Big Ten Football Players of the Week

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)