in a row.

Observations

...He's gone; Florida axed HC Billy Napier after the Gators held off Mississippi State, 23-21 on Saturday. Its was matter of when not if for Napier's ouster as reporting said that several big boosters had demanded the firing occur this week. Here's the boilerplate story on the axing form ESPN. Bye Bye Billy

...Tammy Wynette lives on; FSU HC Mike Norvell has his job for now as AD Michael Alford announced that the football program will face a comprehensive review at the end of the season. He gave lukewarm support for Norvell in his statement. The Seminoles have lost 9 straight ACC games. Just biding his time

...That's one big 5 spot; Curry College RB Monte Quinn just could not be stopped in his team's 71-27 win over Nichols College. He set the NCAA rushing record for all divisions with 522 yards on 20 carries. That's a 26.1 yards per carry average. He scored 7 TDs in the game and 5 of those scoring runs were over 50 yards in length.

...Calling it as it is; USC's linebackers are the worst I've seen in a very very very long time.

...No more flying tortillas; Texas Tech's tradition of tossing tortillas has now fallen by the wayside. The Big XII has cracked down on the Red Raiders for this practice. The fans in Lubbock got the team penalized twice for their actions v. Kansas on 10/11. Now the Tech AD has announced a ban on flingin' tortillas. They just aren't for Tacos

...He's also gone; The lesser of the Norvell's on the hot seat got fired on Sunday as Colorado State canned Jay Norvell. Rocky Mountain Low

...You can't ask for one; Rule one of getting a Tammy Wynette from your AD is you can't ask for one. Yet, Auburn HC Hugh Freeze has done just that. Paging George Jones

...27 and Out; Wisconsin hasn't scored on their last 27 drives. The last time the Badgers scored was when they were down 24-7 and kicked a 39-yard FG v. Michigan with 2:43 left in the fourth quarter on October 4th.

...They need that guy; USC just doesn't have that one assistant coach that bleeds Cardinal & Gold. That coach that knows the value of the rivalry games and can fire up the team to hit the field ready to win. where have you gone, Marv Goux? A wistful Trojan nation turns its' lonely eyes to you.

...Inside track; UNLV still has the inside track to winning the Mountain West crown despite losing at Boise Tate last week. The Rebels don't play contenders SDSU or Fresno State this year.

...The are the worst; If you thought Wisconsin was bad, UMass in 0-7 and has scored 79 points all year.

...Quietly 7-0; Texas A&M is 7-0 and nobody talks about them. It's strange.

...Just a rumor; There's no rumors that an APB was put out for USC's linebackers after they disappeared shortly after kickoff at Notre Dame.

...11-0; Georgia Tech could be 11-0 heading into their finale with Georgia on 11/28.

...Now it is interesting; Funny how UCLA's game at Indiana this week has become interesting.

...A hilariously poor look; The folks at NBC/Peacock need another way to advertise Big Ten Saturday behind their announce team. This looks like a junior high-level prank. Facepalm.

Big Ten Overreactions

USC is a 7-5 team.

Penn State could finish 3-9.

Wisconsin needs an offense donor.

Ohio State will need to win a shootout at some point.

UCLA is still playing with house money.

Iowa is just quietly rolling along.

Northwestern is getting better each week.

Purdue is Purdue.

Uncle Phil loves Oregon again.

Rutgers is hot garbage.

Michigan needs a true passing game.

Minnesota is rowing towards a bowl.

Nebraska might have checked out on HC Matt Rhule.

Michigan State needs WRs and LBs.

Indiana will be in the Big Ten title game.

Washington is an 8-4 team.

Maryland won't make a bowl.

Keeping Up With Your Exes

In ACC after dark action, Cal held on for a 21-18 over North Carolina in Berkeley, while Stanford got a very very very favorable review that upheld a bad call to keep Florida State out of the end zone on the final play of game to beat the Seminoles on The Farm. Oh and BYU beat Utah in the Holy War and ASU knocked Texas Tech from the unbeaten ranks in Big XII action.

