Big Ten Breakdown: A Complete Recap of Week 7 Across the Big Ten
Saturday October 16
Rutgers 7 at Northwestern 21
This one had to feel good for Northwestern. Fresh off a bye week, they made up for the blowout loss they were handed against Nebraska. The defense came to play in this one and looked like what one would expect a Northwestern defense to look like, holding Rutgers to only 222 yards of total offense. Offensively, the Wildcats were led by quarterback Ryan Hilinski, who had himself a day, throwing for 267 yards and two touchdowns. The win moves Northwestern to 3-3 on the season while this was the fourth straight loss for Rutgers, falling to 3-4 after starting the season 3-0.
Michigan State 20 at Indiana 15
While this was not a pretty win by any means, Michigan State will be happy to escape the weekend with a win. The Spartan offense that has been rolling through defenses all season was stifled, as star running back and Heisman candidate Kenneth Walker III, was held to 84 yards rushing on the day. Their only offensive touchdown would come on a touchdown pass from quarterback Payton Thorne, as other than that they were held to two field goals. They were led by the defense, which forced three turnovers, including a pick six for their other touchdown on the day. The Spartans enter their bye week at 7-0 with the Wolverines next on their schedule.
Nebraska 23 at Minnesota 30
Just when things appeared to be turning a corner for Nebraska following a 56-7 thrashing of Northwestern, they are right back where they were prior to that win. The last two weeks have been a microcosm of Nebraska football this season, so close to getting a marquee win to gain momentum on the season but just falling just a little short each time. As for Minnesota, this is their second conference win in a row. They were well-balanced on offense, led by quarterback Tanner Morgan, running back Bryce Williams and wide receiver Chris Autumn-Bell. Morgan threw for 209 yards and two touchdowns, with his leading receiver Autumn-Bell accounting for 103 of those yards and one of his touchdowns. On the ground, Williams added 127 yards. The Golden Gophers are now 4-2 on the season while the Huskers fall to 3-5.
Purdue 24 at Iowa 7
Things were looking really good for the Hawkeyes. Undefeated, coming off a huge win over Penn State and the number two team in the country. They had put themselves in a prime position to win the Big Ten and make the College Football Playoffs. Enter the Purdue Boilermakers, led by quarterback Aidan O'Connell and wide receiver David Bell, put up 464 yards of total offense on one of the best defenses in the nation en route to a massive upset. O'Connell threw for 375 yards and two touchdowns, connecting with Bell for a staggering 240 receiving yards and one of his two touchdowns. Iowa is not entirely out of the race for the Big Ten and CFP but their path to making it just got much narrower as they cannot afford to slip up again.
Army 14 at Wisconsin 20
After a rocky start to their season, the Badgers appear to be getting back on track following their second consecutive win. This one was a low-scoring game, as is the case for most games against Army, as Wisconsin leaned heavily on their run game to grind out a victory. Running back Braelon Allen led the way for the Wisconsin offense, rushing for 108 yards and a touchdown. The Badgers look to be getting into a groove right in the middle of the season, moving to 3-3 on the season and a matchup with Purdue next weekend, which could be an interesting game to keep an eye on.
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