Boilermakers at No. 2 Iowa featured game on Big Ten schedule

Published Oct. 14, 2021 2:03 a.m. ET

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Things to watch during Week 7 of play in the Big Ten Conference:

GAME OF THE WEEK

Purdue at No. 2 Iowa

The Hawkeyes (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) have won 12 straight and are coming off a dramatic

BEST MATCHUP

Army (4-1) offense vs. Wisconsin (2-3, 1-2) defense. It's always tough to prepare to defend the Black Knights' triple-option offense, which is generating 318 rushing yards per game and ranks second nationally. Wisconsin's defense should be up to the task. The Badgers are allowing a nation-low 41 yards per game on the ground and have given up just five runs of 10 yards or longer. A huge key is whether Army QB Christian Anderson is back from injury. Without him, the Knights were held to a season-low 3.5 yards per carry by Ball State.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Rutgers (3-3, 0-3) goes into its game at Northwestern (2-3, 0-2) looking for a fourth win in a season for the first time since 2017 and second time since it entered the Big Ten in 2014. The Scarlet Knights are 4-2 on the road since Greg Schiano returned for the 2020 season and will be making their first appearance at Ryan Field since 1989. They started 3-0 but have lost three in a row to ranked Big Ten opponents. They haven't finished above .500 in conference play since 2012, when they were in the Big East.

LONG SHOT

Indiana (2-3, 0-2) is a 4 1/2-point underdog at home against No. 10 Michigan State (6-0, 3-0),

IMPACT PLAYER

Nebraska (3-4, 1-3) fourth-year starting QB Adrian Martinez goes into a road game against Minnesota (3-2, 1-1) having the best season of his career. He has very little to show for it, though. Three of the Huskers' four losses are against top-10 opponents, and in two of those three Martinez had an ill-timed fumble that turned the game. Martinez has hurt the Gophers with his running the two times he's faced them, and he's highly motivated as the Huskers battle to reach bowl eligibility.

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Aidan O'Connell

Jack Plummer

Christian Anderson

Michael Penix Jr.

Adrian Martinez

Iowa Hawkeyes

Purdue Boilermakers

Army West Point Black Knights

Nebraska Cornhuskers

Rutgers Scarlet Knights