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Rivalry Games Fill Big Ten Football Saturday
Oct. 26, 2007
Ball State (5-3, 3-2 MAC) at ILLINOIS (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) LAST TIME OUT THE SERIES STAT SPEAK Illinois will celebrate its 97th Homecoming this weekend in Champaign, and in addition, could be celebrating bowl eligibility with a win over non-conference foe Ball State. The Cardinals are looking to accomplish the same feat and enter Saturday ranked first in the Mid-American Conference in scoring offense (34.2) and second in scoring defense (26.1). They will also take to the field with a league-best plus-10 turnover margin, as BSU has forced 17 turnovers and only lost seven on the season. The primary focus for Ball State on Saturday will be the same concern Fighting Illini opponents have had all year - stopping the run. Ball State is 11th in the MAC in rushing defense, allowing 214.9 yards on the ground each game. That is good news for an Illinois ballclub that leads the Big Ten in rushing and ranks 10th in the NCAA. The Illini are averaging 230.1 yards per game and 5.4 yards per carry this season. So far, the team's per game rushing average is 54 yards better than a year ago when it won the Big Ten rushing title. Junior tailback Rashard Mendenhall is fourth overall in the Big Ten with 115.5 yards per game and is second with 6.3 yards per carry. The rushing standout has posted four 100-yard rushing games this season, which is just two shy of the school record of six, held by Jim Grabowski (1965) and J.C. Caroline (1953). In total offense, Ball State leads the MAC with 451.9 yards per game and has boasted a league-best 33 touchdowns. The Cardinals average 288.8 yards per game in the air and 163.1 on the ground. Quarterback Nate Davis leads the MAC with 285.8 passing yards per outing and has thrown 20 touchdowns on the season and only three interceptions. Davis has two primary targets in wideouts Dante Love (6.9 rpg, 93.0 ypg) and Darius Hill (5.0 rpg, 74.9 ypg). Both have been significant big-play threats this year, scoring on a combined 13 touchdowns and each averaging over 13 yards per catch. Illinois' Vontae Davis and Kevin Mitchell each had three interceptions on the year.
Davis has been well protected in the pocket this season. The team has allowed 10 sacks, which is second in the MAC, and he has only thrown three picks. Illinois, however, has recorded 26 sacks this season, which ranks 11th in the nation. With 14 more quarterback sacks, the squad can break the school record of 40, which was posted by the 2001 squad. With 81 tackles in eight games, linebacker J Leman is ranked 10th in the nation in tackles per game. The Big Ten leader, Leman is averaging 11.1 stops per game. He has led the conference in tackles per game for the last 16 weeks, dating back to the 2006 season. INDIANA (5-3, 2-3) at No. -/25/- WISCONSIN (6-2, 2-2) LAST TIME OUT THE SERIES STAT SPEAK The last time Indiana ventured to Madison for a Homecoming contest against the Badgers, the Hoosiers left on the downside of a 59-0 outcome. There has been no shortage of scoring in the past few meetings between the two teams, as Wisconsin has averaged 44.2 points in its last five home games against the Hoosiers and has won the previous two outings by a combined score of 93-41. But the Hoosiers enter Camp Randall Stadium Saturday a different ballclub, and one still looking for the coveted sixth win to earn them bowl eligibility for the first time since 1994. Indiana is second in the Big Ten in scoring offense with 35.4 points per game and is matched with a Badger defense that ranks seventh in the conference with 23.0 points allowed each contest. UW boasts a solid and well-balanced offensive attack, which could give Indiana fits. Indiana (159.5 ypg) ranks ninth in rushing defense among conference teams, but just behind Wisconsin (140.6) in eighth. While Indiana has a dual-threat quarterback in Kellen Lewis, it does not have the dominant rushing attack at Wisconsin's P.J. Hill provides for the Badgers. Hill is second in the league and ninth nationally with 126.1 yards per game and has scored a league-best 13 touchdowns on the season. Just last week against Northern Illinois, Hill rushed for 184 yards - his second-highest total of his career. By contrast, Wisconsin's defense held the Huskies to just minus-13 yards on the ground, which was the Badgers' second-lowest rushing total by an opponent in school history. At Indiana last Saturday, a stingy Penn State defense held the Hoosiers to 17 yards rushing in the first 57 minutes. IU is eighth in the league with 162.6 rushing yards per game, while Wisconsin is fourth at 196.2 yards per outing. Indiana's Lewis will need to boast another solid passing game as he did last week a 30-of-48 performance for 318 yards and three touchdowns. On one of the few occasions Lewis tucked the ball and ran, he scampered for a 56-yard touchdown late in the game. James Hardy (93.5 ypg), Lewis' main target and the conference's third-best receiver, caught 14 passes for 142 yards and a pair of touchdowns last week to become the school's all-time receiving touchdown king. His number of catches last Saturday was also the second-most in school history. Lewis' counterpart, Wisconsin's Tyler Donovan, leads a Badger passing attack that is fifth in the Big Ten at 221.6 yards per game, just behind Indiana at 245.8. Donovan is sixth in the conference with an average of 213.9 passing yards per contest, as well as with a pass efficieciny rating of 135.8. Donovan has thrown for eight interceptions on the year - the second-most in the league - which should please Hoosier cornerback Tracy Porter. His three interceptions on the season rank second in the conference, one behind Iowa's Charles Godfrey and Wisconsin's Shane Carter. Linebackers Will Patterson of Indiana (7.5 tpg) and Jonathan Casillas of Wisconsin (7.2 tpg) are ninth and 10th, respectively, in conference tackling. Turnovers could play a key role in Saturday's contest. Indiana fell from the top of the conference last week in turnover margin, but is still fourth at plus-3, while Wisconsin ranks 10th at minus-6. NORTHWESTERN (5-3, 2-2) at PURDUE (6-2, 2-2) LAST TIME OUT THE SERIES STAT SPEAK Purdue has long been known as an air and space university and Saturday's game should live up to that billing as two of the most potent aerial offenses in the country collide in West Lafayette. At 326.1 passing yards per game, Northwestern leads the conference and is sixth in the country, while Purdue's average of 298.1 yards per outing is second-best in the Big Ten and 13th nationally. Expect Wildcat quarterback C.J. Bacher and Boilermaker signal caller Curtis Painter to own the spotlight Saturday. Both quarterbacks are among the conference's most accurate passers, completing just under 63 percent of their attempts. Painter has thrown for 22 touchdowns on the season, while NU has scored on 14 of Bacher's attempts. Both teams have struggled this season defending the pass as Purdue (241.4 ypg) ranks eighth in the Big Ten and Northwestern (252.0 ypg) is 10th. Combined the two quarterbacks are averaging over 600 yards through the air, while their teams total to allow nearly 500 yards per outing. Painter will remain focused on finding Dorien Bryant (7.12 rpg, 83.8 ypg), who ranks first in the conference in catches per game, while Bacher's favorite target is Eric Peterman (5.62 rpg, 68.2 ypg). On the ground, Purdue's Kory Sheets is seventh in the Big Ten with 78.1 yards per game. Northwestern has struggled to find a consistent ground attack to supplement the passing game, although Omar Conteh ran for 122 yards and a touchdown in the win over Eastern Michigan last week. Both Purdue and Northwestern have moved the ball efficiently this season with the Boilermakers ranking first in the conference with 201 first downs, followed by Northwestern's 190. Purdue's Bryant could become a factor on special teams in this game. Bryant is third in the conference with a kickoff return average of 29.0 yards, which includes one touchdown, while Northwestern is allowing close to 27.0 yards per return. On the defense, look for Northwestern's Adam Kadela to swarm to the ball as his 10.2 tackles per game average is second in the Big Ten. Purdue's top tacklers, seniors Terrell Vinson and Stanford Keglar, each average 6.1 stops per outing. Vinson has been tested through the air constantly, but has defended 10 passes successfully with seven breakups and three