College Sports

Big Ten: Illini go for 4 wins in row in showdown with Iowa

Posted October 06, 2022 7:00 am

By ERIC OLSON

Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz (5) is sacked by Illinois defensive lineman Keith Randolph Jr. (88) and teammate Jer'Zhan Newton (4) during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf) The Associated Press

Things to watch during Week 6 of play in the Big Ten Conference:

GAME OF THE WEEK

Iowa (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten) at Illinois (4-1, 1-1)

Illinois is riding a wave of momentum under second-year coach Bret Bielema, and he put out a call to fans to fill the stadium for an 'œOrange Out'ť at only the third Saturday night Big Ten game in Champaign since 2014. An Illini win would be a fourth in a row and set up another huge home game against Minnesota next week. Iowa could use a quality win to jumpstart its West Division title defense. Look for a low-scoring game in the matchup of two of the country's best defenses.

BEST MATCHUP

Purdue (3-2, 1-1) at Maryland (4-1, 1-1)

This game features two of the Big Ten's top quarterbacks in Purdue's Aidan O'Connell and Maryland's Taulia Tagovailoa. O'Connell was good enough to beat Minnesota in his return from injury despite not throwing a touchdown pass for the first time in 14 games. Tagovailoa has led the Terrapins' surge the first half of the season, averaging a Big Ten-best 301 yards per game in total offense and establishing himself as one of the program's most prolific passers.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Wisconsin is 0-2 in the Big Ten as Jim Leonhard enters the game at Northwestern, his first as interim head coach. The Badgers haven't finished below .500 in conference play since 2008. ... No. 3 Ohio State has won six straight over Michigan State by an average score of 38-6. ... Rutgers, which hosts Nebraska on Friday night, is 8-0 since 2020 when not committing a turnover. ... At 9-8, Bielema is the first Illinois coach to start .500 or better through his first 17 games since John Mackovic was 10-6-1 in 1988-89. ... No. 4 Michigan is 5-0 in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2010-11. ... LB Cam Jones' 54 tackles are the most by an Indiana player through five games since at least 2005.

LONG SHOT?

Northwestern is a 9 1/2-point home underdog to Wisconsin, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. There's probably no better time for the Wildcats to play the Badgers, who are transitioning from Paul Chryst to Leonhard. Northwestern won 17-7 when the Badgers visited Ryan Field in 2020. The Wildcats are 5-18 since and have lost 10 of 11, the only win coming against Nebraska in the opener.

IMPACT PLAYER

Nebraska QB Casey Thompson on Monday volunteered to reporters - and Rutgers' physical defense - a rundown of body parts injured this season: calf, shoulder, wrist, hip, jaw. He held his right (throwing) shoulder and was slow to get up after a big hit from Indiana last week. The Huskers will be playing their first true road game against the Scarlet Knights, and it's crucial for him to be on the field if the Huskers are going to win consecutive Big Ten games for the first time since 2018.

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Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) runs from Iowa linebacker Seth Benson (44) and defensive back Riley Moss, left, during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in Iowa City, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) The Associated Press

Purdue quarterback Aidan O'Connell (16) throws downfield against Minnesota during the first half an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in Minneapolis. Purdue won 20-10. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig) The Associated Press

Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa warms up during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Michigan State, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in College Park, Md. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) The Associated Press

Nebraska quarterback Casey Thompson (11) grabs his leg after being hit in the second quarter during an NCAA college football game against Indiana, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb. (Noah Riffe/Lincoln Journal Star via AP) The Associated Press

University of Wisconsin football defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard addresses reporters during a news conference announcing the firing of head coach Paul Chryst in Madison, Wis. Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. Leonhard has been named the team's interim coach. (John Hart/Wisconsin State Journal via AP) The Associated Press

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