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There was some good and some bad out of the B1G in Week 3.
On paper, this was the most boring week on the B1G schedule. Saturday’s outcomes followed suit. Only one of 11 games was decided by a single possession, which was Northern Illinois’ 21-17 win over Nebraska in Lincoln. Everything else was decided by at least two scores and most had a difference of at least 30 points. Yes, this was a bit of a yawner of a weekend.
But the good news is that weeks like this are over and conference play begins next week. That’s definitely worth celebrating.
So before we throw in the towel on what was a relatively unentertaining third week in the B1G, let’s take a look at some of the outstanding performances.
Here are the B1G players who earned a Saturday Tradition Game Ball in Week 3:
Trace McSorley, Penn State QB – Saquon Barkley kind of stole the show in the first two weeks of the season, but McSorley had his shining moment against Georgia State. The junior accounted for five total touchdowns in Penn State’s 56-0 win on Saturday to round out non-conference play. That’s a lot of home run swings for the Nittany Lions quarterback.
Kobe McCrary, Minnesota RB – The Gophers got a big performance from an unlikely source. McCrary rushed for 107 yards and three touchdowns against Middle Tennessee, both of which were career highs. He was the leading ball-carrier for an offense that totaled 221 yards on the ground and averaged nearly five yards per carry. And McCrary accomplished all of that on Goldy Gopher’s birthday.
Purdue Defense – Earlier in the year, Missouri put up 72 points. The Boilermakers nearly shutout the Tigers this weekend, winning 35-3 in Columbia. Purdue forced three turnovers, held Missouri to 203 total yards and the Tigers converted just 2-of-11 third down attempts. What a job Jeff Brohm has done with this defense in such a short period of time.
Jacob Huff, Minnesota DB – Four stops, a tackle for loss and an interception returned for a touchdown is a pretty solid Saturday for any defender. Huff had just seven tackles coming into the 2017 season but has carved out a nice role in the Gophers secondary. His performance against Middle Tennessee shows he can be an impact player all year long for Minnesota.
J.K. Dobbins, Ohio State RB – Not many freshmen in college football are as dynamic and explosive as Dobbins. The Buckeye running back had another big day, rushing for 172 yards and two touchdowns on just 13 carries. Dobbins has exceeded all expectations early in the year and has delivered in the absence of Mike Weber.
Devin Bush, Jr., Michigan LB – Bush was all over the field in Michigan’s game against Air Force. Seriously, the kid can cover a ton of ground. He finished the day with 11 tackles and a sack but he seemed to have an impact on nearly every play of the game. Bush is definitely one of those under-the-radar guys who could have a breakout season.
Alex Hornibrook, Wisconsin QB – Near perfect. Hornibrook was just one incompletion from leaving Utah without a single blemish on his stat card. That probably won’t bother the Badgers quarterback too much, though. Hornibrook completed 18-of-19 passes for 256 yards and four touchdowns in a 40-6 win for Wisconsin. Enjoy that line, because that’s going to be really hard to duplicate.
Justin Jackson, Northwestern RB – Jackson followed up one of the worst performances of his career with one of the best. The senior had 121 yards and three touchdowns on the ground in a bounce-back win for the Wildcats. Against Bowling Green, Jackson looked like one of the top ball-carriers in the B1G again
Johnathan Lewis, Rutgers QB – It’s hard to remember the last time Rutgers scored five touchdowns in a game, let alone a single player. But that’s what Lewis did on Saturday as the Scarlet Knights ended an 11-game losing streak by beating Morgan State 65-0. Maybe Lewis can carry some of that momentum into next week’s game against Nebraska.
Tuf Borland, Ohio State LB – Ohio State’s defense was well-prepared for Army’s unique offensive attack. Borland was the leader of the unit, tallying 12 tackles, which included nine solo stops and a tackle for loss. Thanks to Borland’s efforts, the Buckeyes held Army to just seven points two weeks after putting 64 on the scoreboard against Fordham.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB