Michigan State RB Le'Veon Bell crossed the goal line twice in a 31-27 win at Indiana on Saturday. (US Presswire) |
Michigan State 31, Indiana 27: RB Le'Veon Bell ran for 121 yards and two touchdowns on 37 carries to lead a Spartans' (4-2, 1-1 Big Ten) rally from a 17-point deficit. Hoosiers QB Cameron Coffman was 33 of 48 for 282 yards and three touchdowns as Indiana (2-3, 0-2) lost its third straight.
Penn State 39, No. 24 Northwestern 28: QB Matt McGloin was 35 of 51 for 282 yards and two touchdowns. He also added a rushing score as Penn State (4-2, 2-0) rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit to win its fourth straight. Northwestern (5-1, 1-1) was held to 247 yards and star QB/WRKain Colter had just four carries for 25 yards and a touchdown and three catches for 17 yards as he didn’t attempt a pass. (For more on the game, check out CBSSports.com's Eye on College Football blog)
Wisconsin 31, Illinois 14: RB Montee Ball is starting to look like his old self. The senior rushed for a team-high 116 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries for the Badgers (4-2, 1-1). Illinois QB Nathan Scheelhaase was the only real threat on offense, going 18 of 29 for 178 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also rushed for 87 yards and a score. The Fighting Illini (2-4, 0-2) have lost three of their past four.
Michigan 44, Purdue 13: QB Denard Robinson looked like a Heisman Trophy candidate, rushing for 236 yards on 24 carries and going8 of 16 for 104 yards and a score. Michigan (3-2, 1-0) held Purdue (3-2, 0-1) to 214 yards. Boilermakers QB Caleb TerBush struggled to stretch the field as he completed 16-of-25 passes for 105 yards with a touchdown and an interception returned for a score.
No. 12 Ohio State 63, No. 21 Nebraska 38: QB Braxton Miller put on another clinic as he rushed for a school quarterback-record 185 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. He was also 7 of 14 for 127 yards and a score. The Buckeyes (6-0, 2-0) had 368 yards and six touchdowns on 48 carries. Nebraska (4-2, 1-1) blew a 10-point first-half lead, and QB Taylor Martinez threw three interceptions. (For more on the game, check out CBSSports.com's Eye on College Football blog)
(Video courtesy ESPN)
Play of the day: Northwestern took a 28-17 lead in the third quarter when RB Venric Mark returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown. Mark, who has returned two punts for scores this season, caught the punt at his 25-yard line, eluded Penn State LB Michael Mauti and hit a crease to race untouched down the sideline.
He said what?: "(McGloin) is going to tell me he has a 4.3 (second) 40. I'm going to tell him ‘we'll time it with a sundial.’” -- Penn State coach Bill O'Brien
Michigan DB Raymon Taylor anchored the defense in a 44-13 win over Purdue on Saturday. (US Presswire) |
RapidReports defensive star of the day: Michigan DB Raymon Taylor. The sophomore made an interception in his second straight game, taking a deflected pass from Purdue QB Caleb TerBush down the sideline 63 yards for a touchdown to give the Wolverines a 21-0 lead. Taylor is emerging as a top coverage player.
RapidReports offensive star of the day: Michigan State WR Aaron Burbridge. The freshman entered the game with two catches for 14 yards but delivered in his first career start with eight catches for 134 yards. No other Spartan had more than five catches and none had more than 57 yards.
A possible spot on the bench for: TerBush. The senior again failed to put pressure on opposing secondaries as he moved poorly in the pocket, struggled reading coverage and routinely checked-down. TerBush averaged a meager 4.2 yards per pass. Backup QB Robert Marve is recovering from a knee injury, but he was 5 of 7 for 43 yards and an interception in the second half.
His seat is getting uncomfortable: Indiana coach Kevin Wilson is 0-10 in Big Ten games as the Hoosiers surrendered a double-digit second-half lead against heavily favored Michigan State. It’s obvious the former Oklahoma offensive coordinator can direct a potent attack and has developed depth in Bloomington, but the rebuilding process is awfully slow.
Why you should care about these stat lines:
1. Purdue had 57 yards on 22 carries against Michigan: Purdue didn’t have a rush longer than 12 yards against a beleaguered front seven. The Wolverines entered the afternoon ranked 88th in the country in rush defense, allowing 182 yards per game. Michigan turned a weakness into a strength during its bye week.
2. Northwestern’s Colter finished with 42 total yards against Penn State: The junior found the end zone on a short run, but he didn’t attempt a pass after generating Heisman buzz with a four-touchdown performance last week against Indiana. Northwestern must do a better job getting the ball in his hands.
3. Indiana RB Stephen Houston has scored a touchdown in five straight games: The former junior college player scored against Michigan State as he turned a swing pass into a 19-yard touchdown. Houston rushed for a score in each of the team’s first four games. The junior has rushed for 277 yards and caught 14 passes for 117 yards.
Key number: 99. Plays run by Penn State as the Nittany Lions held a 39:17-20:43 edge in time of possession.
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis from Big Ten bloggers Dave Carey and Mike Singer, follow @CBSSportsBigTen.