Ugly Uniform of the Week

Have to go to the NFL this week as the Chargers all-gold ensemble is hideous beyond compare. It's especially ugly when compared to the Colts classic uniform.

A Chicle of Wisdom

This Week's wisdom for the 1935 National Chicle football set comes from card #24 Clark Hinkle. We see the Green Bay Packer HOFer following through on a placekick on the front of the card. On the back, Coach Casey gives tips on how to kick the ball back in the day.

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Augusta, Ga- We travel down to the D-II ranks for this game between two HBCU's in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The game billed as the Good Trouble Heritage Classic was a pure defensive struggle between Savannah State and Fort Valley State. With 9:41 left in the first quarter, FVSU PR Donte Curry returned a punt 76 yards for a TD. That would be the only score of the game as FVSU held on for the 7-0 win. The game featured 19 punts, 19 first downs and only 268 Total yards combined for both teams. The teams also combined to convert on only 7 of 31 3rd Downs.

Blowout Game of the Week: This week's game comes from the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin in D-III. The North Central College Cardinals crushed the North Park University Vikings, 75-0. The Cardinals are the #1 ranked D-III team and they ran all over the Vikings rushing for 324 yards on 44 carries with 4 TDs, while QB Garret Wilson completed 11 of 17 throws for 139 yards and 4 TDs as well. The Cardinals held the Vikings to just 5 first downs and 76 total yards offense.

Razorback Report: Fayetteville, AR- Well, it just another case of next verse, same as the first as the Hogs came up a hair short of a win. QB Taylen Green had another big day completing 19 of 32 passes for 256 yards and 3 TDs, but the Razorback defense once again just could not stop the opposition. Up next for the Hogs is a home game with Auburn.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

I feel sorry for the current generation of card collectors that will never know what it's like to get a full box of Topps and just see the fun to be had instead of investment value.

Caplansky's ballpark mustard is really good.

Barbara's Original Cheese Puffs are what Cheetos wish they could be.

Until next time folks, remember that running the ball and stopping the run is the key to playing winning football.

-The Commissioner

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

Week 7, 2025

Hey All,

It's time for another edition of the column that makes Tuesdays feel like Saturdays, Notes on a Big Ten Scorecard. We still miss you, Joe Jares.

Summaries

USC 31- Michigan 13: Los Angeles, CA- Coming off their absolutely abysmal defensive effort at Illinois two weeks ago, there wasn't a lot of confidence among the the Trojan faithful and most of the nation that they could beat the Wolverines. It's a good thing the fans didn't play the game because the Trojan defense had their best moment in a good while as they shut down Michigan and their vaunted rushing attack. The USC offense broke the seal on the game with an 11-pay 75-yard drive that ended with a 2-yard TD pass from QB Jayden Maiava to WR Ja'Kobi Lane. The Trojans then forced a 3 and Out on UM's first drive and were poised to put the Wolverines in a an early 14-0 hole when TE Lake McRee was leveled by a UM defender and was separated from the ball. UM DE Derrick Moore recovered the loose ball on his own 8-yard line. Michigan would go on to tie the game a couple of drives later when QB Bryce Underwood hit WR Donovan McCulley with an 8-yard scoring toss. On the ensuing possession, USC promptly untied the game a couple minutes later when Maiava hooked up with WR Makai Lemon for a 12-yard TD pass in the corner of the end zone with two Wolverines draped all over Lemon. The Men of Troy went into the half up 14-7. The third quarter started with the SC defense forcing another 3 and Out. Then, the game got dicey for Troy as they were faced a 3rd and 26 at their own 32-yard line. A punt here would give Michigan the chance to take control of the game. It was also at this point in the game that both of USC's top RBs were injured. USC was down to walk on redshirt freshman King Miller as the lead back. Miller had already made some fine plays in the game before he took the handoff from Maiava and ran 49 yards through the heart of the Michigan defense to keep the drive alive. A couple of plays later, Miller would race around the left side of the UM defense 15 yards to paydirt and a 21-7 USC lead. Once again USC would have the chance to put the game away, but Maiava threw an ill-advised pass to Wolverine DB Zeke Berry at the UM 4-yard line. However USC would get the ball back when DB Bishop Fitzgerald picked off Underwood at the Trojans 29-yard line. The fourth quarter saw SC extend their lead when HC Lincoln Riley sent out PK Ryan Sayeri for a long FG. How long? 54 yards. Sayeri hit a knuckle ball that had just enough to go just over the crossbar and just inside the left upright. SC led 24-7 with 10:01 left to play and the Michigan fans that had made the trip to the Coliseum started heading for the exits. Then SC's poor secondary plays of previous weeks made an appearance as a missed tackle and a good move from UM WR Andrew Marsh led to a 69-yard TD. The two point conversion failed and SC led 24-13. SC then finally put the game away with a 9-play, 69-yard drive that ended in a 29-yard TD run from RB Bryan Jackson. Jackson had only suited up for the second half. He was originally listed as OUT on the pregame injury report submitted to the Big Ten. USC made the call the to the league office and got permission to use Jackson because of the deficiency at the RB position due to injuries. The Big Ten gave the go ahead provided he was okayed by the medical staff to play. Then the league fined SC 5,000 dollars anyway for doing it (WTF?). After Jackson's TD, the game was basically over and USC had their first statement win in the Big Ten. King Miller was the King of Troy. He lugged the leather 18 times for 158 yards and a TD, while Maiava completed 25 of 32 passes for 265 yards, two TDs and that head scratcher of an interception. Lemon caught 9 of Maiava's passes for 93 yards and a TD. For the Wolverines, Underwood completed 15 of 24 passes for 207 yards, two TDs and an interception.

