Big Ten football weekend review: Week 1

Maryland football had a very beneficial weekend, trouncing Howard 79-0. The Terps were one point shy of the program’s scoring record and set the mark for the most points in a half with 56.

It was the ideal way for Maryland to start the Mike Locksley era.

But in case you missed any other Week 1 Big Ten football games, whether it was due to a Labor Day weekend filled with last-second summer fun or celebration of Maryland’s season-opening win, Testudo Times has got you covered.

Here’s a short roundup of the rest of the Big Ten.

Biggest surprise: Purdue vs Nevada

The biggest surprise of the weekend didn’t come Saturday, rather it came on Friday. Nevada kicker Brandon Talton capped off a 17-point comeback against Purdue with a 56-yard field goal. After making his collegiate debut and leading Nevada to its second win over a Big Ten school in program history, Talton was rewarded with a scholarship by Nevada head coach Jay Norvell.

Entering into Friday night’s matchup, Purdue was an 11-point favorite and was leading 31-17 at the start of the fourth quarter. Redshirt freshman quarterback Carson Strong threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Wolf Pack over the Boilermakers, who finished with a 6-7 overall record last season.

Statement game: Howard vs Maryland

Maryland’s game against Howard was the obvious favorite for this superlative. Putting up 79 points under first-year head coach Mike Locksley will definitely put the college football world on notice.

As Lila noted, Saturday’s win might have been against an FCS opponent, but the Terps turned some heads with their offensive and defensive output.

Quarterback Josh Jackson, making his Maryland debut after transferring from Virginia Tech, went 15-24 for 245 yards and four touchdowns before sitting out the second half.

Under new defensive coordinator Jon Hoke, Maryland executed its new 3-4 scheme to near perfection, allowing a total of four first downs, 67 total yards of offense and zero points. Although Maryland demonstrated a slight glimpse of their capability on Saturday, the Terps will look to extend their defensive efficiency this weekend against No. 22 Syracuse, who averaged 38.9 points per game last year.

Upset game: Purdue vs Nevada

In the first week of games, a lot of Big Ten teams had cupcakes scheduled, making the upset of the weekend a very easy choice.

As previously mentioned, Purdue was an 11-point favorite and the program is considered by some as up-and-coming — especially with sophomore wide receiver Rondale Moore. After putting together a team that went to the Music City Bowl, but was blown out 14-63 by Auburn in 2018, Purdue was expected to take another step this season. But a loss to Nevada is not the ideal way for the team to begin their 2019 campaign.

Over the course of the season, this superlative will include a larger variation of teams. But in Week 1 there was really only one real answer.