Epenesa named Big Ten co-defensive player of the week
- Thread starter Blair Sanderson
- Start date
I hope he has a houseful of sons someday. That all love football.
He is a big play making machine. I almost feel spolied in that every game I'm anticipating when he'll get a strip sack.
Following Big Ten football games on Sept. 8, the Offensive, Co-Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week and Co-Freshmen of the Week in the Big Ten were announced this morning. Below are this week's honorees:
Offensive Player of the Week
Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin
So., RB, Salem, N.J./Salem
Co-Defensive Players of the Week
A.J. Epenesa, Iowa
So., DE, Glen Carbon, Ill./ Edwardsville
Antoine Winfield Jr., Minnesota
So., DB, The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands
Special Teams Player of the Week
Emmit Carpenter, Minnesota
Sr., K, Green Bay, Wis./Ashwaubenon
Co-Freshmen of the Week
Stevie Scott, Indiana
Fr., RB, Syracuse, N.Y./Christian Brothers
Tate Martell, Ohio State
Fr., QB, Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman
Offensive Player of the Week
Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin
So., RB, Salem, N.J./Salem
- Set career highs with 33 carries and 253 rushing yards and matched a career best with three rushing touchdowns in Wisconsin’s victory over New Mexico
- Became the eighth player in program history to rush for 250 or more yards in a contest and the first since Melvin Gordon did so against Auburn in the 2015 Outback Bowl
- Topped the 100-yard mark for the 12th time in his 16-game UW career, the 150-yard plateau for the sixth time and the 200-yard mark for the fourth time
- Earns his third career Offensive Player of the Week award and first of the season
- Last Wisconsin Offensive Player of the Week: Jonathan Taylor (Oct. 9, 2017)
Co-Defensive Players of the Week
A.J. Epenesa, Iowa
So., DE, Glen Carbon, Ill./ Edwardsville
- Set career highs with five tackles and 2.0 sacks in Iowa’s win against Iowa State
- Added one pass breakup and one quarterback hurry
- Anchored a defense that held Iowa State to 19 yards rushing, the fifth-lowest total allowed in the Kirk Ferentz era
- Claims his first career Defensive Player of the Week honor
- Last Iowa Defensive Player of the Week: Josh Jackson (Nov. 13, 2017)
Antoine Winfield Jr., Minnesota
So., DB, The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands
- Recorded a game-clinching interception in the end zone with 2:10 left to play in Minnesota’s victory over Fresno State
- Notched his second career interception on the play, which was a trick play on first and goal from the four-yard line
- Added five tackles in the contest, including four solo stops
- Earns his first career Defensive Player of the Week honor after being named Co-Special Teams Player of the Week last week
- Last Minnesota Defensive Player of the Week: Jacob Huff (Sept. 18, 2017)
Special Teams Player of the Week
Emmit Carpenter, Minnesota
Sr., K, Green Bay, Wis./Ashwaubenon
- Went 2-for-2 on field goal attempts against Fresno State, with both conversions coming from at least 50 yards
- Connected from 50 and 53 yards to mark the second time in his career that he’s recorded two field goals of 50 or more yards in the same contest and first since Nov. 5, 2016 against Purdue
- Added an extra point to finish the game with 201 career points, making him the sixth Minnesota kicker to eclipse 200 career points
- Earns his third career Special Teams Player of the Week award and first since 2016
- Last Minnesota Special Teams Player of the Week: Antoine Winfield Jr. (Sept. 3, 2018)
Co-Freshmen of the Week
Stevie Scott, Indiana
Fr., RB, Syracuse, N.Y./Christian Brothers
- Rushed 31 times for 204 yards in Indiana’s win against Virginia, scoring his first career touchdown on a 40-yard run
- Finished three yards shy of Anthony Thompson’s school rushing record for a freshman, a mark set in 1986
- His 31 carries were the most by an Indiana true freshman since BenJarvus Green-Ellis had 35 on Nov. 22, 2003
- Claims his first Freshman of the Week award
- Last Indiana Freshman of the Week: Morgan Ellison (Nov. 20, 2017)
Tate Martell, Ohio State
Fr., QB, Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman
- Went 10-for-10 passing to break the school record for best single-game completion percentage, surpassing Bill Mrukowski’s 10-of-11 game against UCLA in 1961
- Notched his first career touchdown pass with a 51-yard pass to Terry McLaurin
- Added 95 rushing yards on eight carries, including a 47-yard touchdown run
- Records his first Freshman of the Week award
- Last Ohio State Freshman of the Week: J.K. Dobbins (Sept. 18, 2017)
What's particularly exciting is that AJ is finally really playing fast ... and he's continuing to improve through each and every game. When we play against some more talented Os ... AJ will have even more opportunities to improve (and see more snaps).
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And a whole lot more holds that went uncalled.
Noticed that they didn’t mention his forced fumble. It sure was a lot more than a “QB hurry”. He had quite a few of those, depending on your definition of the term.
Guessing maybe they called the forced fumble a sack on the stat sheet. That would seem a little odd to me.
When a defensive player forces a QB to fumble behind the line of scrimmage on a passing play it is recorded as a sack. Also known as a strip-sack. Even if the offensive team recovers the ball.
Congrats to Eppy on his recognition for the outstanding game he played. He just keeps getting better. Scary to think what he will become as this season progresses.
Gotcha. Thanks.
I noticed on another release regarding his co-DPOTW honor the forced fumble was listed among his other stats as a forced fumble rather than a sack. Was probably from the U of I. No big deal but I think we can all agree that a strip sack — especially one where the D recovers — is a bigger deal than your typical sack.
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Heck of a play by Winfield to recover when he was initially beat/fooled. Ball was a little underthrown but still a heck of a play.