Telling Stat: Trench warriors; USC owned the line of scrimmage and the game. USC out rushed Michigan 224 yards to 109 and sacked QB Bryce Underwood 3 times.

Washington 38- Rutgers 19: Seattle, WA- For the second year in a row, the Scarlet Knights have been sent out west for a game under the Friday night lights. The Scarlet Knights are now 0-2 in these games after they threw away bunch of first half scoring opportunities at Husky Stadium. Rutgers moved the ball well on the Huskies in the first half. Problem was that after scoring an initial TD and FG on their first two drives, dropped passes, penalties, a turnover on downs and a missed FG left RU with a mere 10-0 lead over the Dawgs. UW then managed to do enough to stay in the game. The Dawgs cut the score to 10-7 when QB Demond Williams, Jr. threw a 23-yard scoring strike to WR Denzel Boston. The teams then traded FGs to end the first half and the score stood 13-10 Rutgers. The second half saw the Huskies dominate the action on both sides of the ball. UW outscored RU 21-6 in the third quarter. Williams and Boston connected for another TD pass. This one covered 38 yards and was bracketed by a 1-yard TD run from RB Jonah Coleman and an 11-yard TD dash from Williams. Rutgers did get a TD on a 48-yard aerial from QB Athan Kaliakmanis to WR Antwan Raymond to pull within a couple points of the Huskies. However, it wasn't enough as the UW defense pitched a fourth quarter shutout to go along with a final TD jaunt from Williams to make the final tally 38-19 Huskies. Williams was the Washington offense. He completed 21 of 27 passes for 402 yards and two TDs while rushing for 136 yards and two more scores on 13 carries. For the Scarlet Knights, Kaliakmanis competed 31 of 50 passes for 386 yards, two TDs and an interception in the loss.

Telling Stat: The Seattle 500; Demond Williams, Jr's 538 total yards gained is the new Washington single game record for total offense.

