by Sean Szymczak
Welcome to The Floor Slap’s weekly Big Ten football blog where we breakdown the biggest takeaways from the weekend’s action across the conference.
College football’s opening weekend came and went, leaving us with plenty to talk about. This week: impressive QB play across the Big Ten, defenses dominate, USC & Penn State earn national respect, Iowa’s offense looks rejuvenated, concerns rise at Wisconsin & Minnesota, and the Hoosier state looks like more than just a basketball state.
Let’s dive in to this week’s course:
Quarterback Overreactions
Elite
Miller Moss, USC (27-36, 378 yds, 1 TD, 0 TOs, sacked twice)
- Miller was a surgeon on Sunday night. His ball placement was impeccable all game, but most especially on the perfectly-executed game-winning drive. With the defense already seemingly much improved under D’Anton Lynn, Moss won’t have to be Super-Man all season long to keep the Trojans in games. He earned my full confidence that he has what it takes to lead USC to the CFP.
Hudson Card, Purdue (24-25, 273 yds, 4 TDs, 0 TOs, sacked once, 16 rush yds)
- Going back to last season, Card is 3-0 in his last three starts. In that stretch, he has completed 67% of his passes for 799 yards, 10 TDs, and 0 TOs. He completed passes to eight different receivers and seemed to know exactly where to go with the ball on every play. Granted, it was against Indiana State. Even so, Card is showing off the arm talent that made him a consensus top-10 QB in his 2020 recruiting class.
Luke Altmyer, Illinois (19-24, 213 yds, 4 TDs, 0 TOs, not sacked, 27 rush yds)
- I’ve been a defendant of Altmyer for a year now, and he showed on Saturday what he is capable of when he has some time to throw. His connection with Pat Bryant looks like one of the best in the conference.
Will Howard, Ohio State (17-28, 228 yds, 3 TDs, 0 TOs, not sacked, 18 rush yds)
- Howard was 10-21 at halftime and averaged a unimpressive 8 yards per attempt for the game, but the box score doesn’t tell the full story. Howard’s incompletions in the first half were exclusively drops or smart throwaways. He didn’t throw a bad ball the entire afternoon. Howard also showed off his athleticism with an innate ability to maneuver the pocket, throw on the run, and take off when needed. Ohio State kept their offense rather vanilla in the opener, but Will Howard showed all the tools needed to take this offense to the next level.
Dylan Raiola, Nebraska (19-27, 238 yds, 2 TDs, 0 TOs, sacked once)
- It’s hard not to buy into the hype now, isn’t it? Yes, it was against UTEP, but the true freshman already opened up the Husker offense in ways it unable to last year even against the weakest competition. His deep ball to Isaiah Neyor to pull away in the 2nd-quarter was a thing of beauty. And most importantly, Raiola took care of the football.
Dillon Gabriel, Oregon (41-49, 380 yds, 2 TDs, 1 fumble lost, sacked 3 times)
- Oregon’s 24-14 battle with Idaho was one of the biggest surprises of week 1, but it had little to do with Gabriel. The offensive line was surprisingly overwhelmed and was pushed around the entire afternoon, paving the way for a pedestrian 2.9 ypc. That’s a different concern for the Ducks, though. Gabriel kept Oregon alive on Saturday and proved to be the reliable veteran we thought.
Good I think
Drew Allar, Penn State (11-17, 216 yds, 3 TDs, 0 TOs, not sacked, 44 rush yds)
- The offense’s improvement in just one game under new OC Andy Kotelnicki was better than any Penn State fan could have hoped for. But much of that came from play design, much improved play from the receivers, and a dominant offensive line. I am not ready to crown Allar just yet. After all, Penn State did the same thing to West Virginia in last year’s opener before spiralling. I wasn’t blown away by Allar’s accuracy, but his decision-making and athleticism were on full display.
Billy Edwards, Maryland (20-27, 311 yds, 2 TDs, 0 TOs, not sacked, 39 rush yds)
- Billy Edwards was one of the most pleasant surprises of the Big Ten’s opening weekend. I always saw him as a run-first kind of quarterback, but he certainly proved me wrong. He looked like a natural passer with impressive arm strength and he looked comfortable in the pocket. I need to see how he handles an improved Spartan defense this weekend though.
