Following Big Ten football games on Sept. 23, the offensive, co-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:
Offensive Player of the Week
Saquon Barkley, Penn State
Jr., RB, Coplay, Pa./Whitehall
Piled up 358 all-purpose yards, including a career-high 211 rushing yards, in Penn State’s last-second win at Iowa
Set school record for all-purpose yards in a single game, topping Curt Warner’s mark of 341 yards at Syracuse on Oct. 17, 1981
Added a career-high 12 receptions and became the seventh Nittany Lion to rush for 3,000 career yards
Receives his fourth career Offensive Player of the Week award and second this season
Last Penn State Offensive Player of the Week: Saquon Barkley (Sept. 4, 2017)
Co-Defensive Players of the Week
Josey Jewell, Iowa
Sr., LB, Decorah, Iowa/Decorah
Tied his career high with 16 tackles, including 11 solo stops and a career-best three tackles for loss, in the Hawkeyes’ loss to Penn State
Also broke up two passes and recorded his fifth career interception
Led an Iowa defense that was on the field for 39:39 and held the Penn State offense to 19 points
Collects his second career Defensive Player of the Week honor and second this season
Last Iowa Defensive Player of the Week: Josey Jewell (Sept. 4, 2017)
Chase Winovich, Michigan
Sr., DL, Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson
Had six tackles (all solo), including four tackles for loss and three sacks, in Michigan’s win at Purdue
Set career highs for tackles, tackles for loss and sacks in a single game
Has registered six sacks this season, with at least 0.5 sacks in each Wolverine game to date
Garners his first career Defensive Player of the Week accolade
Last Michigan Defensive Player of the Week: Tyree Kinnel (Sept. 11, 2017)
Special Teams Player of the Week
J-Shun Harris II, Indiana
Jr., WR, Fishers, Ind./Fishers
Returned a punt for a touchdown for the second consecutive game, bringing back a Georgia Southern kick 70 yards for a score in the Hoosiers’ home victory
Became the second Indiana student ever to have punt returns for touchdowns in consecutive games, joining Rob Turner (1990) in that elite company
Has also tied the Hoosiers’ single-season record with two punt returns for touchdowns, jointly held by Larry Highbaugh (1969), Turner and Mitchell Paige (2015)
Earns his second career Special Teams Player of the Week honor and second this season
Last Indiana Special Teams Player of the Week: J-Shun Harris II (Sept. 11, 2017)
Freshman of the Week
Morgan Ellison, Indiana
RB, Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central
Rushed 25 times for 186 yards and two touchdowns in the Hoosiers’ win over Georgia Southern
Recorded the fourth-highest single-game rushing total by a true freshman in school history and became the 11th Indiana true freshman to rush for 100 yards in a game
Averaged 7.4 yards per carry
Claims his first career weekly award
Last Indiana Freshman of the Week: Tyler Natee (Oct. 31, 2016)
