2011 NCAA FOOTBALL WEEK 9 RECAP

WISCONSIN LOSES BY ANOTHER HAIL MARY

Devin Smith's (15) game-winning catch gave Ohio State a
33-29 win over Wisconsin. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)

For the second week in a row, the Wisconsin Badgers were doomed by a last-minute Hail Mary pass on the road.

This time, it was the Ohio State duo of Braxton Miller and Devin Smith that did the Badgers in en route to a 33-29 win for the Buckeyes.

“(This is) real tough,” Wisconsin senior Nick Toon said. “We’ve handed them the game two weeks in a row at the end of the game. You can’t do that.”

Thanks to both losses, the Badgers—who were No. 6 in the initial BCS standings two weeks ago—are now 2 ½ games behind Penn State in the Big Ten Leaders division.

Despite the loss, Russell Wilson once again turned in a good game to keep his Heisman hopes alive. The senior quarterback threw for 253 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Two of those passing touchdowns came in the fourth quarter to bring Wisconsin back from a 26-14 deficit.

However, it would be his last pass that would fall harmlessly onto the Ohio Stadium turf that would give the Buckeyes a tough, gritty win much like their season this year.

“This is what Ohio State’s all about,” Ohio State head coach Luke Fickell said. “We don’t ever look at ourselves as underdogs. This is a huge win, a signature win. This is for this team, this is for this program. This is what we expect.”

CASE’S NINE-PACK OF TD’S SETS ANOTHER CAREER RECORD

Case Keenum now has 3219 passing yards and
32 touchdowns this season. (Photo by AP)

This Case Keenum kid is really trying to rewrite all of the records isn’t he?

One week after setting the career record for total offense, the Houston quarterback threw nine touchdowns in its 73-34 drubbing of in-city rival Rice.

“It was a blast,” Keenum said. “That was probably the most fun I’ve ever had playing football.”

The sixth-year senior surely had a field day against the Owls, throwing for 534 yards on 24-of-37 passing. Keenum is now 267 passing yards away from another record—Timmy Chang’s Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) record of 17,072 passing yards.

“Those are video-game numbers, something we couldn’t get stopped,” Rice senior linebacker Justin Allen said.

Keenum’s favorite target in the game was senior Patrick Edwards, who had a huge night catching the ball. He caught seven passes for 318 yards and five touchdowns.

The Cougars go to 8-0 and move up to No. 13 in the BCS.

JOEPA BREAKS COACH ROB’S RECORD

As had been the case for most of the season, Penn State’s 10-7 win over Illinois was a gritty one. However, this one was much special.

With the win, longtime Nittany Lions coach Joe Paterno recorded his Division I-leading 409^th victory as head coach—passing a mark held by Grambling State coaching legend Eddie Robinson.

“It really is something I’ve [been] very proud of, to be associated with Eddie Robinson,” Paterno said. “Something like this means a lot to me, an awful lot. But there’s a lot of other people I’ve got to thank.”

Snowy conditions made things difficult and both teams were held scoreless at halftime.

Finally with 3:32 left in the third quarter Nathan Scheelhaase hit Spencer Harris from 10 yards out to break the deadlock.

In regular Nittany Lion fashion though, Penn State grinded its way back into the game.

After Anthony Fera’s 30-yard field goal with seven minutes left in the game, Silas Redd would score the game-winning touchdown to put the Nittany Lions ahead.

The Fighting Illini had one more shot to tie the game, but Derek Dimke had his 42-yard field goal try hit the upright giving Penn State the win.

“I guess it’s just something this team has inside of them, needing to make a play, needing to get the job done, to do what it takes to get another win,” Penn State junior quarterback Matt McGloin said.

Paterno was honored with a plaque after the game for his latest achievement.

Joe Paterno (right) was given a plaque commemorating his Division I
record setting victory. (Photo by Justin K. Allen/Getty Images)

“Eddie Robinson and Jake Gaither of Florida A&M were the two guys who opened the doors for African American men when there was no place for them to play,” Paterno said. “For me, coming from Brooklyn, being the grandson of an immigrant, it means a lot.”

The Nittany Lions now sit at 8-1 this season and hold an inside track to the inaugural Big Ten Championship game on Dec. 3 in Indianapolis.

CARDINAL NEED THREE OT’s TO WIN THIRD STRAIGHT IN COLISEUM

Much like their previous two trips to Los Angeles, the Stanford Cardinal recorded a memorable win against the USC Trojans. This one just needed three overtimes to seal the deal.

“I might need a couple of minutes to digest it, but it’s definitely up there,” Stanford junior quarterback Andrew Luck said. “More than anything, I’m just happy to get a win.”

Despite seeing its streak of 25-point blowouts end at 10, Stanford won three straight against the Trojans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the first time since the mid-1930s according to College Football Reference.

USC gave the Cardinal a tough match all throughout the game, even taking a 20-10 lead 4:30 seconds into the third quarter. Stanford would then regain the lead nine minutes later, heading into the fourth quarter with a 24-20 lead.

As both teams were tied at 27 with 3:08 left, Luck threw a near-costly interception that sophomore cornerback Nickell Robley took back for a score. However, the Heisman hopeful shook off that setback and put together a 10-play, 76-yard drive to force a 34-34 tie capped off by a Stepfan Taylor two-yard plunge.

“He [Luck] was so mad at himself,” Stanford head coach David Shaw said.  “He wasn’t going to let that play lose the game for us.”

The Trojans had one last chance to win it in regulation, but Robert Woods could not get to the sidelines in time (despite USC having two timeouts left) setting up overtime.

Stanford players celebrate as Matt Barkley (7) disappointingly
looks on. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht/Daily News)

With both teams matching touchdowns in both overtimes, Taylor’s five-yard run put the Cardinal ahead 56-48 with USC having chance to respond in the third overtime. It would never come, as a Curtis McNeal fumble was picked up by Stanford to end the game.

“No excuse, I just fumbled,” McNeal said.

Stanford has Oregon State, before a showdown with Oregon on Nov. 12 that could determine the Pac-12 North.

MY WEEK 3 BCS RANKINGS

LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma St., Stanford, Boise St., Oklahoma, Oregon, Arkansas, Nebraska, South Carolina

WEEK 9 PREDICTIONS

Michigan St. 31, Nebraska 27
Oklahoma 35, Kansas St. 25
Stanford 45, USC 21

WEEK: 2-1 (.667)
SEASON: 22-8 (.733)

PREDICTIONS FOR WEEK 10

No. 7 Arkansas 27, No. 9 South Carolina 20
No. 3 Oklahoma St. 34, No. 14 Kansas St. 30
No. 1 LSU 27, No. 2 Alabama 24