Week Ten Opponent Recap

Written By T.J. Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

Non-Conference Opponents

Florida International – 21 – Western Kentucky – 49

The Golden Panthers will not be going bowling. They fell to 3-7 (3-3) as they were hammered by the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. At one point, FIU trailed 49-7. Keep an eye on this WKU team Hoosier fans, they might be IU’s opponent if the Hoosiers make it to a bowl game. 

Ball State – 20 – Western Michigan – 52

The Cardinals and Broncos faced off on November 1 (Tuesday) and Western Michigan remained unbeaten with an easy win over Ball State. The Cardinals fell to 4-5 (1-4) a bowl game looks highly unlikely.

Wake Forest – 27 – Virginia – 20

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are now bowl-eligible after a come-from-behind victory over the Virginia Cavaliers. The victory improved them to 6-3 (3-2) and they now have tough tests against Louisville and Clemson before closing the season against a bad Boston College squad. The Demon Deacons will likely end the season at 7-5.

Conference Opponents

Michigan State – 27 – Illinois – 31

For the first time in school history, the Michigan State Spartans are 0-6 in the Big Ten. They fell to the Illinois Fighting Illini and dropped to 2-7 overall. Tyler O’Connor and Damion Terry combined for 315 yards and the Spartans ran for 175 yards and a touchdown, outgaining the Illini 490-304 and possessing the ball for a whopping 41 minutes and 36 seconds. They still somehow managed to lose to Jeff George Jr. and the 3-6 Illini. 

Ohio State – 62 – Nebraska - 3

Nebraska has lost two in a row and they now sit at 7-2 (4-2). Their dreams of a run to the College Football Playoff have been extinguished and they now need help from Wisconsin if they are to win the Big Ten West. Tommy Armstrong exited the game in the second quarter after landing hard on his head and briefly losing consciousness. He was taken to the hospital for testing but thankfully returned to the stadium later. On the field, the Buckeyes obliterated the Huskers, outgaining them 590-204 and possessing the ball for more than 37 minutes. The outcome was never in doubt as the Buckeyes advanced to 8-1 on the season. It appears, as many have anticipated all season, that the season finale OSU-UM clash will determine who wins the Big Ten East.

Maryland – 3 – Michigan – 59

Welcome back to the era of the “Big Two, Little 12”. Before the Buckeyes blasted the Huskers, the Michigan Wolverines continued to obliterate opponents. This time, they waxed the Maryland Terrapins at Michigan Stadium, 59-3. Maryland used three quarterbacks to throw for 289 yards but Michigan halted the running attack of the Terrapins, holding them to just 78 yards on 38 carries. Wilton Speight threw for 362 yards on just 24 attempts and the Wolverines added 273 yards on 39 carries with five rushing touchdowns. Michigan looks like a steamroller right now and I’m not looking forward to IU’s trip to the Big House in two weeks.

Penn State – 41 – Iowa – 14

The Hoosiers next opponent, the Penn State Nittany Lions, made their number 12 ranking look justified as they dominated the Iowa Hawkeyes for a 41-14 victory. Trace McSorley threw for 240 yards and completed a trio of passes that were longer than 40 yards. The star of the night was the PSU rushing attack and rushing defense. They outrushed Iowa 359 to 30 as Saquon Barkley ran for 167 yards and former IU commit Tommy Stevens added 70 yards and a score. The Nittany Lions are 7-2 (5-1) and they’ll likely be ranked in the top ten as they head to Bloomington this week. It appears the Hoosiers will play four teams ranked in the top ten by the time their season concludes.

Purdue – 31 – Minnesota – 44

The Purdue Boilermakers fell to 3-6 (1-5) in this surprisingly entertaining contest. Minnesota used a balanced attack (231 passing yards, 235 rushing yards) to overcome the absence of running back Shannon Brooks and Purdue’s turnover problem continued to cost them games. The Boilers lost a pair of fumbles and David Blough threw an interception to give them three for the game. Purdue is no mystery. They have a very good passing attack (Blough threw for 391 yards with four TDs), a very bad running game (23 yards on 28 carries), turn the ball over too much and their defense is below average. The key to beating them is taking advantage of their mistakes and finding a way to keep Blough from getting too comfortable.