Around the Big Ten: Week 4

posted September 19, 2014 in CommRadio, Sports by Alex Bobbyn

Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Pittsburgh Panthers  12:00 ET

Coming off a tough loss to in-state rival Iowa State, the Iowa Hawkeyes (2-1) are looking to get back on the right track.  They travel to Pittsburgh where they’ll take on an undefeated Pittsburgh Panthers (3-0) team. 

The Hawkeyes, whose defense has allowed a shade less than 19 points per game, will look to contain a powerful Pittsburgh offense that is putting up nearly 45 points per game.  The Panther’s rushing attack, which ranks 5th in the country, is lead by sophomore James Conner.  Conner already has 544 yards and 8 touchdowns on the season.

The biggest offensive threat for the Hawkeyes is senior receiver Kevonte Martin-Manley.  Martin-Manley has 19 receptions and 147 yards on the season.  After a mediocre junior year, you can look for Martin-Manley to try and step up and make some big plays.  In order for Iowa to succeed in this game, they’ll have to rely heavily on their passing attack.

Eastern Michigan Eagles vs. #11 Michigan State Spartans  12:00 ET

The Michigan State Spartans (2-1) bumped up two spots in this week’s AP Poll after coming off a much needed bye week.  The Spartans, who suffered an upsetting loss to Oregon two weekends ago, look to get an important win as they host the Eastern Michigan Eagles (1-2). 

The Spartans are lead by quarterback Connor Cook, who’s thrown for 628 yards and 5 touchdowns this season.  Tony Lippett will hope to be on the receiving end of Cook’s passes as he tries to extend what’s been a successful senior season thus far.  Lippett is ranked second in the Big Ten for receptions per game and first for receiving yards per game.  He has 300 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns on the season.

The Spartans hope to get back on track this weekend, as Eastern Michigan is coming off two consecutive road losses in which they’ve been outscored 82-3. The Spartans are going to focus more on their ground game this week, so look for Jeremy Langford and Nick Hill to get a lot of touches.

Western Illinois Leathernecks vs. Northwestern Wildcats 12:00 ET

It’s no question that the Northwestern Wildcats (0-2) have been struggling this season.  After coming off a much needed bye week, the Wildcats will host the Western Illinois Leathernecks (2-1) in hopes to pick up their first win of the season.

Northwestern quarterback Trevor Siemian has thrown for 497 yards and 2 touchdowns this year.  Cameron Dickerson and Kyle Prater have been on the receiving end of most of those passes, combining for 213 yards and 2 touchdowns.

The Leathernecks will look to keep it on the ground with senior running back J.C. Baker.  Baker rushed for 130 yards against the Drake Bulldogs, and will look to continue his success.

Siemian, who’s already been sacked 7 times this year, will need his offensive line to step up and provide good pocket protection if Northwestern hopes to win this football game.

Southern Illinois Salukis vs. Purdue Boilermakers 12:00 ET

Coming off a tough 2013 season, the Purdue Boilermakers (1-2) are looking to beat their win total from last year with a win on Saturday.  The Boilermakers will host the Southern Illinois Salukis (3-0).

The Salukis have demonstrated their offensive dominance, averaging 44.3 points per game.  They rely heavily on their run game, specifically senior running back Malcolm Agnew, who rushed for 158 yards in their win over Southeast Missouri. 

The Boilermaker defense has given up an average of 34 points per game, and has been slowly heating up offensively.  Boilermaker quarterback Danny Etling threw for 234 yards against Notre Dame, which is something he’ll need to do again in order to win.

Bowling Green Falcons vs. # 19 Wisconsin Badgers 12:00 ET

The Bowling Green Falcons (2-1) look to get their second straight win against a Big Ten team, however, the Wisconsin Badgers (1-1) are feeling rested after coming off a bye week.  The Badgers boast a powerful defense, averaging 15.5 points allowed per game. 

Badgers’ running back Melvin Gordon will be a go to guy in this matchup.  Gordon rushed for over 1600 yards last season, and looks to have a big game after being held to only 38 yards against Western Illinois last week. 

The Falcons are poised with confidence after coming away with a win over Indiana.  However, the Badger offense should be able to hold up against a Bowling Green defense that gave up 582 yards in total offense against Indiana.

Maryland Terrapins vs. Syracuse Orange 12:30 ET

The Maryland Terrapins (2-1) will look to find success after coming off a very close loss to West Virginia last week. The Terps will travel to New York, taking on the Syracuse Orange (2-0).

Quarterback C.J. Brown leads the Terps in rushing yards, but has confidence in his arm as well.  Brown threw for over 2000 yards in his 2013 campaign before getting hurt, and already has 553 yards and 4 touchdowns on the season. 

Syracuse will show off a stout defense that has only allowed an average of 14.5 points per game.  The Orange offense is lead by quarterback Terrel Hunt, who has been able to throw and run the ball efficiently.  