Athan Kaliakmanis, Minnesota (15-24, 147 yds, 3 TDs, 0 TOs, not sacked, 43 rush yds)
- Although his numbers were anything but gaudy, Kaliakmanis passed his initial test as the Rutgers starting QB. His receivers did him absolutely no favors, especially in the first half. But Kaliakmanis was consistently accurate downfield which helped open up a lot of room in the run game. Even being able to reliably complete check-down and swing passes is a huge upgrade from Wimsatt.
Sound the Alarms
Davis Warren, Michigan (15-25, 118 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT, sacked once)
- Warren’s performance against Fresno State really made me wonder how bad Alex Orji is if he couldn’t win this battle, given how freakishly athletic he is. It’s clear the Wolverines are committing to a conservative, pro-style attack featuring a downhill running attack. But I didn’t see enough downfield accuracy from Warren to make me think this approach will work against quality teams. We’ll find out in no time with Texas and USC coming up in the next three weeks.
Aidan Chiles, Michigan State (10-24, 114 yds, 0 TDs, 2 INTs, sacked once, 28 rush yds, rush TD)
- Yikes. The Arthur Smith era certainly started with a whimper. Chiles was at the forefront of Michigan State’s offensive woes. He looked too desperate to make the big play from the beginning of the game. His footwork was all over the place and he wasn’t even close to connecting on any of his many deep-ball attempts. At least the Spartan defense had arguably their best game since 2019.
Max Brosmer, Minnesota (13-21, 166 yds, 0 TDs, 1 fumble lost, sacked 5 times)
- One could easily argue that Max Brosmer lost Minnesota the game against North Carolina. He simply was not accurate and did not appear in-sync with any of his receivers. He also seemed quick to bail out of the play and try to scramble, which never worked out because he isn’t a great athlete. Brosmer will need to grow quickly over these next two games with a visit from Iowa looming.
Ethan Garbers, UCLA (19-38, 272 yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs, sacked once, 47 rush yds)
- Garbers definitely has some arm talent and is a better athlete than I gave him credit for, but his decision-making was abysmal for a 5th-year senior. UCLA’s schedule doesn’t allow for Garbers to take his time settling in as the starter.
TBD
Mike Wright, Northwestern (18-30, 178 yds, 0 TDs, 2 fumbles lost, not sacked, 65 rush yds, 1 rush TD)
- Northwestern beat Miami-OH the way they’ll have to win most of their games this season: in ugly fashion. Mike Wright doesn’t have to be a perfect for Northwestern to get back to a bowl game, but he has to be careful with the football. He was accurate enough but was quick to run if his first read wasn’t there. I liked most of what I saw from Wright but need to see more.
Tyler Van Dyke, Wisconsin (21-36, 0 TDs, 1 fumble lost, sacked once, 21 rush yds, rush TD)
- Wisconsin’s offense against Western Michgian looked as sluggish as it did in 2023, but I was more concerned with the offensive line and play-calling than I was with Van Dyke. They weren’t able to complete any downfield shots, but he did make some clutch throws to Will Pauling and Bryson Green. Van Dyke did what was asked of him on Friday, which is really an indictment on the coaching staff.
Kurtis Rourke, Indiana (15-24, 180 yds, 1 TD, 0 TOs, sacked twice)
- Rourke was like a point gaurd against FIU, distributing the ball out quickly to his variety of play-makers. He didn’t make any poor decisions and was consistently accurate within 10 yards. But his only two completions past 10 yards weren’t particularly accurate. One was an outrageous one-hander by Myles Price, another a finger-tip catch by Justice Ellison on a ball that was nearly overthrown. This will certainly be a run-first offense, but I want to see Rourke show the ability to give guys like McCulley and Sarratt a chance downfield more consistently.
Kirk Cousins
Will Rogers, Washington (20-26 250 yds, 1 TD, 0 TOs, sacked twice)
- Nothing should surprise us about the long-time Mississippi State starter. He’s not a tremendous downfield threat with his arm (and a far cry from Penix), but he’s a good decision-maker and throws the ball well enough to allow for YAC opportunities. I am still concerned about his ability to hold up and deliver under pressure, though.
