Week 4 Roundup: Big Ten

Sept. 20 Iowa 24, at Pittsburgh 20 
And You Care Because … Iowa rallied from an early deficit, and got a game-sealing pick from S Anthony Gair in the waning seconds, to upset Pitt at Heinz Field. The Hawkeyes got sparks on offense from backup QB C.J. Beathard and veteran RB Mark Weisman, whose 1-yard touchdown plunge with 6:56 left in the fourth quarter gave Iowa its first and only lead of the game. 
What Else? Beathard was good enough to create a quarterback controversy in Iowa City. He took over for starter Jake Rudock and promptly led the Hawkeyes to three second-half scoring drives, going 7-of-8 for 98 yards. 
– Pitt RB James Conner continued to pile up huge numbers, through the Hawkeyes slowed him down in the crucial second half. Conner’s 155 yards and one score on 29 carries don’t accurately reflect the second-half adjustments made by the Iowa staff. 
– Former Hawkeye WR Greg Mabin had a huge day in the secondary. The corner made some huge stops in the second half, finishing the game with three pass breakups. He has a future on the All-Big Ten team. 
– Pitt outgained Iowa, 435-311, yet still lost at home. The offense went cold when it needed conversions, going the final 36 minutes without getting into the end zone. 
Game Rating: B+ 

Sept. 20 Rutgers 31, at Navy 24 
And You Care Because … After nearly letting a double-digit lead slip away, Rutgers used a goal-line stand in the waning moments to hold off Navy in Annapolis. The Scarlet Knights overcame an injury to leading rusher Paul James by getting 186 combined rushing yards from Justin Goodwin and Desmon Peoples. The Midshipmen twice pulled to within a touchdown in the second half, but a couple of key sacks of Keenan Reynolds preserved the win for Rutgers. 
What Else? Goodwin ran for a workmanlike 104 yards and a score on 26 carries. Even more impressive, though, was the fact that he was one of the Rutgers’ starting cornerbacks in the opener. 
– In a rarity, Navy QB Keenan Reynolds was more effective as a passer than a runner. He was 12-of-22 for an uncharacteristic 231 yards and a touchdown to Brendan Dudeck. 
– It’s not often that an opponent outgains Navy on the ground, but that’s what Rutgers accomplished Saturday. The Knights outgained the Mids, 284-171, while keeping Reynolds in check. 
– Rutgers got a huge day from its defense, including nine tackles for loss, four sacks and three forced fumbles. DE David Milewski got in on two of those sacks and one of the forced fumbles. 
Game Rating: B 

Sept. 20 Illinois 42, Texas State 35 
And You Care Because … As has become the personality of this Illinois team in 2014, it rallied in the final quarter to pull out the victory. The Illini outscored the Bobcats, 17-7, over the final 15 minutes, getting a Wes Lunt touchdown pass and a V’Angelo Bentley pick-six from 45 yards out. Texas State made it a one-score game on Tyler Jones touchdown pass in the final minute, but was unable to get the ball back to possibly the game into overtime. 
What Else? Lunt threw a pair of touchdown passes, but RB Josh Ferguson was the star for the Illini. He rushed for 190 yards, caught four passes and scored three touchdowns. 
– Despite feeling a ton of pressure, Jones stood tall in the pocket and kept Texas State competitive throughout. He completed 29-of-43 for 336 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. 
– The Illini really cranked up the pressure, led by LB Mason Monheim, DE Dawuane Smoot and NT Austin Teitsma, who had eight stops for loss between them. But Illinois must make more stops in Big Ten play after laboring to stop a Sun Belt offense. 
– The Bobcats will kick themselves when they watch the film and see how well they played on offense. Texas State clicked on 10-of-20 third-down tries and scored touchdowns on all five red-zone trips. 
Game Rating: B 

Sept. 20 at Nebraska 41, Miami 31 
And You Care Because … In a chippy game, Nebraska overcame a 14-7 deficit with 17 straight points helped by Ameer Abdullah touchdown runs from three and six yards out, but it took a Josh Mitchell 57-yard return of a Duke Johnson fumble for a touchdown to finally allow the Huskers to pull away. A ten-yard Abdullah touchdown run in the fourth put it away. 
What Else? Nebraska RB Ameer Abdullah ran 35 times for 229 yards and two touchdowns, and caught a three-yard pass for a score. 
– Miami RB Duke Johnson ran 18 times for 93 yards and a score, and led the team with 84 receiving yards on five catches 
– Miami QB Brad Kaaya completed 28-of-42 passes for 359 yards and three touchdowns with two picks 
– Nebraska QB Tommy Armstrong completed 9-of-13 passes for 113 yards and two scores with a pick, and ran 13 times for 96 yards
Game Rating: B 