interceptions. His average of 1.25 passes defended per game ranks fourth in the Big Ten. MICHIGAN STATE (5-3, 1-3) at IOWA (3-5, 1-4) LAST TIME OUT THE SERIES STAT SPEAK Saturday's contest between the Spartans and Hawkeyes will be the 39th meeting in the series, in which Iowa holds a slim two-win advantage. Michigan State brings the conference's third-best scoring offense (34.4 ppg) to Iowa City to square off against the league's third-best scoring defense in the Hawkeyes (17.1 ppg). By comparison, Michigan State ranks eighth in scoring defense (24.8), while Iowa is 11th in scoring offense (15.0). The Spartans hold the advantage in the running game, ranking second in the conference at 219.8 yards per game. That total is also 14th nationally and is 90.6 yards more than the Spartans' average last year, which ranked ninth in the league. Leading the way for MSU is junior tailback Javon Ringer, whose average carry of 6.5 yards is tops in the Big Ten and is game average of 122.6 is third. Iowa has managed only three rushing touchdowns on the year and ranks 11th with just 116.0 yards per game. In fact, the Hawkeyes' total offense is also 11th at 306.4 yards per outing and is the only conference team to gain less than 5.0 yards per play. Under center, Iowa's quarterback Jake Christensen has thrown only three interceptions this season, the fewest in the Big Ten. The four picks by Michigan State's Brian Hoyer are the second-fewest. Hoyer is eighth overall with 200.2 passing yards per game, followed by Christensen in 10th at 188.9. When Hoyer does go to the air, nearly 100 yards of his average goes to wideout Devin Thomas. The junior is the Spartans' deep threat, averaging 18.3 yards per catch. Thomas also ranks first in the nation with 204.2 all purpose yards, including 29.9 yards per kickoff return. Look for the defenses to decide the outcome on Saturday. Iowa is tied for the Big Ten lead with a plus-8 turnover margin, which ranks 14th in the country. Michigan State follows close behind with at plus-6. MSU has scored 60 points this season off of 14 takeaways, while Iowa has amassed 16 takeaways, resulting in 30 points. The Hawkeyes are 23rd in the country in total defense (318.0 ypg) and MSU has scored four touchdowns this season on the defensive side of the ball. Individually, Jonal Saint-Dic of Michigan State recently established the conference's single-season record with eight forced fumbles. In addition, he ranks fifth nationally with nine sacks on the season. Iowa continues to be lead by Mike Humpal, the nation's 24th-best tackler at 10.2 stops per game, which is second in the conference. Mitch King is fourth in the conference with 11.5 tackles for loss, while Charles Godfrey has eight passes defended this season, including four breakups and four interceptions. MINNESOTA (1-7, 0-4) at No. 19/21/21 MICHIGAN (6-2, 4-0) LAST TIME OUT THE SERIES STAT SPEAK The battle for the Little Brown Jug resumes on Saturday with Minnesota traveling to a "questionable" Michigan. "Questionable" because that is what star running back Mike Hart and quarterback Chad Henne are for Saturday's game. Hart missed last weekend's win at Illinois with an ankle injury he suffered in the Purdue game two weeks back. Last week in Champaign, Henne hurt his hand in the first quarter and was forced to the sidelines twice in the contest. Both Wolverine standouts have been boasting impressive stats this season. Hart ranks third in the country with 154.0 yards on the ground per outing, while Henne has the conference's second-best completion rate at 62.9 percent and is averaging 209.7 yards in the air per game. Should the two not play, Michigan will look to freshman quarterback Ryan Mallett, who saw action earlier in the year for an injured Henne and has thrown for 406 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. In his first start, backup running back Carlos Brown scampered for career highs in 113 rushing yards on 25 carries. Should Henne play on Saturday, he'll need just 219 yards to break John Navarre's school record for career passing yards. Earlier this season, Hart became the school's all-time rushing leader. Michigan has now won six straight and faces a Golden Gopher opponent Saturday that has lost its last six games, including last