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'Instant Classic'

Michigan-Northwestern steals thunder from bigger games

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Damien Anderson ran the ball 31 times for 268 yards against Michigan. AP

By Marc Lancaster, CNNSI.com

The supposed game of the week, Virginia Tech at Miami, quickly turned into a dud. Bowden Bowl II? Ditto. Both were blowouts.

But you can always count on Northwestern, previously winners in double overtime and on a Hail Mary, to provide the excitement.

The Wildcats engaged in what is already being labeled an "Instant Classic" against Michigan, an offensive clinic that wasn't over till the clock read 0:00. When it did, Northwestern had earned the 54-51 win and remains in Rose Bowl contention with Purdue.

Speaking of Pasadena, Pac-10 frontrunners Oregon, Oregon State and Washington were all pushed to the brink before hanging on. There was a West Coast upset on Saturday, however, as San Jose State ended TCU's 12-game winning streak.

Week 11 Recaps
(1) Oklahoma 56, Baylor 7
Preview	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	78: Total yards for Baylor.
Player of the Game
Josh Heupel, QB, Oklahoma. He played only a half, but completed 20 of 27 passes for 313 yards and 3 TDs.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
Poor Baylor. The Bears got the full Heupel performance in half the time, but that was certainly welcome for the Sooners. After three straight brutal games, they needed to dispense with the Bears as quickly as possible, and they did just that. Even backup quarterback Nate Hybl got into the act for the Sooners, throwing for two touchdowns himself.
(3) Miami 41, (2) Virginia Tech 21
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	14: Total yards for Michael Vick -- 9 passing and 5 rushing.
Player of the Game
Santana Moss, WR, Miami. Got in his big-play groove again, catching four passes for 154 yards and two long TDs.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
You had a feeling when Dave Meyer overthrew receivers on third-down plays on Virginia Tech's first two drives that this might get ugly. It got even worse for the Hokies when Vick hobbled in, only to commit a pair of turnovers. The Hurricanes were merciless with their quick-strike offense, as Ken Dorsey hooked up with his receivers for big plays and James Jackson racked up 145 yards on the ground. With or without Vick, this is not the Hokie team that made it to the Sugar Bowl last year. It's all about the defense.
(4) Florida State 54, (10) Clemson 7
Recap	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	771: Florida State's total offense, most ever allowed by Clemson.
Player of the Game
Chris Weinke, QB, Florida State. Watch out, Messrs. Heupel and Brees. Your competitor to the South sprang for 521 passing yards.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
Whither, Clemson? The same team that started 8-0 and rose to the nation's top five has seen its defense torched two straight weeks. Meanwhile, the 'Noles have been absolutely torrid after losing to Miami. FSU clicked on all cylinders, with three receivers, Snoop Minnis, Javon Walker and Attrews Bell, busting 100 yards, and Travis Minor hitting triple-digit rushing to boot. Meanwhile, hobbled Clemson QB Woodrown Dantzler struggled to 7-of-20 passing and 6 yards rushing.
(5) Nebraska 56, Kansas 17
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	32: Consecutive wins against Kansas for Nebraska.
Player of the Game
Eric Crouch, QB, Nebraska. Ran for four touchdowns and threw for another, all in the first half.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
Remember those interesting Big 12 games in recent weeks? Back to the usual rear end-kickings this week. Nothing suspenseful at all about this one, except maybe trying to figure out when Frank Solich would take Crouch out of the game. Nebraska had three guys rush for more than 100 yards, and 493 on the ground as a team. Yikes.
(6) Florida 43, Vanderbilt 20
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	74-1 Florida's record against unranked opponents under Steve Spurrier.
Player of the Game
Rex Grossman, QB, Florida. Recovered nicely by hitting 21 of 34 passes for 334 yards and two TDs.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
With Grossman playing confidently, the Gators are looking stronger every week. They let Vanderbilt hang around, as the Commodores tend to do, but after a while Florida proved to be too much for Vandy to handle. Greg Zolman was horrific, throwing five interceptions to keep his team from having any hope of controlling the clock. Everybody ready for that Florida-South Carolina showdown now?
(7) Oregon 27, Washington State 24, OT
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	41: Rushing plays for normally pass-happy Washington State, which threw it 27 times.
Player of the Game
Marshaun Tucker, WR, Oregon. Was the main offensive weapon, catching seven passes for 135 yards and a TD.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
The Cougars' performance was remarkable, considering that they lost star quarterback Jason Gesser to a broken leg in the second quarter. His backup, Matt Kegel, did all he could, even giving his team the lead with a 1-yard TD run in the fourth quarter, but he couldn't lead a scoring drive after that or in overtime. The Ducks were very fortunate to escape Pullman with their Rose Bowl hopes still alive. They converted just 1 of 14 third downs and got less than 50 yards rushing out of the normally reliable Maurice Morris.
(8) Washington 35, Arizona 32
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	22: Fourth-quarter points for the Huskies.
Player of the Game
Willie Hurst, RB, Washington. Made his eight carries count, with 116 yards and two TDs, including the run of the year so far.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
You had to know it was coming; the Huskies do this every week. Left for dead, with the Wildcats ready to pull out another win in Seattle, Washington came back. The Huskies did their best work on the ground, with Hurst and Marques Tuiasosopo rushing for two TDs each. But it wasn't over until Arizona, for the second straight week, had the ball last but couldn't convert. Washington is right in the Pac-10 mix ... barely.
San Jose State 27, (9) TCU 24
Recap	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	358: Yards allowed by SJSU, 122.3 below its nation's-worst average.
Player of the Game
Neil Parry, S, San Jose State. He didn't play a down. But the mere presence of Parry, following an injury that forced his foot to be amputated, clearly inspired the Spartans.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