Ohio State 34- Illinois 16: Champaign-Urbana, IL- Would the #1 Buckeyes falter at Illinois? No. Evidently, nobody had a case of food poisoning as TheeeOSU took advantage of two first half turnovers and a turnover on downs to build a 20-3 halftime advantage. The Buckeyes traded scores with the Illini in the second half to finish off the win. TheeeOSU took the opening kickoff and marched 67 yards in 12 plays to go ahead 3-0 on a 26-yard FG from PK Justin Fielding after the Illinois defense stopped TheeeOSU on 3rd Down at their own 10-yard line. On the ensuing possession, Illinois QB Luke Altmyer threw into double coverage on 3rd & 5 at this own 43-yard line. The ball was tipped and LB Payton Pierce intercepted the ball at midfield and took it down to the Illini 35. Six plays later RB C.J. Donaldson bulled his way to the end zone from one yard out and the Buckeyes held a 10-0 lead late in the first quarter. The second quarter was filled with Illini mistakes that led to a 20-0 lead for the Buckeyes. On 4th & 7 at the Buckeye 48-yard line, UI Punter Keenan Crimmins went down to field a low snap from center. As he did that, his knee hit the ground. The play was whistled dead. Crimmins was declared down at his own 38. Six plays later, TheeOSU was up 13-0 on a 31-yard FG from Fielding. Then the Illini handed the ball right back when RB Ca'Lil Valentine had the ball ripped out his hands by DT Kayden McDonald. It was a double blow to Illinois as Valentine was injured on the play as well and would not return to the game. After that it only took five plays for TheeOSU to go up 20-0 on 17-yard TD pass from QB Justin Sayin to RB Bo Jackson. Illinois fought back to cut the lead to 20-10 in the third quarter only to watch Ohio State score, cause another Illini turnover and then score again to put the game away at 34-10 with 8:32 left the fourth quarter. The Illini would get a cosmetic TD late, but that just changed the final score. For TheeOSU Sayin had a fine day working with short fields most of the day, completing 19 of 27 passes for 166 yards and two TDs. Donaldson only gained 44 yards on 13 carries, but he found the end zone twice. For the overly charitable Illini, Altmyer competed 30 of 44 passes for 248 yards, a TD and an interception while RB Aiden Laughery gained 50 yards on eight carries with a TD.

Telling Stat: Buckeye 3-step= 6; Illinois immediately turned the ball over three times after Ohio State scores which resulted in three more scores for the Scarlet & Gray and control of the game.

UCLA 38- Michigan State 13: East Lansing, MI- The show headlined by OC Jerry Neuheisal and directed by interim HC Tim Skipper made its' road debut on the banks of the Red Cedar and the Spartan faithful were not amused by the what they saw as they were done in by one of their own. RB Jalen Berger, a MSU transfer found the end zone three times. Once on the ground and twice on receptions to help beat his former team. The Spartan defense was determined to not let bRuin QB Nico Iamaleava beat them with his legs, so he just whipped them with his arm. He completed 16 of 24 tosses for 180 yards and three TDs. Meanwhile the UCLA defense harassed Spartan QB Aiden Chiles until they knocked him out of the contest with 11:12 left in the third quarter. Alessio Milvojevich filled in for Chiles, but he didn't fare much better throwing a late TD pass after the game had already been decided. The UCLA defense was stingy, holding Sparty to 253 total yards and just 87 on the ground.

Telling Stat: T.O.P matters; UCLA owned the clock, amassing 36:24 T.O.P. while outrushing the Spartans, 238 to 87.

