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Week Two of the Big Ten Football Season
Michigan State (2-2, 1-0 Big Ten) at Iowa (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten) Illinois (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten) at No. 20/20 Wisconsin (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) Madison , Wisconsin - Camp Randall Stadium Saturday, October 2, 2004 - 1:00 pm CDT Series: Illinois leads 35-30-7, Last Meeting - Sept. 27, 2003: Wisconsin 38, Illinois 20 Offensive Leaders Rushing : Illinois- E.B. Halsey (77-350 yards, 5 TDs); UW- Booker Stanley (74-240 yards, TD) Passing : Illinois- Jon Beutjer (50-77-589 yards, 5 TDs); UW- John Stocco (46-95-561 yards, 3 TDs) Receiving : Illinois- Kendrick Jones (16-340 yards, TD); UW- Brandon Williams (8-125 yards) The formula for Barry Alvarez's Big Ten Champion teams has been a phenomenal scoring defense and a powerful running game. This year's incarnation has the fans in Madison thinking it might be time for Wisconsin to return to the top of the conference standings. Through the Badgers' first four games the defense has limited opponents to a microscopic 4.8 points a game. The defense has been led by defensive end Erasmus James, this week's Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. On the other side of the ball, Wisconsin has found creative ways to overcome the loss of star running back Anthony Davis, who sustained an eye injury in the season-opening win against Central Florida. In Davis' absence, redshirt sophomore Booker Stanley has become the offense's number one option both on the ground and through the air, leading the team in both rushes and receptions. In last Saturday's game against Penn State, when Stanley aggravated a turf-toe injury, junior fullback Matt Bernstein was called upon to fill the void. The 6'2", 270-pounder inspired memories of Ron Dayne rushing for 129 yards on 27 carries in relief of Stanley. This week, however, Alvarez figures to have his full complement of backs with Davis being cleared to return. With the sturdy, but shifty Davis ready to return and the emergence of a solid and strapping Bernstein, Alvarez might have rediscovered the recipe for success in the Big Ten. On Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, something is going to have to give. While the Wisconsin defense has been stout through four games, the Illini offense has been impressive in its own right. Illinois' scoring and total offense stats rank only behind Purdue and Minnesota in the Big Ten and are in the top three in both passing and rushing yards per game. Jon Beutjer's completion percentage ranks only behind Kyle Orton's and running backs E.B. Halsey and Pierre Thomas are both among the leaders in the conference in rushing yards per game. Thomas, also the team's kick returner, leads the Big Ten with 175.8 all purpose yards per game. If the Illinois offense can supply numbers even approaching their season averages on Saturday, they should be able to keep close with Wisconsin. If the Illini defense can clamp down on the Davis-Stanley-Bernstein running game, the 20 th ranked Badgers could be in for an upset. Next Opponent Illinois at Michigan State, October 9 th, 12:00 p.m. EDT, ESPN2 or ESPN Plus (depending on MLB Divisional Series) Wisconsin at Ohio State, October 9 th, 3:30 p.m. EDT, ABC No. 15/15 Purdue (3-0, 1-0 Big Ten) at Notre Dame (3-1) South Bend , Indiana - Notre Dame Stadium Saturday, October 2, 2004 - 1:30 pm CDT - NBC Series: Notre Dame leads 49-24-2, Last Meeting - Sept. 27, 2003: Purdue 23, Notre Dame 10 Offensive Leaders Rushing : Purdue- Jerod Void (38-213 yards, 2 TDs); ND- Darius Walker (80-294 yards, 3 TDs) Passing : Purdue- Kyle Orton (74-106-982 yards, 13 TDs); ND- Brady Quinn (64-123-924 yards, 8 TDs) Receiving : Purdue- Taylor Stubblefield (21-324 yards, 8 TDs); ND- Rhema McKnight (14-202 yards, TD) Heading into the second week of the Big Ten season, there should be no doubt in anyone's mind that one of the major offensive stories coming out of the Conference is the astronomical numbers that Kyle Orton and the rest of the Purdue offense have put up through three games. The senior quarterback Orton has been