The Big Ten just opened up conference play, and man, did it deliver some instant drama. This past weekend saw the first Big Ten teams go head-to-head, with USC scraping out a win against Rutgers and UCLA taking down Purdue. But let’s talk about that USC-Rutgers game, because one play, a 99-yard pick-six, is going to be playing on repeat.
The First Conference Battle Was Wild
The Trojans managed to snag the 42-35 win against Rutgers, but the Scarlet Knights absolutely brought the fight. Rutgers senior quarterback Dylan Lonergan was slinging it, racking up 252 passing yards and three touchdowns against USC. But you know how it goes in tight games, sometimes one play changes everything. Unfortunately for Lonergan and the Scarlet Knights, he also threw two interceptions, and one of those was a soul-crushing 99-yard pick-six by USC senior cornerback Prophet Brown. That kind of defensive stand when the game is on the line? That’s just brutal for Rutgers, but it secured the win for the Trojans and set a wild tone for conference play.
Big Ten Squads Went Full Domination Mode
Outside of those initial conference matchups, the Big Ten schedule was loaded with teams just absolutely crushing it. Oregon, after their loss to Oklahoma State, bounced back hard with an 84-0 commanding win over Portland State. The Ducks defense forced four turnovers, senior QB Dante Moore threw four touchdowns, junior backup Dylan Raiola tossed three more, and the ground game added five more rushing scores. Seriously, that’s just ridiculous. Indiana kept their blowout streak alive with a 38-0 win against Western Kentucky, picking off the Hilltoppers once and combining for seven tackles for loss. Ohio State, after that fourth-quarter stumble against Texas, came out firing, giving Kent State no chance in a 59-3 win. Their backup quarterbacks did throw two picks, but the offense was otherwise unstoppable.
Penn State remained fierce, blowing past Buffalo 55-13, holding the Bulls to just 173 total yards while putting up 573 themselves. Their run game alone racked up 304 yards and five touchdowns, with sophomore running back Quinton Martin Jr. leading the charge with 100 yards on 10 carries. Iowa swept Northern Iowa 55-0, dropping 42 points in the first half and having three different rushers go over 100 yards for a combined six rushing touchdowns. Michigan got their first blowout win of the season, beating UTEP 52-17, limiting them to a mere 150 total yards, grabbing an interception, four sacks, and 11 tackles for loss. And Minnesota kept on digging, taking down Akron 41-7.
Spartans Struggled in the Second Half Against Notre Dame
The Notre Dame versus Michigan State game was another one that started out tight. The Spartans gave the Fighting Irish a tough fight in the first half, but Notre Dame took complete control after halftime, winning 27-10. Michigan State’s offense just couldn’t get anything going against that Notre Dame defense in the second half. Sophomore quarterback Alessio Mililvojevic threw two interceptions and got completely shut out in those final two quarters. Ouch.
So yeah, Big Ten conference play is officially ON, and it’s already delivering high drama and absolute dominance. With these early results, you gotta wonder which teams are truly ready to keep this momentum going as the conference schedule ramps up. Things are just getting started, and it feels like it’s going to be a wild ride.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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