Hawkeyes’ Merriweather and Taylor, Wolverines’ Corum, Gophers’ Morgan, Buckeyes’ Eichenberg and Nittany Lions’ Allen garner accolades
9/26/2022
Following Week 4 contests, the Big Ten Conference Co-Offensive, Co-Defensive, and Special Teams Players of the Week, and the Freshman of the Week were announced this morning. Below are this week’s honorees:
Co-Offensive Players of the Week
Blake Corum, Michigan
RB – Jr. – Marshall, Va. – St. Frances
- Set a career best with 243 rushing yards on 20 carries for the seventh-best single-game rushing performance in Michigan history in Saturday’s 34-27 victory over Maryland
- Added two touchdowns, his NCAA-leading eighth and ninth touchdowns of the season
- Recorded a rushing touchdown in his fourth straight game this season, highlighted by a pair of 30+ yard scores
- The Academic All-Big Ten honoree earns his second career Offensive Player of the Week award
- Last Michigan Offensive Player of the Week: Hassan Haskins (Nov. 29, 2021)
Tanner Morgan, Minnesota
QB – Sr. – Union, Ky. – Ryle
- Completed 23-of-26 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns in the Gophers’ 34-7 win at Michigan State
- His completion percentage of 88.5% is third highest in school history for a single game (Morgan owns the top three spots)
- Rushed three times for 27 yards, with all three rushes coming on third down and resulting in first downs
- The three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree earns his third career Offensive Player of the Week award
- Last Minnesota Offensive Player of the Week: Mohamed Ibrahim (Nov. 9, 2020)
Co-Defensive Players of the Week
Kaevon Merriweather, Iowa
DB – Sr. – Belleville, Mich. – Belleville
- Returned a fumble 30 yards for his first career touchdown in the second quarter of Iowa’s 27-10 win at Rutgers
- Recorded a third quarter interception, the second of his career, and returned it 33 yards into Rutgers territory
- Had three tackles and a pass breakup at the goal line in the fourth quarter, helping the Iowa defense hold opponents to 23 points in four games – the fewest in a four-game stretch since 1956
- Earns the first Defensive Player of the Week accolade of his career
- Last Iowa Defensive Player of the Week: Matt Hankins (Oct. 11, 2021)
Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State
LB – Sr. – Cleveland, Ohio – St. Ignatius
- Recorded 14 tackles to spark Ohio State’s defense in its 52-21 win over Wisconsin
- Helped limit the Badgers to seven points and 168 yards through the first three quarters
- Registered a pair of tackles for loss for six yards, while eight of his tackles came in the first half as Ohio State took a 31-7 lead into the break
- The two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree earns the first Defensive Player of the Week accolade of his career
- Last Ohio State Defensive Player of the Week: Tommy Togiai (Nov. 2, 2020)
Special Teams Player of the Week
Tory Taylor, Iowa
P – Jr. – Melbourne, Australia – Haileybury College
- Punted five times for a 42.6 average, pinning the Scarlet Knights inside the 20 four times with a long of 51 in the Hawkeyes’ 27-10 win in Piscataway, N.J.
- Pinned Rutgers at the 4, 7, 11 and 6, leading the conference in punting and ranking fifth nationally with a 47.2 average
- Garners the third Special Teams Player of the Week honor of his career
- Last Iowa Special Teams Player of the Week: Lukas Van Ness (Sept. 12, 2022)
Freshman of the Week
Kaytron Allen, Penn State
RB – Norfolk, Va. – IMG Academy
- Rushed for 111 yards on 13 carries, the first 100-yard rushing game of his career, in Penn State’s 33-14 win against Central Michigan
- Scored on a 14-yard run in the second quarter, his third career touchdown
- Recorded a career-long 37-yard run in the fourth quarter and has yet to have a negative-yard rush in his career
- Earns the first Freshman of the Week honor of his career
- Last Penn State Freshman of the Week: Nicholas Singleton (Sept. 19, 2022)
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
Sept. 12
O: Taulia Tagovailoa, QB, Jr., MD
O: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, So., OSU
D: Jacoby Windmon, Sr., DE/LB, MSU
S: Lukas Van Ness, DT, So., IOWA
F: Nicholas Singleton, RB, PSU
Sept. 19
O: C.J. Stroud, QB, So., OSU
D: Ji’Ayir Brown, S, Sr., PSU
S: Charles Campbell, IND
F: Nicholas Singleton, RB, PSU
Sept. 26
O: Blake Corum, RB, Jr., MICH
O: Tanner Morgan, QB, Sr., MINN
D: Kaevon Merriweather, DB, Sr., IOWA
D: Tommy Eichenberg, LB, Sr., OSU
S: Tory Taylor, Jr., P, IOWA
F: Kaytron Allen, RB, PSU
COURTESY BIG TEN COMMUNICATIONS