By: Joe Cumberland (@punterjoe)
Week 3 Leaves A Lot To Be Desired For Big10
After a rousing start to the season and a strong 5-1 record in Week 1, the mighty seem to have fallen a bit. The last week of nonconference play was a tough one for the Big10 conference. When the dust settled, just one conference team managed a win. Penn State continued its impressive start to the Season 23 campaign by knocking off West Virginia 29-22. The win was the only one for the Big10 and keeps the Nittany Lions as the conference’s only unbeaten squad. As we head into the meat of the season, where each week a conference foe awaits, Penn State holds the reins in the Big10. For now.
Nittany Lions Continue To Impress on the Ground
The two-headed monster rushing attack of Colter Thomas and Richard Williams III continues to haunt the nightmares of defensive coordinators league-wide. The victim this week, the Mountaineers of West Virginia. Penn State racked up 350 yards on the ground en route to a 29-22 victory to remain undefeated on the season. Last season’s dismal 0-8 record seems to be a long-ago memory as the guys and gals from Happy Valley just keep pounding the rock with historic success. Freshman quarterback Colter Thomas leads the way for the 3-0 Nittany Lions.
While his passing stats (9/19 for 76 yards and 2 interceptions) leave a lot to be desired, his legs are winning ballgames. Thomas rushed for 167 yards and a score on 26 attempts. Not to be outdone is sophomore tailback Richard Williams III. Williams carried 24 times for 135 yards and a score of his own. Derrick Tolliver got in on the scoring with a touchdown of his own. Barry Graves made 9 stops and had a pass breakup from his linebacker position. Buck Bolden had 2 sacks to go along with 5 total tackles in the win.
Penn State will host USC to begin Big10 play in Week 4.
Trojan Offense Shows Out, But Not Enough For Win
Season 21 National Champion USC took on Season 22 champion Miami in Week 3 action. The battle of CFSL heavyweights proved to be as advertised. USC had an explosive passing game all night, but in the end, it came up a field goal short of victory. The Trojans passed for 618 yards in the game, led by freshman quarterback Troy League. The loss drops USC to 1-2 on the season and gives the team back-to-back losses.
League went 41/56 for 618 yards with a pair of touchdown tosses. Halfback Dash Delano scored 3 times, but managed just 74 yards on 24 tries. Cory Smith had a spectacular night, posting 8 catches for 160 yards and a touchdown. Keanu King hauled in 8 passes for 141 yards, while Aniyah Late added 131 yards on 10 catches of her own. The Trojan defense was aided by interceptions from Morgan Winters, Daunte Samuel, and Caleb Alexander.
Buckeyes, Wolverines Fall Just Short
In a week that saw the Big10 go 1-5, Ohio State and Michigan were both so close to adding to the conference win total. The Buckeyes fell to Virginia Tech 56-48 in a great game. The Wolverines came up a field goal short in their 31-28 loss at the hands of the Oklahoma Sooners. Both teams fall to 1-2 on the season and are looking to get back on track as conference play begins in Week 4. Ohio State will host Oregon, while Michigan entertains the pesky Iowa Hawkeyes.
Big10 Week 3 Results
Penn State defeats West Virginia 29-22
Oregon falls to North Carolina 41-9
Michigan falls to Oklahoma 31-28
Iowa falls to Tennessee 45-28
USC falls to Miami 47-44
Ohio State falls to Virginia Tech 56-48
Big10 Week 4 Schedule
Monday, May 26, 2025
USC @ Penn State 8:30 CST Twitch
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Iowa @ Michigan 6:30 CST Twitch
Thursday, May 29, 2025
Oregon @ Ohio State 6:30 CST YouTube
Potential Game of the Week
Our game of the week this week in the Big10 will be the first conference game played in Season 23. That matchup will feature powerhouse USC travelling to Happy Valley to take on the undefeated Penn State Nittany Lions. The Trojans find themselves 1-2 to start the campaign, but want to prove that the road to a Big10 championship still runs through them. Penn State, on the other hand, just wants to keep running through people as they bounce back from last season’s 0-8 record. USC loves to air out, Penn State will pound the rock. Which style of play will prevail? I can’t wait to find out. Tune in Monday night at 8:30 on Twitch to see for yourself.
