Around The Big Ten – November 20

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)