Following Big Ten football games on Sept. 27-28, the Co-Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week and Freshman of the Week in the Big Ten were announced this morning. Below are this week’s honorees:
Co-Offensive Players of the Week
Tanner Morgan, Minnesota
So., QB, Union, Ky./Ryle
Completed 21-of-22 passes for 396 yards and four touchdowns in Minnesota’s victory at Purdue
Completion percentage of .955 was the best single-game mark in conference history for any quarterback attempting 13 or more passes
Recorded the most passing yards in a game by a Gopher since Adam Weber threw for 416 yards against Michigan State in 2009
Earns his first career Offensive Player of the Week award
Last Minnesota Offensive Player of the Week: Tyler Johnson (Sept. 16, 2019)
Sean Clifford, Penn State
So., QB, Cincinnati, Ohio/Saint Xavier
Threw for 398 yards and three touchdowns and added 54 yards and a touchdown on the ground in Penn State’s victory at Maryland
Notched the third-most passing yards in a contest in school history and most since 2014
Completed 26 of a career-high 31 passing attempts
Claims his first career Offensive Player of the Week award
Last Penn State Offensive Player of the Week: Miles Sanders (Sept. 24, 2018)
Defensive Player of the Week
Chris Orr, Wisconsin
Sr., LB, DeSoto, Texas/DeSoto
Recorded nine tackles, including five solo stops, in the Badgers’ win against Northwestern
Added two sacks and a forced fumble in the contest
Anchored a defense that allowed just 255 yards, recorded 14.0 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, forced three turnovers and scored two touchdowns
Receives his first career Defensive Player of the Week honor
Last Wisconsin Defensive Player of the Week: Leon Jacobs (Nov. 13, 2017)
Special Teams Player of the Week
Jacob Herbers, Minnesota
Sr., P, Battle Creek, Mich./Lakeview
Averaged 41.2 yards per punt on four attempts as Minnesota defeated Purdue
Pinned the Boilermakers at their own 1 and 2-yard line on punts in a contest that the Gophers would win by seven points
Has not allowed a punt return yard all season
Claims his first career Special Teams Player of the Week honor
Last Minnesota Special Teams Player of the Week: Demetrius Douglas (Nov. 26, 2018)
Freshman of the Week
Michael Penix Jr., Indiana
QB, Tampa, Fla./Tampa Bay Tech
Finished 33-of-42 passing for 286 yards with a career-best three passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown at Michigan State
Completed a school-record 20-straight passes, the second-most consecutive completions in Big Ten history behind Chuck Long’s 22-straight in 1984
His 33 completions were a career-high and share seventh on the program’s single-game list
Earns his second career Freshman of the Week award
Last Indiana Freshman of the Week: Michael Penix Jr. (Sept. 2, 2019)
