(Video courtesy of the Big Ten Network)
Big Ten scoreboard
Minnesota 44, New Hampshire 7: The Gophers are 2-0 for the first time since 2009 thanks to 109 yards rushing from QB MarQueis Gray. The senior also threw for 100 yards but the highlight of the day was Gray’s 75-yard touchdown run at the end of the first quarter.
Ohio State 31, UCF 16: Braxton Miller topped last week’s record-setting performance by leading the Buckeyes with 140 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. Ohio State’s defense also forced three interceptions.
Virginia 17, Penn State 16: Sophomore K Sam Ficken missed a potential game-winning field goal for the Nittany Lions as time expired, and Penn State fell to 0-2 for the first time since 2001. Ficken was 1 of 5 on FG attempts and had one PAT blocked.
No. 11 Michigan State 41, Central Michigan 7: Andrew Maxwell threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns, and Le'Veon Bell added two scores as the Spartans cruised on the road. The defense allowed 251 total yards.
Oregon State 10, Wisconsin 7: The Beavers upset the Badgers to end a streak of 33 consecutive nonconference victories for Wisconsin. Montee Ball was held to 60 yards, and the Badgers narrowly avoided being shut out for the first time since 1997.
Iowa State 9, Iowa 6: The Cy-Hawk trophy will remain in Ames following the Cyclones' 3-point victory on Saturday. Iowa was held to just 68 rushing yards and QB James Vandenberg threw two costly interceptions.
Notre Dame 20, Purdue 17: The Irish escaped the upset bid in South Bend despite a fourth-quarter comeback attempt by the Boilermakers. Robert Marve and Caleb TerBush combined to go 19 of 37 for 198 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Michigan 31, Air Force 25: Denard Robinson rushed for 218 yards and threw for 208 as the Wolverines avoided the upset in Ann Arbor. Robinson set the tone with a 79-yard touchdown scramble on Michigan's second play from scrimmage.
Indiana 45, Massachusetts 6: The big win was marred by QB Tre Roberson's broken leg that will force him to take a redshirt and miss the rest of the season. Before the injury, Roberson had rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 98 yards. Sophomore Cameron Coffman was his replacement.
Northwestern 23, Vanderbilt 13: The Wildcats got a career-high 128 rushing yards and a touchdown from RB Venric Mark and a late, 29-yard scoring run from QB Kain Colter to secure the win. Northwestern scored 17 points in the fourth quarter.
UCLA 36, No. 16 Nebraska 30: The Cornhuskers mustered only two field goals in the second half as the defense yielded a stunning 653 yards -- 344 rushing and 309 passing -- in the loss. QB Taylor Martinez threw for 179 yards and an interception, and rushed for 111 yards and a touchdown.
Arizona State 45, Illinois 14: The Fighting Illini gave up 21 points in the first 21 minutes and three seconds and never recovered, as they were torched by the Sun Devils in Tempe, Ariz. RB Josh Ferguson was one of the few bright spots for Illinois (1-1), rushing for 101 yards on 14 carries and returning five kicks for 85 yards. Defensively, Illinois allowed more than 500 yards.
Play of the day: QB MarQueis Gray faked a handoff to KJ Maye from the Gophers’ 25-yard line and then took off up the middle for a 75-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter of Minnesota’s 44-7 rout of New Hampshire. Gray wasn’t touched and even outsprinted numerous defensive backs on his way to the end zone. The touchdown, which was the longest play of Gray’s career, extended the Gophers’ lead to 15-7.
He said what? "We're kinda like this stadium. This stadium is a tremendously built stadium. TCF Bank Stadium. It was built brick by brick. And that's kinda what we're trying to do with our football program. We certainly don't have all the bricks put together yet," Minnesota coach Jerry Kill said following Saturday's win over New Hampshire.
RapidReports defensive star of the day: Penn State LB Michael Mauti led the Nittany Lions with nine tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Despite the sour end to the Nittany Lions’ game vs. Virginia, Mauti’s play was indicative of how tough the defense played. Virginia had just 295 yards, including 32 rushing. The defense forced four turnovers, including three inside the Cavaliers’ 30-yard line, but was unable to convert them into points.
RapidReports offensive star of the day: Minnesota QB MarQueis Gray accounted for four touchdowns in the first half of Saturday’s game vs. New Hampshire. The senior averaged 16.6 yards per completion and threw for two touchdowns to go with his 109 yards rushing. The Gophers amassed 412 yards and cruised to a 37-point victory over the FCS school.
His seat is getting uncomfortable: Purdue coach Danny Hope’s three-quarterback experiment could run him into some trouble after the loss to Notre Dame on Saturday. Despite throwing for 295 yards and three touchdowns last week, Robert Marve didn’t start vs. the Irish because Hope thought Caleb TerBush, who was suspended for last week’s game, gave the Boilermakers a better shot at winning. TerBush was 8 of 19 for 79 yards, and Marve was 11 of 18 for 118 yards.
A possible spot on the bench: No one knew how much the departure of K Anthony Fera would hurt the Penn State special teams. After Saturday’s awful game by sophomore Sam Ficken, Nittany Nation is well aware what they lost. Ficken was 1 for 5, including misses from 40, 38, and 20 yards. On top of an extra point that was blocked, he also missed a potential game-winning field goal as time expired. The bench might be the best Ficken could hope for after Saturday’s debacle.
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| Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema has work to do after a 10-7 loss at Oregon State. (Getty Images) |
Why you care about these three stat lines:
- Michigan allowed 290 yards rushing and three touchdowns against Air Force. The Falcons are known for heavily running the option, but this is the second straight game the Wolverines were gashed on the ground after allowing 232 yards and two touchdowns on 42 carries against defending national champion Alabama. The Wolverines front seven is becoming a huge liability.
- Wisconsin RB Montee Ball finished with 60 yards on 15 carries. The Heisman Trophy candidate saw his dreams of a December trip to the Downtown Athletic Club in New York all but dashed in a 10-7 loss at Oregon State. Ball failed to break anything longer than 14 yards and was a nonfactor in the passing game with four catches for 18 yards.
- Iowa averaged 5.6 yards per pass. The Hawkeyes couldn’t stretch the field for the second straight week, and it cost them in a 9-6 loss to rival Iowa State. Iowa QB James Vandenberg has been unable to connect on his deep throws this season as he averaged just 3.9 yards per attempt last week against Northern Illinois.
Key number: 1.3. Virginia’s average number of yards earned on 25 rushing attempts against Penn State’s defense, which forced three turnovers in the 17-16 loss.
For more Big Ten coverage, follow Mike Singer and Dave Carey @CBSSportsBigTen.
