Roundup: Week 7

Now seven weeks into the college football season and things just keep spiraling every which way. SEC teams going down here, Big 12 shootouts over there, and the Big Ten just kinda stayed home. "Hey let's not mix it up tonight. We'll just stay home." And for many Big Ten teams and fans, it was a breath of fresh air. Let's corral the five games of yesterday.

Wisconsin 38, Illinois 28
At the end of the first quarter it seemed another slow start was going to plague the Badgers. But down 14-7 Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon punched in two touchdowns. One Gordon dash came from 6 yards out and other from 30 yards out to give the Badgers at 21-7 lead with 2:14 to go in the 1st half. Rafael Gaglianone booted a 44 yard field goal with 3 seconds left in the half to cap the scoring at 24-14 in favor of Wisconsin. Neither team could muster much offense in the 3rd quarter until Gordon snuck in from a yard out to make it 31-14 Wisconsin. Gordon's late 3rd quarter score would end his night of touchdowns; he had 4 on the ground and had 175 yards rushing on 27 carries. Ten seconds into the fourth quarter Corey Clement found a gap in the Illini defense and ran 72 yards for a touchdown propelling the Badgers to a 38-14 lead. Aaron Bailey and Donovonn Young both added late scores for the Illini on runs of 29 yards and 1 yard finalizing the scoring for the game. Wisconsin bled the clock put this one in the books, 38-28. No pass production was the only chink for the Badgers as Joel Stave was only 7 for 14 with 73 yards through the air. Wisconsin finished with 498 yards of total offense and allowed only 288 yards on defense. Illinois's Reilly O'Toole finished 12 of 19 for 96 yards and 2 passing touchdowns. Wisconsin now 4-2 and 1-1 in the conference heads to a bye week. Illinois (3-4, 0-3) also heads to a bye week.

Iowa 45, Indiana 29
The Hoosiers looking for their first conference win; wouldn't find it in Iowa City. Iowa and Indiana scored the bulk of the points in the 1st half and it all got started late in the 1st quarter. The Hawkeyes scored 4 touchdowns in 3 minutes and 38 seconds! Jake Duzey caught the Jake Rudock pass for a 12 yard TD at 4:41 of the first quarter. Then at 3:37 Desmond King picked off the Nate Sudfeld pass and returned it 35 yards to the house to make it 14-0 Iowa. Then at 1:55 Damond Powell broke the plain on a 72 yard hookup from Rudock to increase the Hawkeye lead to 21 zip. The Hoosiers wouldn't go quietly as RB Tevin Coleman burst 83 yards through the Hawkeyes' D at 1:12 to go in the 1st to give Indiana their first touchdown. Now up 21-7, Rudock handed the ball off to Jonathon Parker who dashed 60 yards to the end zone at 1:03 to make it 28-7. Opening the second quarter of the offensive showcase, Sudfeld, who went 4-9 with 85 yards passing and a touchdown, found Nick Stoner 13 yards away in the end zone all alone. Three minutes later Coleman again busted the Hawkeyes on the ground; going 45 yards for the touchdown to cut the Iowa lead to 28-21. Iowa would march down the field and add a Marshall Koehn 22 yard field goal. As time expired in half Mark Weisman dived through the trenches to make it 38-21 at the break. Neither team scored in the scored in the 3rd but it didn't take long for Weisman to add his second TD at the beginning of the 4th. At 13:17 Weisman fought his way through the pile-up putting the Hawkeyes up 45-21. Coleman slipped through the Hawkeys grasps one more time, this time for a 69 yard score. Shane Wynn ran in the 2 point conversion but that's the Hoosiers would muster in their comeback attempt. Tevin Coleman was the only bright spot for Indiana. He finished with 219 yards rushing on 15 carries and 3 TDs. Rudock was 19-27, 210 yards passing and 2 touchdowns. The Iowa defense gave up 432 yards with 316 coming on the ground. Iowa was able to outlast the Hoosiers (now 3-3, 0-2) who will welcome MSU next week. The Hawkeyes (5-1, 2-0) travel to conference new comer Maryland.

