The first week of Big Ten college football is in the books. All told, 16 out of the league’s 18 teams won to start the 2025 season strong. UCLA was obviously not one of those teams.
This list will contains the scores of closely matched opponents from matchups like the Ohio State Buckeyes against the Texas Longhorns all the way to the pouncing of the USC Trojans against the Missouri State Bears. Without further ado, lets get into the scores.
34-31 Rutgers vs Ohio
The Scarlet Knights were able to hang onto their first half lead against Ohio’s attempted second half comeback. Going into halftime, Rutgers was up 31-17 with 24 points coming in the second quarter.
23-10 Minnesota vs Buffalo
It was a defensive matchup in the first quarter with neither team being able to score, but the Golden Gophers got their offense churning in the second quarter. Their freshman quarterback Drew Lindsey threw for 290 yards and 2 touchdowns and junior running back ran Darius Taylor was their ground attack as they ran for 141 yards, according to ESPN.
20-17 Nebraska vs Cincinnati
The Cornhuskers were able to topple the Bearcats with a star performance from their sophomore quarterback Dylan Raiola, who completed 33 of 42 passes for 243 yards and 2 touchdowns, according to ESPN. As the Bearcats tried to rumble their way back into the game late in the fourth, junior quarterback Brendan Sorsby threw the game ending interception. Bearcats dug their own grave with their two turnovers and Nebraska came out on top.
17-0 Wisconsin vs Miami (OH)
The Badgers defense forced a shutout as the wrecked havoc upon the RedHawks offense and carried their offense to victory. The Badgers had 3 sacks and 4 tackles-for-loss with senior safety Preston Zachman getting his hands on the ball twice for 2 interceptions, according to ESPN.
52-3 Illinois vs Western Illinois
The Leathernecks never stood a chance against the No. 12 ranked Illinois. The Fighting Illi controlled the game the entire way with the Leathernecks only victory being able to prevent a shutout in the fourth with a field goal.
23-6 Michigan State vs Western Michigan
The Spartans maintained control of the game with three touchdowns scored in the first half, but their offense dipped in the second with no points, except for a defensive safety. The defense was eyeing a shutout, but the Broncos defense was able to get a pick six in the fourth.
14-7 Ohio State vs Texas
Probably the most anticipated game on the list ended with the No. 3 ranked Buckeyes toppling the No. 1 Longhorns to show that they still got it even after losing so many players to the NFL Draft. Longhorns sophomore signal caller Arch Manning struggled mightily as the stout Buckeyes defense gave him everything him and his offensive line could handle.
46-11 Penn State vs Nevada
The Nittany Lions tore through the Wolfpack as you would expect the No. 2 ranked team would. Penn State caused three turnovers and the Wolfpack weren’t able to recover, which caused this game to be over before it even started.
59-13 Oregon vs Montana State
What happens when you matchup a ranked team with an FCS team? An absolute blowout performance. The Ducks crushed the Bobcats and scored 38 points in the first half alone.
34-17 Michigan vs New Mexico
The Wolverines bested the Lobos with a great performance from their freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, who threw for 251 yards and a touchdown, according to ESPN. The real star though, was junior running back Justice Haynes, who ran for 151 yards and 3 touchdowns on 16 carries and carried the Wolverines to a week one win.
27-14 Indiana vs Old Dominion
The story of this game is turnovers. The Hoosiers lost a fumble, but the Monarchs had three interceptions. According to ESPN, the Monarch’s sophomore quarterback Colton Joseph struggled threw the air, but he tried to make up for it with 179 rushing yards and 2 rushing touchdowns. You can’t win a game when you are handing over the ball though and that was the case here.
39-7 Maryland vs Florida Atlantic
Maryland’s freshman quarterback Malik Washington had a great debut for the Terrapins with his 258 passing yards and 3 touchdown performance, according to ESPN. However, Washington’s performance might be overshadowed by the Terrapins defense getting their hands on the ball six times.
31-0 Purdue vs Ball State
The Boilermakers dominated the Cardinals through the air in a game with no turnovers. Sophomore quarterback Ryan Browne completed 18 of 26 passes for 311 yards and 2 touchdowns with an average of 12 yards per pass, according to ESPN.
23-3 Tulane vs Northwestern
The Wildcats senior signal caller had a bad day in the office with 5 turnovers, which led to the Wildcats loss. He threw for 161 yards, but 4 interceptions and also lost a fumble, according to ESPN. The Green Wave’s defensive performance had him under constant duress as he was sacked three times and tackled behind the line of scrimmage on 4 carries for -42 yards.
34-7 Iowa vs UAlbany
The Hawkeyes ran over the Great Danes in a performance that was dominated by their ground attack. According to ESPN, freshman running Xavier Williams carried the rock 11 times for 111 yards and a touchdown to help the Hawkeyes fly away with a win.
73-13 USC vs Missouri State
The Trojans trampled the Bears in an outing with the offense and defense complimenting each other. According to ESPN, junior quarterback Jayden Maiava threw for 295 yards and 2 touchdowns and the Trojans defense got 5 sacks and 13 tackles-for-loss to put this game on ice quick.
43-10 Utah vs UCLA
The Utes went into the Rose Bowl and dominated the Bruins from start to finish. The defense forced Utah’s offense to punt once and UCLA’s offense looked like a mess throughout the entirety of the game. Both sides of the ball will need to get adjusted quickly or the Bruins are headed for a long season.
38-21 Washington vs Colorado State
The Huskies beat the Rams because they hung in and fought until the end. Both teams ended the half tied 14-14, but Washington came into the second half with their eyes set on a win. The Huskies scored 24 points in the second half and Colorado State was only able to muster 7 points.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Big Ten Roundup — Week 1 college football scores for 2025 season
Reporting by Ryan Lorenz, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
