WEEK 7 GAME SCHEDULE
Friday, October 11, 2024
Northwestern Wildcats vs Maryland Terrapins
8 p.m. | FOX or FS1
Northwestern faces Maryland for the third straight season and leads the all-time series against the Terrapins, 3-1.
Northwestern Notes
Playing three of its next four games on the road, Northwestern travels to face Maryland for the third consecutive year in a Friday night clash at SECU Stadium. The Wildcats are playing two Friday games in the same season for the first time in program history (Sept. 6 vs. Duke). The Wildcats (2-3, 0-2 B1G) dropped their conference home opener to No. 23 Indiana 41-24 last weekend (Oct. 5). In his third career start, sophomore QB Jack Lausch set career benchmarks completing 23-of38 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 34 yards. Graduate WRs Bryce Kirtz and A.J. Henning were his top targets, combining for 16 catches, 195 yards and two touchdowns. After missing the Sept. 21 game at Washington, RB Cam Porter returned against Indiana and scored his fourth rushing touchdown of the season, equaling his total from last season. Porter has posted career marks of 1,519 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns. Northwestern’s offensive line has surrendered just five sacks this season, which ranks second in the conference behind Ohio State for the best mark in the Big Ten. The Wildcats last allowed five or fewer sacks over the season’s first five games in 2020 (5). On the defensive side of the ball, Northwestern ranks 17th nationally in rushing yards allowed per game (93.2). The ‘Cats have allowed 466 total rushing yards this year, their fewest over the season’s first five games since 2012 (450). Opponents are averaging just 3.1 yards per carry, Northwestern’s fewest in the first five games since at least 2000. The defense has allowed just three rushing touchdowns this year, Northwestern’s fewest over the season’s first four games since the 2020 West Division Championship team allowed two. The Wildcats are 3-1 all-time against Maryland, and meeting for the third consecutive season. Last year, the Wildcats downed Maryland 33-27 on Oct. 28, 2023, at Ryan Field.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
Northwestern’s defense is surrendering 93.2 yards per game on the ground, which ranks 17th-best in FBS. Since at least 2000, Northwestern’s 173 rushing yards allowed this season is the fewest over a season’s first three games and the fewest yards per carry (2.3). The Wildcats have allowed just three rushing touchdowns over the season’s first five games, their fewest since 2020 (2). The Wildcats have recorded four interceptions this season, which ranks 8th in the Big Ten. DBs Devin Turner, Theran Johnson, Robert Fitzgerald and Evan Smith each have recorded a pick.
SPECIAL TEAMS, SPECIAL PLAYS
NU’s kickoff return unit has been outstanding this year, averaging 34.0 yards per return, which ranks second in the country behind Oregon (43.0). Joseph Himon II leads the Big Ten and ranks ninth nationally averaging 32.1 yards per return on his five kick returns this season (289 total yards). Against Washington (Sept. 21) he returned three kicks for 150 yards, including a 96-yard return. He was tackled two yards shy of Northwestern’s first kickoff return touchdown since Solomon Vault’s 95- yard kickoff return touchdown against Michigan State in 2016. Himon’s 96-yard return ranks tied for the sixth-longest in school history. Himon’s 150 kickoff return yards against the Huskies rank as the sixth-most by a Wildcat in a game since 2000:
Maryland Notes
Saturday, October 12, 2024
Washington Huskies vs Iowa Hawkeyes
12 p.m. | FOX
Washington Notes
THE GAME:
The Washington football team (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) travels to Iowa City, where the Dawgs will take on Iowa (3-2, 1-1) in the Huskies’ first trip to Kinnick Stadium since 1964. Kickoff is set for 9:00 a.m. PT/11:00 a.m. CT and the game will air on FOX television. The Huskies are coming off a 27-17 win over then-No. 10 Michigan at Husky Stadium but won’t play another home game during the month of October. After the Iowa game, UW has an off week before playing at Indiana on Oct. 26. UW next plays at home Nov. 2 vs. USC.
QUICK HITTERS:
Washington leads the nation in pass efficiency defense, and is No. 13 in pass efficiency (offense) … the Huskies also rank No. 3 in pass yards allowed, No. 8 in both total defense and red-zone defense, and No. 10 in scoring defense … UW opponents are averaging 4.46 yards per pass attempt and 4.16 per play, No. 1 and No. 6 in FBS, respectively … Washington has won 18 consecutive home games, longest in modern school history (the longest, 45 games, was from 1908-1917, part of UW’s NCAA-record 64-game unbeaten streak) … among active FBS players, UW QB Will Rogers III ranks No. 1 in career attempts (2,054) and completions (1,432); and No. 2 in passing yards (13,940), TDs (106) and completion percentage (.697) … with 60 more passing yards, Rogers will become just the 14th player in FBS history to pass for 14,000-plus yards … UW RB Jonah Coleman leads FBS with 31 scrimmage plays of 10 yards or longer, and with 24 rushes of 10-plus yards … WR Denzel Boston leads the Big Ten and is No. 2 in FBS with eight touchdown receptions … he needs just one more to make the UW single-season top-10 list … 34 players made their Husky debut in the Weber State game, including nine true freshmen … four more players saw their first UW action vs. EMU … UW has just three turnovers through six games … only one FBS team with six games played this season has fewer … not counting the four-game 2020 season, the Huskies have won 10 or more games in five of the last seven seasons … Washington is 76-28 since the end of the 2015 season, and 29-5 since the end of 2021 … the current UW roster includes players who list hometowns from 19 different states, as well as in Germany and Canada … UW’s 109-man roster entering the year includes 25 true freshmen, 20 redshirt freshmen, 16 sophomores, 27 juniors, and 21 seniors … the Husky roster includes five players in their sixth season at UW: DL Jacob Bandes, RB Cameron Davis, S Kamren Fabiculanan, LB Drew Fowler, and LB Alphonzo Tuputala … those five are playing for their fourth different head coach in 2024.
HUSKIES vs. HAWKEYES HISTORY:
Washington and Iowa have squared off six times in the two program’s histories – three in the regular season and three (the three most recent games) in bowl games. The teams have split those six games, with three wins each. The first meeting came in Seattle in the 1937 opener for both teams, a 14-0 Washington win. The game was the varsity debut for legendary Iowa quarterback Nile Kinnick, who would win the Heisman Trophy in two seasons later, in 1939. Washington quarterback Fritz Waskowitz led the UW with a pair of touchdown passes to Dick Johnson and Tom Sheldrake. Coincidentally, both Kinnick and Waskowitz would go on to lose their lives in World War II. Kinnick perished in an airplane crash off Venezuela in 1943, while Waskowitz, piloting a bomber, was shot down by Japanese fire in the Pacific in 1942. The ’37 UW captain was known for leading the Huskies to a 0-0 tie with No. 1 Cal in Berkeley that season, the Bears’ only blemish in their most recent national championship season. Washington and Iowa didn’t meet again until Oct. 5, 1963, when the Hawkeyes returned to Seattle and handed the Huskies their third straight loss to open the season (UW won six of its next seven and earned a Rose Bowl berth). Iowa was led by quarterback Jay Roberts, who rushed for one touchdown and passed for another in a 17-7 win, while fullback Charlie Browning ran for UW’s only score. The following season, in the Huskies’ lone trip to Iowa City prior to 2024, the Hawkeyes picked up a 28-18 win over No. 10 UW. The Huskies trailed, 14-0, before a safety and touchdown runs from Browning and Ron Medved gave the visitors a 15-14 lead, extended to 18-14 by a field goal just before halftime. However, after a scoreless third quarter, Iowa QB Gary Snook completed his second TD pass of the game to put the home team on top. After a fumble on the ensuring UW drive, Snook ran in for the final score of the game.
