Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor, December 1, 2014
The Big Ten office released its Week 14 Big Ten Football Players of the Week on Monday, and the list includes two-first time honorees.
See all of the winners below:
Offensive Player of the Week: Gary Nova, Rutgers, Sr., QB
- Completed 28-of-42 passes for 347 yards and four touchdowns to lead Rutgers to a comeback win at Maryland
- Recorded a career-high 28 completions, moving into second in Scarlet Knights? history with 680 career completions
- Produced his second game of 300 or more passing yards this season and seventh of his career
- Earns the second Offensive Player of the Week award of his career
- Last Rutgers Offensive Player of the Week: Gary Nova (Oct. 6, 2014)
Defensive Player of the Week: Nate Gerry, Nebraska, So., S
- Led Nebraska with a career-high 15 tackles, including 10 solo stops, and added 2.5 tackles for loss and an interception in an overtime victory at Iowa
- His first-quarter interception marked his fifth pick in Big Ten play this season
- Guided a Nebraska defense that forced punts on five consecutive Iowa possessions to aid in the Huskers? second-half comeback
- Claims his first career Defensive Player of the Week honor
- Last Nebraska Defensive Player of the Week: Randy Gregory (Nov. 11, 2013)
Co-Special Teams Players of the Week: R.J. Shelton, Michigan State, So., WR
- Returned three kickoffs for a career-high 135 yards and one touchdown in Michigan State?s win at Penn State
- Recorded his first career kickoff return for a touchdown, returning the opening kickoff for 90 yards and the Spartans? first score
- It was the first time since 2009 that an MSU player returned a kickoff for a touchdown, and only the second time in MSU history a Spartan returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown
- Earns his first career Special Teams Player of the Week honor
- Last Michigan State Special Teams Player of the Week: Mike Sadler (Oct. 14, 2013)
De?Mornay Pierson-El, Nebraska, Fr., WR
- Recorded three punt returns for 134 yards and one touchdown in Nebraska?s comeback win at Iowa
- Produced an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to give Nebraska its first lead of the game
- His 134 punt return yards in the game are the fourth-most in the Football Bowl Subdivision this season, and his 589 punt return yards this season leads the nation
- Earns his second career Special Teams Player of the Week honor
- Last Nebraska Special Teams Player of the Week: De?Mornay Pierson-El (Sept. 15, 2014)
Freshman of the Week: J.T. Barrett, Ohio State, Fr., QB
- Guided Ohio State to a win over Michigan, compiling 265 yards of total offense with three touchdowns
- Completed 13-of-21 passes for 176 yards and one score and added 89 yards rushing and two touchdowns
- Finished the season with 45 touchdowns accounted for, breaking the Big Ten record of 42 set by Purdue?s Drew Brees in 1998
- Set a Big Ten single-season record with his seventh Freshman of the Week award
- Last Ohio State Freshman of the Week: Jalin Marshall (Nov. 24, 2014)