Sept. 20 Wisconsin 68, Bowling Green 17 
And You Care Because …Wisconsin rushed for a Big Ten-record 644 yards, including a career-high 253 yards and five touchdowns from Melvin Gordon, to coast past Bowling Green. The Falcons narrowed the gap to 14-10 at the end of the opening quarter, but the Badgers took control with 51 unanswered points before Bowling Green got back on the board in the fourth quarter. The Badgers wound up outgaining the Falcons, 756-271, in the blowout. 
What Else? Gordon was one of three Badgers to rush for at least 100 yards. QB Tanner McEvoy and backup RB Corey Clement also crossed the century mark. Even third-stringer Dare Ogunbowale wound up going for 94 yards on 14 carries. 
– The Falcon defenders were gassed throughout, explaining the spate of missed tackles and long Badger runs. Bowling Green had the ball for just 23:24, while punting 11 times. 
– This is not the kind of game that’ll be good for the confidence of Falcon QB James Knapke, successor to injured Matt Johnson. Knapke was sacked three times, completing 13-of-28 for 163 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. 
– Senior LB Derek Landisch was the defensive star for the Badgers. Playing a little more than a half, he tallied six tackles, 3.5 stops for loss, two sacks and a pass breakup. 
Game Rating: C 

Sept. 20 Maryland 34, at Syracuse 20 
And You Care Because … After Syracuse jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first quarter, it was all Maryland the rest of the way. Led by the passing of C.J. Brown and the all-around heroics of Will Likely, the Terrapins never trailed the rest of the game. After the Orange closed the gap to 14-13 on a Terrel Hunt touchdown run early in the second quarter, Maryland reeled off 17 unanswered points in the quarter to take a commanding lead into halftime. 
What Else? Likely was a tour de force for the Terps. He led the team with nine tackles to go along with an 88-yard interception return for a touchdown that took the wind out of Syracuse’s comeback attempt. 
– The Orange lost despite rushing for 370 yards. Hunt rambled for a team-high 156 yards and two touchdowns, while Prince-Tyson Gulley scampered for another 138 yards on just 14 carries. 
– Brown came through when he had to for Maryland. While his final numbers were pedestrian, he was still able to turn his 16 completions into 280 yards and two scores through the air. 
– To avoid more days like today, Syracuse has to improve on third downs. The Orange converted just 4-of-14 to offset 26 first downs and 589 yards of total offense. 
Game Rating: C 

Sept. 20 Utah 26, at Michigan 10 
And You Care Because … A two-hour lightning delay only delayed the inevitable for Michigan and coach Brady Hoke, who fell to visiting Utah. The Utes took a lead on an Andy Phillips field goal that it would never relinquish. They scored the game’s final 16 points, nine off the right foot of Phillips, who capped the scoring with a 50-yarder just before weather conditions sent the teams back into the locker rooms. 
What Else? Utah QB Travis Wilson overcame a nasty fall on his head, a year after his career was almost derailed by a head injury, to finish with 197 total yards and a touchdown pass to Dres Anderson. 
– The quarterback situation in Ann Arbor is a mess. Devin Gardner and Shane Morris went 18-of-39 combined for 190 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions. 
– The Utes survived today, but they’ll need to be more efficient on offense to keep thriving in the Pac-12. They were just 6-of-17 on third downs, while attempting a few too many field goals. 
– For the second time in the last three games, Michigan failed to produce an offensive touchdown. Hoke is facing intense pressure, but so is offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier. 
Game Rating: C 

Sept. 20 Minnesota 24, San Jose State 7 
And You Care Because … Minnesota bludgeoned San Jose State with its rushing attack in a game it never trailed. The Gophers outgained the Spartans on the ground, 380-68, controlling the clock and the scoreboard for all four quarters. San Jose State never got closer than 10-7 on a Blake Jurich to Tyler Winston touchdown pass with 40 seconds remaining in the first quarter. And the Spartans never scored again, struggling to get beyond midfield on the Minnesota defense. 
What Else? For the second time this season, Gopher RB David Cobb ran for more than 200 yards, ripping off 207 yards and two scores on 34 carries. He also got help from QB Chris Streveler, who pitched in 161 yards and a touchdown on 18 rushes. 
– Streveler completed one pass, and attempted seven, yet San Jose State could not stop the Minnesota ground game. The Spartans have talented individuals, like LB Vince Bughiar and DL Travis Raciti, but their tackling and ability to disengage from blocks needs a major upgrade. 
– The Gopher D put on a terrific show, stifling the Spartans all game long. San Jose State couldn’t stop Minnesota at the point of attack, giving up nine tackles for loss and three sacks. 
– Winston was San Jose State’s best offensive player in Minnesota. Along with the touchdown catch, he had nine grabs for 94 yards. 
Game Rating: C 