Iowa Notes
HAWKEYES | 1st & 10
• Iowa and Washington will be meeting for the first time since the 1995 Sun Bowl. It is the Huskies’ second trip all-time to Kinnick Stadium. The first matchup in 1937 was Nile Kinnick’s varsity debut. • Saturday is the annual ANF/Black & Gold Spirit Game inside Kinnick Stadium. • Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz tied Chicago’s Amos Alonzo Stagg for second in Big Ten history with his 199th victory as a member of the Big Ten Conference on Sept. 21 at Minnesota. He trails only Ohio State’s Woody Hayes (205) • RB Kaleb Johnson eclipsed 2,000 career rushing yards in Week 6 at Ohio State. The sophomore has 2,013 yards, which ranks 16th in program history. • Johnson notched his second career 200-yard game (fourth consecutive 100-yard game), finishing with a career-high 206 yards on 21 attempts and three touchdowns in the road win at Minnesota on Sept. 21. He has rushed for 100 or more yards in four of the team’s first five contests. • Big play KJ… Johnson has 14 rushes of 20+ yards and five touchdown runs of 25+ yards this season. Iowa has 16 20+ yard rushes in 2024. • Iowa’s rushing attack has churned out 200+ yards four times this season. The team’s 223.4 yards per game ranks first in the Big Ten and 12th nationally. • Freshman punter Rhys Dakin was named the Ray Guy Award Punter of the Week following his Week 4 performance at Minnesota. He punted five times, averaging 49.6 yards per punt with three inside the 20 and three 50+ yard punts. • TOs – The Hawkeyes have forced nine turnovers in five games – six interceptions, three fumble recoveries. The nine takeaways are fifth in the Big Ten and 26th nationally. • Iowa has played seven games decided by a single possession since the start of the 2023 season. The Hawkeyes are 5-2 in such games. • The Hawkeyes are averaging 27 points and 363.4 yards of total offense in five games, which ranks 85th and 90th nationally, respectively. Iowa’s 31:35 time of possession is 34th in the nation. • Senior LB Jay Higgins has led the team in tackles in all five games, including a season-high 14 tackles in Week 6 at Ohio State. He has a team-high 48 tackles (18 solo, 30 assisted), which second in the Big Ten and 13th nationally, and two interceptions. He has two double-digit tackle games this season and 13 in his career. • DB Jermari Harris had his first career pick-six, returning an interception 28-yards for a touchdown in Week 3 against Troy. It extended Iowa’s pick-six streak to 17 straight years, the longest active streak nationally. Harris ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 19th nationally with two interceptions. He also ranks seventh in the country in passes defended per game (1.4). • Iowa’s rushing defense has allowed fewer than 100 yards in four of the first five games, including just 24 yards in Week 3 against Troy. The 24 yards were the fewest allowed by the Hawkeyes since 2022. The unit allows 90.2 rushing yards per game, 15th-fewest in the nation, and it has allowed just one touchdown on the ground. • Don’t beat yourself! Iowa didn’t commit a penalty in Week 3 against Troy and was flagged for only one penalty each of the last two games (at Minnesota; at Ohio State). Iowa leads the nation in fewest penalties (12), fewest penalties per game (2.4), fewest penalty yards (100) and fewest penalty yards per game (20.0). • Iowa has had 400+ yards in two of the first five games under first-year OC Tim Lester. The last time the offense had 400+ yards twice in a season came in 2021. • Iowa’s defense allowed just 189 yards of total offense and forced three turnovers to pitch its first season-opening shutout since 2005. Iowa has eight shutouts since 2018, second most in the FBS in that span (Georgia, 9). • Iowa’s defense has allowed fewer than 400 yards in 32 of the last 33 games and 14 or fewer points in 21 of their last 32 games. The Hawkeyes have held 10 teams without a touchdown since the start of the 2022 season. • Since the start of the 2015 season, Iowa is 74-3 when leading by eight points at any point in a game. • Since 2009, Iowa has 234 interceptions — tied for the third-most in the nation. The team’s 35 interception returns for a touchdown are the fourth-most in the nation in that span.
THE SERIES
• Saturday’s game will be the seventh meeting in the all-time series between Iowa and Washington. It is the first game between the two schools since 1995. • The series is tied 3-3 with the Huskies winning two of the last three games. Iowa won 38-18 in the 1995 Sun Bowl following a pair of Rose Bowl defeats to Washington in 1981 and 1990. • It will be Washington’s second trip to Kinnick Stadium. Iowa won 28-18 over the 10th-ranked Huskies during the 1964 season.
Wisconsin Badgers vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights
12 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Wisconsin Notes
BADGERS TAKE ON SCARLET KNIGHTS
The Wisconsin Badgers head to Piscataway, N.J. for the first time since 2021 to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT, broadcast live on BTN. The Badgers hold a 1-1 Big Ten record after a dominating 52-6 victory over Purdue at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 5. The Badgers racked up 589 total yards and 52 points, both program highs dating back to a 52-3 win over Rutgers on Nov. 6, 2021 – Wisconsin’s last trip to Piscataway. UW owns a 60-31 (.659) record against Big Ten opponents since 2014. Ohio State (84-7) and Michigan (68-23) are the only programs to post additional Big Ten wins over that span.
KEY NOTES TO CONSIDER
Wisconsin has totaled 22 straight winning seasons since 2002. That streak is the longest among Power 4 teams. Wisconsin enters 2024 having played in a bowl game in each of the last 22 seasons, the longest-active streak in the Big Ten and the third-longest in FBS football. The Badgers will head to the East Coast riding high after a 52-6 trouncing of Purdue. Wisconsin put together arguably. On offense, redshirt sophomore QB Braedyn Locke assembled the best game of his career in Wisconsin’s rout of Purdue. Locke completed 20-of-31 passes for 359 yards, the 7th-most passing yards in school history and the 4th-most in a Big Ten game. The performance marked the most passing yards for a UW QB in a Big Ten game since Tyler Donovan threw for 392 against Illinois on Oct. 6, 2007. Locke’s 269.5 passing yards per game in Big Ten action ranks 3rd among Big Ten QBs. RB Tawee Walker logged his first-career 3-TD game against Purdue. His 5 scores over the last 2 games lead all Big Ten players during conference action this season. Defensively, Wisconsin has created more havoc over the last 2 games. Wisconsin forced 3 turnovers at USC and has tallied 5+ PBUs in back-to-back games. Prior to this stretch, Mike Tressel’s UW defense had logged 5+ PBUs on only one occasion through 16 games. UW has totaled 36 pressures (PFF) over the last 2 games after posting 28 through 3 games. The Badgers have found explosive plays on offense recently, posting 6 passes of 20+ yards and 5 rushes of 10+ yards versus Purdue last week. WR Vinny Anthony has scored on 50+ yard passes in back-to-back games and UW’s 3 passes of 50+ yards in conference play leads the Big Ten. In last season’s matchup with Rutgers, Wisconsin was propelled to a 24-13 by a Ricardo Hallman pick-6 right before the halftime break. Hallman’s 95-yard INT return gave UW a 17-0 lead entering the half.
