B1G Ten Player of the Week Awards

University of Minnesota standouts Max Brosmer and Koi Perich were honored the Big Ten today after Minnesota’s 48-23 win against Maryland on Saturday. Brosmer was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week and Perich was recognized as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week.

Brosmer completed 26-of-33 passes (78.8 percent) for season-highs of 320 yards and four touchdowns against the Terrapins. He was the first Gopher with four or more passing touchdowns since Tanner Morgan had four at Northwestern on Nov. 23, 2019.

Brosmer’s 320 passing yards rank 32nd in program history and are the most since Morgan threw for 368 yards at Iowa in 2019. He is the first Gopher to pass for 300 or more yards since Athan Kaliakmanis threw for 319 yards at Wisconsin in 2022.

Perich posted his Big Ten leading fifth interception of the season against Maryland. He returned the interception 45 yards and Minnesota kicked a field goal after his pick to put the Gophers up 24-0 in the second quarter. Perich also made three tackles in the win.

Perich’s five interceptions are tied for fourth most in a season in the Gopher record books, and it was his third straight game with an interception. He is just the seventh player in Gopher history to have at least one interception in three straight games. The last Gopher to do so was Antoine Winfield Jr. in 2019. The all-time record stands at four straight games and was set by Sean Lumpkin in 1991.

Perich also returned three punts for 31 yards, including a 20-yarder, against Maryland. Of his 12 punt returns this season, four have now gone for at least 20 yards.

Brosmer is the first Gopher to be named Big Ten Offensive Player of the week since running back Jordan Nubin was honored on Oct. 30, 2023.

Perich is the first Gopher to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Week since defensive back Kerry Brown was recognized on Sept. 16, 2024. Perich was also named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 14, 2024.

Minnesota’s Big Ten Football Players of the Week in 2024
Oct. 28
Max Brosmer (Offensive)
Koi Perich (Freshman)

Oct. 14
Koi Perich (Defensive)

Sept. 16
Kerry Brown (Freshman)

 

 

Wetjen Named B1G Special Teams Player of the Week

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa senior return specialist Kaden Wetjen has been named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week following his performance in the Hawkeyes’ Homecoming victory over Northwestern. The announcement was made Monday by the Big Ten Conference office.

Wetjen (5-foot-10, 196 pounds) finished with 176 return yards against the Wildcats, including an 85-yard punt return for a touchdown in the third quarter. The 85-yard punt return for a score is a career long and the seventh longest punt return for a touchdown in program history.

The Williamsburg, Iowa, native has posted three straight games with 100+ return yards. He is the first Iowa player since at least 1978 with 100+ kickoff/punt return yards in three consecutive games. The last Big Ten player to accomplish the feat was Maryland’s Javon Leake in 2019.

Wetjen leads the country with 692 combined kick return yards, ranking eighth in punt returns (13.7) and 12th in kickoff returns (25.4). He is one of 40 players nationally to return a punt for a touchdown this season. Wetjen is also a candidate for the annual Jet Award, which recognizes college football’s top return specialist.

Wetjen is the third Hawkeye to earn Big Ten weekly honors this season. Kaleb Johnson was recognized with the offensive honor following his performance in Iowa’s win at Minnesota, while Aaron Graves was honored with the defensive accolade after the win over Washington.

Iowa (5-3, 3-2) returns to action on Saturday versus Wisconsin (5-3, 3-2). Kickoff for that contest is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. (CT) on Duke Slater Field at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. The game will be televised on NBC and broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network.

 

Indiana’s Ponds Picked as Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week

 

ROSEMONT, Ill. – With his first-career multi-interception game versus Washington, sophomore defensive back D’Angelo Ponds earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week from the conference office on Monday (Oct. 28).

 

Ponds grabbed a pair of first half interceptions against the Huskies, with his first Hoosier interception going 67 yards the other way for the game’s opening touchdown. It was his first career pick-6 – college or high school – and is the longest defensive touchdown scored by an IU player since Jameel Cook Jr. took one for 96 yards against FIU in 2015.

 

His second interception came in the second quarter and set up Indiana’s second scoring drive of the game. The two interceptions versus Washington mark the first multi-interception game by a Hoosier in Big Ten play since Jamar Johnson at Ohio State (2; 2020).

 

He was the highest-graded defensive back in the Power 4 during Week 9 (93.5) per Pro Football Focus. His four-career interception are tied for No. 2 among active FBS true sophomores.

 

He is the sixth Indiana defensive back to win Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week since the awards began in 1987 and the first since Johnson in 2020 versus Penn State. Others include Brian Dewitz (1987), Mike Dumas (1989), Curtis Randle El (1998), Herana-Daze Jones (2004) and Johnson.