Around The Big Ten – October 30

• Completed 26-of-33 passes for season highs of 320 yards and four touchdowns, leading the Gophers to a 48-23 win against Maryland
• Finished with 26 completions for the second straight game, just one off his season high 27 at Michigan
• He’s the first Gopher with four passing touchdowns since Tanner Morgan had four at Northwestern on Nov. 23, 2019
• Last Minnesota Offensive Player of the Week honoree: Jordan Nubin (Oct. 30, 2023)

Defensive Player of the Week

D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana

DB – So. – Miami, Fla. – Chaminade Madonna

• Totaled five stops with 0.5 tackles for loss, while recording a pair of interceptions in Indiana’s 31-17 victory against Washington
• Intercepted Will Rogers and went 65 yards for a touchdown to open the scoring, marking the longest interception return for a touchdown at IU since Jameel Cook Jr. took one for 96 yards against FIU in 2015
• Also intercepted a pass in the second quarter, which led to IU’s second score of the game and a 14-point lead
• Last Indiana Defensive Player of the Week: Aaron Casey (Nov. 27, 2023)

Special Teams Player of the Week

Kaden Wetjen, Iowa

K – Sr. – Williamsburg, Iowa – Williamsburg

• Recorded an 85-yard punt return for a touchdown in the third quarter in Iowa’s 40-14 victory over Northwestern
• The return is a career long and the seventh longest punt return for a touchdown in program history
• He is the first Iowa player since at least 1978 with 100+ kickoff/punt return yards in three consecutive games and the first Big Ten player to accomplish the feat since Maryland’s Javon Leake in 2019
• Last Iowa Special Teams Players of the Week: Tory Taylor (Nov. 20, 2023)

Freshman of the Week

Koi Perich, Minnesota

DB – Esko, Minn. – Esko

• Posted his team- and Big Ten leading fifth interception of the season in Minnesota’s 48-23 win against Maryland
• Returned the interception 45 yards and Minnesota kicked a field goal after his interception to put the Gophers up 24-0 in the second quarter
• Made three tackles and returned three punts for 31 yards, including a 20-yarder, in the win against Maryland
• Last Minnesota Freshman of the Week: Kerry Brown (Sept. 16, 2024)

VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Player of the Week
Julia Hanson, Minnesota
Jr. – OH– Savage, Minn. – Major: Food and Agriculture Business Management

• Posted 5.31 points and 5.00 kills per set in wins over Northwestern and Ohio State last week

• Added 1.38 digs, 0.38 blocks and 0.13 service aces per set

• Posted 19 kills on .529 hitting with four digs and one block on Wednesday in a sweep of Northwestern

• Tallied 21 kills, her second career 20+ kill match, in a five set reverse sweep against Ohio State

• Added an assist, an ace, seven digs and two blocks in the five-set win vs. Ohio State

• Has 15 matches with 10+ kills and seven matches with 15+ kills this season

• Last Minnesota Player of the Week: Taylor Landfair (Nov. 28, 2022)

Defensive Player of the Week
Andi Jackson, Nebraska
So. – MB – Brighton, Colo. – Major: Business Administration

• Put up 1.57 blocks per set in the Huskers’ wins over RV Illinois and RV Michigan, while also contributing 3.00 kills per set on .417 hitting on the weekend to continue to lead the nation in hitting percentage (.472)

• In a sweep of Illinois, Jackson had six blocks to go with 11 kills on .667 hitting

• Finished with five blocks and 10 kills in a 3-1 win over Michigan

• Last Nebraska Defensive Player of the Week: Rebekah Allick (Oct. 7, 2024)

Setter/Freshman of the Week
Izzy Starck, Penn State
Fr. – S – Viera, Fla. – Major: Undeclared

• Recorded back-to-back double-doubles and provided a spark offensively with 13 kills over two matches as No. 3 Penn State earned wins over RV UCLA and No. 16 USC

• In a five-set win over the Bruins, the setter finished with 45 assists, 14 digs, four blocks, and what was at the time a career-high six kills

• She followed that with a new career high of seven kills while adding 43 assists, 16 digs, one block, and one ace in a four-set win over the nationally-ranked Trojans

• Starck has now recorded double-doubles in four of the past five matches

• Last Penn State Setter of the Week: Izzy Starck (Sept. 30, 2024)

• Last Penn State Freshman of the Week: Izzy Starck (Oct. 21, 2024)