BIG TEN ACTION
UW owns a 60-31 (.659) record against Big Ten opponents over the last 10 full seasons (since 2014). Ohio State (84- 7) and Michigan (68-23) are the only programs to post more Big Ten wins over that span.
Rutgers Notes
NOTABLE
• Rutgers is back at SHI Stadium to host Wisconsin Saturday. The Scarlet Out is presented by PNC. It will also be Band Day with special performances during the game and at halftime featuring bands from schools throughout the state. • Rutgers is 4-1 to start the season for the second consecutive year. • Rutgers is 8-2 at home since 2023. • Rutgers ranks second nationally in blocked punts (2), fourth in fewest penalties per game (4.0), sixth in red zone defense (61.5 percent), 17th in scoring defense (15.8), 18th in time of possession (32:36), 19th in fewest turnovers surrendered (4), 20th in first downs defense (81), 22nd in rushing offense (205.8) and 28th in passing defense (176.4). • Rutgers has scored a touchdown on 17-of-25 trips to the red zone (68 percent). • Rutgers is 15-1 since 2020 when not committing a turnover in a game. • Rutgers has scored 63 non-offensive touchdowns under head coach Greg Schiano, including 12 since 2020. • Rutgers has blocked 73 kicks (43 punts, 17 field goals, 13 extra points) under Schiano. • Rutgers, “The Birthplace of College Football,” has played 1,414 games in program history on record dating back to 1869, the most in the sport.
VERSUS WISCONSIN
• Rutgers will play Wisconsin for the sixth time since joining the Big Ten in 2014 and third time in Piscataway. The programs did not previously meet. • Last year in Madison, Rutgers outscored Wisconsin in the second half, 13-7 but was unable to overcome a 17-0 halftime deficit in a 24-13 loss at Camp Randall Stadium. DL Wesley Bailey posted a career-high two sacks, with Max Melton and LB Mohamed Toure each forcing a fumble. WR Ian Strong and Aaron Young each had touchdown receptions. • Rutgers has two players from the state of Wisconsin on the roster: OL Carter Kadow (Middleton) and LB Sam Pilof (Middleton). • Rutgers game highs versus Wisconsin: Rushing Yards: Josh Hicks, 72 (2015) Passing Yards: Artur Sitkowski, 261 (2018) Receiving Yards: Raheem Blackshear, 162 (2018)
Purdue Boilermakers vs Illinois Fighting Illini
3:30 p.m. | FS1
Purdue Notes
STORY LINES
• Purdue Football returns to the Big Ten road for the second straight week, making the 93-mile trek west to Champaign, Illinois to face No. 23 Illinois for the Cannon Trophy. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1. • The Boilermakers have won four straight over the Fighting Illini as well as seven of the past eight. • Purdue holds a 40-30-2 advantage in Cannon Trophy games. The first Cannon Trophy game took place in 1943, but the two teams have battled on the gridiron since 1890 with the Boilermakers leading the all-time series 48-45-6. • The Boilermakers are concluding a stretch that features three road games over four contests. • Five of Purdue’s remaining seven games are against ranked opponents. The Boilermakers have recorded seven wins over Top 25 teams over the past six seasons despite being listed as underdogs in every game. • Purdue head coach Ryan Walters and four Boilermaker assistant coaches face their former team for the second time. Walters, the 2022 On3 Coordinator of the Year that built the nation’s No. 1 scoring defense, led Purdue to a 44-19 victory last year in his first matchup against his former squad. • Eight Boilermakers hail from the state of Illinois: Ben Freehill, Ben Furtney, Jalen Grant, Luke Jones, Jimmy Liston, Luke Pettaway, Luke Williams and Zeke Williams. • One of the nation’s leading tacklers as an All-American a season ago, sophomore Dillon Thieneman ranks third in the Big Ten and 11th nationally in solo tackles (5.4 per game) this year. The 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year has recorded 31 total tackles over the last three games. • Kydran Jenkins ranks fourth in the Big Ten in sacks (0.70 per game). • Tight end Max Klare leads the Boilermakers in receptions (15), receiving yards (219) and receiving touchdowns (2). • Spencer Porath is one field goal away from becoming just the sixth freshman in Purdue history to make four field goals in a season. Porath made both field goal attempts last week at Wisconsin for his first career multi-field goal game. • Joseph Jefferson has recorded 25 tackles over the past three contests after making only three through the first 14 games of his career, stepping up and providing an impact in the Purdue secondary. • Against Wisconsin, Kyndrich Breedlove made a pair of interceptions on back-to-back drives for Purdue’s first INTs of the season. • In his first season as a Boilermaker, Keelan Crimmins is on pace for the second-best punting average (45.0 yards per punt) in program history, behind only 2001 Ray Guy Award winner Travis Dorsch (48.1 yards per punt). • Crimmins’ punting average ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 22nd nationally. • Devin Mockobee ranks eighth in the Big Ten in yards per carry (6.03). • Purdue has produced four All-Americans over the past three seasons (Dillon Thieneman – 2023, Charlie Jones – 2022, David Bell – 2021, George Karlaftis – 2021), the most in a three-year stretch since 1967-69.
RECENT SUCCESS VS. RANKED OPPONENTS
• Purdue has beaten seven ranked teams over the past six seasons, going 7-10 against Top 25 opponents despite being the underdog in each one of those games. • Three of those wins were against Top 3 teams, while Purdue handed five of those ranked teams their first loss of the season. • The victories during the 2021 campaign (No. 2 Iowa, No. 3 Michigan State) gave Purdue multiple wins over Top 5 teams in one season for the first time since 1960 (No. 3 Ohio State, No. 1 Minnesota). • Five of the seven wins have been by double digits, the biggest being a 29-point victory over No. 2 Ohio State in 2018. • Purdue has defeated a ranked Illinois team three times throughout history (1947, 2011, 2022). • Five of Purdue’s final seven opponents on its 2024 schedule are against ranked teams, including three ranked in the Top 5.
OUR LAST MATCHUP VS. ILLINOIS
PURDUE 44, ILLINOIS 19
SEPT. 30, 2023 – WEST LAFAYETTE, IND.
• On a special Homecoming that saw the official dedication of the Tiller Tunnel, Purdue steamrolled to a 44-19 win over Illinois to keep the Cannon Trophy for the fourth straight year. • Purdue’s defense made a living in the Illinois backfield, racking up seven tackles-for-loss, including six sacks from six different players for the most sacks in a game since Sept. 8, 2018 vs. Eastern Michigan. • The Boilermakers held Illinois to 2-for-14 on third down (14.2%), the fourth-lowest third down percentage by a Purdue opponent since 1996. • Purdue ran for 189 yards behind the stable of Tyrone Tracy Jr., Devin Mockobee and Dylan Downing, with all three of them finding the end zone. Tracy extended his touchdown scoring streak to five games and also eclipsed 100 yards rushing for the first time in his career, totaling 112 yards on 21 attempts (5.3 yards per carry).
Illinois Notes
#23 Illinois and Purdue Battle for The Cannon
• Illinois, #23 in the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll, hosts Purdue on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT on FS1. • Illinois and Purdue play for The Cannon Trophy (more information on page 24).
