CO-OFFENSE:
Kellen Lewis, Indiana, FR,
QB, Jacksonville, Fla./Mandarin
Lewis guided the Hoosiers to their
first win over a top-15 program in nearly two decades by completing 76 percent
of his passes for a career-best 255 yards and three touchdowns while adding
another rushing score in a 31-28 triumph over Iowa. The redshirt freshman
completed 19-of-25 passes and rallied Indiana from an early 21-7 deficit. He
connected with wideout James Hardy on three scoring strikes, including a 20-yard
touchdown toss with 9:51 left in the game to give the hosts a 31-28 lead that
they would not relinquish. The Hoosiers recorded their first win over a top-15
program since knocking off No. 9 Ohio State on Oct. 10, 1987. The Florida native
picks up the first weekly accolade of his career and the first for an Indiana
offensive player in more than four years, since quarterback Gibran Hamdan was
honored on Oct. 14, 2002. Lewis also became the first Hoosiers freshman to pick
up the weekly laurels since quarterback Antwaan Randle El was honored twice
(Sept. 14 and Oct. 17) in 1998.
Curtis Painter,
Purdue, SO, QB, Vincennes, Ind./Lincoln
Painter exploded for a career-high
35 completions, 49 attempts and 431 yards while connecting on 71.4 percent of
his throws and adding a pair of touchdown passes and a scoring run in a road
victory at Northwestern. The junior signal caller hit nine different
receivers on the day, including scoring strikes of 19 yards to Dustin Keller and
one yard to Jake Standeford. He also wrapped up the scoring with a three-yard
scamper in the final stanza for the final 31-10 deficit. Painter surpassed the
400-yard mark in passing yards for the second time this season (416 yards
against Ball State on Sept. 16). His 431-yard effort is the fourth-best
single-game performance in the country this season and the ninth-best total in
Purdue history. He collects Player of the Week honors for the first time in his
career.
DEFENSE:
LaMarr
Woodley, Michigan, SR,
DE, Saginaw, Mich./Saginaw
Woodley collected a team-best five
tackles and three tackles for loss, including a pair of sacks, and forced a
fumble to headline a dominating defensive performance by Michigan on the road at
Penn State. Woodley’s two sacks were part of a season-high seven-sack effort by
the Wolverines. The Nittany Lions had allowed only six sacks all season entering
the game. Michigan limited Penn State to -14 yards rushing on the night, the
lowest total allowed by the school since limiting Oregon State to -19 yards in
1986. The Wolverines currently lead the country by allowing only 32.6 rushing
yard per contest. Woodley ranks among the top 10 nationally and second in the
Big Ten with 7.0 sacks on the year while rating second in the conference with
10.0 tackles for loss. This is the first weekly honor of his
career.
SPECIAL
TEAMS:
Ted Ginn Jr.,
Ohio State, JR, PR, Cleveland, Ohio/Glenville
Ginn Jr. shattered the Big Ten
record with his sixth career punt return touchdown, a 60-yard sprint on his only
return of the game at Michigan State to give the Buckeyes a 17-0 lead in the
second quarter. The junior wideout broke the conference record he previously
held with Iowa’s Tim Dwight, who recorded five punt return scores from 1994-97.
Ginn is now just two touchdowns shy of equaling the NCAA career record of eight
punt return scores held by Texas Tech’s Wes Walker (2000-03) and Oklahoma’s
Antonio Perkins (2001-04). The Cleveland native picks up Big Ten special teams
weekly accolades for the third straight season, after being honored twice in
2004 (Nov. 6 and 20) and on Oct. 24, 2005. His four career special teams weekly
awards are tied for the second-highest total in Big Ten
annals.