Big Ten Football Players of the Week

by | Nov 13, 2017 | Football Blogs, RRSN News | 0 comments

Following Big Ten football games on Nov. 11, the co-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:

Co-Offensive Player of the Week

Demry Croft, Minnesota

So., QB, Rockford, Ill./Boylan

Set a single-game school record for quarterbacks by rushng for 183 yards and three touchdowns in Minnesota’s victory over Nebraska

Averaged 18.3 yards per carry in the contest

Threw for 105 yards while completing nine of 15 attempts

Receives his first career Offensive Player of the Week award

Last Minnesota Offensive Player of the Week: Rodney Smith (Oct. 24, 2016)

Mike Weber, Ohio State

So., RB, Detroit, Mich./Cass Tech

Set a personal best with 162 yards rushing on only nine carries and scored two touchdowns to lead Ohio State over Michigan State

Opened the scoring with a 47-yard touchdown rush on Ohio State’s first possession and then put the game away with an 82-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter

Finished the contest averaging 18.0 yards per carry

Earns his first career Offensive Player of the Week award

Last Ohio State Offensive Player of the Week: J.T. Barrett (Oct. 30, 2017)

Co-Defensive Player of the Week

Josh Jackson, Iowa

Jr., DB, Corinth, Texas/Lake Dallas

Returned a pair of interceptions for touchdowns and forced a fumble at Wisconsin

Recorded a 43-yard interception return for a touchdown early in the first quarer for his first career pick-six, then added a 52-yard touchdown return in the third quarter to become the first Hawkeye with a pair of pick-sixes in a Big Ten contest

Added three tackles and a pass break-up in the contest

Collects his second career Defensive Player of the Week honor and second in as many weeks, becoming the first Hawkeye to ever garner conference defensive player of the week honors in consecutive weeks

Last Iowa Defensive Player of the Week: Josh Jackson (Nov. 4, 2017)

Leon Jacobs, Wisconsin

Sr., LB, San Pedro, Calif./Golden Valley

Recovered a pair of fumbles and scored the first touchdown of his career on a 21-yard fumble recovery in the third quarter of Wisconsin’s victory over Iowa

Added four tackles and a sack in the contest, which marked his school-record 55th career game

Anchored a Wisconsin defense that surrendered just 66 total yards to Iowa, the fewest yards ever allowed against a Big Ten opponent in program history

Earns his second career Defensive Player of the Week honor and second of the season

Last Wisconsin Defensive Player of the Week: Leon Jacobs (Oct. 16, 2017)

Special Teams Player of the Week

Rodney Smith, Minnesota

Jr., RB, Atlanta, Ga./Pickens

Returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown against Nebraska to become the first Gopher to return the opening kick for a score since Tyrone Carter went 86 yards against Arkansas State in 1998

Finished the contest with 135 kickoff return yards on three attempts

Added 134 rushing yards and 10 receiving yards to record a career-high 279 all-purpose yards, tying for seventh-most in school history

Receives his first career Special Teams Player of the Week award

Last Minnesota Special Teams Player of the Week: Emmit Carpenter (Nov. 7, 2016)

Freshman of the Week

Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin

Fr., RB, Salem, N.J./Salem

Carried the ball 29 times for 157 yards in Wisconsin’s win over Iowa, marking his fifth game with at least 150 yards this season

Has now broken the 100-yard rushing barrier seven times this season

With 1,525 rushing yards this season, he became the 10th running back in school history to surpass 1,500 yards in a season

Claims his sixth career Big Ten Freshman of the Week award, tying him for the second-most in conference history alongside Illinois’ Nathan Scheelhaase (2010) and trailing only Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett (seven honors in 2014)

Last Wisconsin Freshman of the Week: Jonathan Taylor (Nov. 4, 2017)

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