Illinois Off to 4-1 Start, Ranked for the Fourth Straight Week
• Illinois is 4-1 including two AP Top 25 wins for the first time since 1991. • Illinois is 4-1 for the second time in Bret Bielema’s four seasons as head coach (2022). • Illinois had its fourth 4-0 start in the AP poll era (since 1936): 1942, 1951, 2011, and 2024. • Illinois, #8 Tennessee, and Syracuse are the only teams in the nation with two AP Top 25 wins this season. • Illinois had two AP Top 25 wins during September for the first time in program history. • Illinois has two AP Top 25 wins in a single season for the first time since 2007, when the Illini beat three AP ranked teams. • At Nebraska, Illinois picked up its first ranked vs. ranked win since #12 Illinois defeated #25 Ohio State on Nov. 17, 2001. • The Sept. 15 AP Top 25 poll marked the earliest in the season that Illinois has been voted into the top 25 since 2008. • Before back-to-back wins against #19 Kansas and #22 Nebraska, Illinois was 2-32 in its previous 34 games against the AP Top 25.
Illinois Facing Stretch of Ranked Opponents
• Illinois is on track to play five ranked opponents over a seven-game stretch, which would tie the program record for the most ranked opponents played during a regular season. The last time Illinois played five ranked opponents during a regular season was 2005. • Illinois is on track to start its Big Ten schedule with four ranked opponents in its first five Big Ten games. The Fighting Illini have never started their Big Ten schedule with four ranked opponents in their first five Big Ten games. • Illinois has only played five previous stretches of 4+ ranked opponents over five games during its program history: 1958, 1968, 1971, 1997, 2003 • Prior to the off week, Illinois faced three AP-ranked opponents over a four-game stretch for the first time since 2011. • This season was the first time in program history Illinois started its Big Ten schedule with two ranked opponents on the road. • Illinois started its Big Ten schedule with road games in back-to-back weeks for the first time since 2008. • Illinois started its Big Ten schedule with two ranked games for the first time since 2009. • Illinois’ game at Penn State was the program’s first top-20 vs. top-20 Big Ten game since 2000 (#19 Illinois lost vs. #10 Michigan) and the Illini’s first top-20 vs. top-20 road game since 1991 (#13 Illinois lost at #15 Iowa with Bielema playing for Iowa).
Illinois Excelling in Close Games
• Illinois has a 7-3 record in one-score games over the last two seasons, including one-score wins over #19 Kansas and #22 Nebraska this season. The Illini have been underdogs in four of the seven one-score wins, including three as road dogs. • Illinois controlled the ball for 18:11 of the second half at #22 Nebraska, while outscoring the Huskers 21-7 in the second half and overtime to secure a 31-24 (OT) win. • Illinois shut down Nebraska’s running game in the second half, limiting the Huskers to 11 carries for seven yards between the third and fourth quarters, then sacked Nebraska three times in four overtime plays for -38 yards. Over the second half and overtime, Nebraska totaled 14 rushes for -27 yards. • Illinois won five one-score games in 2023 (5-3), tied for the most in program history with the 1934 team. The Illini’s eight one-score games played in 2023 were the most in program history. • Illinois’ five one-score wins in 2023 tied for the third-most in the nation during the regular season, behind only Old Dominion and Washington, which each had six one-score wins during the 2023 regular season. • Illinois is 3-0 in overtime games under Bret Bielema with wins against #7 Penn State (9 OT, 2021), Indiana (1 OT, 2023), and #22 Nebraska (1 OT, 2024). • Five of Illinois’ seven one-score wins over the last two seasons have come in the final minute or overtime. This season, Illinois topped Nebraska in overtime. Last season, K Caleb Griffin had game-winning field goals to beat Toledo (0:05) and Maryland (0:00), and WR Isaiah Williams had game-winning touchdown receptions from QB John Paddock at Minnesota (0:50) and against Indiana (OT) in back-to-back weeks in November. • QB Luke Altmyer has led three game-winning drives in the final minute or overtime during his Illini career. He led the Illini on last-second field goal drives against Toledo (0:05) and Maryland (0:00) in 2023, then threw the deciding touchdown to Pat Bryant in overtime at Nebraska this season.
Ball Control and Turnover Margin
• Illinois is 13th in the nation and second in the Big Ten in turnover margin (+1.00 per game). • Illinois leads the Big Ten and ranks seventh in the nation in forced fumbles (7). • Illinois ranks 13th in the nation and third in the Big Ten in interceptions (7). • Illinois’ +5 turnover margin on the season comes despite unlucky results on fumbles. Illinois has recovered five of 14 total fumbles during its games (36%), including missing on all four fumbles at Nebraska (1 giveaway, 3 forced fumbles that Illinois did not recover). • The Illini are averaging 9:36 time of possession during fourth quarters, including 12:04 in the win over #19 Kansas. • Illinois snapped a streak of scoring on 36 straight trips to the red zone (dating back to Oct. 14, 2023) when it failed to score before halftime at Penn State. This season, Illinois is 17-for-18 scoring in the red zone with 12 touchdowns.
The Illinois Offense
• QB Luke Altmyer is 19th in the nation in passing efficiency. His 164.0 passing efficiency would be the best in Illini history. • Altmyer joined an impressive list of Illini quarterbacks who have led the team to a 4-1 start with at least one AP Top 25 win since 1980: Tony Eason (1982), Jack Trudeau (1983), Jeff George (1989), Jason Verduzco (1990-91), Kurt Kittner (2001), Juice Williams (2007), Nate Scheelhaase (2011), and Altmyer (2024). • WR Pat Bryant ranks fifth in the nation in receiving touchdowns (6) and second in the Big Ten.
The Illinois Defense
• In Aaron Henry’s second season as defensive coordinator, Illinois ranks 12th in the nation in scoring defense (14.2) • The Illini defense also ranks in the top 30 nationally in forced fumbles (7th, 7), interceptions (13th, 7), passing efficiency defense (20th, 110.7), total defense (26th, 308.6), and fourth down defense (2nd, 16.7%). • Illini DBs Xavier Scott (3 interceptions), Miles Scott (2), and Torrie Cox Jr. (2) have multiple interceptions. Only Illinois, Minnesota, UNLV, and Iowa State have three players with 2+ interceptions.
The Illinois Special Teams
• Kicker David Olano is 7-for-9 on field goals, including 6-for-7 inside of 50 yards and 4-for-4 inside of 40 yards. • Kicker Ethan Moczulski’s 59-yard field goal vs. Central Michigan, the first attempt of his career, set an Illinois program record. At the time it tied for the longest field goal in the nation and ranks third nationally through Week 6. • Punter Hugh Robertson has landed 64.7% (11/17) of his punts inside the 20, which is on pace for an Illinois record. • Hank Beatty leads the Big Ten and ranks 14th in the nation with a 15.6 yard punt return average.
Penn State Nittany Lions vs USC Trojans
3:30 p.m. | CBS
Penn State Notes
• OPENING KICK:
No. 4/5 Penn State travels to RV/RV USC on Saturday, October 12 at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on CBS.
• NITTANY LIONS ON CBS:
Penn State will play its 28th game on CBS on Saturday. The Nittany Lions are 17-10 all-time on CBS, including last season’s 31-0 win over No. 24/22 Iowa.
