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)
