Around The Big Ten – November 20

More on this week’s edition of “Big Ten Whip Around” — start listening to SiriusXM Big Ten Radio (Ch. 372) on the SiriusXM app now. Oregon, Penn State and Washington Earn Weekly Football Honors Ducks’ Sappington and Uiagalelei, Nittany Lions’ … Continued

by:
Pete Pistone
November 20, 2024

More on this week’s edition of “Big Ten Whip Around” — start listening to SiriusXM Big Ten Radio (Ch. 372) on the SiriusXM app now.

Oregon, Penn State and Washington Earn Weekly Football Honors

Ducks’ Sappington and Uiagalelei, Nittany Lions’ Warren and Huskies’ Davis II and Williams Jr. garner accolades

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Following Week 12 contests, the Big Ten Conference Football Players of the Week Presented by IFS.ai were announced Monday. Below are this week’s honorees:

 

Offensive Player of the Week

Tyler Warren, Penn State

TE – Sr. – Mechanicsville, Va. – Atlee

  • Tallied eight receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown, while adding three rushes for 63 yards and a score in Penn State’s win against Purdue
  • Scored on a career-long 48-yard run in the third quarter, his sixth career rushing touchdown and fourth this season
  • Since 1956, Warren is the only Big Ten tight end with four rushing touchdowns in a season, breaking a tie with Wisconsin’s Stu Voigt (3; 1968) and Maryland’s Chigoziem Okonkwo (3; 2018)
  • Last Penn State Offensive Player of the Week honoree: Tyler Warren (Oct. 14, 2024)

 

Co-Defensive Players of the Week

Matayo Uiagalelei, Oregon

OLB – So. – Bellflower, Calif. – St. John Bosco

  • Helped No. 1 Oregon improve to 11-0 for the second time in program history with a 16-13 win at Wisconsin
  • Finished with five total tackles, a sack and a game-sealing interception late in the fourth quarter
  • Has now recorded a sack in seven of his last eight games and ranks second in the Big Ten and 12th nationally with a team- and career-high 8.5 sacks
  • Last Oregon Defensive Player of the Week: Jordan Burch (Oct. 7, 2024)

 

Russell Davis II, Washington

DL – Jr. – Chandler, Ariz. – Hamilton

  • Led Washington to a 31-19 win over UCLA, as the Huskies finished their home season 6-0, extending their home win streak to 20 games, longest in modern school history
  • Finished with three quarterback sacks and three tackles
  • Also had a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, on the same play, which led to UW’s second touchdown
  • Last Washington Defensive Player of the Week: Carson Bruener (Nov. 4, 2024)

 

 

Special Teams Player of the Week

Atticus Sappington, Oregon

K – Jr. – Portland, Ore. – Central Catholic

  • Helped the Ducks improve to 11-0 for the second time in program history with a 16-13 win at Wisconsin, scoring all six of Oregon’s points in the first quarter
  • Matched career-high with three made field goals, converting all three attempts to account for nine of Oregon’s 16 points
  • Made kicks of 35, 42 and a game-winning 24-yard field goal with 2:36 left in the game
  • Last Oregon Special Teams Players of the Week: Atticus Sappington (Sept. 16, 2024)

 

Freshman of the Week

Demond Williams Jr., Washington

QB – Chandler, Ariz. – Basha

  • Led three second-half, game-securing scoring drives to help Washington beat UCLA, 31-19, to become bowl eligible
  • Helped the Huskies to a field goal and two touchdowns, including a two-yard touchdown pass to Decker DeGraaf with 5:44 left in the game to seal the victory over the Bruins
  • Completed 7-of-8 passes for 67 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 31 yards on six carries
  • Last Washington Freshman of the Week honoree: Khmori House (Sept. 23, 2024)

VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Player of the Week
Sarah Franklin, Wisconsin
Fifth-Year – OH – Lake Worth, Fla. – Major: Communications

  • Helped Wisconsin to a 2-0 week with wins over No. 23 USC and UCLA
  • Totaled 32 kills across the two matches, including a match-high 19 kills against UCLA where she hit .378 (19-2-45)
  • Recorded 13 kills against the nationally ranked Trojans, hitting .632 with one error on 19 attempts
  • Averaged 4.57 kills per set and hit .453 on the weekend, committing just three errors on 64 attempts
  • Added two aces, 0.57 assists per set, 1.43 digs per set, 0.43 blocks per set and averaged 5.07 points per set
  • Last Wisconsin Player of the Week: Sarah Franklin (Nov. 11, 2024)

Defensive Player of the Week
Nalani Iosia, Michigan State
Sr. – L – Long Beach, Calif. – Major: Sociology

  • Helped Michigan State to a 2-0 week with a pair of wins over Michigan (3-1) and Iowa (3-0)
  • Recorded 23 digs vs. Michigan, averaging 5.75 digs/set, limiting the Wolverines to .134 hitting and added seven assists
  • Helped the Michigan State defense hold Iowa to a season-low –0.020 hitting percentage, the lowest opponent hitting percentage in a Big Ten match against Michigan State since 2014
  • Iosia tallied 12 digs, five assists and one ace against the Hawkeyes
  • Last Michigan State Defensive Player of the Week: Nalani Iosia (Sept. 9, 2024)

