Big Ten Game Balls for the Week 2 slate of action are ready to be handed out!

With the weekend beginning to wind down (and no Sunday or Monday games due to Labor Day), it’s time to load up another round of weekly honors within the B1G. Across the league, we saw 4 teams fall from the ranks of the unbeaten while Minnesota, the lone winless B1G team in Week 1, found the win column.

Week 2 also featured our first conference game of the season between Michigan State and Maryland. That game came down to the wire in a thriller won by the Spartans, so Jonathan Smith’s team will spend the week in sole possession of first place in the conference.

In nonconference play, Michigan and Iowa both fell in key games against quality opponents, though both teams did so in rather ugly fashion. There is plenty to clean up and not a lot of time to do in the middle of the season.

With that being said, let’s get to the game balls!

Illinois

  • DB Xavier Scott: The Illini defense picked off Jalon Daniels 3 times in the upset win, including 2 by Scott. One of those interceptions was a pick-6 before the half that swung all the momentum. Scott also led Illinois with 8 solo tackles and added a sack as the Illini won their first game against a ranked opponent since 2019.

Indiana

  • QB Kurtis Rourke: It’s hard to find any flaws with IU’s blowout win over Western Illinois, but Rourke was particularly efficient. He was nearly perfect at 15-for-17 through the air with 268 yards and 2 touchdowns and added a rushing touchdown to his total.

Iowa

  • RB Kaleb Johnson: For a while, it looked like Iowa would be able to ride Johnson’s 187 yards and 2 touchdowns to a close win over Iowa State. The Hawkeyes fell apart in the 2nd half, but Johnson was a major force all game long.

Maryland vs. Michigan State

  • QB Aidan Chiles and WR Nick Marsh: If it weren’t for Chiles’ 3 interceptions, he would win this award by himself. Even with the interceptions, he rallied Michigan State in the 4th quarter for the win. However, it would be a crime to overlook Marsh who hauled in the 77-yard game-tying score and finished just shy of 200 yards receiving.

Michigan

  • WR Semaj Morgan: Colston Loveland was Michigan’s leading receiver once again, but the star TE also had a costly fumble. Morgan finished the loss to Texas with 5 catches, 45 yards and a touchdown. It was the first touchdown of the season by a Wolverine WR.

Minnesota

  • QB Max Brosmer: After the Gophers struggled vs. UNC, Brosmer responded with 24-for-30 passing for 271 yards and 2 touchdowns in a blowout win of Rhode Island. It’s the kind of balanced performance Minnesota envisioned when they landed the FCS star from the portal.

Nebraska

  • RB Dante Dowdell: Nebraska had no shortage of options here after dominating Colorado, but the Oregon transfer is starting to carve out a bigger role in the backfield. Dowdell led the Huskers with 17 carries for 74 yards and 2 touchdowns, and his 2nd score of the day made it 21-0 Nebraska.

Northwestern

  • RB Cam Porter: Porter was effective with 16 carries for 94 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground while going over 100 scrimmage yards with 3 catches for 27 yards. It wasn’t enough to hold off Duke with Northwestern committing 2 more turnovers.

Ohio State

  • RB Quinshon Judkins: This came down to Jeremiah Smith and Judkins, but I’ll go with Judkins’ 2-touchdown performance and his first 100-yard game as a Buckeye. Judkins anchored an Ohio State offense that scored 6 rushing touchdowns in Week 2, tied for the most in a single game since 1987.

Penn State

  • RB Nicholas Singleton: Singleton makes it back-to-back weeks with a B1G Game Ball to open the season. He rushed for 100+ yards yet again and added 2 touchdowns (1 receiving), and both came in the 2nd-half of the close win over Bowling Green.

Rutgers

  • RB Kyle Monangai: Rutgers looked just like it needed too against Akron, and Monangai is big reason why. He led the Scarlet Knights with a game-high 208 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns as Rutgers wins big to move to 2-0.

Washington

  • Edge Zach Durfee: In Week 1, just 4 players posted 2.5+ sacks in a game. Durfee joined that group with 2.5 sacks against Eastern Michigan, setting the tone for the Huskies.

Wisconsin

  • RB Chez Mellusi: Wisconsin is still looking for its spark offensively this season. As the Badgers wait, Mellusi delivered 60 rushing yards and 2 key touchdowns in a closer-than-expected win over South Dakota.

Editor’s note: Oregon (vs. Boise State) and USC (vs. Utah State) not included due to late-night kickoff times.