Indiana 30- Oregon 20: Eugene, OR- College Gameday came to Eugene. UO HC Dan Lanning was his obnoxious self hamming it up with co-host Pat McAfee. Puddles was entertaining as ever and somewhere Uncle Phil was watching it all from his secret lair at Nikeworld. We were told that the Ducks were too strong at home for the Hoosiers to handle. Funny thing was that nobody at Indiana got the memo about the superiority of the Ducks. All the Hoosiers did was go in and hustle a little more, hit a little harder and outclass the Quacks en route to snapping their 18-game home winning streak. The score stood 10-10 with 4:10 left in the second quarter. Oregon had the ball on their own 11-yard line. They then went on a 11-play, 71-yard drive. Faced with a 4th & 5 at the Indiana 18 with :27 left, Lanning sent on PK Atticus Sappington for a 36-yard FG attempt. Sappington had been perfect from inside 40 yards this season. He isn't perfect anymore. His kick sailed wide left and that left IU with the ball and :23 left. Thanks to two passes and a PI call on Oregon, the Hoosiers sent their PK Brendan Franke on for a 58-yard FG attempt. UO called time out right before the snap to ice Franke. His clean boot through the uprights didn't count. He would have to make it again. He did just that, sending Indiana into the half up 13-10. The second half saw thew IU defense shut down the Oregon offense with only a massive error keeping the Quacks in the contest. After the Webfoots tied the game at 13-13 on a 33-yard FG from Sappington, the Hoosiers untied it on a 2-yard TD run from RB Roman Hemby who left a trial of Ducks in his wake as he smashed into the end zone. Indiana then forced another Duck punt and looked to be in control of the game when QB Fernando Mendoza let UO back in the game. Mendoza threw a misguided aerial to UO DB Brandon Finney, Jr. who took it back 27 yards for the TD that tied the game at 20-20. Indiana then was incredible over the last 12:42 of the game. Unfazed bye his error, Mendoza calmly drove the Hoosiers 75 yards for the go ahead TD. He capped off the 12-play drive with an 8-yard pass to WR Elijah Sarratt for a TD and a 27-20 lead. Oregon still had a shot to tie the game, but QB Dante Moore had his 2nd down pass tipped at the line and then intercepted by DB Louis Moore. That turnover resulted in a 22-yard FG from Franke to put the game out of reach. As the clock hit 0:00 only a small patch of red in the Autzen Stadium stands was cheering. Mendoza had a decent day completing 20 of 31 passes for 215 yards, a TD and an interception. His favorite target was Sarratt who caught 8 passes for 121 yards and a score. Roman Hemby led all rushers with 70 yards on 19 carries and two TDs. For the Ducks, Moore completed 21 of 34 passes for 186 yards a TD and 2 interceptions in the losing effort.

Telling Stat: No Fly Zone; The Indiana defense held Oregon three points and just 64 yards of offense in the second half.

Northwestern 22- Penn State 21: Happy Valley, PA- A subdued/depressed/angry bunch of Nittany Lions went out and posted their third straight loss, falling to three touchdown underdog Northwestern. The game was a grinder with the Wildcats gaining more momentum on every play while the Fighting Paternos were hanging on for dear life. PSU had a 14-13 halftime lead. Their first TD came on a drive of 87 yards that took 12 plays. RB Kaytron Allen knifed his way through the Wildcats defense 11 yards to paydirt. Their second scoring drive was a short one of only 29 yards after the Northwestern PR Drew Wagner fumbled a PSU punt inside the 30-yard line. RB Nick Singleton ran the ball in from the 2-yards out for the second score. Northwestern's 13 points came on two FG's by PK Jack Olsen of 27 and 34 yards sandwiched around a 29-yard TD pass from QB Preston Stone to WR Griffin Wilde. A scoreless third period led to the fateful final period which would turn out to be the last quarter of football ever coached by HC James Franklin at Penn State. Olsen put the Purple Gang ahead with his third FG of the game. His 41-yarder put NU up 16-14. The Nittany Lions fought right back on the ensuing possession to take a 21-16 lead when they marched 91 yards in 6 plays and crossed the double stripe when QB Drew Allar worked his way into the end zone from a yard out. The uneasy crowd at Beaver Stadium full of the Lions faithful was hoping that Allar's score would be enough to snap their two-game losing streak. It wasn't. The wildcats methodically moved down the field, gaining more and more momentum on every play as the Lions defense looked gassed and tense. On 1st and Goal from the PSU 9-yard line, RB Caleb Komolafe took the handoff from Stone and just willed his way through the Lions for a TD and a 22-21 lead. NU's two-point conversion attempt failed. Penn State had one more shot to win the game. The Wildcat defense teed off on the desperate Lions offense. On third down, they knocked Allar out of the game and ended his season and PSU career with an ankle injury. That left backup QB Ethan Grunkemayer to try and save the Lions season with a 4th down conversion. He didn't. He was flushed from the pocket and leveled three yards short of the first down. The Purple and White then ran out the clock in a deathly quiet yard. Just a smattering of Northwester fans who made the trip could be heard celebrating. Then the great chorus of boos and chants of "Fire Franklin!" cascaded down from the PSU fans. For the victoriuos Wildcats, Stone completed 17 of 26 passes for 163 yards and one TD with Wilde catching seven passes, most of them in the clutch, for 94 yards and a score. NU's RB combo of Komlafe and Joseph Himon II combined to tote the rock 32 times for 137 yards and a TD. For the now 3-3 and rudderless Lions, Allar's last game as a member of the Blue and White saw him complete 13 of 20 passes for 137 yards with an interception while also running for 25 yards on six carries and a TD.

