B1G Review, Week 5: The Way the Ball Bounces

[Piercewise1]

Last week’s games showed us the fickle nature of football: fumbles that didn’t end up as turnovers, yards that didn’t lead to scores, and games that were close (until they weren’t). Oh, and one colossal butt-whooping where the result was never in doubt from the first quarter.

 

B1G Offensive Player of the Week:

QB Wayne Murray, Michigan State – 42 of 51, 637 yards, 6 TDs, 1 INT

 

B1G Defensive Players of the Week:

ILB Michael Rozier, Illinois – 12 tackles, 5 TFL

 

Illinois 17, Northern Illinois 3

A strong rushing attack, led by 100+ yard games from both Gabriel Adeboyejo and Johnny Sheffield, and a stalwart defensive performance were enough for the Fighting Illini to overcome their miscues and earn the win. Ronnie Kouandjio threw two interceptions and the offense fumbled 3 times, but they were lucky and recovered all 3 themselves. Michael Rozier paced the defense with 5 TFLs and 12 tackles overall.

 

Indiana 29, Tulane 20

Aaron Gossett broke out with 4 TD passes to lead the Hoosiers to another home win over a ranked opponent, dealing Tulane their first loss of the season. The defensive line combined for 3 sacks, and the cornerbacks mostly contained the powerful WR combo of Fernando Thomas and Treveon Love; the pair were targeted 28 times but only caught 11 passes.

 

Michigan 23, Maryland 14

Bobo Sims hit his stride (16-25, 224 yards, 2 TDs), and the Wolverines overcame an early 11-point deficit to overrun the Terrapins. Isaiah Lewis was bottled up all game, garnering only 41 yards on 21 carries, and Maryland got shut out in the 2nd half. It might have been a different story if they had recovered any of the 3 Michigan fumbles they forced.

 

Ohio State 14, Wisconsin 3

The Buckeyes continued their recovery from a tough 0-2 start, beating Wisconsin for their first conference victory. They held the Badgers to less than a yard per carry on 28 runs, and picked off Lance Enright 3 times to completely shut down the Wisconsin offense. Meanwhile, Doug Brothers racked up 138 rushing yards and a score for the Buckeyes.

 

Michigan State 55, Minnesota 10

The Spartans scored on their fourth offensive play and never looked back, crushing the Golden Gophers to the tune of 800+ yards of offense. Wayne Murray re-wrote the B1G record book with 42 completions and 6 TD passes to 5 different receivers. Minnesota managed to sack him 5 times, but that was their only statistical bright spot in an otherwise one-sided affair.

 

Alabama 40, Purdue 14

This game was much closer than the final score might indicate. Trailing 14-20 after 3 quarters, the Boilermakers’ gassed defense gave up 14 first downs and five plays of 30+ yards in the 4th, allowing the Crimson Tide to double up on points. Purdue's only sustained drive of the quarter occurred in the final minutes once the game was well out of reach. Bama’s Chris Williams ended up with 224 rushing yards and 2 TDs on 29 carries.

 

Iowa 27, Rutgers 16

Iowa’s defense bent but didn’t break against the Scarlet Knights, giving up 216 rushing yards but only a single touchdown. Meanwhile Ben Rivera went 30-41 for 311 yards and 2 TDs, and Kameron Vaccaro added 161 yards on the ground for the Hawkeyes. The game was defined by missed opportunities, as both sides missed multiple field goals and had drives killed by sacks and penalties.

 

Conference Standings

 

Western Division

 

Team	Conference	Overall	Next Game
Nebraska (#24)	2-0	3-1	Indiana
Iowa	1-0	2-2	Michigan
Purdue	1-0	1-3	at Minnesota
Illinois (#15)	0-1	3-1	at Wisconsin
Northwestern	0-1	3-1	at Penn State
Wisconsin	0-1	1-2	#15 Illinois
Minnesota	0-2	0-4	Purdue

 

Nebraska is in a favorable position to maintain their division lead, home off a bye when they face Indiana. Iowa less so, as they get a renewed Michigan and then travel to Illinois. Meanwhile Purdue lines up against Minnesota, looking to add conference wins to make up for their OOC results. Illinois and Northwestern have fared better overall but are still behind in the race due to an early conference loss.

 

Eastern Division

 

Team	Conference	Overall	Next Game
Michigan State (#11)	1-0	3-0	at Maryland
Indiana	1-0	2-2	at #24 Nebraska
Michigan	1-0	2-2	at Iowa
Ohio State	1-0	2-2	Rutgers
Maryland	0-1	2-2	#11 Michigan State
Penn State	0-1	2-2	Northwestern
Rutgers	0-1	1-3	at Ohio State

 

Maryland’s second loss clears the way for Michigan State based on overall record, but there’s a lot of conference football yet to be played. Indiana needs to find a way to win on the road – can their newfound offensive prowess stand up to the Cornhuskers’ defense? Michigan and Ohio State can both keep pace after logging their first conference win, but the Wolverines will need to travel for it while the Buckeyes get Rutgers at home.