Minnesota 24, Northwestern 17
The Gophers may just be the real deal. Minnesota donned their maroon jerseys, gold pants, and golden helmets to take on Northwestern who also showed up rather spiffy in their all white attire. The contest proved to be a defensive battle but Minnesota's QB Mitch Leidner struck first on a one yard plunge into the end zone with 3:18 left in the first. Northwestern struck back in the second on a Justin Jackson 11 yard reception from QB Trevor Siemian. Siemian was 32-50 for 269 yards with an interception and and a touchdown through the air and one on the ground.. Leidner provided most of the ground work for the Gophers and he again found pay dirt from a yard out with 8:26 to go in the half. The Wildcat's now trailing 14-7 added a Jack Mitchell field goal that wasn't more than a chip shot from 19 yards out 4 seconds before the half. Neither Northwestern or Minnesota could score in the 3rd quarter. Early on in the fourth quarter Ryan Santoso tacked on a 25 yard field goal for the Gophers increasing the lead to 17-10. The Wildcat's on the back of QB Siemian roared back and clawed their way to the end zone. Siemian pushed into the end zone from 2 yards out tied the game at 17. On the ensuing kickoff, Jalen Myrick fielded the ball for the Gophers at his own goal line and raced down the sideline untouched for a 100 yard kick return sending TCF Bank Stadium into a frenzy as the Gophers reclaimed the lead at 24-17. They never relinquished it and hung onto win to 24-17. The Wildcats out-gained the Gophers 393 to 274. Minnesota (5-1, 2-0) welcomes Purdue next week and Northwestern (3-3, 2-1)  heads home to welcome Nebraska.

#8 Michigan State 45, Purdue 31
Michigan State rolled in, had it won early, then almost lost it. Jumping out to a 14-3 lead at the end of the first upon the backs of Tony Lippett and Nick Hill the Spartans looked in full form. Connor Cook and the offense hit their stride early and often. Cook was 19-37 for 238 yards, 1 interception, and 3 touchdowns. The second of Cook's 3 TDs was to Josiah Price from 2 yards out to put MSU up 21-3.Purdue finally joined the TD party when Akheem Hunt broke the plain on a 3 yard run to make it 21-10. Michael Geiger split the uprights from 42 yards making it 24-10. The Boilermakers made it 24-17 on an Austin Appleby 9 yard pass to BJ Knauf just before the half. To begin the secind half Cook hit Aaron Burbridge on a 13 yard pass boosting the lead to 31-17. Later in the 3rd Nick Hill punched in a 4 yard TD run making it 38-17. The Boilermakers didn't go down without a fight. Hunt busted off two scores. Both rushes. One from 52 yards and one from 3 yards. With under 2 minutes to go Appleby looking to lead his team down the field is pressured from all sides and throws a pick six to MSU's Darien Harris who ran it back 15 yards. The Spartans went up 45-31 and hung on to win. MSU (5-1, 2-0) travels to take on Indiana. Purdue (3-4, 1-2) travels to Minnesota.

Michigan 18, Penn State 13
Michigan was happy to get the W even if it was ugly. Penn State continued it's struggle but it struck first on a Sam Ficken 35 yard field goal. Devin Funchess responded on a 43 yard pass from Devin Gardner. Down 7-3 Penn State added another Ficken field goal from 32 yards out to end the first quarter. with 11:58 to go in the half DaeSean Hamilton caught a 10 yard Christian Hackenberg pass for a TD and the Nittany Lions took their first and last lead of the night. To end the half Matt Wile kicked a 45 yard field goal making 13-10. Wile converted another field goal this time from 42 yards in the third making it 13-13. Wile hit a 37 yard field goal giving the Wolverines the lead at 16-13. They never relinquished it. Adding a safety with 1;41 to go the Wolverines wrapped it up with a 18-13 win. Michigan (3-4, 1-2) heads to a bye week. Penn State (4-2, 1-2) will as well.