Big Ten & SEC Week 7 Recap: Two Top-10 teams go down in Week 7 shake-up
Big Ten
SEC
AP Top 10
1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Ohio State
4. Notre Dame
5. LSU
6. Michigan
7. Texas
8. Georgia
9. Oklahoma
10. UCF
Michigan State upsets Penn State
In the 33rd meeting between Michigan State and Penn State, the Spartans rallied to defeat the Nittany Lions 21-17 before a crowd of 106,685 at Beaver Stadium. MSU is now 10-5 in its last 15 games against teams ranked in the Top 10, including a 9-5 record since 2013
Spartans quarterback Brian Lewerke completed 24-of-52 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns, both to Felton Davis III. Davis III recorded his first 100-yard receiving game of the season and tied his career high with two touchdown receptions, the first to tie the game in the third and the other to take the lead for good with 19 seconds left to play.
MSU had a significant advantage in time of possession, 34:12-25:48 and held Penn State to a season low in points (17) and first downs (14). Despite the low scoring output, Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley became the school’s all-time passing yards leader (8,610), while running back Miles Sanders rushed for 162 yards and a touchdown against the nation’s No. 1 run defense. The Michigan State defense had only surrendered 169 total rushing yards in its first five games this season.
Next week Penn State travels to Bloomngton to take on Indiana, while the Spartans will host in-state rival Michigan.
LSU takes down Georgia in Death Valley
Haka Dad is the ultimate hype man 🙌
(via @MarkClements225)pic.twitter.com/MXZsPEYAgL
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 13, 2018
LSU hasn’t lost an October game since 2009, an impressive run the Tigers extended to 21 games thanks to Saturday’s 36-16 win over No. 2 Georgia. With the win, LSU improved to 7‐0 under coach Ed Orgeron after a loss.
The Tigers were victorious thanks in part to a well balanced offense that finished with 475 yards — 275 on the ground and 200 through the air. Sophomore running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire had a career-high 145 rushing yards on 19 carries, while senior Nick Brossette had 64 yards and a touchdown.
Through the air, LSU quarterback Joe Burrow finished 15-of-30 passing and added 66 rushing yards on 13 attempts.
On the other side of the ball, LSU was plus-four in turnover margin, converted 4-of-4 fourth downs (for the first time since 2007 game vs. Florida) and possessed the ball for nearly 34 minutes. Senior placekicker Cole Tracy scored half of LSU’s 36 points, making all five of his field goals (33, 36, 39, 24, 30) and all three PAT’s. His 18 kicking points are an LSU record (since 1949).
Georgia has a bye week before traveling to take on Florida on October 27 in Jacksonville. LSU will take on Mississippi State at home next Saturday.
Michigan rocks Wisconsin in Ann Arbor
U-M improved to 5-0 at Michigan Stadium this season, outscoring its opposition by a combined 230-67 margin.
FULL HIGHLIGHTS 👇#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/XOM4mzKRXh
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) October 14, 2018
Michigan continued its dominance at home Saturday, defeating Wisconsin 38-13 at the Big House. In front of a crowd of 111,360, U-M moved to 5-0 at Michigan Stadium this season and has outscored its opposition by a combined 230-67 margin in those games.
With the loss, Wisconsin quarterback Alex Hornibrook fell to 11-2 in career road starts, with both of his losses coming at Michigan. Meanwhile, a 320-yard rushing performance and a dominant pass defense played huge roles in the Wolverines’ second win over the Badgers in the past three years.
Running back Karan Higdon and quarterback Shea Patterson combined to rush for 195 of Michigan’s 320 yards. In the first half, Patterson had an 81-yard run to set up the Wolverines’ first touchdown. On the other side of the ball. U-M held the Badgers to a season-low 283 total yards of offense and held Jonathan Taylor, the nation’s leading rusher, to 101 yards on 17 carries — 68 yards below his season average.
Next week, Michigan travels to Michigan State while Wisconsin hosts Illinois.
Florida rallies to avoid upset, beats Vanderbilt
Prior to last weekend, Florida had lost 26 consecutive games when trailing by at least 18 points, a streak that dated to Sept. 27, 2003. The Gators ended that run by rallying from 18 points down for a 37-27 comeback win over Vanderbilt in Nashville.
The Gators were sparked by a career-high 284 passing yards by Feleipe Franks, big days from dueling tailbacks Lamical Perine and Jordan Scarlett, and a stout second-half defensive effort after Vanderbilt jumped out to a 21-3 lead midway through the second quarter thanks to three first-half turnovers.
UF chipped away at the Commodores’ lead with 24 consecutive points, the biggest score coming on a 48-yard touchdown run by Scarlett on the first play of the fourth quarter, which gave Florida its first lead at 27-21. A Vandy field goal cut that six-point margin in half, but the Gators put the game out of reach with a nine-play, 75-yard drive capped by Franks’ 11-yard TD pass to Freddie Swain with 8:07 to go
The Commodores visit No. 18 Kentucky while the Gators have a week off before facing Georgia in Jacksonville on October 27.
Texas A&M holds on to beat South Carolina
🎬 Catch highlights from the win over South Carolina below.
The Aggies are 5-2 (3-1 SEC) with the victory. #TAMUvsSC #GigEm pic.twitter.com/XpDbe90PHx
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) October 14, 2018
Aggies Quarterback Kellen Mond threw for 353 yards and freshman placekicker Seth Small had four field goals, including the go-ahead kick in the fourth quarter, to lift Texas A&M to a 26-23 victory over South Carolina on Saturday. The victory was the third straight for the Aggies, who improved to 5-0 against the Gamecocks since joining the SEC in 2012.
Mond hit Jace Sternberger for 6-yard touchdown in the second quarter and Small hit a 32-yard field goal on the Aggies’ first drive of the second half to put Texas A&M up 16-0. The lead looked like more than enough to put away the Gamecocks, who managed just 102 yards of offense the first 30 minutes.
The Gamecocks responded, though, scoring 16 unanswered points in the third quarter to tie the game. Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Shi Smith to start the comeback, then hit Chavis Dawkins for a 33-yard touchdown throw off a flea flicker later. Carolina converted two-point conversions on both scores to knot the game,
Texas A&M responded on the next drive, moving 45 yards to set Small up for a 39-yard field goal with 9:16 left. The Aggies then sealed things with a Trayveon Williams 3-yard scoring run with 1:36 to play. South Carolina got a final TD pass from Bentley to Samuel with 48 seconds to go, but could not execute an onside kick attempt.
The Aggies have a week off before traveling to Starkville to take on Mississippi State on October 27. Carolina also has next week off before hosting Tennessee on October 27.
Vote for the Play of the Week!
Week 7 was filled with memorable plays and moments in the Big Ten and SEC. Here were two of our favorites. Make sure you vote for the best in the poll below
1.)Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa connects with Jerry Jeudy for an 81-yard touchdown.
Bama doing Bama things.@AlabamaFTBL has scored a TD on its first possession in each game this season. pic.twitter.com/VzunAffyZB
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) October 13, 2018
2.) Penn State’s Miles Sanders bulldozes and jukes his way to a 48-yard touchdown.
Miles Sanders looking like Saquon at his alma mater 🧐
(via @BigTenNetwork)pic.twitter.com/2G4AwtYQKf
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 13, 2018
Click here to check out weekly recaps from earlier this season.