By: Joe Cumberland (@punterjoe)
Iowa, Penn State Big10 Leaders?
After Week 1 saw the Big10 go 5-1 as a conference, things kind of came back to earth in Week 2. This week, the conference only managed to go 3-3 and now only has 2 unbeaten teams. Those teams? Upstart Iowa and Penn State, which are coming off an 0-8 Season 22 campaign. With perennial contenders like USC and Ohio State lurking, are these two teams for real?
Both travel in Week 3, and we’ll see if they flex their muscle one more time before conference play begins. Overall, the slate is tough for Big10 teams versus out-of-conference foes in Week 3. After utter dominance in Week 1, the conference will have to fight tooth and nail to claim “best conference” bragging rights before conference play begins.
Michigan Gets In Win Column
Call it an upset? That would be debatable. Florida State looked very good early on in their Week 1 tilt with Colorado before the Taylor James show took over. Michigan dropped a 10-point decision at home to LSU. The Wolverines, however, played spoiler and bounced back inside Doak Walker Stadium and defeated the home-standing Seminoles 26-24. Neither team had much going on offense, as we saw total yards combined barely get to what Auburn QB Zaccheus Mosley threw for in Week 1.
QB Michael Amber was 37/44 for 322 yards and a score on the night. HB Collin MacElroy managed 78 yards on 20 carries and also found the endzone. Spike Hall had a busy night from his linebacker position, recording 12 tackles, 3 for a loss, and a sack. Safety Quez Richardson added 8 tackles to aid the Wolverine defense. Up next, Michigan will travel to Oklahoma for a very tough road matchup against the Sooners.
Hawkeyes Move to 2-0 In Rebirth Season
After having to stave off a pesky Nebraska team in Week 1, the Iowa Hawkeyes found themselves in familiar territory in a duel to the end with Clemson in Week 2. Again, Iowa came out victorious and moved to 2-0 on the season with a 38-33 win over the Clemson Tigers. The win makes Iowa the only unbeaten team in the conference, except for Penn State. After a several-season hiatus from the CFSL, the Hawkeyes seem to be back with a vengeance.
Freshman QB Declan Murphy went 24/36 for 374 yards. He threw 4 touchdowns and rushed for another. Fellow freshman Beau Styles continues to show why he was the top-rated running back available and eclipsed the century mark, rushing for 104 yards on 18 carries. Arnez Gray had a big night, accounting for 188 yards and 2 scores on just 4 receptions. Brykem Alvarez caught 7 of Murphy’s passes for 80 yards and a touchdown.
Safety Will Wagner followed up an impressive Week 1 showing with another great game. He logged 12 tackles, including 1 for a loss. Colt Moorman made 11 stops, 3 being for a loss from his linebacker spot. Zavier Ziegler also had an impressive night for the Hawkeye defense. The cornerback had 10 tackles, 2 for loss, and an interception.
Penn State RUNS Through Fighting Irish
Week 2 was not kind or fun to Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish found themselves being manhandled by the Nittany Lions of Penn State. This was due to old school football of 3 yards and a cloud of dust, only Penn State was racking up much more than 3 yards at a time. 471 yards would be the final rushing total when it was all said and done for the guys and gals from Happy Valley. To go along with a 100% redzone attempt scoring rate, the Nittany Lions ran far away from Notre Dame 55-20. The win improves the team to 2-0 after finishing last season 0-8.
Colter Thomas continues to be phenomenal as a freshman and makes a case for the CFSL’s best dual-threat QB. The Penn State signal caller finished the game 16/18 for 139 yards and a score. Not mind-blowing. His night on the ground was far different. Colter finished with 266 yards and 5 touchdowns on 25 carries. He had 5 rushes for more than 20 yards and averaged over 10 yards per attempt. He was not alone in the Penn State rushing attack. Richard Williams III carried the rock 29 times for 190 yards with one score. Receiver DJ Mayo led pass catchers with 66 yards and a score on 3 catches.
Defensive tackle Cletus Jackson led the way on defense. The freshman recorded 7 tackles, 4 for a loss, and 2 sacks. Lenny Hines made 4 stops and had an interception. Penn State will travel to West Virginia in Week 3 to try and remain unbeaten.
Big10 Week 2 Results
Michigan defeats Florida State 26-24
Iowa defeats Clemson 38-33
Penn State defeats Notre Dame 55-20
Oregon falls to Texas 51-27
Ohio State falls to Colorado 45-38
USC falls to Texas A&M 62-55
Big10 Week 3 Schedule
Monday May 19
Ohio State @ Virginia Tech (8:30 CST Twitch)
Tuesday May 20
Miami @ USC (6:30 CST Twitch)
Wednesday May 21
Michigan @ Oklahoma (8:30 CST Twitch)
Iowa @ Tennessee (6:30 CST YouTube)
Oregon @ North Carolina (8:30 CST Twitch)
Penn State @ West Virginia (8:30 CST YouTube)
Week 3 Game of the Week
While Iowa has a chance to show they are for real, traveling to Neyland Stadium to take on Tennessee, two heavyweights collide when Miami travels to USC on Tuesday night. This matchup features the last two national champions and promises to be an epic battle of CFSL perennial contenders. Can Miami continue their winning ways and hot streak, or will the Trojans make a statement of their own? Find out on Twitch Tuesday night at 6:30.
