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Maryland football conceded 51 points to No. 5 Iowa last Friday night en route to the program’s first loss of the 2021 season.
Iowa’s defense proved once again that it is one of the best in the nation as it was able to snatch six total interceptions against Maryland’s quarterbacks.
The Terps now stand at 4-1 and have a road matchup coming up against Ohio State on Oct. 9.
Let’s take a look at how the rest of the Big Ten looked in the fifth week of collegiate football.
*Rankings are from the time that the games were played, not this week’s AP Top 25.
Big Ten East
| Team | Conf. Record | Overall | Weekend Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Conf. Record | Overall | Weekend Outcome |
| Michigan | 2-0 | 5-0 | W, 38-17, Wisconsin |
| Michigan State | 2-0 | 5-0 | W, 48-31, Western Kentucky |
| Penn State | 2-0 | 5-0 | W, 24-0, Indiana |
| Ohio State | 2-0 | 4-1 | W, 52-13, Rutgers |
| Maryland | 1-1 | 4-1 | L, 51-14, Iowa |
| Rutgers | 0-2 | 3-2 | L, 52-13, Ohio State |
| Indiana | 0-2 | 2-3 | L, 24-0, Penn State |
Big Ten West
| Team | Conf. Record | Overall Record | Weekend Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Conf. Record | Overall Record | Weekend Outcome |
| Iowa | 2-0 | 5-0 | W, 51-14, Maryland |
| Minnesota | 1-1 | 3-2 | W, 20-13, Purdue |
| Purdue | 1-1 | 3-2 | L, 20-13, Minnesota |
| Illinois | 1-2 | 2-4 | W, 24-14, Charlotte |
| Nebraska | 1-2 | 3-3 | W, 56-7, Northwestern |
| Northwestern | 0-2 | 2-3 | L, 56-7, Nebraska |
| Wisconsin | 0-2 | 1-3 | L, 38-17, Michigan |
Surprising game: Minnesota at Purdue
After losing to Bowling Green just a week ago, Minnesota went on the road and defeated Purdue by a final score of 20-13.
Minnesota took a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter when quarterback Tanner Morgan found wide receiver Chris Autman-Bell for a 32-yard touchdown. Purdue answered quickly, however, as wide receiver Milton Wright found the endzone on a seven-yard pass from quarterback Aidan O’Connell. The score gave Purdue a 10-7 lead over the Golden Gophers for the time being. O’Connell threw for an impressive 371 yards, yet Purdue only had 13 points to show for it.
After the teams traded field goals, running back Treyson Potts found the endzone for Minnesota, giving the Golden Gophers a 17-13 lead. Potts has been dominant since taking over as the Minnesota workhorse running back. He finished the game with 15 carries for 78 yards and the game-sealing touchdown.
This matchup was a major win for the Minnesota program. After losing to Bowling Green last week, many weren’t sure what to expect this week. Both the offense and defense of Minnesota showed up as the Golden Gophers moved to 3-2, while Purdue is now 3-2 as well.
Statement game: No. 5 Iowa at Maryland
Iowa blew the doors off of Maryland in College Park on Friday night, winning 51-14 under the lights. This was a huge opportunity for Maryland to establish itself as a legit player in the Big Ten and it could not have gone worse for the Terps.
Maryland jumped out to an early 7-3 lead on a Taulia Tagovailoa touchdown pass to senior tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo. The home crowd was energetic, but the atmosphere wasn't enough to keep the Terps afloat.
Iowa answered the Maryland touchdown with a scoring drive of its own, taking a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter. On the following kickoff, Maryland star wideout Dontay Demus Jr. fumbled the kickoff and seemed to injure his leg on the play. Demus was carted off the field and the extent of his injury is still unknown.
After cashing in off the turnover to take a 17-7 lead, the Iowa defense took over, creating turnover after turnover. Tagovailoa ended the game with 157 yards, two touchdowns and a whopping five interceptions. Tagovailoa entered the game with just one interception on the season and now after this week has six on the season. The Hawkeyes led this game 34-7 at halftime, leaving doubts for the potential of a Maryland comeback.
Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras played his best game of the season for Iowa, completing 21-of-30 passes for 259 yards and three touchdowns. Iowa running back Tyler Goodson added 151 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown.
Iowa will now look ahead to a premier matchup against Penn State at home next week, while the Terrapins head to Ohio State to take on the Buckeyes.
Upset game: No. 14 Michigan at Wisconsin
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines went into Camp Randall on Saturday and picked up the program’s first victory in Madison, Wis., since 2001, winning 38-17.
The Wisconsin offense failed to execute yet again this weekend. Quarterback Graham Mertz struggled, finishing 8-for-15 for 115 yards and one touchdown before leaving with an injury.
Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara played a solid game for the Wolverines, completing 17-of-28 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns. While McNamara did his job, freshman quarterback McCarthy was also extremely impressive in his limited playing time. McCarthy, a five-star recruit out of IMG Academy, completed his only pass attempt for 56 yards and a touchdown. He also punched in a crucial touchdown run on fourth down from the one-yard line to make it 20-10 in favor of the Wolverines.
McNamara has played well enough to keep control of the job for now, but McCarthy is much more dynamic and Harbaugh is going to have to find snaps for the youngster.
Michigan really put the game out of reach after McNamara found wide receiver Cornelius Johnson for a 13-yard touchdown to extend Michigan’s lead to 29-10. Johnson finished the game with two touchdowns on two catches.
The Wolverines improve to 5-0, while the Badgers fell to a shocking 1-3. Both teams go on the road next week, with Michigan visiting Nebraska and Wisconsin on its way to take on Illinois.