2026 Big Ten Roundup Week 7-- backup quarterbacks, UCLA's undefeated
2026 Big Ten Roundup Week 7-- backup quarterbacks, UCLA's undefeated
Ryan Lorenz, UCLA WireTue, October 20, 2026 at 1:07 PM UTC
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The 2026 college football season has continued to be unpredictable as backup quarterbacks continued to make their way onto the field in Week 7.
There were seven Big Ten games and all but two were decided by a touchdown or less. On top of that, backup quarterbacks made a significant impact on the field with three games having their backups play an extended period of time to win the game for them. Here is a summary of what happened in each of those seven games in this week's Big Ten Roundup.
38-26 Washington vs Purdue
The Boilermakers kept the game close and won the turnover battle with six turnovers, but it wasn't enough for them to stop the Huskies from getting their first Big Ten win of the season. Washington battled and forced two interceptions after getting 14 points in the fourth to keep Purdue from having a chance at spoiling their win.
19-15 Ohio State vs Indiana
It was a battle of two of this season's giants and the difference was a foot from Indiana's junior receiver Nick Marsh in the endzone. Marsh would have caught the game winning touchdown in the endzone, but his foot was out of bounds. Ohio State was able to get a breath of fresh air, after junior quarterback Julian Sayin had a rocky day with two touchdowns, but two interceptions.
17-7 UCLA vs Wisconsin
The Bruins keep their win streak alive, as they remain the last undefeated team in the Big Ten Conference. UCLA's defense shutdown the Badgers passing attack to keep Wisconsin stagnant. Meanwhile, the Bruins senior backup quarterback Ty Dieffenbach put on a show as he threw for 264 passing yards while completing 22-of-33 pass attempts with his lone blemish being an interception in a hail mary pass to end the first half.
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24-21 Northwestern vs Michigan State
The Wildcats kept the Spartans winless in the conference after breaking the tie-game in the final seconds of the fourth quarter with a 34-yard field goal. Both of Northwestern's touchdowns came from the ground game with senior signal caller Aidan Chiles getting revenge on his former team with 25 yards and a rushing touchdown on 16 carries. Chiles also threw for 226 passing yards while completing 66 percent of his passes.
37-30 Rutgers vs Maryland
The Scarlet Knights take down the Terrapins in a dogfight thanks to Rutgers 17-point third quarter performance. Rutgers controlled the clock in the third with all three of their possessions leading to points, while Maryland had two drives in a scoreless quarter. Both teams scored a touchdown in the fourth and the massive second half start for the Scarlet Knights was enough to keep Maryland away.
21-18 Michigan vs Penn State
The Wolverines scraped past the Nittany Lions with a switch at the quarterback position. Sophomore signal caller Bryce Underwood threw two interceptions and Michigan put freshman quarterback Tommy Carr under center to lead the comeback. They both gained around 40 yards through the air, but Carr had a 90.2 Quarterback Rating compared to Underwood's 38.1. Not to mention Carr adding 36-yards and a touchdown on the ground on four carries with Underwood running for 11 yards on three carries.
17-14 Oregon vs Nebraska
Oregon's junior backup quarterback Dylan Raiola once again saw the field after being benched in their previous game against UCLA. Raiola came in relief of senior Brock Thomas, who had a rough outing in the first three quarters against the Cornhuskers. Oregon was held scoreless in the first half, but Thomas cut into their lead with two drives ending in field goals in the third. After Thomas threw an interception, Raiola jogged back onto the field and led a drive that ended in a field goal and then the game-winning drive with a four-yard touchdown pass.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: 2026 Big Ten Roundup Week 7-- backup quarterbacks, UCLA's undefeated
Source: “AOL Sports”