• SERIES HISTORY:
Penn State meets USC for the 11th time in program history. Penn State trails 6-4 in the all-time series and is set for the first matchup as Big Ten opponents. Four of the previous 10 meetings came in bowl games. The last regular season meeting was in 2000 when the teams met at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Penn State and USC last played in the 2017 Rose Bowl. Saquon Barkley rushed for 194 yards and two touchdowns while adding 55 receiving yards and a score. Trace McSorley threw for 254 yards and four touchdowns, while scoring once on the ground, and Chris Godwin caught nine passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns.
• FOURTH 100-YARD RECEIVER:
Liam Clifford earned his first career 100-yard receiving game last Saturday against UCLA with 107 yards on three catches. Clifford is the fourth Nittany Lion to record a 100-yard receiving game this season, joining Harrison Wallace III (117 at West Virginia), Tyler Warren (146 vs. Bowling Green) and Omari Evans (116 vs. Kent State). PSU has four different 100-yard receivers for the first time since 2017 (Saquon Barkley, DaeSean Hamilton, Juwan Johnson, DeAndre Thompkins).
• SECOND HALF SHUTOUT:
On the season, Penn State has allowed just 17 second-half points and ranks fourth in the country in second-half points allowed per game (3.4). PSU has not allowed a point in the third quarter this year. After holding UCLA to -9 total yards (5 passing, -14 rushing) in the third quarter, Penn State has allowed just 87 yards on 46 plays (1.9 yards per play) in the third quarter this season. PSU has given up 363 total yards on 127 second-half plays (2.9 per play) and 100 rushing yards on 64 second-half attempts (1.56 per rush).
• THE OPPOSITION:
USC is 3-2 this season, including 1-2 in Big Ten play, after falling 24-17 at Minnesota last Saturday. Miller Moss threw for 200 yards and a touchdown, while Woody Marks rushed for 134 yards and a score. Easton Mascarenas-Arnold collected a team-high 14 tackles, including one for loss.
USC Notes
THE pLAce TO BE FOR B1G GAMES
• USC. Penn State. Blue bloods. Nationally recognized brands. These epic match ups on the biggest of stages in the Coliseum are one of the many reasons why USC is the pLAce to be. • The Trojans take on the No. 4 ranked Nittany Lions on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 12:30 p.m. PT.
GRIDIRON POWERS
• USC and Penn State are among the nation’s traditional college football powerhouses. • USC has won 11 national championships, Penn State 2. • Both teams rank among the Top 10 in career wins (Penn State is seventh with 935, USC is 10th with 878) and winning percentage (USC is eighth at .695, Penn State is nineth at .690). (USC not including 14 wins and 1 loss vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 892, .698.) • Both schools have produced Heisman Trophy winners (USC has 8 [the most of any college football program], Penn State 1). • The Trojans claim 176 All-American first teamers, while the Nittany Lions have 102. • USC has 55 bowl appearances (with 35 wins), while Penn State has made it to 53 bowls (with 31 victories). (USC not including 2 appearances and 1 win vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 57 appearances, 36 wins.) • USC has appeared in an unprecedented 33 Rose Bowls where it has a 25-8 mark (.758) (not including 1 appearance and 1 loss later vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 34 Rose Bowls, 25-9, .735). That is not only the most Rose Bowl wins of any team, but also the most wins by a school in a single bowl. Penn State has been in the Rose Bowl 5 times and is 2-3, .400. • USC leads its series with Penn State 6-4. • The schools have been guided by legendary coaches, including USC’s Howard Jones, John McKay, John Robinson and Pete Carroll and Penn State’s Hugo Bezdek, Rip Engle and Joe Paterno. • Both programs have distinctive uniforms (USC’s cardinal and gold, PSU’s blue and white), with name-free jerseys. • USC has been known as “Tailback U.” and Penn State as “Linebacker U.”
IN OCTOBER
• USC has a 318-128-19 (.704) record while playing in the month of October (not including 5 wins vacated due to NCAA penalty; revised record: 323-128-19, .707).
HIGH NOON
• The last time USC had 2 home games begin in the 12 p.m. hour was in 2013 when USC played Boston College at 12 p.m. PT (a 35-7 win) and Utah State at 12:30 p.m. PT (a 17-14 win).
PENN STATE SCOUTING REPORT
• This is head coach James Franklin’s 11th season at Penn State with a 93-39 record. He is the second longest tenured coach in the Big Ten behind Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz. • Penn State won 4 consecutive victories at home in Beaver Stadium during the last month en route to 5-0. • The Nittany Lions most recently defeated UCLA 27-11 at home on Saturday (Oct. 5). • This will be Penn State’s first road game at one of the four new Big Ten Conference members who migrated from the Pac-12 in time for the 2024 season. • It is also the Nittany Lions’ first regular-season football road game in California since 1991. • Franklin’s regular-season road games record is 29-20 (.591 winning percentage), while his conference road games record is 25-18 (.581). • Penn State is the only FBS team to start each of the last four seasons with a 5-0 record, however after those first 5 games in the last 3 seasons, the Nittany Lions have dropped at least 1 of their next 2 games. • Records of Penn State’s 3 games following their 5-0 starts: 2023, 2-1; 2022, 1-2; 2021, 0-3. • The Nittany Lions tend to start slow as the first quarter has been Penn State’s lowest-scoring (21 points in 5 games). • Through the 5-0 start, QB Drew Allar is 73-for-103 on passing attempts for 1,101 yards with 9 TDs and 1 INT. He also has 89 rushing yards and 3 TDs. • Aller has yet to throw more than 24 passes in a game this season. • The Nittany Lions played UCLA without star RB Nick Singleton, who was surprisingly determined unavailable shortly before kickoff. Franklin said he found out right before the game that Singleton would not be able to play. This was Singleton’s first missed matchup after playing in each of his first 30 college games. • On the season, Singleton has gained 408 rushing yards (7.7 average) with 3 TDs and an additional 2 receiving TDs. • The Nittany Lions rushed for 85 yards against the Bruins, their first game under 200 yards this season. • Against the Bruins, RB Kaytron Allen tied a career-high with 21 carries. He gained 78 yards (3.7 average) and scored a TD. • Penn State has a four-player WR group with Harrison Wallace III (14-230, 2 TDs), Julian Fleming (7-99), Liam Clifford (8-180, 1 TD) and Omari Evans (10-220, 2 TDs). • TE Tyler Warren passed former Nittany Lion TE and current Pittsburgh Steeler Pat Freiermuth for the most receiving touchdowns by a tight end in program history with his 17th TD against UCLA. • He leads Penn State with 23 receptions for 289 yards and 3 TDs on the season. • Defensively, S Jaylen Reed leads the Nittany Lions with 33 tackles, while DE Abdul Carter holds a team-high 8 TFLs (for minus 34 yards) and 3 sacks (for minus 12 yards). • Four Nittany Lions have recorded an INT (LB Tony Rojas, S Zakee Wheatley, CB Elliot Washington II and CB A.J. Harris). • Penn State ranks No. 4 in the nation and No. 2 in the Big Ten in total defense (233.2). • Penn State ranks second in the Big Ten, and fourth nationally, in run defense (76.2). It also has not allowed a third quarter point. • Penn State is No. 7 nationally and No. 2 in the Big Ten in third down conversion percentage. • The Nittany Lions are No. 8 nationally and third in the Big Ten in scoring defense (11.4). • They rank No. 6 nationally and No. 2 in the Big Ten in tackles for loss allowed (3.20). • They also rank No. 4 in the nation and No. 1 in the Big Ten in team passing efficiency (192.18).
