First-year coach Curt Cignetti promised a new and improved Indiana, and he has delivered with the unbeaten Hoosiers off to their best start since 1967.
The Hoosiers have already doubled their win total from last season, and for that they earned four of the 10 Associated Press Big Ten midseason awards.
Nine AP writers who cover the conference voted 16th-ranked Indiana the most surprising Big Ten team of the first half of the season, Cignetti the top coach and quarterback Kurtis Rourke the top first-year transfer and most surprising player.
Since 1968, the season after its only Rose Bowl appearance, Indiana has finished with just 12 winning records and never won more than eight games. The Hoosiers went 14-7 in 2019-20 but slipped back to 9-27 the next three seasons.
Enter Cignetti, who at 63 has his first head coaching job in a power conference. He arrived after going 52-9 in five seasons at James Madison and flipped the Indiana roster with 54 newcomers, half of them transfers. Of the 27 transfers, 13 followed him from James Madison.
The one who has made the biggest impact came from Ohio: Rourke, a sixth-year player who has made a better-than-expected transition from the Mid-American Conference to the Big Ten. His 292 yards passing per game rank second in the league, he's tied for the lead with 14 touchdown passes, and his 73.8% completion rate is third in the country. He's the first Indiana quarterback to throw for three TDs in three Big Ten games since Harry Gonso in that magical '67 season.
Rourke operates an offense that averages 516 yards and 48 points per game and leads the Big Ten with 32 pass plays of 20 yards or longer.
Dillon Gabriel, Oregon. The quarterback who transferred from Oklahoma for his final season has completed 76% of his passes for 298 yards per game. He's thrown for at least two TDs in every game and has a total of 13. His 1.5% interception rate (3 on 201 attempts) is tied for fifth-best among the power-conference quarterbacks with at least 200 attempts, according to Sportradar.
Last week, he threw for 341 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score in the second-ranked Ducks' 32-31 win over Ohio State in a top-five matchup.
Mason Graham, Michigan. The defensive tackle has lived up to his preseason AP All-America billing and is building his NFL draft stock. He regularly has contended with double-teams and, according to Pro Football Focus, has played no fewer than 46 snaps in five of the Wolverines' six games. He played more than 46 in only one game last season.
Graham, who teams with Kenneth Grant to form one of the nation's top defensive line duos, has 3.5 sacks, four tackles for loss and 21 tackles. His PFF rating is eighth-highest among FBS interior linemen and third-highest in the Big Ten.
Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State. The wide receiver averages 17.3 yards on his 32 catches and 92 yards per game, the second-best numbers by a freshman behind Alabama star Ryan Williams. Physical and able to pick up yards after the catch, Smith caught a season-high nine balls for 100 yards and a touchdown last week while being covered by top Oregon CB Jabbar Muhammad.
Southern California has found life in the Big Ten challenging, to say the least. The season started out with a neutral-site win over LSU, but now the Trojans are 3-3 overall, 1-3 in the Big Ten and out of College Football Playoff contention.
USC was No. 11 in the AP Top 25 just two weeks ago after erasing a double-digit deficit to beat Wisconsin. But a bad loss at Minnesota was followed by last week's home overtime loss to Penn State in a game in which it led or was tied the final 49 minutes of regulation. This week the Trojans go to Maryland for their longest road trip of the season.
USC is 5-8 since it opened last season 6-0, and the Trojans' start in Big Ten play has upped the pressure on Lincoln Riley.
The biggest issue is defense. Stopping the run is crucial to success in the Big Ten, and that's where the Trojans have struggled. They're 16th out of 18 in the conference in rushing defense. They've given up five runs of 30 yards or longer, including four that have gone for 40-plus.
There's a tie between Wisconsin quarterback Tyler Van Dyke and USC linebacker Eric Gentry.
Van Dyke transferred from Miami and beat out Braedyn Locke for the starter's job. Van Dyke led the Badgers to wins in the first two games before going down with a season-ending knee injury against Alabama. The Badgers are 2-1 since.
Gentry was coming off the best game of his career — 12 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack against Michigan — when he left the next game against Wisconsin with an undisclosed injury. The Trojans have been without their defensive anchor for two games.
AP Sports Writers Dave Campbell, Tom Canavan, Larry Lage, Steve Megargee, Eric Olson, Anne M. Peterson, Joe Reedy, Andrew Seligman and Mitch Stacy contributed.
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Michigan defensive lineman Kenneth Grant, left, and defensive lineman Mason Graham tackle Washington wide receiver Jeremiah Hunter during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Seattle. Washington won 27-17. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — England led New Zealand by 533 runs with five second-innings wickets in hand Saturday after another day of extraordinary incidents and milestones, including a hat-trick on the second day of the second test at the Basin Reserve.
At stumps, England was 378-5 in its second innings with Joe Root 73 not out and captain Ben Stokes unbeaten on 35.
