Big Ten Conference Football News: Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State, Nebraska and Penn State Earn Weekly Football Honors

Following Week 1 contests, the Big Ten Conference Co-Offensive, Defensive, and Special Teams Players of the Week, and the Freshman of the Week were announced Monday morning. Below are this week’s honorees:

Co-Offensive Players of the Week
Anthony Grant, Nebraska
RB – Jr. – Buford, Ga. – Buford

  • Posted the highest rushing total for a Nebraska player since 2020 in the Huskers’ 38-17 win against North Dakota
  • Scored touchdowns on the opening drive of each half, rushing 19 yards for a score to open the game, and adding a 46-yard touchdown to open the third quarter scoring
  • Scored two touchdowns for the second straight game, the first Husker running back to do that since 2018, and became the first Nebraska player since 2010 to crack the century mark in each of his first two games as a Husker
  • Earns his first career Offensive Player of the Week award
  • Last Nebraska Offensive Player of the Week: Devine Ozigbo (Nov. 12, 2018)

Sean Clifford, Penn State
QB – Sr. – Cincinnati, Ohio – St. Xavier

  • Completed 20-of-37 passes for 282 yards and a career-high-tying four touchdowns in Penn State’s 35-31 victory against Purdue
  • With 282 passing yards, Clifford became the third Penn State quarterback to surpass the 8,000-career passing yard mark, joining Trace McSorley (9,899; 2015-18) and Christian Hackenberg (8,457; 2013-15)
  • Scored on a two-yard quarterback sneak in the second quarter for his 11th career rushing touchdown
  • The three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree earns his third career Offensive Player of the Week award and first of the season
  • Last Penn State Offensive Player of the Week: Jahan Dotson (Nov. 8, 2021)

Defensive Player of the Week
Jacoby Windmon, Michigan State
DE/LB – Sr. – New Orleans, La. – John Ehret

  • Recorded four sacks, tying for the second most in school history, in his Spartan debut and Michigan State’s 35-13 victory against Western Michigan
  • Posted seven tackles, four sacks for a loss of 17 yards and one forced fumble, marking the most sacks by a Spartan since Matthias Askew in 2003
  • Earns the first Defensive Player of the Week accolade of his career
  • Last Michigan State Defensive Player of the Week: Antjuan Simmons (Nov. 30, 2020)

Special Teams Player of the Week
Tory Taylor, Iowa
P – Jr. – Melbourne, Australia – Haileybury College

  • Registered a career-high 10 punts for 479 yards, averaging 47.9 yards per attempt to pin the Jackrabbits deep in their own territory and secure the 7-3 victory for the Hawkeyes
  • The Australia native had seven of his 10 punts downed inside the 20-yard line, including punts downed at the 1-, 2-, 6-, 8- (twice) and 12-yard lines
  • Three of Taylor’s punts traveled 50 or more yards in the game, including a 57-yarder
  • Garners the second Special Teams Player of the Week honor of his career
  • Last Iowa Special Teams Player of the Week: Caleb Shudak (Nov. 29, 2021)

Freshman of the Week
Roman Hemby, Maryland
RB – Edgewood, Md. – The John Carroll School

  • Rushed for 114 yards on seven carries and scored two touchdowns in his first career start in Maryland’s 31-10 season-opening win over Buffalo
  • Recorded touchdown runs of 33 and 70 yards for the first 100-yard rushing game of his career
  • His 70-yard touchdown run was the longest rush of his career and the longest rush by a Terrapin since Anthony McFarland’s 80-yard rush on Oct. 5, 2019
  • Earns the first Freshman of the Week honor of his career
  • Last Maryland Freshman of the Week: Rakim Jarrett (Nov. 9, 2020)

2022 Big Ten Football Players of the Week

Aug. 29
O: Chase Brown, Jr., RB, ILL
O: Ryan Hilinski, Jr., QB, NU
D: Cameron Mitchell, Jr., CB, NU
S: Luke Akers, Jr., P, NU

Sept. 5
O: Anthony Grant, Jr., RB, NEB
O: Sean Clifford, Sr., QB, PSU
D: Jacoby Windmon, Sr., DE/LB, MSU
S: Tory Taylor, Jr., P, IOWA
F: Roman Hemby, RB, MD

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