Ohio State Buckeyes vs Oregon Ducks
7:30 p.m. | NBC
THE BUCKS vs. THE DUCKS SERIES
The game will be the 11th meeting between Ohio State and Oregon and only the second played in Eugene, Ore. Ohio State leads the series, 9-1, having won the first nine games with Oregon winning most recently: 35-28 in 2021 at Ohio Stadium. The first meeting in the series came in the 1958 Rose Bowl, a 10-7 Ohio State win that capped Woody Hayes’ first national championship. The teams met in Columbus in back-to-back years – 1961 and 1962 – with Ohio State winning 22-12 and 26-7, respectively. A home-and-home series occurred in 1967 and 1968 with Ohio State winning 30-0 and 21-6, respectively. The series was then renewed twice in the 1980s – both times at Ohio Stadium – with a 31-6 win in 1983 and a 24-14 triumph in 1987. It would be 23 years before the programs met again, on Jan. 1, 2010, in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State won that game, 26-17, and then won again on Jan. 12, 2015, in the first-ever College Football Playoff National Championship Game in Dallas. On the strength of a 246-yard rushing effort by Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State won its eighth national championship with that 42-20 victory in the CFP title game.
Ohio State Notes
FIRST AND TEN
Ohio State and Oregon meet for the first time as Big Ten member institutions Saturday at 4:30 p.m. PDT (7:30 p.m. EDT) in Eugene, Ore. Ohio State will travel to Eugene Friday afternoon.
It is a huge game among huge games this weekend but certainly not a season-smashing game for the non-prevailing in this inaugural 12-team CFP season that has only nine Power 4 teams still left undefeated.
NBC will broadcast the game that features two of those nine unbeatens: Ohio State and Oregon are each 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the Big Ten Conference, with each team also ranked in the Top 3 of both the AP and football coaches polls.
The coaches have terrific records: Ryan Day is 61-8 overall for an .884 winning percentage while Dan Lanning is 27-5 for a winning pct. of .843. Ohio State was the second team to play Oregon in Autzen Stadium, which opened in 1967. Oregon played Colorado Sept. 23 that year in its first game in its new stadium and then hosted Ohio State Oct. 7 in front of 25,000 fans.
Ohio State and Oregon will next meet in the regular season in 2026 at Ohio Stadium and again in 2027 at Autzen Stadium. Dates TBD.
Oregon Notes
HISTORIC MATCHUP
All eyes will be on Eugene this Saturday as the No. 3 Ducks welcome No. 2 Ohio State to Autzen Stadium for one of the most anticipated matchups of the 2024 season. It will be the first showdown of top-five teams in Autzen Stadium history, and Oregon will host a top-five opponent in Autzen for the first time since 2016 (11th overall). Both teams enter the game at 5-0 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten play, with major Big Ten Championship Game and College Football Playoff implications on the line. Ohio State holds a 9-1 advantage in the all-time series, but Oregon won the most recent matchup in 2021, a historic 35-28 win in Columbus.
A WIN WOULD…
Be Oregon’s highest-ranked victory ever in Autzen Stadium and fourth against a top-five opponent. Match the highest-ranked win in program history (59-20 vs. No. 2 Florida State in 2016 Rose Bowl). Be UO’s ninth all-time against a top-five team. Make Oregon 6-0 to start the season for the first time since 2013 and ninth time in program history. Improve Oregon to 4-0 at home to open a season for the fifth year in a row (excluding 2020). Make Oregon 19-12 all-time when ESPN’s “College GameDay” is on site, and 9-3 when the pregame show visits Eugene.
DUCKS EARN FIRST BIG TEN HOME WIN
The Ducks improved to 5-0 by winning its first conference home game as a member of the Big Ten last Friday over Michigan State. Oregon’s defense was terrific once again, holding the Spartans scoreless through the first three quarters and allowing just 250 total yards. JORDAN BURCH continued to wreak havoc off the edge, earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after notching a career-high 2.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. JORDAN JAMES powered the offense with a career-high 166 rushing yards and a touchdown, and both TEZ JOHNSON and EVAN STEWART caught touchdowns as DILLON GABRIEL completed 20-of-32 passes for 257 yards and rushed for a score.
HISTORY VS. OHIO STATE
Saturday will mark the 11th all-time meeting between Oregon and Ohio State, with the Buckeyes holding a 9-1 advantage in the series. The Ducks claimed their first-ever win over the Buckeyes on Sept. 11, 2021, securing one of the most significant regular season wins in program history, 35-28, in front of the fourth-biggest crowd (100,482) ever to watch Oregon. UO’s win over No. 3 Ohio State was the program’s fifth-ever against a top-three opponent, and its first road win over a top-five team since 2011. The Ducks and Buckeyes also squared off in the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Jan. 12, 2015, with Ohio State coming out on top, 42-20. Saturday’s game will also be the second-ever trip by Ohio State to Eugene; the Buckeyes played the second game ever in Autzen Stadium on Oct. 7, 1967, a 30-0 Ohio State victory.
TOP-FIVE SHOWDOWN
Autzen Stadium will host a top-five showdown for the first time on Saturday, with a top-five opponent coming to Autzen for the first time since 2016 and 11th time overall. Oregon is 3-6-1 in those games, with wins over No. 4 USC (10/31/09), No. 3 Michigan (9/20/03) and No. 4 BYU (9/29/90). The Ducks are 28-4 all-time as a top-five team in Autzen Stadium, with eight of those wins coming against ranked opponents. Saturday will be the highest-ranked matchup in Autzen since No. 3 Oregon took down No. 7 Michigan State, 46-27, on Sept. 6, 2014.
HOME COOKIN’
Oregon has been one of the most dominant teams in the nation at home over the last decade-plus, and the Ducks are off to a 3-0 start in Autzen Stadium this season after going a perfect 7-0 at home in 2023. It was Oregon’s fourth undefeated season at home since 2019 and 11th in program history, and the Ducks were one of eight teams in the nation to go unbeaten at home while playing at least seven home games. Oregon is 34-1 (.971) at home since an overtime loss to Stanford on Sept. 22, 2018, a span that included 23 straight home wins to match the longest home win streak in program history. UO is 43-3 (.935) at home since the start of the 2017 season, boasting the nation’s fifth-best win percentage at home during that time while tying for the fourth-most wins. Oregon’s success at home against nonconference opponents extends even further, as the Ducks own the nation’s longest active nonconference home winning streak at 34 games after picking up wins over Idaho and Boise State to open 2024. UO has not lost a nonconference home game since Sept. 20, 2008 – a 37-32 loss to Boise State – and has been dominant overall in Autzen Stadium in that span with an 90-11 (.891) record at home since the start of the 2009 season.
MINNESOTA at UCLA
9 p.m. | Big Ten Network
MINNESOTA Notes
Coming off a 24-17 upset of No. 11 USC at Huntington Bank Stadium last week, Minnesota (3-3, 1-2 B1G) heads back out on the road Saturday for its initial Big Ten matchup with UCLA (1-4, 0-3 B1G). Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT with the game airing on the Big Ten Network and the Gopher Radio Network.
Saturday marks Minnesota’s third all-time game in Rose Bowl Stadium and first since 1962. Minnesota’s first trip came after the 1960 regular season when it lost 17-7 to Washington in the 1961 Rose Bowl, the first bowl game in program history. The Gophers returned the following season to defeat UCLA, 21-3, in the 1962 Rose Bowl. The crowd of 98,214 for that contest still stands as the largest neutral-site attendance for a Minnesota game in program history.