Root was among the history-makers Saturday, reaching his 100th score of 50 or more in tests. When he reached his 65th half century, which goes along with his 35 centuries, he became the fourth player after Sachin Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting to achieve that feat.
When Stokes declares, possibly overnight, New Zealand will have to achieve the highest successful fourth-innings run chase in test history to win the match and level the three-match series. England won the first test by eight wickets in Christchurch.
The record successful fourth innings total currently sits at 418, achieved by the West Indies against Australia at St. John's in the Caribbean 21 years ago.
Under any normal circumstances, Stokes probably would have been happy to declare by now, confident in his bowlers' ability to defend such a mammoth lead.
But the match has progressed so fast and so far with 783 runs being scored and 25 wickets falling on the first two days, that three full days are still available to New Zealand reach its winning target. Most other winning fourth-innings totals in tests have had some element of a time constraint.
The pitch at the Basin Reserve which has been bathed in sunshine on the first two days also is becoming more docile.
Stokes came to the crease 30 minutes before stumps Saturday and immediately hit a four and a six in the first over he faced from Matt Henry, then another six in what seemed a tacit announcement of an impending declaration. By declaring overnight, Stokes will allow the England bowlers to rest and start fresh on the third day.
The England second innings also saw two batters fall in the 90s, Jacob Bethell on 96, just short of his maiden test century, and Ben Duckett on 92. Harry Brook made 55 to go with his 123 in the first innings and his 171 in the first innings of the first test.
All of those innings would which on any normal day of cricket have notable on their own. But they came one after the other and in quick succession so that Gus Atkinson's historic achievement of the morning session seemed somehow distant.
Atkinson became the 15th English bowler and the first since Moeen Ali in 2017 to take a test hat-trick.
The Surrey pacer claimed the last three wickets of New Zealand's first innings, dismissing Nathan Smith, Matt Henry and Tim Southee with consecutive deliveries as England bowled out New Zealand for 125 to take a 155-run first-innings lead.
“It feels good,” Atkinson said. “I've never really thought about getting a hat-trick until I was at the end of my run and I was on a hat-trick. (It) ends the year nicely.”
Atkinson bowled Smith (14) with the third ball of the 35th over of the innings. Smith dangled his bat at a delivery wide of off stump, tried too late to leave the ball but managed only to deflect it onto his stumps.
That brought out Henry, a competent batter with an average of almost 20 in tests, who received a ball which bounced sharply from just short of a length and reached chest high. Henry tried to fend the ball away but it skewed from the splice to Duckett in the gully.
That left Southee to face the hat-trick ball. The veteran seamer in his last test series averages 15.6 and has hit 95 sixes in an illustrious career.
Southee clearly was expecting another short ball, the field was set for it. But the delivery from Atkinson was full and straight, struck the batter on the front pad and clearly was going on to hit middle stump.
Atkinson is a statistical marvel who, in just his 10th test, has taken 12 wickets in an innings (12-106 against the West Indies at Lord's in July ) and scored a century (118 against Sri Lanka at Lord's in August ). He now adds a hat-trick to that already impressive resume.
Atkinson was not privy to Stokes' thoughts about a declaration.
“I'm not really sure what the plans are to be honest,” he said. “We'll see tomorrow, assess what the conditions are and see from there.”
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
England captain Ben Stokes, left, and teammate Joe Root walk from the filed at the close of play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
New Zealand's Matt Henry reacts as he attempts to field the ball during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
England's Jacob Bethell reacts as he avoids a bouncer while batting during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Kerry Marshall/Photosport via AP)
England's Ben Duckett reacts after scoring 50 runs during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
New Zealand's Glenn Phillips is airborne as he attempts to field the ball during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
England's Jacob Bethell waves to the crowd as he leaves the field after he was dismissed on 96 runs during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
England Gus Atkinson bowler celebrates after taking a hat trick during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Kerry Marshall/Photosport via AP)
England bowler Brydon Carse, right, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of New Zealand's Tom Blundell during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
England Gus Atkinso, left, bowler celebrates with teammates after taking a hat trick during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Kerry Marshall/Photosport via AP)
New Zealand's Nathan Smith reacts after he is bowled by England's Gus Atkinson during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Kerry Marshall/Photosport via AP)
New Zealand's Nathan Smith is bowled by England's Gus Atkinson during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
England bowler Gus Atkinson is congratulated by teammate Brydon Carse, left, after taking a hat trick during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
England bowler Gus Atkinson is congratulated by teammate Chris Woakes, left, after taking a hat trick during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
England bowler Gus Atkinson is congratulated by teammate Brydon Carse, left, after taking a hat trick during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
England's Gus Atkinson, bottom left, celebrates after taking a hat trick during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Kerry Marshall/Photosport via AP)
England bowler Gus Atkinson celebrates after taking a hat trick during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