Telling Stat: Not So Nifty 50/50; Penn State was held to 274 total yards, (137 rushing and 137 passing), by the Wildcats.

Nebraska 34- Maryland 31: College Park, MD- It's funny how in game with a score like this you see how many times Nebraska tried to give the game away. Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola threw three interceptions, saw his offense stopped for downs once and watched Maryland hang around with a shot to win it at the end. However the Cornhuskers defense did enough to win. They forced a 4th down incompletion by Maryland QB Malik Washington with :21 left at midfield to grab the win. Raiola did manage to find some of his receivers also during the game. He did complete 20 of 29 passes for 260 yards and four TDs to go with his three interceptions. Meanwhile, RB Emmett Johnson could not be stopped by the Terps. He carried the ball 21 times for 176 yards. As for the now 4-2 Terrapins, Washington completed 27 of 37 passes with a TD in defeat.

Telling Stat: Turnovers didn't kill; Nebraska survived for the win despite being -3 in turnovers.

Iowa 37- Wisconsin 0: Madison, WI- The presumed Farewell Tour of Badgers HC Luke Fickell continued on as his hapless squad was slowly steamrolled over by the Hawkeyes. HC Kirk Ferentz's charges turned in a Hawkeye masterpiece as they realized that Wisconsin had no passing game to speak of. So they loaded up on defense to stop the run and then defended the pass when they had to. The result was the 23-0 Iowa lead heading into the half. The lead came on a six-yard TD burst from RB Kamari Moulton, a 1-yard sneak from QB Mark Gronowski that followed a near pick six by DE Bryce Hawthorne and FGs of 32, 25 and 49 yards from PK Drew Stevens. The Hawkeyes opened the third quarter by putting the game firmly in the win column with a 9-play, 59-yard drive that ended with RB Xavier Williams running 29 yards untouched through the Badgers defense for a 30-0 lead. At that point with 10:34 left in the third quarter, the Badger fans poured out of Camp Randall Stadium like Miller beer out of a tap. Those who stayed were disgruntled and let their anger be known with boos and chants of Fire Fickell. Williams would add on one more score in the final period and the rout was complete. For Iowa, Mouton led all rushers with 96 yard on 15 carries and a TD while Williams racked up 55 yards on seven carries and two scores. Gronowski completed 17 of 24 throws for only 107 yards with one interception. For the now 2-4 Badgers, RB Dilin Jones was limited to 69 yards on 16 carries while QB Hunter Simmons completed 8 of 21 passes for 82 yards and two interceptions.

Telling Stat: An Iowa wall; The Iowa defense bottled ups the Badgers. Wisconsin's longest drive all game covered 31 yards in 10 plays and ended with a turnover on downs at the Iowa 45-yard line.

Minnesota 27- Purdue 20: Minneapolis, MN- The last game on the Big Ten slate for the weekend turned out to be a sneaky good one. Purdue owned this one except for the scoreboard. They moved the ball at will on the Gophers but four turnovers did them in. With 7:40 left in regulation and the game knotted at 20-20 PU QB Ryan Browne never saw UM DB Koi Perich lurking behind the linebackers. Perich stepped up, picked off Browne and sped his way 27 yards to the end zone. Purdue had one last shot to win the game or at least send it to OT, but Browne's pass 4th & Goal pass from the Minnesota 7-yard line fell incomplete and UM had the win. Browne's frustrating night ended with him completing 21 of 40 passes for 203 yards and two interceptions, while his UM counterpart Drake Lindsey completed 21 of 45 passes for 232 yards, two TDs and an interception.

Telling Stat: Turnovers kill; Purdue's 4 turnovers cost them the game.