Sept. 20 Michigan State 73, Eastern Michigan 15 
And You Care Because … Michigan State scored touchdowns on their first five possessions, produced the third most points in school history and obliterated Eastern Michigan in every phase of the game. Spartan QB Connor Cook threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran for another before giving way to the backups, as Mark Dantonio was able to empty his bench earlier than usual. 
What Else? The Spartans outgained the Eagles, 496-135, before essentially tapping the brakes and leaning on a more conservative plan of attack. At halftime, Michigan State held a 320-1 edge in total yardage. 
– How tough is the uphill climb being faced by EMU coach Chris Creighton? His Eagles have now been outscored 155-17 through the first three games of his debut season. 
– Michigan State RB Delton Williams, Jeremy Langford’s backup, ran well in the most extensive action of his career. He carried just 10 times, yet finished with 103 yards and three touchdowns. 
– Eastern Michigan was just 1-of-13 on third-down conversions. QB Rob Bolden, formerly of Penn State and LSU, could only complete 10-of-29 passes for 115 yards, two meaningless touchdowns and an interception. 
Game Rating: D

Sept. 20 Northwestern 24, Western Illinois 7 
And You Care Because … Western Illinois tied the game at seven early in the first quarter, but then it was all Northwestern the rest of the way. The Wildcats scored the game’s final 17 points and won for the first time in 2014, despite being outgained by the Leathernecks. Northwestern scored three times on the ground, including a pair from rookie RB Solomon Vault. 
What Else? The Wildcats’ bend-don’t-break D allowed 292 passing yards to Trenton Norvell, and had trouble stopping WR Lance Lenoir. But three fumble recoveries and a pick helped keep the Leathernecks off the board for the final 51 minutes. 
– Western Illinois had 22 first downs and controlled time of possession, but couldn’t extend—or finish—drives. To be more competitive this season, the Leathernecks must do better than 4-of-17 of third downs. 
– Northwestern was fine on the ground, getting 92 yards and a touchdown from Justin Jackson. But QB Trevor Siemian was unable to make plays downfield. He completed 15-of-25 for just 117 yards and no scores. 
– The Leathernecks need to spend more time on pass protection. They struggled with the Northwestern front seven, especially DE Ifeadi Odenigbo and LB Chi Chi Ariguzo, who had two sacks and 12 tackles, respectively. 
Game Rating: D 

Sept. 20 Purdue 35, Southern Illinois 13 
And You Care Because … A couple of early turnovers put Southern Illinois in a hole from which it could never dig out in West Lafayette. Purdue capitalized on the mistakes, opening up a 25-0 cushion that the Salukis were never able to erase. Boilermaker QB Danny Etling had his hand in the first three touchdowns, two through the air and one on a one-yard plunge. 
What Else? Etling finished the afternoon 15-of-26 for 198 yards and those two touchdown passes. His favorite target was Danny Anthrop, who caught five balls for 106 yards. 
– Southern Illinois QB Mark Iannotti struggled against a Big Ten defense, completing just 24-of-45 throws for 248 yards and an interception. He did find WR MyCole Pruitt 10 times for 136 yards. 
– The Boilermakers succeeded in achieving balance in the victory. Their 381 yards were almost evenly distributed, with backs Keyante Green and Akeem Hunt both averaging more than five yards per carry. 
– Southern Illinois was successful on third downs, converting 10-of-18 attempts. However, an inability to finish drives was a key reason why the Salukis didn’t reach the end zone until late in the third quarter. 
Game Rating: D 

Sept. 20 Penn State 48, Massachusetts 7 
And You Care Because … For the first time since 2008, Penn State is 4-0, and it didn’t have to sweat a game out for a change. The Nittany Lions got a total team effort, offense, defense and special teams, to coast to their first lopsided victory of 2014. After a slow start, they pulled away with a 28-point second quarter that included two rushing touchdowns apiece from Zach Zwinak and Bill Belton. 
What Else? Penn State hammered away at the undersized UMass front wall, rushing for 228 yards and five touchdowns on 45 carries. The fifth touchdown came from Akeel Lynch who led the team in rushing. 
– UMass QB Blake Frohnapfel landed some blows through the air against the Penn State secondary, but he got zero support from the running game. The Minutemen could only muster three yards on the ground on 28 carries. 
– The Penn State front seven was no match for the UMass offensive line. The Nittany Lions lived in the backfield, 10 stops behind the line of scrimmage, including three sacks. 
– The Minutemen will build this season around an underrated corps of receivers. Facing a quality group of Penn State pass defenders, Marken Michel and Tajae Sharpe caught 10 balls between them for 203 yards and a touchdown. 
Game Rating: D