Shootouts Galore

When you think of the Big Ten, one of the first qualities that comes to mind is defense.

It's what the conference was built on. Tough, grind-it-out contests in the teens or sometimes even the single digits are usually the norm.

That certainly wasn't the case for most of the games on the opening weekend of Big Ten play. Along with that, a number of other unexpected things occurred Saturday, throwing a wrench into anyone's preconceived notions about how the 2009 Big Ten season will play out.

Powerhouse Penn State was taken out, upstart Michigan barely survived, and Wisconsin proved that it may be a legitimate contender in the Big Ten. This is going to be a roller coaster season.


Wisconsin 38, Michigan State 30

Behind four touchdown passes from Scott Tolzien and 142 yards rushing from John Clay, the Wisconsin Badgers were able to hold off Michigan State and improve to 4-0. Despite the close score, the game was decided by the middle of the fourth quarter. The Badgers jumped out to a 21-7 lead at halftime and were able to extend it to 38-17 after tight end Garrett Graham caught his third touchdown. The Spartans added two touchdowns late in the game.

Wisconsin was aided by four Spartan turnovers, exceptional offensive and, for the better part of the day, defensive play. The pitch-and-catch duo of Tolzien and Graham appeared unstoppable as both the tight end and quarterback had career days. For their part, Michigan State's offense was inconsistent despite scoring 30 points. Defense again was MSU's Achilles heel. The Spartans gave up over 400 yards of total offense along with almost 40 points.


#23 Michigan 36, Indiana 33

In probably the most surprising game of the day, Michigan barely snuck by Indiana in an unexpected shootout which definitely raises some questions about the Wolverines. Tate Forcier threw a late touchdown to Martavious Odoms and the Wolverines overcame almost 500 yards of offense from the Hoosiers to pull out the win. Ben Chappell passed for 270 yards and Darius Willis ran for another 152, including an 85-yard burst midway through the fourth, but Indiana was unable to hold off the Wolverine offense.

Forcier had a solid day for Michigan, throwing for 184 yards and two touchdowns, and Chris Brown added 83 yards rushing and a touchdown on 11 carries. However, after allowing 34 points to Notre Dame and 33 to Indiana, it's apparent that the Wolverine defense has some work to do.


Minnesota 35, Northwestern 24

Duane Bennett ran for three touchdowns and Adam Weber added two through the air as Minnesota took down Northwestern. It was a fairly even game in which both teams had 22 first downs and the total yards were within 20 of each other. It was three turnovers that spelled doom for the Wildcats.

Mike Kafka threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns, but also yielded an interception and a late fumble. Zeke Markshausen led the Wildcats with six catches for 76 yards. Eric Decker led the Gophers with eight catches for 85 yards and a pair of touchdowns.


#13 Ohio State 30, Illinois 0

Aided partly by the weather, the Ohio State Buckeyes and their dominating defense shut down and shut out Illinois. On a rain-soaked afternoon in Columbus, the Buckeyes had no trouble taking care of the Illini, allowing no points and only 178 yards. Juice Williams (77 yards passing) and company were completely stifled by an Ohio State defense that actually does justice to the Big Ten's grinding reputation.

Offensively, Ohio State wasn't flashy, but they were effective. Terrelle Pryor only threw for 82 yards, with all of them coming in the second half, though the wet conditions definitely played a part in that. The Buckeyes made up for their passing ineptitude by rushing for 246 yards with Brandon Seine leading the way with 81 yards on 13 carries. Dan Herron also chipped in with 75 yards and a pair of touchdowns.


Iowa 21, # 5 Penn State 10

Behind a strong defense and a fourth quarter in which they outscored Penn State 16-0, the Iowa Hawkeyes were able to upset Penn State for the second year in a row. After Penn State got out to a quick 10-0 lead, Iowa scored 21 straight points to stun the Nittany Lions in front of a whiteout in Happy Valley. The Hawkeye defense held Penn State's offense in check, limiting quarterback Daryll Clark to 198 yards passing and forcing four turnovers, including three Clark interceptions.

The Iowa offense was, for the most part, ineffective as quarterback Ricky Stanzi threw for only 135 yards and had two interceptions; just enough to get the win. The turning point of the game came when Iowa blocked a Penn State punt in the fourth quarter and Adrian Clayborn returned it 53 yards for the go-ahead score. For Penn State, this was there seventh loss in eight games against Iowa.


Notre Dame 24, Purdue 21

Jimmy Clausen threw a touchdown to Kyle Rudolph on fourth down with 25 seconds left and Notre Dame rallied to beat Purdue, narrowly avoiding the upset loss. Clausen led the way for the Irish with 171 yards passing with the final touchdown and Robert Hughes chipped in with 68 yards on 15 carries and a score.

Jimmy Elliott led the Boilermakers with 289 yards passing and three touchdowns. Despite the loss and 1-3 record, Purdue proved that it is able to compete with anyone, a good sign as the team heads into Big Ten play next weekend.