Last night, Michigan State right tackle Robert Wright Jr. threw up during a two-point try against Toledo. Less than a day later, another Big Ten moment has garnered attention. It also includes a player vomiting on the field.

During the Nebraska Cornhuskers’ home opener in Lincoln, Matt Rhule’s defensive tackle, Jahsear Whittington, was caught puking in the first quarter. According to a clip posted by a Northwestern football insider, the moment occurred with 6:29 left in the first quarter, with the score tied 7-7.

Nebraska had just evened the game. Jamal Rule scored on a 1-yard run at 8:19. After the kickoff, Nick Poulos scrambled for 16 yards, and Victor Rosa picked up 2 more. That set up second-and-8 at the Nebraska 49.

On the next snap, Jahsear Whittington jumped offside. Officials threw a 5-yard flag, and the ball moved to the Nebraska 44. The play was dead. Right after the whistle, Whittington bent over and vomited on the field. It was a dead-ball moment after the penalty. 

Whittington did not leave the game. He stayed in the defensive rotation, and Live box scores credited him with one tackle. Whittington came to Lincoln via the portal after spending his first two years of college football at Pittsburgh.

The class of 2024 defensive tackle from Imhotep Institute Charter High School redshirted his freshman year in 2024. Last season, he appeared in 11 games for the Panthers, recording 13 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 1 sack, and a fumble recovery. Ahead of the season opener, Matt Rhule gave Whittington a single-digit jersey number, handed to players who best represent what it means to be a Husker.

Nebraska won the game against the Ohio Bobcats 49-21. QB Anthony Colandrea threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns, while running back Jamal Rule rushed for 122 yards and two touchdowns. But the story of the game also involved the conditions in which it was played.

Lincoln was hot, and the game-time readings sat in the upper 80s to low 90s. Reports listed temperatures of 87–93°F, while the heat index was near or above 100°F. Inside Memorial Stadium, the concrete and direct sun can make it feel even hotter.

Many afternoon games have been in the mid-90s to low 100s. Heat indexes have sat above 100°F, sometimes 105–113°F. South Carolina vs. Kent State kicked off at 95°F, the hottest game in Williams-Brice Stadium history, with a heat index of 113°F. Alabama vs. East Carolina was 96°F and felt like 110°F. 

Schools have added extra water bottles at Nebraska, Arkansas, Alabama, Iowa, and other stadiums. Refill stations and large “water monsters” are out. Cooling zones, extra EMTs, and medical tents are in place. Some venues opened fans on concourses and in air-conditioned rooms. 

What stands out in 2026 is how many sites got hit at once. Record or near-record stadium heat, thinner-looking crowds, a mascot held out, and two visible Big Ten stomach incidents in 24 hours. The rest of college football is still trying to keep Saturday from turning into a medical tent.

Heat hits more than one Big Ten field

Michigan State claimed a 30-20 win over Toledo on Friday night, September 4, at Spartan Stadium. It was Pat Fitzgerald’s first game as head coach. Robert Wright Jr., the starting right tackle, was making his Spartans debut.

In the fourth quarter, Toledo had just taken a 20-19 lead on a 71-yard touchdown run. Michigan State answered with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Alessio Milivojevic to Rodney Bullard Jr. on fourth down. 

That made it 25-20. Wright lined up at right tackle. After the snap, he vomited mid-play while already blocking. The spray went toward the Toledo rusher. Wright finished the block, and Milivojevic had time to throw to Bullard in the corner. Michigan State later added a 51-yard field goal and won 30-20.

“I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m still sweating,” Fitzgerald said. “It was thick out there. We had the ball for 43 minutes, that’s a long time,” the head coach added. 

Apart from players on the field, the heat has hit fans and traditions, too. USC’s August 29 home opener against San Jose State drew 51,144 fans, but large sections looked empty. Fans called the seats “hot plates.” At least 15–20 people were treated in the medical tent. 

Arkansas canceled the planned debut of live mascot Tusk VII, a young Russian boar not yet a year old. The veterinarian said 100°F and a 106°F heat index were unsafe. Fireworks were also canceled because of a local burn ban.

“Seeing that weather forecast that, we would have that for training camp,” Arkansas head coach Ryan Silverfield said before the North Alabama game. “I think that was huge because you can never predict the weather.”

“Our guys are well conditioned for the heat at this point,” Kyle Parkinson, Arkansas senior associate AD for communications, said. “Obviously, we’re going to do everything we can to make sure they’re hydrating and making sure they get their electrolytes… our guys will be as well prepared for this as any football team in the country tomorrow,” Parkinson added.