Utah Utes vs. Michigan Wolverines 3:30 ET

The Michigan Wolverines (2-1) will host the Utah Utes (2-0), a team that has scored over 50 points in both of their first two games this season.  The Wolverines have let up an average of 18.3 points a game, and will look to contain the Utes offense. 

Devin Gardner has thrown for 546 yards and five touchdowns on the season.  Junior receiver Devin Funchess has caught three of those touchdowns and 202 of those yards. 

The Utes offense has been high powered, throwing for an average of 309.5 yards per game and rushing for an average of 248 yards per game.  If the Wolverine defense can defend this well-rounded offensive attack by being more physical, they should be able to get a solid win.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Navy Midshipmen 3:30 ET

Rutgers’ High Point Solutions Stadium was filled to maximum capacity last weekend as the Scarlet Knights (2-1) were defeated by Penn State in what was a thrilling Big Ten debut.  They look to get back on track with a road game against a tough Navy (2-1) team. 

For decades, the Navy Midshipmen have perfected the triple-option.  Keenan Reynolds, Navy’s quarterback, has taken advantage of the offensive style, rushing for an FBS record of 31 touchdowns last season.  The key for Rutgers is to limit their turnovers.   They need to put the ball in their running back’s hands and allow them to run against a Navy defense that has had trouble stopping the run in the past.

It’s also imperative that their defense stops the powerful run game that Navy possesses.  If the defense can stop the run, and the offense can run the ball, the Scarlet Knights should come away victorious.  Look for Paul James and Desmond Peoples to get a lot of touches.

San Jose State Spartans vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers 4:00 ET

Coming off a tough loss on the road, the Minnesota Golden Gophers (2-1) look to pick things back up at home.  They take on the San Jose Spartans (1-1), whose defense has allowed an average of 34.5 points per game. 

The Golden Gophers are lead by Mitch Leidner, who has passed for 362 yards and two touchdowns so far this season.  Senior running back David Cobb has rushed for 332 yards and 2 touchdowns.  The Golden Gophers will look to put the ball in Cobb’s hand in order to challenge the Spartan’s struggling defense.

The Golden Gopher defense has allowed an average of 24.7 points per game, but if they remain physical, they should be able to pull away from the Spartans.

Texas State Bobcats vs. Illinois Fighting Illini 4:00 ET

Coming off a crushing road loss against Washington, The Illinois Fighting Illini (2-1) look to get a win against the Texas State Bobcats (1-1).  The Bobcats have mainly focused on their ground game, averaging 294.5 rushing yards per game.  The Illini defense will need to improve upon last weekend’s performance where they allowed Washington to rush 245 yards. 

The Illini are led by sophomore quarterback Wes Lunt, who has already thrown for 971 yards and nine touchdowns.  Geronimo Allison and Mike Dudek, the teams leading receivers have combined for 459 yards and four touchdowns.

The Illini should be able to handle this game.  They’ll test the Bobcats secondary in what’s sure to be a heavy pass attack.  Look for Josh Ferguson to get some more touches this week as well. 

Indiana Hoosiers vs. #18 Missouri Tigers 4:00 ET

The Missouri Tigers (3-0) will try to open the season 4-0 for the second consecutive year.  The Tigers will have its top two rushers for Saturday’s contest, so look for their ground game to explode.  The Indiana Hoosiers (1-1) are coming off a road loss to Bowling Green, and will have to be much improved in competing with a stout Missouri lineup.

The Hoosiers will look to put the ball in the hands of Tevin Coleman, who’s rushed for 437 yards and five touchdowns in only two games.  Coleman was 42 yards shy of 1,000 last year, and he’s already on the right track of surpassing that very quickly. 

However, the Tigers have done pretty well defensively this year, allowing an average of 17.3 points per game.  If the Hoosiers want to win, they’ll need to play physical on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball, and allow Tevin Coleman to get a lot of touches.

Miami (FL) Hurricanes vs. #24 Nebraska Cornhuskers 8:00 ET

The Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-0) and Miami Hurricanes (2-1) have won a combined ten national championships, four of which were played against each other.  These teams haven’t played each other in the regular season since 1976, and they’re both eager to prove their dominance.

The Cornhuskers offense will be tested by a strong Miami defense.  The offense, led by quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr., will look to air it out in this matchup.  Armstrong already has 773 yards and seven touchdowns this season.  Not to mention, he’s only thrown one interception, making him one of the most efficient QB’s in the Big Ten. 

Nebraska’s defense has only allowed an average of 16.7 points a game, so they look to hold up well against the Hurricane’s offense.  Look for Ameer Abdulah, one of the Big  Ten’s top ball carriers, to get lots of touchdowns in this game. 

Byes: Ohio State

Alex Bobbyn is a freshman broadcast journalism major.  To contact him, email him at aeb5671@psu.edu