The Gophers enter Saturday’s game allowing just 114.0 passing yards per game, best in the FBS and best for Minnesota through six games since at least the 2000 season. The next closest team this year is Texas at 121.6 yards per contest, while the No. 2 Big Ten program is Washington at 125.5 yards. USC’s 200 passing yards last week marked a season-high for a Minnesota opponent, but even that was well below the Trojans’ average of 316.0 passing yards entering the game that ranked 12th in the FBS. In fact, it was just the 11th time in Lincoln Riley’s 97 games as a head coach that his team was held to 200 passing yards or fewer. The opening to the season marks the first time since at least 2000 that Minnesota has gone six straight games holding an opponent to 200 or fewer pass yards.
True freshman Koi Perich has made quite a tremendous impact on both special teams and defense so far this season. He’s returned six punts for a total of 135 yards this season, which is already the most by a Gopher since Craig James had 139 in 2014, while Perich’s current average of 22.5 yards per punt return would shatter the Gopher single-season record of 16.9 set by Paul Giel in 1953. At Michigan on Sept. 28, Perich returned two punts for 82 yards, the most punt return yards by a player in eight years under P.J. Fleck. One of those returns was a 60-yarder that was Minnesota’s longest since Demetrius Douglas had a 69-yard return for a TD at Wisconsin in 2018. Perich’s return was the third longest of the Fleck era, and, in six career games, he’s got two of the five longest punt returns in the Fleck era including a 28-yarder against Rhode Island. Perich, who is also the team’s primary kick return with seven returns for 124 yards, is coming off a game against USC where he had a career-high six tackles, forced a fumble for the first time in his career and had a game-sealing interception, his second pick of the season. The performance earned him honors from the Shaun Alexander Award, as well as the Paul Hornung Award. Since 2000, only five other freshmen in all of FBS have recorded over 100 punt return yards, 100 kick return yards and two interceptions in one season.
The 2024 campaign is the eighth for head coach P.J. Fleck at Minnesota, where his record stands at 53-37. He is fifth in program history for overall wins, Big Ten wins (30) and games coached (90). Fleck’s .589 win percentage is third best among Minnesota coaches with at least 45 games under their helm behind only Henry L. Williams (.786, 1900-21) and Bernie Bierman (.716, 1932- 41, ‘45-50). In his 12th season overall as a college head coach, Fleck is 83-59 (.585).
FACING UCLA
Minnesota and UCLA meet for the fourth time on Saturday in the first matchup since a home-and-home series in 1977 and 1978. Prior to that, the teams met in the 1962 Rose Bowl, a 21-3 Minnesota victory. All-time, Minnesota leads 2-1 over UCLA.
The Bruins won the only matchup in series history in Los Angeles, a 17-3 victory when the teams last met in 1978. That game was actually played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, current home of USC. The Coliseum was, in fact, the Bruins’ home stadium from 1928-81 before they moved to the Rose Bowl in 1982.
This is the first time that neither team is ranked entering the contest. Minnesota was ranked sixth in the AP Poll at the time of the 1962 Rose Bowl, while UCLA was ranked 18th for both the 1977 and 1978 matchups. Minnesota has two California natives on its roster. Redshirt junior offensive lineman Aluma Nkele (Junipero Serra HS) is from Gardena, which is about 20 miles southeast of UCLA’s campus. Nkele also played collegiately in the state, spending the 2021 season at Long Beach City College. Gophers freshman quarterback Jeremiah Finaly is from Los Alamitos (Crean Lutheran HS), which is roughly 35 miles southeast of the UCLA campus.
UCLA does not have any Minnesotans on its roster. u Bruins defensive lineman Drew Tuazama played at Syracuse in the 2019-20 seasons when Gophers cornerbacks coach Nick Monroe was the Orange’s safeties coach.
Minnesota assistant head coach/defensive line coach Winston DeLattiboudere III and UCLA defensive line/outside linebackers coach Tony Washington Jr. were at Oregon together in 2021. DeLattiboudere was a Graduate Assistant, while Washington was the Director of Player Development.
UCLA associate head coach/offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy coached in Minnesota for five years when he was the Minnesota Vikings running backs coach from 2006-10.
UCLA enters the game with a 1-4 record overall and 0-3 mark in league play. The Bruins opened the year with a 16-13 win at Hawaii but have since lost four straight by a combined score of 137-54. They enter Saturday coming off three straight games against LSU, Oregon and Penn State.
Quarterback Ethan Garbers is 67-of-116 for 808 yards and three touchdowns and six interceptions for an efficiency rating of 113.5 this season. He started the first four games of the year but missed last week at Penn State due to an injury suffered at the end of the prior game versus Oregon. He was replaced by Justyn Martin, who has gone 24-of-35 this year for 179 yards and one touchdown with no picks. His efficiency rating stands at 121.0. u UCLA’s leader in receptions is T.J. Harden who has 18 catches for 147 yards. Rico Flores Jr. is tops on the team in yardage at 187 on 12 grabs, while Logan Loya has a team-best two TD catches to go with 11 receptions for 109 yards. u Harden is also the top UCLA rusher with 151 yards and a touchdown on 48 carries. The team is averaging 64.2 yards per game on the ground.
Defensively, Carson Schwesinger has the team lead in with 49 tackles, and his 9.8 tackles per game lead the Big Ten and are 10th nationally. Five Bruins have 1.0 sacks on the year to share the lead on the team, including Oluwafemi Olaedjo, who also has a team-high 4.0 tackles for loss.
LAST TIME VS. UCLA
No. 18 UCLA built a 14-0 halftime lead en route to a 17-3 victory over Minnesota when the teams last met on Sept. 30, 1978, at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
UCLA’s Rick Bashore scored on a 1-yard run in the first quarter, then connected with Freeman McNeil in the second quarter on a 32-yard touchdown pass to build the 14-0 lead.
Minnesota got on the board in the third quarter on Paul Rogind’s 46-yard field goal, while the Bruins countered with a 38-yard make by Peter Boermeester in the fourth to get to the final margin.
Minnesota slightly outgained UCLA, 219 to 212, including a 114 to 60 edge in passing, but two lost fumbles cost the Gophers.
The Gophers’ Kent Kitzmann ran for a game-high 86 yards and Marion Barber added 60 for the Gophers. Wendell Avery completed 8-of-11 passes for 100 yards, hooking up with Glenn Bourquin for 91 yards on five grabs.
Stan Sytsma was the top tackler for Minnesota with 11 stops, including 2.0 tackles for loss.