week to North Dakota State. Minnesota is allowing 533.6 yards per game on defense, which ranks last in the country, however it is doing so with five starters injured on the sidelines. Last week the Gophers also saw their third tailback go down with an injury when Jay Thomas hurt his knee in the loss against the Bison. Amir Pinnix has remained in action this season and averages 70.0 yards per game and 5.5 yards per carry for the Gophers. Minnesota is led under center by Adam Weber, who ranks second in the league in total offense (305.9 ypg) and third in passing (255.8 ypg). With the Gopher backfield hampered, Weber will have to go to the air on Saturday, but must avoid adding to his 15 interceptions, which are the most in the conference this year by seven picks. Eric Decker is Weber's main target, catching the league's second-best total of 6.6 balls pet game, while Ernie Wheelwright is ninth at 4.8 receptions per game. Minnesota is allowing 37.5 points, 342.0 passing yards and 191.6 rushing yards per game this season, including 204 opponent first downs, all of which rank 11th in the Big Ten. The Gophers have maintained an impressive offensive line through this season, having given up a conference-best six sacks. Michigan's Shawn Crable has managed 5.5 sacks this year and leads the Big Ten with 19.5 tackles for loss. Defensively for Minnesota, senior Dominique Barber is sixth in the conference with 9.1 stops per game. No. 1/1/1 OHIO STATE (8-0, 4-0) at No. 24/22/22 PENN STATE (6-2, 3-2) LAST TIME OUT THE SERIES STAT SPEAK Ohio State enters Saturday as the nation's top-ranked team and with a school-record streak of 26 consecutive regular-season games. However, the Buckeyes' last loss came to their opponent this Saturday, as the Nittany Lions topped OSU, 17-10, on Oct. 8, 2005. And now Penn State will host its first top-ranked opponent since Notre Dame beat the Nittany Lions, 34-23, in 1989. OSU has captured four of the last games against Penn State, but the Nittany Lions have managed to win four of the last five in the series at home. Saturday's matchup will pit two of the nation's top defenses. Ohio State leads the country in scoring defense (7.88) and total defense (208.5), is second nationally in rushing defense (62.4) and pass defense (146.1), and third in pass efficiency defense (86.8). Penn State is fourth in scoring defense (15.0), seventh in total defense (279.5) and ninth against the run (79.8). Two Nittany Lions are among the conference's top tacklers. Sean Lee (9.9 tpg) and Dan Connor (9.5) rank fourth and fifth, respectively, while Ohio State's James Laurinaitis is eighth in the league with 8.0 stops per outing. OSU's Vernon Gholston has registered 5.0 sacks on the year along with Penn State's Connor, while Nittany Lion sophomore Maurice Evans has registered 11.5 sacks, which ranks second in the country. Offensively, Ohio State boasts the conference's most-efficient passer and the league's fifth-best running back. Todd Boeckman leads the Big Ten with a 161.4 passer rating and is coming off a 15-of-23 performance for 193 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also threw for an interception, which was promptly returned 54 yards for a score and fumbled four plays later, which also resulted in a Michigan State touchdown. Boeckman's primary target is junior Brian Robiskie, who ranks fourth in the conference at 91.0 receiving yards per game. On the ground last week, running back Chris Wells nearly quadrupled the Spartans' rushing total of 59 yards last week with a career high of 221 yards on 31 carries. That performance boasted Wells' rushing average to 107.9 yards per game. Looking to attack the Buckeye defense will be PSU quarterback Anthony Morelli, who just last week at Indiana had 195 yards on 22-of-32 passing for two touchdowns and an interception. Morelli is averaging 217.4 passing yards per game and will be looking to avenge last year's disappointment against the Buckeyes when he was 16-of-25 for 106 yards and three interceptions. Rodney Kinlaw, the PSU running back ranked just behind Ohio State's Wells in sixth, is averaging 91.0 yards per game and has helped the Nittany Lion offense rush for 186.2 yards per outing. |
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