Cade McNamara, Iowa (21-31, 251 yds, 3 TDs, 0 TOs, not sacked, 12 rush yds)
- This is what I expected from McNamara last season. He wasn’t spectacular but routinely gave his receivers a chance to catch the football. He is certainly capable of running Phil Parker’s offense and making this a competent unit, but I wouldn’t expect any pint-point accurate throws. McNamara’s connection with true freshman Reece Vander Zee could be a game-changer.
Defenses Dominate Week 1
10 of the 18 teams held their opponents to 7 or fewer points. The conference gave up an average of 7.4 points per game on opening weekend, compared to 8.7 points for the SEC.
Even teams who struggled on the defensive side of the ball throughout 2023 were dominant on Saturday. Purdue and Illinois both earned shut-outs. Indiana allowed only 182 total yards to FIU. Michigan State forced two turnovers and held FAU to 10 points and 2-15 on 3rd-down.
USC, Penn State Earn National Respect
West Virginia became a trendy pick to win the Big 12 in recent weeks. Half of the College Gameday and Big Noon Kickoff crews picked the Mountaineers to pull off the upset over the Nittany Lions. Their defensive front was supposed to pose a challenge for Andy Kotelnicki. Penn State’s line dropped three points due to the public betting heavily on West Virginia.
So I don’t want to hear “it was only West Virginia”. Penn State was dominant in every fashion on Saturday. They emphasized the difference in quality from the Big Ten to the Big 12. Time will only tell how valuable this win will really be, but Penn State did everything possible to prove to the country that they are a top-10 team and they can compete with the Big Ten’s best.
USC, meanwhile, proved to be everything that they weren’t in 2023. USC was tougher than LSU. They were more disciplined than LSU. The Trojans were sure-tackling on defense, precise on offense, and strong in the trenches on both sides of the football. They beat a team that was picked to finish in the top-5 of the SEC and looked like a bona fide CFP team in doing so.
D’Anton Lynn’s impact on this defense has been immediate. Sure, they gave up some big plays. And their lack of size up front was evident during some stretches when LSU was able to just gash them up the middle. But I didn’t see any missed assignments and they stepped up in several short-yardage situations.
Offensively, didn’t see the off-schedule plays we became used to with Caleb Williams. Instead, Miller Moss played within the offense. His ball placement was beautiful all game long and the talent at receiver seems to be rivaling Ohio State. There is room to open up this run game and utilize both Woody Mars and Quinten Joyner, but the unit looks better than I expected given the turnover they had to endure.
Penn State and USC both looked like CFP teams on college football’s opening weekend. It doesn’t look like this season will be the ‘Ohio State & Oregon Invitational’ like many expected. Winning this conference will be a dog fight.
Tim Lester’s Touch: Iowa’s Offense Restored?
Iowa’s offense isn’t setting records any time soon, but new offensive coordinator Tim Lester appears to be doing his job by bringing this unit back into the 21st century.
The Hawkeyes moved away from Brian Ferentz’s conservative approach, trusting McNamara to drop back and deliver some downfield shots. That opened up massive running lanes for Iowa’s talented collections of backs. There was plenty of pre-snap motion and RPOs which helped open up some wide open connections through the air.
It seems silly to react so strongly to a performance against Illinois State. But it’s hard to underestimate how horrific this offense has been. Saturday was the best offensive game Iowa has had in nearly five years. For perspective, consider these two stats:
- Iowa’s wide receivers caught 2 TD passes in all of 2023. On Saturday, they had 3
- Iowa averaged 235 yards per game and had a season-high yardage total of 387 in 2023. On Saturday, they had 492 yards
Iowa’s offense only needs to be slightly above average to have a shot at 10-wins. Tim Lester might make that happen.
Battling Borders: Uncertainty Across Madison & Minneapolis
The first game of Luke Fickell’s second season at Wisconsin looked an awfully lot like last year’s disappointing campaign. The Badgers actually trailed in the 4th-quarter to Western Michigan (who finished below-.500 in each of the past two seasons) before rallying for a 28-14 win. My concern isn’t so much with the defense, which played well. Rather, an offense that is struggling in areas that Wisconsin offenses shouldn’t be struggling in.
