Zach VanValkenburg named Big Ten defensive player of the week

[Blair Sanderson]

Following Big Ten football games on Nov. 13-14, the Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week and Freshman of the Week in the Big Ten were announced this morning. Below are this week's honorees:

Offensive Player of the Week
Ty Fryfogle, Indiana
Sr., WR, Lucedale, Miss./George County

• Recorded personal bests in receptions (11), receiving yards (200) and touchdowns (two) to lead the Hoosiers to a victory at Michigan State
• His 178 first-half receiving yards marked the most by a Big Ten player since 2010
• Became the seventh receiver in program history to snag 200-plus yards receiving in a single game and the first since Ricky Jones in 2106
• Collects his first career Offensive Player of the Week award
• Last Indiana Offensive Player of the Week: Stevie Scot III (Nov. 4, 2019)

Defensive Player of the Week
Zach VanValkenburg, Iowa
Sr., DE, Zeeland, Mich./Hillsdale College

• Recorded a career-high three sacks at Minnesota, the most by a Hawkeye since A.J. Epenesa in 2019
• Tallied five tackles in the contest, including four solo stops
• Anchored a defense that held the Gophers to seven points, nearly 30 points fewer than their average
• Claims his first career Defensive Player of the Week honor
• Last Iowa Defensive Player of the Week: A.J. Epenesa (Dec. 2, 2019)

Special Teams Player of the Week
James McCourt, Illinois
Sr., K, Parkland, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas

• Converted a 47-yard field goal with three seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to lead Illinois to a 23-20 victory at Rutgers
• Finished the contest with three successful field goals, all in the second half
• Added a pair of extra points to tally with a career-high 11 points
• Earns his first career Special Teams Player of the Week honor
• Last Illinois Special Teams Player of the Week: Blake Hayes (Sept. 23, 2019)

Freshman of the Week
Isaiah Williams, Illinois
QB, St. Louis, Mo./Trinity Catholic

• Broke the school record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 192 yards on 31 attempts
• Led Illinois to a comeback win at Rutgers in his first career start
• Added 104 passing yards to finish the contest with 296 yards of total offense
• Collects his first career Freshman of the Week award
• Last Illinois Freshman of the Week: Patrick Nelson (Oct. 17, 2016)

 

[TRHawkeye145]

Awesome!

 

[HawkeyeInCentralIowa]

Well deserved. That’s two years in a row we’ve had a defensive player of the week against Minny, maybe 3 (Idk if moss got it in 2018 for his 3 pick game).

 

[Douglas C. Neidermeyer]

McCourt misses 2 FGs yet is still STPOTW?

 

[Blair Sanderson]

VanValkenburg Named B1G Defensive Player of the Week

IOWA CITY, Iowa-- University of Iowa senior defensive lineman Zach VanValkenburg has been named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, following Iowa’s 35-7 win at Minnesota, as the Hawkeyes retained Floyd of Rosedale for a school-record sixth straight year. The announcement was made Monday by the Big Ten Conference office.

VanValkenburg (6-foot-4, 270-pounds), is a Zeeland, Michigan, native, and earns his first career weekly honor. It is the second straight week a Hawkeye has earned their first career weekly award by the Big Ten (Charlie Jones vs. Northwestern).

VanValkenburg posted five total tackles (four solo), including a career-high three sacks for a loss of 15 yards. His three sacks are the most by a Hawkeye since A.J. Epenesa registered 4.5 sacks against Nebraska in 2019. VanValkenburg was a key cog in the Iowa defense that nearly posted a shutout against a Minnesota offense that entered the contest averaging 36.3 points per game.

VanValkenburg is second in the Big Ten in sacks per game (0.88) and seventh in the conference in tackles for loss per game (1.3).

Iowa (2-2, 2-2) will play at Penn State (0-4, 0-4) Saturday at 2:30 p.m. (CT). The game will be televised on Big Ten Network.

 

[David1979]

He has been improving every week. he is someone I would love to see return for next year.

 

[24 so far]

McCourt misses 2 FGs yet is still STPOTW?

Well, he made the one that counted I guess. I didn't realize the Illini beat Rutgers, and their new QB ran 31 times? Yowser.

 

[BigOHawk]

Awesome recognition! Looks like he just missed at least another sack or two in the game as well. Eppy had 4.5 sacks vs Neb in '18.

 

[Whiskeydeltadeltatango]

Well deserved. VV has been a great addition.

 

[NevadaHawk]

He has been improving every week. he is someone I would love to see return for next year.

Agreed, I really hope Zach decides to come back next year.

 

[desihawk]

glad vv got recognized. also anyone else notice that illinois changed their qb and the freshman qb in his first start led them to their first win that too on the road?

 

[hexumhawk]

I think you are seeing him get more and more confident with the more game reps he is getting.

 

[kceasthawk]

I think you are seeing him get more and more confident with the more game reps he is getting.

Absolutely, and he's another guy that a lot of people didn't think was very good. The Dline has really picked it up the last couple of weeks, and look like they're settling in as we get to the meat of the schedule.

 

[Slappy Pappy]

glad vv got recognized. also anyone else notice that illinois changed their qb and the freshman qb in his first start led them to their first win that too on the road?

That's at least the 5th B1G team to change qbs last weekend and see an improvement: Ill, PSU, MSU, Mich, and Lil Debbie. Now if we can just get the Ferentzes to notice...

 

[Hawkfan_08]

McCourt misses 2 FGs yet is still STPOTW?

This was absolutely my first thought. He missed two in two drives in three 4th quarter and still gets the award? Taylor deserves this award even on his "worst" week.

 

[RomanHawk]

glad vv got recognized. also anyone else notice that illinois changed their qb and the freshman qb in his first start led them to their first win that too on the road?

Was Illinois sanctioned for cheating for changing QBs right in the middle of the game, especially a freshman?

 

[MVPFAN]

Illinois previously with Isiah "Juice" Williams at QB and now with Isaiah Williams.

 

[HungryHawk]

I think you are seeing him get more and more confident with the more game reps he is getting.

I think he needs another year so he can get really confident.

 

[HawkIDrummer]

McCourt misses 2 FGs yet is still STPOTW?

pity award for an Illinois team that just got their only W of the year.

 

[24 so far]

glad vv got recognized. also anyone else notice that illinois changed their qb and the freshman qb in his first start led them to their first win that too on the road?

He ran 31 times. Looks like they still need a QB! Ha! Oh, and do we play Rutgers who gives up 192 rushing yards to a QB!