Following Big Ten football games on Oct. 28, the 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:
Offensive Player of the Week
J.T. Barrett, Ohio State
Sr., QB, Wichita Falls, Texas/Rider
Completed a school-record 33 of 39 passes for 328 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing 17 times for 95 yards in Ohio State’s come-from-behind win over Penn State
Set an OSU record with 423 yards of total offense
Completed his final 16 passes, setting another school record, and went 13-of-13 passing for 170 yards and three touchdowns in the fourth quarter
Receives his ninth career Offensive Player of the Week award, tying the Big Ten record held by Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne (1996-99) and Michigan’s Denard Robinson (2009-12), and his third of the season
Last Ohio State Offensive Player of the Week: J.T. Barrett (Oct. 16, 2017)
Defensive Player of the Week
Paddy Fisher, Northwestern
Fr., LB, Katy, Texas/Katy
Recorded 17 tackles, including 14 solo stops, and forced two fumbles in Northwestern’s triple-overtime win over Michigan State
His 14 solo tackles are the most in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) this season, as well as the second-most in school history and most since 2005, when Tim McGarigle had 15 solo tackles for the Wildcats against Wisconsin
He is one of three FBS players with 17 tackles in two games this season (he had 18 at Duke on Sept. 9), joining Buffalo’s Khalil Hodge and San Jose State’s Frank Ginda
Collects his first career Defensive Player of the Week honor
Last Northwestern Defensive Player of the Week: Ifeadi Odenigbo (Oct. 3, 2016)
Special Teams Player of the Week
Saquon Barkley, Penn State
Jr., RB, Coplay, Pa./Whitehall
Returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown for the second time this season, going 97 yards for a score to start the Nittany Lions’ game at Ohio State
Tied the program record with two kickoff returns for a touchdown in a single season, matching the mark jointly held by Chuck Peters in 1940, Curt Warner in 1980 and Derrick Williams in 2008
Added a rushing touchdown against the Buckeyes and has now scored a touchdown in a school-record 15 consecutive games, the longest active streak in FBS
Receives his second career Special Teams Player of the Week award, his fifth overall honor this season (three offensive, two special teams) and his ninth career Big Ten weekly award (fifth offensive awards, two freshman honors and two special teams’ accolades)
Last Penn State Special Teams Player of the Week: Saquon Barkley (Oct. 2, 2017)
Co-Freshmen of the Week
Whop Philyor, Indiana
WR, Tampa, Fla./Plant
Had 13 receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown in Indiana’s game at Maryland
His 13 catches were an Indiana freshman record and ties for the fourth-highest single-game total in program history
His 127 receiving yards were the most by a Hoosier ture freshman since Sept. 13, 1997, when O.J. Conner had 140 receiving yards against Ball State
Claims his first career weekly award
Last Indiana Freshman of the Week: Morgan Ellison (Sept. 25, 2017)
Cody White, Michigan State
WR, Novi, Mich./Walled Lake Western
Registered a career-high nine catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns in Michigan State’s three-overtime game at Northwestern
Set a program record for the most receiving yards by an MSU freshman, highlighted by a 60-yard catch in the first quarter, the longest pass play of the season for the Spartans, and a 45-yard reception on third-and-18 in the fourth quarter
Gave MSU the lead in the second overtime with his second touchdown catch of the game from 11 yards out
Claims his first career weekly award
Last Michigan State Freshman of the Week: LJ Scott (Oct. 5, 2015)