 

Setter of the Week
Bergen Reilly, Nebraska
So. – S – Sioux Falls, S.D. – Major: Business and Law

  • Led Nebraska to wins over No. 16 Minnesota and Indiana with 10.71 assists per set and 3.86 digs per set
  • In a 3-1 win over the Golden Gophers, Reilly has 40 assists and career-highs of 20 digs and six kills
  • Reilly became the first Husker setter to record at least 40 assists, 20 digs and five kills in a match in the rally scoring era (since 2001)
  • Capped the weekend with 35 assists and seven digs in a sweep of Indiana, guiding the Nebraska offense to .324 hitting
  • On the week, Reilly totaled 75 assists, 27 digs, eight kills, seven blocks and one ace
  • Last Nebraska Setter of the Week: Bergen Reilly (Oct. 14, 2024)

 

Freshman of the Week
Charlie Fuerbringer, Wisconsin
S – Hermosa Beach, Calif. – Major: Real Estate

  • Helped the Badgers to a 2-0 weekend with wins over No. 23 USC and UCLA
  • Averaged 11.71 assists per set, including a match-high 47 in a 3-1 win over the Bruins
  • Fuerbringer guided the Wisconsin offense to a .402 hitting percentage vs. UCLA and a .333 hitting percentage against USC
  • Tallied 35 assists in a 3-0 win over the nationally ranked Trojans
  • Across the two matches, Fuerbringer combined for 82 assists (11.71/set), 17 digs (2.43/set), four aces and four blocks
  • Last Wisconsin Freshman of the Week: Charlie Fuerbringer (Oct. 7, 2024)

 

Three Stars of the Week for hockey games played Nov. 14-16.

First Star
Riley Thompson, Ohio State
So. – F – Ottawa, Ontario — Alaska Anchorage (NCAA)

  • Amassed five points (two goals, three assists) and seven shots for No. 14/14 Ohio State in a sweep of Lindenwood, Nov. 15-16, in St. Charles, Mo.
  • Scored the game-winner on the power play as part of a two-goal, three-point effort in a 5-2 win on Friday
  • Provided the primary assist on the game-winning goal in a 3-2 victory on Saturday, collecting his team-high 15th point of the season
  • Chosen a Star for the second time this season; named a Third Star on Nov. 5, 2024
  • Last Ohio State First Star: Max Montes (Oct. 22, 2024)

 

Second Star
Quinn Finley, Wisconsin
So. – F – Suamico, Wis. – Chicago (USHL)

  • Led Wisconsin with four points (goal, three assists) in a sweep of No. 18/18 Penn State, extending the Badgers’ win streak in the series to seven-straight games
  • Moved into a share of the Big Ten lead for goals (8) and added a pair of third-period assists to seal a 6-3 win on Saturday
  • Assisted on the opening goal in a 5-4 overtime win on Friday and finished the series with seven shots on goal
  • The third round pick of the New York Islanders earns his first Star Award
  • Last Wisconsin Star recipient: Kyle McClellan (Feb. 27, 2024)

 

Third Star
Shane Vansaghi, Michigan State
Fr. – F – St. Louis, Mo. — U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP)

  • Vansaghi (pronounced van-SAH-gee) contributed a goal and three assists to help No. 4/3 Michigan State to a home sweep of Notre Dame
  • Scored a highlight goal to open scoring in Michigan State’s 4-3 win on Saturday
  • Produced multiple-point efforts both nights to propel the Spartans to a 4-0-0 start in conference play
  • The first-year Spartan receives his first Star Award
  • Last Michigan State honorees: Trey Augustine (Nov. 12, 2024)

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Player of the Week
Lauren Betts, UCLA
Jr. – Center – Centennial, Colo. – Grandview
• Averaged 18.5 points and 12.0 rebounds in UCLA’s two-win week
• Scored 17 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and dished four assists against Pepperdine, finishing 7-for-9 from the field
• Had a 20-point, 12-rebound performance versus Arkansas
• Earns her first Big Ten Player of the Week award
• Last UCLA Player of the Week: Lauren Betts (Nov. 18, 2024)

 

Big Ten Women’s Basketball Weekly Honor Roll
JuJu Watkins, USC: Tied for No. 2 in NCAA DI history for fastest player to 1,000 career points (38 games) and became USC’s fastest to achieve the feat in the Trojans’ win over Santa Clara
Destiny Adams, RU: Recorded 28 points and 11 rebounds in a victory over Iona
Gracie Merkle, PSU: Averaged 22.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks during Penn State’s 2-0 week

 

Freshman of the Week
Mila Holloway, Michigan
Guard – Charlotte, N.C. – Legacy Early College
• Notched a pair of double-figure scoring games as Michigan picked up two wins
• Scored a career-high 21 points with eight assists, five steals and two boards against Central Michigan
• Dropped 16 points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal versus Oakland
• Collects her first Big Ten Freshman of the Week laurel
• Last Michigan Freshman of the Week: Syla Swords (Nov. 11, 2024)

 

 

 

 

 

 


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