Big Ten Football Players of the Week

Following Big Ten football games on Nov. 18, the co-offensive, defensive and special teams players of the week and co-freshmen of the week in the Big Ten were announced this morning. Below are this week’s honorees:
Co-Offensive Player of the Week
Saquon Barkley, Penn State
Jr., RB, Coplay, Pa./Whitehall
Recorded 224 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns in Penn State’s victory over Nebraska
Rushed 17 times for 158 yards and three touchdowns, giving him a school-record 39 career rushing touchdowns
Added six catches for 66 yards, giving him 46 receptions on the season and breaking the Penn State single-season record for receptions by a running back (previously held by Larry Johnson with 41 catches in 2002)
Receives his sixth career Offensive Player of the Week award and fourth this season, tying him for second all-time in single-season offensive honors
Last Penn State Offensive Player of the Week: Saquon Barkley (Oct. 23, 2017)
Anthony Mahoungou, Purdue
Sr., WR, Paris, France/West Hills College
Tied a career high with seven receptions for a career-high 135 yards and two touchdowns in Purdue’s victory at Iowa
Opened the second half with five straight receptions from Elijah Sindelar on Purdue’s first two possessions for 118 yards and two scores to give Purdue a 21-9 lead
His 42-yard touchdown reception on Purdue’s opening drive of the the third quarter was the third-longest scoring play of the season for the Boilermakers
Earns his first career Offensive Player of the Week award
Last Purdue Offensive Player of the Week: David Blough (Nov. 2, 2015)
Defensive Player of the Week
Nate Hall, Northwestern
Jr., LB, Toledo, Ohio/Southview
Recorded 2.5 sacks, 3.0 tackles for loss, an interception and a fumble recovery as Northwestern won its sixth consecutive game for the first time since 1996
Finished the game with seven tackles, including a team-high five solo stops
Anchored a Northwestern defense that recorded its first shutout since 2015
Earns his first career Defensive Player of the Week honor
Last Northwestern Defensive Player of the Week: Paddy Fisher (Oct. 30, 2017)
Special Teams Player of the Week
Nick Nelson, Wisconsin
Jr., CB, Glenarden, Md./Suitland
Scored the first punt return touchdown of his career on a 50-yard return to open the scoring in the first quarter of Wisconsin’s victory over Michigan
His touchdown marked the Badgers’ first punt return TD since Kenzel Doe ran back an 82-yard return vs. Utah State on Sept. 15, 2012
Added an 18-yard return in the fourth quarter to set up Wisconsin’s final field goal, as well as two tackles and a team-high two pass break-ups
Receives his first career Special Teams Player of the Week award
Last Wisconsin Special Teams Player of the Week: Rafael Gaglianone (Sept. 5, 2016)
Co-Freshmen of the Week
Morgan Ellison, Indiana
Fr., RB, Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central
Collected the second 100-yard game of his career with 149 yards on 15 attempts in the Hoosiers’ win over Rutgers
Added two touchdowns, marking his second career multi-touchdown game
His career-long 45-yard rush in the third quarter set up his second touchdown of the game
Claims his second Freshman of the Week award
Last Indiana Freshman of the Week: Whop Philyor (Oct. 30, 2017)
Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin
Fr., RB, Salem, N.J./Salem
Carried the ball 19 times for 132 yards in Wisconsin’s win over Michigan, marking his eighth game with at least 100 yards this season
Now has 1,657 rushing yards this season, moving him past Herschel Walker for eighth on the NCAA’s all-time freshman rushing list
Ranks seventh on Wisconsin’s overall single-season rushing list
Claims his seventh career Big Ten Freshman of the Week award, tying him for the most in conference history alongside Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett (2014)
Last Wisconsin Freshman of the Week: Jonathan Taylor (Nov. 11, 2017)