Maryland football had its first bye week in Week 6. That gave fans time to watch a Saturday slate full of big upsets.
None were more unexpected than Vanderbilt taking down No. 1 Alabama, 40-35, in a down-to-the-wire thriller. No. 4 Tennessee also fell to an unranked SEC opponent, Arkansas, by a score of 19-14.
But the Big Ten schedule was far from lacking in surprises. Here’s a look at what went down.
Surprise result: No. 10 Michigan 17, Washington 27
For the first time, the Wolverines travelled to the West Coast for a conference matchup, and the jet lag appeared to catch up to them.
Quarterback Alex Orji started the game an abysmal three for seven passing for just 15 yards. He was benched in the second quarter in favor of graduate student Jack Tuttle, who failed to eclipse 100 passing yards on 18 attempts.
Meanwhile, Washington quarterback Will Rogers lived up to the moment against his toughest opponent yet as a Husky. The Mississippi State transfer was 21 for 31 for 271 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He guided Washington to the second-most points Michigan has allowed in a game all year — the most coming to No. 1 Texas with 31.
Saturday marks the first time Michigan lost to a Big Ten opponent since 2021, which came agianst No. 8 Michigan State.
Statement victory: No. 11 USC 17, Minnesota 24
The Golden Gophers put the Big Ten on watch last week when they narrowly lost to the Wolverines, 27-24. This week, they pulled off a marquee win over an elite conference opponent.
Minnesota’s defense made the upset possible. It held USC quarterback Miller Moss to a season-low 200 passing yards and a season-high two interceptions, also recovering a fumble from running back Quinten Joyner.
Graduate quarterback Max Brosmer, a transfer from New Hampshire, led an offense that did just enough to win. Brosmer was efficient, completing 15-of-19 passes for 169 yards and rushing for three touchdowns. Running back Darius Taylor had his best game of 2024, regaining some of the form that allowed him to rush for over 130 yards per game last season. He finished with 144 yards on 25 carries against the Trojans.
The Golden Gophers are 1-2 in conference play thus far, but have proven they can spar with the Big Ten’s best.
Player of the week: No. 18 Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke
Rourke continued his stellar 2024 campaign with a three-touchdown performance that kept the Hoosiers undefeated and made them the first bowl-eligible team in the country.
Indiana took down Northwestern, 41-24, at the Wildcats’ temporary lakefront stadium. Rourke went 25 for 33 for 380 passing yards and three scores. His 90.8 Pro Football Focus (PFF) passing grade was the highest among Big Ten starters in Week 6.
Rourke, who transferred to Indiana in the offseason after five seasons at Ohio, helped the Hoosiers down Maryland a week ago, 42-28. He has led Indiana to its first 6-0 start since 1967 and its highest AP ranking since 2021. His 1,752 passing yards and 14 touchdowns on the season both lead the Big Ten.