named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week twice already this season and at the rate he is going, those undoubtedly won't be the only honors Orton brings home this season. Orton leads the Big Ten in almost every imaginable quarterback stat; from his 327 passing yards per game to his 69.8 completion percentage to his astounding 13-0 touchdown to interception ratio. Orton and his favorite target, senior receiver Taylor Stubblefield, have the Purdue offense clicking on all cylinders. Considering that the 38 points Purdue put up last week against Illinois actually lowered the Boilers' points per game to 49, it should be expected that the offense will do its part Saturday against Notre Dame. After giving up only seven points in their first two contests, Purdue allowed those 30 points to Illinois on a balanced 390 yards of total offense (215 passing and 175 rushing). After losing their opening game against Brigham Young, Tyrone Willingham's Notre Dame Fighting Irish have bounced back and done so with a fury having knocked off both Michigan Big Ten teams and the Pac-10's University of Washington. The Irish have been led by a pair of ever maturing offensive playmakers. Sophomore quarterback Brady Quinn, who became the team's starter four games into the 2003 season, has begun to move into his own. In last week's game against Washington, Quinn passed for a season-high 266 yards and a career best four touchdowns. The development of a go-to running back has allowed Quinn to realize the potential he had as a recruit coming out of Dublin, Ohio. True freshman running back Darius Walker has taken those reins as the primary back in South Bend. After not seeing action in the BYU game, Walker rushed for 115 yards in his first career game against Michigan and has rushed for a total of 294 yards this season. Despite the sudden offensive resurgence by Notre Dame, the key to the team remains its defense. Having allowed only 16.8 points per game, this Saturday's match-up with Purdue will match each team's strengths against each other. Next Opponent Purdue at Penn State, October 9 th, 4:30 p.m. EDT, ESPN Notre Dame vs. Stanford, October 9 th, 1:30 p.m. EST No. 19/18 Michigan (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) at Indiana (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten) Bloomington , Indiana - Memorial Stadium Saturday, October 2, 2004 - 2:30 pm EST/CDT - ABC Series: Michigan leads 47-9, Last Meeting - Sept. 27, 2003: Michigan 31, Indiana 17 Offensive Leaders Rushing : UM- Michael Hart (59-257 yards, TD); IU: BenJarvus Green-Ellis (103-368 yards, 2 TDs) Passing : UM- Chad Henne (114-66-780 yards, 6 TDs); IU: Matt LoVecchio (78-39-581 yards, 5 TDs) Receiving : UM: Braylon Edwards (32-500 yards, 5 TDs); IU: Courtney Roby (21-372 yards, 3 TDs) For the first time since Lloyd Carr was named head coach in 1995, the University of Michigan will start true freshman at both quarterback and tailback. Now, in many cases this would be considered a sign of panic and desperation, but not in Ann Arbor. When projected start Matt Gutierrez was unable to start the season opener against Miami (Ohio) because of a shoulder injury, freshman Chad Henne stepped in and has solidified himself as the starter for the Maize and Blue ever since. This weekend, Henne will be joined in the backfield by fellow true freshman Michael Hart. David Underwood, the senior heir apparent to Chris Perry's starting running back position, had to leave Michigan's game with Notre Dame because of a concussion and since that point Hart has solidified himself as the Wolverines' most productive back, rushing for 237 yards to add to his 20 from the Miami game. Hart will receive his first collegiate start against a defense that has struggled against the run; Indiana is allowing 222 yards per game on the ground through the first four games. As long as both freshmen can avoid making mistakes, senior receiver Braylon Edwards should do all the heavy lifting. Having already pulled in an even 500 yards in receptions this year, Edwards will look to increase his conference lead against an Indiana defense which is giving up over 240 yards per game through the air. Indiana running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis will be facing his toughest test of the season when the conference's best run defense enters Bloomington this weekend. The sophomore leads the conference in carries with 103, but will face a Michigan defense that is allowing less than 44 yards a game on the ground. If the Wolverines are able to neutralize Green-Ellis, fifth-year senior quarterback Matt LoVecchio will need to be the difference maker. LoVecchio has attempted just 78 passes through four games completing half of them for almost 148 yards per game. If Indiana is to defeat Michigan at home on Saturday, LoVecchio will need to take advantage of a Michigan secondary that is allowing 238.5 yards per game. Last week, the Hoosiers allowed a 20-7 halftime lead slip away to Michigan State on route to a 30-20 defeat. If the Crimson and Cream want to prevent that from happening again, they must find a way to take advantage of the young players in key positions on Michigan's offense. If Gerry DiNardo's team can do that, Indiana should be able to hang in with No. 19 Michigan. Both Michigan and Indiana have been extremely proficient in creating turnovers this year. Michigan and Indiana lead the Big Ten with 19 and 12 respectively. Michigan has turned the ball over 10 times to Indiana's eight. As always, winning the turnover battle will go a long way to deciding this game. Next Opponent Michigan vs. Minnesota, October 9 th, 12:00 p.m. EDT, ESPN2 or ESPN Plus (depending on MLB Divisional Series) Indiana vs. Northwestern, October 9 th, 12:00 p.m. EST, ESPN Plus Penn State (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten) at No. 18/19 Minnesota (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) Minneapolis , Minnesota - Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Saturday, October 2, 2004 - 7:00 pm CDT - ESPN Plus Series: Penn State leads 4-3, Last Meeting - Sept. 27, 2003: Minnesota 20, Penn State 14 Offensive Leaders Rushing : PSU- Tony Hunt (54-375 yards, 4 TDs); Minnesota- Laurence Maroney (73-526 yards, 4 TDs) Passing : PSU- Zack Mills (52-83-640 yards, 4 TDs); Minnesota- Bryan Cupito (44-74-782 yards, 7 TDs) Receiving : PSU- Michael Robinson (16-231 yards, 1 TD); Minnesota- Jared Ellerson (13-240 yards, 2 TDs) Sometimes when it rains, it pours. Last Saturday against Wisconsin Joe Paterno lost his starting and backup quarterback and his leading receiver. Starter Zack Mills separated his non-throwing shoulder on the Lions' first play from scrimmage, a 49-yard pass to leading receiver Michael Robinson. After throwing an interception of the season on the next play, Robinson, PSU's number two quarterback, replaced Mills. In his first drive, Robinson was sacked and received a concussion that necessitated his removal from the field by ambulance. Paterno says that while Robinson is out indefinitely, there is still an outside chance that Mills will be ready to take snaps against Minnesota. Whether Mills is able to play or if Paterno turns to junior Chris Ganter or true freshman Anthony Morelli, one thing the Nittany Lions' will have to do to compete with the high scoring Minnesota offense is limit their turnovers. Penn State has lost 14 turnovers through four games, which has severely hampered its offense. After using a committee of backs to open the season, sophomore Tony Hunt has cemented himself in the starting spot. Hunt's 6.9 yards per carry trail only Laurence Maroney's 7.2 among conference running backs. Paterno must get production out of his starting backfield if Penn State is to hang with the Gophers. The Maroon and Gold have given the fans in Minneapolis plenty to cheer about so far this season. Along with starting the season 4-0 for the fourth straight year, the Gopher offense has been one of the most productive not only in the conference, but in the nation as well. While no one would accuse the Minnesota offense of being evenly balanced, what some don't realize is that while the running back duo of Marion Barber III and Laurence Maroney are getting all the headlines, that sophomore quarterback Bryan Cupito is having a very productive year as well. Through the team's first four games, Cupito trails only Kyle Orton in both touchdown passes and passer efficiency in the conference