UCLA Notes
THE MATCHUP
The UCLA football team (1-4, 0-3 Big Ten) returns home this Saturday to host Minnesota (3-3, 1-2 Big Ten) in a league matchup at Rose Bowl Stadium starting at 6 p.m. PT. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network, the UCLA football team’s first appearance on the league network since joining the conference ahead of the 2024 campaign. The UCLA Sports Network will provide radio coverage of the contest, which will also be aired over SiriusXM. UCLA and Minnesota are facing off for the first time since 1978, when the No. 18-ranked Bruins recorded a 17-3 win over the Golden Gophers at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. That finished off a home-and-away series with Minnesota, which notched a 27-13 home triumph a year prior in 1967. UCLA faced Minnesota for the first time ever in the 1962 Rose Bowl, dropping a 21-3 result in Pasadena, Calif. The Bruins are coming off a 27-11 defeat at No. 7 Penn State last Saturday. Redshirt sophomore QB Justyn Martin made his first-career start in that contest, recording 167 yards and a touchdown on 22 of 30 passing. Carson Schwesinger (15 total tackles) and Oluwafemi Oladejo (10 total tackles) both set or matched career highs in tackling, with the former becoming just the second Bruin in the past six years to hit the 15-tackle mark in a game (Mo Osling III, 2022). Martin and T.J. Harden linked up to match UCLA’s longest gain from scrimmage this season, a 53-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter. Martin later found Logan Loya for a 1-yard touchdown pass in the final minute of the game to account for his first-career TD pass. UCLA officially joined the Big Ten, along with former Pac-12 Conference mates Oregon, USC and Washington, on Aug. 2, 2024. In 1928, UCLA became part of the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC). When the PCC disbanded in 1959, the Bruins moved to the Athletic Association of Western Universities (AAWU). The AAWU member schools formed the Pacific-8 Conference in 1968 before expanding to the Pacific-10 Conference in 1978 and the Pac-12 in 2011. It is a year of change for UCLA football, as head coach DeShaun Foster took the reins at his alma mater Feb. 12, 2024. A member of the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame for his prowess in the Bruin offensive backfield from 1998-2001, Foster spent seven seasons in the National Football League. He piled up more that 4,500 total yards and 16 touchdowns, including a 33-yard scoring dash in Super Bowl XXXVIII as a member of the Carolina Panthers. Foster spent the previous 11 seasons — including 10 at UCLA — in the collegiate coaching ranks before being promoted from associate head coach and running backs coach.
QUICK HITS
• Redshirt sophomore QB Justyn Martin made his first-career start, and fifth-career appearance, in the Bruins’ Oct. 5 contest at Penn State. He completed 22 of 30 passes for 167 yards and a touchdown (to Logan Loya, in the final minute of the game) without committing a turnover. He connected with eight different pass catchers. • LB Carson Schwesinger has made the most of his first career starts against LSU (Sept. 21), Oregon (Sept. 28) and Penn State (Oct. 5) the past three weeks, leading the team with 12, 13, and 15 tackles in each contest, respectively. At PSU, he became just the second Bruin defender over the past six seasons to total 15 tackles in a game (Mo Osling III, 2022) and the first linebacker to accomplish that feat since Kenny Young in 2017 (Nov. 24 vs. California). Schwesinger is the first Bruin to record 10-plus tackles in three consecutive games since Young in 2017. • Schwesinger enters this Saturday ranking tops in the Big Ten in both solo tackles per game (5.8) and total tackles per game (9.8). • The Bruins’ defense limited Penn State’s ground game to a season-low 85 yards, which was the Nittany Lions’ fewest since Oct. 21, 2023 (Ohio State). Penn State entered last week’s contest as the Big Ten leader in rushing offense. • QB Ethan Garbers logged a career-high 281 passing yards and a season-high two touchdowns in UCLA’s 34-17 loss to LSU at Tiger Stadium (Sept. 21). He connected with nine different receivers against the Tigers, with all nine posting at least one catch of 10-plus yards (both season highs). • The Bruins piled up five sacks, 11 tackles for loss (TFL) and two interceptions at Hawai’i. The UCLA defense in 2023 never reached all three totals in a single game. The TFL total matched the 2023 group’s season high, which it accomplished in road games against Stanford (Oct. 21) and Utah (Sept. 23). The 2023 Bruins finished with 105 TFL, a program high since 2009. • The Bruins outscored Hawai’i 16-3 in the second half of its 16-13 season-opening road win. That marked the first time a UCLA team won a game after being held scoreless in the first half since Oct. 1, 2005, when it took down Washington 21-17 after trailing 10-0 at halftime. • UCLA did not commit a turnover at Penn State, a first for the program since it beat Boise State in the 2023 Starco Brands LA Bowl Hosted By Gronk (Dec. 16).
BYE: Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska
All times Eastern
BIG TEN. BIG NEWS.
• Week 7 of the 2024 college football season features eight contests between Big Ten Conference opponents. Conference action kicks off on Friday when Maryland travels to Northwestern before No. 3 Oregon hosts No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday in a battle of conference unbeatens. Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State and Nebraska will enjoy byes this week, with the complete schedule appearing to the right. • Ten Big Ten teams appear in the AP Poll this week, including three of the top five. Ohio State leads the conference at No. 2, followed by No. 3 Oregon, No. 4 Penn State, No. 18 Indiana, No. 23 Illinois and No. 24 Michigan. Iowa, Nebraska, USC and Washington are all receiving votes. • Four Big Ten teams remain undefeated through five weeks of the 2024 season. Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon and Rutgers rank among the 12 NCAA FBS teams sporting perfect records entering Week 7. • On Monday, the Big Ten announced its Football Players of the Week, presented by IFS.ai. Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke and Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka shared Offensive Player of the Week honors. Rourke Completed 25-of-33 passes for 380 yards and three touchdown passes to help Indiana become the first bowl eligible team in the nation. The Oakville, Ontario, native became the first Indiana quarterback with three or more touchdowns in three Big Ten games in a single season since 1967. Egbuka Caught a career-high tying nine passes for 71 yards and a career-high three touchdowns, leading Ohio State to a 35-7 victory over Iowa. • Oregon’ Jordan Burch earned Defensive Player of the Week accolades with a career-high 2.5 sacks, four tackles and a fumble recovery in the Ducks’ 31-10 win over Michigan State. Burch is the first Duck since 2007 to record at least 2.5 sacks in a game at Autzen Stadium. • Special Teams Player of the Week honors went to Nebraska’s Brian Buschini. The senior averaged 50.2 yards on five punts, including punts of 61 yards (into 25 mph wind) and 69 yards, to help the Huskers defeat Rutgers, 14-7. Buschini also chipped in with his arm, throwing a 30-yard completion on a fake punt in the third quarter to extend the Nebraska drive. • Wisconsin’s Trech Kekahuna was named Freshman of the Week after recording six catches for 134 yards and a pair of touchdowns to help the Badgers defeat Purdue, 52-6. The newcomer hauled in his first-career touchdown on a 69-yard catch and run to open the second-half scoring versus the Boilermakers. • Indiana and Ohio State currently rank among the top 15 nationally in both scoring offense and scoring defense. The Buckeyes lead the nation in scoring defense (6.8 points per game), while ranking fourth in scoring offense (46.0 points per game). The Hoosiers rank third nationally in scoring offense (47.5 points per game), while ranking 14th in scoring defense (14.8 points per game). • Eight additional Big Ten teams rank in the top 25 in terms of scoring defense: Nebraska (7th, 11.3 points per game), Penn State (8th, 11.4 points per game), Washington (10th, 13.2 points per game), Illinois (12th, 14.2 points per game), Minnesota (16th, 15.7 points per game), Rutgers (17th, 15.8 points per game), Oregon (21st, 17.0 points per game) and Iowa (25th, 18.0 points per game). • The top two teams in the regular season standings will meet in the 2024 Discover Big Ten Championship Game on Saturday, Dec. 7 at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis, Ind. The game, which will be broadcast on CBS for the first time ever, will be the first in conference history to match the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the overall conference standings.
