Big Ten Game Balls for Week 8
Big Ten Game Balls for Week 8 are ready to be handed out — and what a weekend it was! Across the weekend, we saw 7 games of conference play going down.
It included Oregon and Indiana putting their undefeated records on the line and both passing their tests with flying colors. The Ducks were able to avoid a letdown after their emotional win over Ohio State last weekend, and the miracle start for the Hoosiers rolls on at 7-0 after a thorough beatdown of Nebraska.
Elsewhere, Illinois got a bit of revenge for a heartbreaking loss to Michigan from the 2022 season. And speaking of heartbreaking, Lincoln Riley knows all about that after another 4th-quarter disaster for USC in a road loss to Maryland.
It was a great weekend of football, and here’s a look at who earned Game Balls for Week 8:
Oregon at Purdue
- Oregon: QB Dillon Gabriel. How do you maintain your focus after an emotional win the week before? Lean on your veteran QB. Gabriel was 21-for-25 in a big-time road performance with 2 touchdowns and an interception. Those numbers allowed the Ducks to post a road shutout against the Boilermakers after a 21-0 first half, eliminating any worries of a letdown early in the game.
- Purdue: RB Reggie Love III. In his best game this season, Love went for a game-high 93 yards and averaged 8.5 yards per carry on 11 carries. Purdue had plenty of issues, and Love not reaching the end zone was one of them. Still, he was the most productive performer in the shutout loss.
Nebraska at Indiana
- Nebraska:TE Thomas Fidone II. For as bad as Nebraska was at stopping the run, they were just as bad running it themselves with 2.4 yards per carry and 70 total rushing yards. Dylan Raiola was also a disaster with 3 interceptions in the game. But Fidone was consistently a matchup problem, leading Nebraska with 6 catches for 91 yards. It was by far Fidone’s best game of the season as the lone Husker weapon able to create a mismatch all game long.
- Indiana: RB Justice Ellison. Picking just one Hoosier from the offense feels like a slight to someone. Even backup QB Tayven Jackson was nearly perfect and threw 2 touchdowns. But Ellison was the sparkplug here, rushing for over 100 yards on just 9 carries with 2 touchdowns. Considering what Nebraska’s defense looked like before today, it’s a worthy nod.
Wisconsin at Northwestern
- Wisconsin: QB Braedyn Locke. It was far from Locke’s best or most efficient game of the season, but he was still pivotal in a tough road win for the Badgers. He finished the game 14-for-24 for 160 yards and a touchdown with an interception while delivering a rushing touchdown for a 2nd straight week.
- Northwestern: DB Damon Walters. Northwestern didn’t score a touchdown, so this has to go do a defender. We’ll go with Walters for an impressive career-high 11 tackles (8 solo) to lead the Wildcats in both categories against the Badgers.
UCLA at Rutgers
- UCLA: QB Ethan Garbers. It’s hard to be better than Garbers was in Week 8. He set career-high numbers in completions (32), yards (383) and touchdowns with 5 total. As a result, the Bruins won their first-ever Big Ten game and their first game against a power conference opponent this season.
- Rutgers: RB Kyle Monangai. It is not often that Rutgers loses a game with the kind of effort Monangai had in Week 8. He eclipsed the 100-yard mark (106 rushing yards) and produced a hat trick with 3 rushing touchdowns. Unfortunately, the Scarlet Knight defense could not get a stop, but Monangai was strong once again.
Michigan at Illinois
- Michigan: Edge Josaiah Stewart. Early on, it was Stewart who kept Michigan in the game by harassing Luke Altmyer and getting after the Illinois offensive line. He finished the game with 6 tackles and half a sack while leading the Wolverines with 1.5 TFLs. Stewart’s numbers could have been even higher if not for some of the holding penalties he drew against the Illini, but that still speaks to his overall impact on the offense.
- Illinois: Edge Gabe Jacas. The Illini defense came up with the clutch plays time and time again against Michigan, and Jacas proved to be a matchup nightmare all game long. He led Illinois with 13 total tackles and lived in the backfield with a game-high 2.5 sacks. The pressure against Jack Tuttle paid off as he committed 2 turnovers in the game.
USC at Maryland
- USC: DB Jaylin Smith. With star LB Eric Gentry out for the season and facing a team that likes to throw the ball, USC needed someone to step up. Smith did with a team-high 11 tackles and 9 solo stops, including an interception. Unfortunately, the Trojans could not get the game-ending stop to put this one away, but Smith was a factor in the secondary.
- Maryland: QB Billy Edwards Jr. While there is a lot of love to spread around for that comeback win, Edwards was the major catalyst with 373 passing yards and 3 total touchdowns. That includes Maryland’s game-winner on a keeper inside of a minute. The Terrapins had a chance to fold late in the game, but 15 unanswered points led to a much-needed win for Mike Locksley’s team.
Iowa at Michigan State
- Iowa: LB Nick Jackson. While fellow LB Jay Higgins led Iowa in total tackles, Jackson was 2nd with 11 and led the Hawkeyes with 6 solo stops. He also had a sack and 1.5 TFLs while getting after Michigan State QB Aidan Chiles. Iowa’s defense only allowed 2 touchdowns, but the special teams work of Michigan State was enough for the win.
- Michigan State: K Jonathan Kim. The specialists deserve some love, too, and Kim’s outing goes extra after setting a new Michigan State record. Kim delivered 6 field goals and accounted for 20 of the Spartans’ total 32 points in a win over Iowa. While head coach Jonathan Smith would love to see more touchdowns, he’ll be thankful for the efficiency of his kicker when called up.