standings. However, anyone who has seen the Golden Gophers over the past two seasons knows that the emphasis is on the running game and coach Glen Mason recognizes that. "We've got some good running backs. You know that. If you don't know that you don't have your eyes open." With eyes wide open, the Minnesota offense has out-rushed its closest conference competitor by over 118 yards per game. The other major factor in Minnesota's offensive success is its sheer lack of turnovers. In the Gophers' 294 plays, they have turned the ball over only once this year. Next Opponent Penn State vs. Purdue, October 9 th, 4:30 p.m. EDT, ESPN Minnesota at Michigan, October 9 th, 12:00 p.m. EDT, ESPN2 or ESPN Plus (depending on MLB Divisional Series) No. 7/6 Ohio State (3-0, 0-0 big Ten) at Northwestern (1-3, 0-1 Big Ten) Evansville , Illinois - Ryan Field Saturday, October 2, 2004 - 8:00 pm CDT - ESPN2 Series Ohio State leads 55-13-1, Last Meeting - Sept. 27, 2003: Ohio State 20, Northwestern 0 Offensive Leaders Rushing : OSU- Lydell Ross (66-282 yards, 2 TDs); NU- Noah Herron (74-362 yards, 3 TDs) Passing : OSU- Justin Zwick (42-77-610 yards, 4 TDs); NU- Brett Basanez (93-159-1054 yards, 5 TDs) Receiving : OSU- Santonio Holmes (16-331 yards, 3 TDs); NU- Mark Philmore (30-362 yards) While some might dismiss Ohio State's offensive statistics to date, the numbers show why the Buckeyes are in the top 10 nationally. Through the Buckeyes' first three games, their skill position players rank in the top three in yardage per game in the conference at each position. Junior receiver Santonio Holmes is second in the conference behind Michigan's Braylon Edwards in receiving yards per game, senior running back Lydell Ross ranks as the Big Ten's third leading rusher per game, behind only Minnesota's Marion Barber III and Laurence Maroney. First-year starting quarterback Justin Zwick sits at third in the conference in passing yards per game. The defense and special teams have continued to spell the difference for Ohio State. The Buckeyes' stingy defense has limited their first three opponents to just over 13.5 points per game, a difference that senior place kicker Mike Nugent has almost accounted for on his own. Nugent not only leads the conference in field goals made, percentage, and longest field goal, but he also is currently second in the conference in scoring, at a clip of 10.3 points per game, which trails only Purdue's Taylor Stubblefield. The defense, especially the young secondary without the leadership of injured captain Dustin Fox, will have to be on their game this Saturday against Northwestern, which sits behind only Purdue in terms of passing yards per game in the conference. Tressel's deliberate offense, stifling defense, and solid special teams hves worked thus far for the young Bucks, but entering their first Big Ten contest, the coach has pledged to open up the playbook, simply saying, "to be real good, we need more production." The sentiment and strategy from Northwestern coach Randy Walker is simple, "I'm positive that Ohio State will play well, we must match their effort and output." The Wildcat offense has been able to put up substantial amounts of yardage, but have fallen just short when it comes to translating those yards to points. The Northwestern offense, which last year put up the second most yards on the ground in the conference, now trails only Purdue in passing yards per game. Brett Basanez's conference-leading 1,054 passing yards have led Northwestern to 426 yards of total offense a game; coupled with the fact that the NU offense has only turned the ball over three times through their first four games, Walker's offense is capable of scoring a large amount of points at any time. Basanez is currently nursing a sprained right shoulder and should be a game-time decision for Saturday's contest. This game could come down to whether or not the Northwestern defense can stop the Zwick-Holmes combo from racking up yards with the Wildcats allowing over 291 passing yards per game. Next Opponent Ohio State vs. Wisconsin, October 9 th, 3:30 p.m. EDT, ABC Northwestern vs. Indiana, October 9 th, 11:00 a.m. CDT, ESPN Plus
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