Observations

...He's Gone; After PSU's loss to Northwestern, Penn State fired HC James Franklin. From #2 and 3-0 to 3-3 and fired is one helluva fall into oblivion for Franklin and Penn State as a whole. So Long, James

....Wrong then Right; Well, this intrepid reporter told y'all to take the under in the Iowa-Wisconsin game last week, not believing the two squads could actually put 37 total points on the board with an O/U of 36.5. Iowa did score 37 in a 37-0 rout of the Badgers, however, the O/U line moved out to 37.5 by kickoff. So my bad advice paid off. Whew, lol. Shrug.

...A tantrum that worked; Indiana HC Curt Cignetti blew gasket when an obvious PI call wasn't flagged bye the refs early in the game. The refs listened and suddenly Oregon got called for PI several times during the rest of the game. Hmmmmmmm

...He's gone too; Oregon State showed HC Trent Bray the gate after the Beavers were smoked at home by Waker Forest, 39-18. AD Scott Barnes said this was not acceptable in comments announcing the firing of Bray. Bad Beavers. Oregon State hasn't opened the season up at 0-7 since 1991 when HC Jerry Pettibone was busy installing the triple option in Corvallis.

...He's the real deal; Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss may be the top QB in the SEC.

...Looking ahead; I'm thinking Navy at Notre Dame in couple of weeks could be a classic. Especially if the Midshipmen roll into South Bend undefeated.

...They move the chains; Utah leads the FBS with a 60% conversion rate on 3rd Downs.

...They don't let you move the chains; Texas A&M leads the the FBS in defensive 3rd Down conversion rate. They've only allowed opponents to convert 20% of 3rd Downs.

...Shades of Brian Kelly; I think the odds are 50/50 that Indiana HC Curt Cignetti has a seizure/stroke on the sidelines before Indiana wins a playoff game.

...More bad Badgers; Wisconsin's loss to Iowa marked the first time the Sons of Bucky have been shut hime since 11/8/1980. Michigan beat the Badgers, 24-0 that day with RB Butch Woolfolk and WR Anthony Carter spearheading the UM offense.

...No way; If you tell me you knew UNLV would be 6-0 and atop the Mountain West standings right now, you're lying.

...Not Swifties in West Lafayette; Purdue has lost every game that follows a Taylor Swift album release.

...Full circle, Dawg; Washington QB Demond Williams, Jr. set a new school record for total offense with 538 yards gained v. Rutgers. He broke Michael Penix, Jr's record of 529 yards. UW HC Jedd Fisch was on hand to see both those feats. He was on the wrong end of Penix's record setting night as the HC of Arizona back in 2022 when his Wildcats lost to UW, 49-39.

...Deja Vu all over again; Watching Wazzu almost pull off the upset at Ole Miss last Saturday gave me flashbacks of when HC Mike Leach's Wazzu upset HC Lane Kiffin's SC squad, 10-7 at the Coliseum back in 2013. Sigh.

...It's a big one; This week, 5-1 Utah travels to 6-0 BYU for the 103rd game in the rivalry known as The Holy War. Besides bragging rights, this one is also for a share of the top spot in the Big XII.

...What's a punt?; Army has gone for it on 4th Down 30 times this season. That's the most in the FBS.

...It won't be him; Penn State fans want Indiana's Curt Cignetti to be their new HC. My bet is on PSU plucking Matt Rhule from Nebraska. However, this is all conjecture as Penn State owes James Franklin and his staff well over 75 million in buyouts. Who will pay for the new guy?

...2-4 and rising; UCLA is 2-4 overall, but they are 2-1 in Big Ten play with momentum and nothing to lose.

...And he's gone as well; UAB fired HC Trent Dilfer after a 2-4 start to the year. Dilfer was just 9-21 at the helm of the Blazers. Frankly folks, he never deserved the job. An awful hire all the way around.

Trent's Been Sent Away

...Second half Huskies; Washington has outscored their opponents, 52-6 in the second half of their last two games.

...Silence in Eugene; If a #2 team falls in Autzen Stadium, does Uncle Phil hear it?

...OU choke; Just leave it to Oklahoma to make Arch Manning look good.

...Nailed it; Northwestern HC David Braun speaking after his team pulled off the upset over Penn State summed up why the Lions were ripe for an upset, "Ultimately, the message was you've got a football team that's got their back up against a wall, but also questioning who they are."

...He doth protest too much; UNC HC Bill Belichick has pushed back on the rumors of his early departure from Chapel Hill. Bill says NO!

...No sign of yellow; More proof that holding doesn't exist in the Big Ten. No flag was thrown on this play.

Big Ten Overreactions

Penn State fans have a Cignetti fetish.

Northwestern will go bowling.

UCLA is still playing with house money.

Michigan State needs a QB.

USC is a 9-3 team.

Michigan needs to let Bryce Underwood run the ball more.

Ohio State's defense is the best in the land.

Illinois needs a new O-line.

Iowa will just Iowa until they can't Iowa anymore.

Wisconsin wonders if it's hockey season yet.

Indiana plays with a chip on their shoulder the size of Bloomington.

Oregon wonders if Uncle Phil still loves them.

Nebraska is a 8-4 team.

Maryland will go 5-7.

Purdue might be good in two years.

Minnesota is a 7-5 team.

Washington is a second half team.

Rutgers is a 4-8 team.

Keeping Up With Your Exes

In a crazy game that featured a weather delay, Arizona fell, 33-27 to BYU in 2OT. Stanford fell to SMU, 34-10 and Utah worked over an ASU team without their starting QB, 42-10.

Uniform that is destined for the shelf...

I'm thinking this throwback inspired Penn State ensemble won't be worn again.

A Chicle of Wisdom

This week's wisdom from the 1935 National Chicle football set comes from card #17 Tom Jones. Coach Casey gives Tom praise for his play as a G/DT in the era where everyone played both ways. He also gives a lesson on line play in this era where misdirection plays were the norm. Reverses, spinners, cross bucks and option passes ruled the day back then.

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Magnolia, AR- This week's game comes from the Great America Conference in D-II where the Muleriders of Southern Arkansas held on for a 14-12 win over the Southwestern Oklahoma State Bulldogs. Southern Arkansas held a 14-6 lead thanks to 43-yard TD pass from QB Hezekiah Harris to WR Arkez Gomez and a 93-yard kickoff return for a TD by KR Cooper Sanders. However, QB M.J. Rivers hit WR Isaac Norris with a 4-yard TD pass on the final play of regulation to make the score 14-12. The Muleriders defense stood tall and stuffed the Bulldogs on their two-point attempt and hung on for the win.

Blowout Game of the Week: Chicago, IL- The week's game comes from the school that was once a charter member of the Big Ten when it was known as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives. They were also the 1905 National Champions. We are talking about the University of Chicago. The school dropped football in 1939 and left the Big Ten altogether in 1946. The school came back to the football fold as one of the founding members of D-III football back in 1969. Today, the Maroons are still in D-III in as members of the University Athletic Association and this past Saturday they whipped Lawrence University, 66-0. The game was played at Stagg Field named after their old HC of 42 years on the sidelines, Amos Alonzo Stagg. The game started off with the Maroons leading 7-0 after the first quarter. Then they just boat raced the Vikings the rest of the way. QB Jack Ruff completed 8 of 13 passes for 163 yard and two TDs. He also ran for a score as part of a UC rushing attack that totaled 305 yards on 42 carries with six TDs.

Pictured Above is the original Heisman Trophy won by Chicago's Jay Berwanger in 1935

Razorback Report: Knoxville, TN- It was a case of the same old song for Arkansas as a serious bid to upset Tennessee was thwarted by three turnovers. QB Taylen Green completed 21 of 31 passes for 256 yards and two TDs. He also ran for 63 yards on 17 carries and TD as well. Next week the Hogs host #4 Texas A&M.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

It's the time of year that I start saving good boxes to use at Christmas.

It seems that every appliance has its' own song now.

Foghorns and morning chill have taken the place of sunshine and the whirring of ceiling fans.

Until next time folks, remember that letting an underdog hang around is a very dangerous thing.

-The Commissioner