Wisconsin’s veteran offensive line played below expectations, just as they did for much of 2023. The tight end room has minimal play-making ability and struggled mightily in run-blocking, which cost them several times in the red-zone. Two-back sets seemed to be effective, but offensive coordinator Phil Longo seems reluctant to just run. the damn. ball.
Running back and offensive line have been the linchpins of Wisconsin football ever since Barry Alvarez brought this program to prominence. That has remained the same through three coaching changes, but seems to have stopped with Luke Fickell. I applaud Fickell’s effort to modernize Wisconsin’s offense and make them a team that can compete with college football’s big boys. But at a certain point, you need to stop trying to fit a round peg in a square hole.
With games coming up this month against Alabama and USC (each of whom looked great in their openers), reality may catch up to the Badgers quickly.
There is a different issue plaguing Wisconsin’s rival in Minneapolis. The Gophers, by my estimation, were the better team when they lost to North Carolina on Thursday night. But as I mentioned above, QB Max Brosmer lost them that game. He was not a great decision-maker, he was not notably accurate, and he was not the slightest threat with his legs.
As has been the case in every game that wasn’t started by Tanner Morgan over the past five seasons, Minnesota has a glaring weakness at the quarterback position. Seeing Athan Kaliakmanis look so comfortable in his opener for Rutgers now has me thinking that it’s this coaching staff to blame more than the personnel.
Minnesota has two games to get this offense in shape before consecutive games against Iowa, Michigan, and USC. If they can’t make Max Brosmer comfortable by then, the Gophers’ season may be over before the halfway point.
Looking back on the four-team playoff era, Minnesota and Wisconsin were both top-25 programs. It was only five years ago that College Gameday went to Minnesota for a season-ending top-10 matchup in the Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe.
As programs like Rutgers, Indiana, and Purdue seem to be on the rise, Wisconsin and Minnesota might end the season looking up in the standings at teams these fan-bases expect to beat. I don’t think anyone would accuse Wisconsin or Minnesota fans of having lofty expectations. But if this season continues the way it started, both of these programs may have to answer some difficult questions and make some difficult decisions during the off-season.
The Hoosier State: More Than Just Basketball
As Wisconsin and Minnesota seem to be on a downward trajectory, Purdue and Indiana appear to be making Indiana more than just a basketball state. Both programs opened the season to sold-out crowds and cruised to victory (while covering the spread!!!).
Ryan Walters first season had a lot of bumps in the road, but they finished strong by winning two of their final three games. His unique 3-4 hybrid defense was feast or famine in 2023, but they certainly feasted on Saturday. That could be a sign for major defensive improvement in 2024. Offensive coordinator Graham Harrell struggled to incorporate the run game in his first season as a play-caller last year. On Saturday, he couldn’t help but dial up the right play.
The Hoosiers came out of the gate hot, got a little sloppy in the 2nd-quarter, and then shut the door on FIU in a 41-7 win. One area Indiana has struggled mightily over the past decade or so has been along the line of scrimmage. Curt Cignetti appears to be doing his best to address that immediately. The defense yielded 1.8 yards per carry while racking up 4 sacks and 8 TFLs. The offense generated nearly 6 yards per carry. Indiana’s next three games against Western Illinois, UCLA, and Charlotte might just be tune-up games with the way they played on Saturday.
You can tell a lot about a college football program by how the head coach carries himself. Both Curt Cignetti and Ryan Walters have brought energy, passion, and attention to detail to their programs. The fans can feel it and so can players across the country – indicated by strong transfer portal classes for both schools.
The state of Indiana has had little reason to get excited for Big Ten football in the 21st century. But the spirit has changed. There is a vibrancy and optimism around these rivaling programs that have not existed at the same time as each other for as long as I can remember.
Both Ryan Walters and Curt Cignetti have a vision in their head that is a lot more than just winning six games and going to the Pop-Tarts Bow. Walters and Cignetti are trying to compete with Ohio State and Michigan. This past weekend looked like the first step on a very long journey that just might bring that vision to fruition.