The Spartans came in dead last defensively, but rose to the occasion against the powerful Horned Frogs. Sure, LaDainian Tomlinson got his 155 yards and two TDs. Sure, Casey Printers drove them down the field for the possible win. But SJSU held on that drive, and several others. Meanwhile, Deonce Whitaker reminded everyone that the Spartans have a runner of their own, gaining 100 yards to lead the offensive attack. It was a costly loss for TCU, which had been edging toward a BCS bid, and which had a 12-game win streak snapped.
(21) Northwestern 54, (12) Michigan 51
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	1,189: Total yards between the two teams.
Player of the Game
Zak Kustok, QB, Northwestern. His stats were lovely (27 of 40, 322 yards, 4 TDs), but the amazing thing about this guy is how well he directs that crazy offense.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
About the only surprise in this one was that the team that had the ball last didn't win. And the way this game was going, if the hold had been good on Hayden Epstein's 57-yard field goal attempt as time expired, he probably would have made it. What can you say about this one? The stars made the plays, and they also had the ultimate screw-ups: Damien Anderson's 268 yards rushing were offset by his astonishing drop in the end zone. Anthony Thomas' 199 yards and 3 TDs will be forgotten after his fumble cost Michigan the game. Combine last week's Hail Mary with this game, and it looks like a Rose Bowl trip for the Wildcats may have been preordained.
Louisville 49, (13) Southern Miss 28
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	20: Years since Louisville last beat Southern Miss in Hattiesburg.
Player of the Game
Dave Ragone, QB, Louisville. Got it going offensively, throwing for two touchdowns and running for two more.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
It's been a long, long time since someone did this to a Southern Miss defense. The Golden Eagles, who entered the game ranked second in the nation in allowing only 8.9 points per game, haven't surrendered this many points since a 56-49 loss to Houston in 1996. Ragone and the Cardinals sliced and diced the USM defense, scoring 42 points in the second and third quarters. This puts the Cardinals in the C-USA driver's seat, as they need only to win their last two games (Army and Houston) to clinch a Liberty Bowl berth.
(14) Oregon State 38, California 32
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	27: Rushing yards for Cal.
Player of the Game
Ken Simonton, RB, Oregon State. Sprinted to 125 yards and three touchdowns.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
The Beavers are still in outstanding shape in the Pac-10 race, but they almost played themselves out of it late in this one. The Bears drew within two points halfway through the fourth quarter, but Oregon State answered to put it away. The Beavers got their standard effort from Simonton, and were able to avoid being victimized by Cal's passing attack.
(16) Ohio State 27, Michigan State 13
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	96: Yards allowed by Ohio State in the final three quarters.
Player of the Game
Derek Combs, RB, Ohio State. He's carrying the weight for the Buckeye offense, and came through with another big day -- 153 yards and a TD.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
For a half, this looked like a game neither team was intent on winning. But the Buckeyes finally broke through with Michael Doss' 73-yard fumble return to jump-start a still-shaky offense. Steve Bellisari continues to struggle under center for the Buckeyes (three turnovers), but Ohio State manages to win in spite of those troubles. The Spartans, try as they might, always manage to make a couple of critical mistakes in every game, and they just can't get out of the holes they create for themselves.
(18) Mississippi State 35, Kentucky 17
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	2: Turnovers by Kentucky's Jared Lorenzen that were returned for touchdowns -- an interception and a fumble.
Players of the Game
Dicenzo Miller and Dontae Walker, RBs, Mississippi State. Each Bulldog back ran for 100 yards and scored a touchdown.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
Mississippi State's defense continues to mysteriously surrender large chunks of yardage, but also continues to make big plays when needed. The Bulldogs got two defensive touchdowns and picked off Lorenzen a total of four times to get all the scoring they would need. With Miller and Walker grinding out yardage against the porous Wildcat defense, Kentucky never had a chance.
(19) Kansas State 56, Iowa State 10
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	78.6: Completion percentage for K-State QB Jonathan Beasley, who hit 11 of 14 passes.
Player of the Game
Josh Scobey, RB, Kansas State. Try 149 yards and four TDs for a decent day's work.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
So much for the Cyclones' jubilation over qualifying for an elusive bowl bid last week. The Big 12's natural order returned in this one, with the Wildcats finally rediscovering their offense against a Cyclones team that could do absolutely nothing to stop them. As much as K-State has struggled, the 'Cats are still a bit better than Missouri, fellas. Beasley needed to have an efficient passing game after his recent difficulties, and he did just that.
(20) Texas 29, Texas Tech 17
Recap	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	7: Fumbles by Texas Tech, three of them lost.
Player of the Game
Hodges Mitchell, RB, Texas. New peak in an up-and-down year, with 229 yards on 45 carries.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
The Longhorns usually succeed when they get their running game going, which is exactly what they did against the Raiders. Mitchell had 115 yards by the end of the first quarter. Tech was able to erase a 16-0 deficit and go up 17-16 in the third quarter, but the Longhorns struck back with one of Kris Stockton's five field goals. UT has now won three in a row following its 63-14 loss to Oklahoma, and still remains in contention in the Big 12 South.
(24) Texas A&M 21, Oklahoma State 16
Matchup	Key Stat
Game Recap Game Summary	4: Different players to attempt a pass Saturday for the Cowboys.
Player of the Game
Robert Ferguson, WR, Texas A&M. Kept possession for the Aggies with 11 catches for 119 yards and a touchdown.
CNNSI.com's Analysis
This one was a little too close for A&M, which played like it was already studying its scouting report for next week's game with Oklahoma. Obviously, the Aggies will have to do better in that one. The Cowboys are in a tailspin, and the fact that they kept this close should jolt the Aggies a bit going into next week. Still, A&M had Mark Farris playing well (246 yards), and was able to get it done.

 

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