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Big Ten Roundup (Sept. 19): Minnesota, Rutgers and Maryland Football Players Earn Week 3 B1G Honors

Minnesota running back Darius Taylor was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for a second consecutive time, while Rutgers, Maryland and Wisconsin football players were also recognized following Week 3.
Daniel Olinger|
Big Ten Roundup (Sept. 19): Minnesota, Rutgers and Maryland Football Players Earn Week 3 B1G Honors
Big Ten Roundup (Sept. 19): Minnesota, Rutgers and Maryland Football Players Earn Week 3 B1G Honors

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Minnesota Golden GophersRutgers Scarlet KnightsWisconsin BadgersMaryland Terrapins

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Even though Minnesota lost its first game this past Saturday to North Carolina, coach P.J. Fleck and his team have found a star running back as a consolation. 

For the second week in a row, the Gopher' true freshman running back Darius Taylor was named the Big Ten Freshman of the week. 

Maryland and Rutgers both won their Week 3 matchups to remain undefeated, and a Terrapin took home the conference's award for Special Teams Player of the Week for. a second consecutive time. Meanwhile, Rutgers running back Kyle Monangai became the first Scarlet Knight to be named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week in nine years. 

And rounding things out, a Wisconsin safety took home the conference's honor for top defensive player during Week 3 action. 

Here's everything you need to know in today's Big Ten Roundup:

Darius Taylor, Big Ten Freshman of the Week

I honestly do not know why Minnesota ever throws the football given how rough Athan Kaliakmanis has looked in comparison to Taylor, who is a burst of lighning every time he touches the ball.

In the game against North Carolina, Taylor racked up 138 yards on a ludicrous 6.3 yards per carry. With that performance, he became the first Minnesota freshman to rush for more than 100 yards in back-to-back weeks since Laurence Maroney in 2003. 

Any Gopher fans wondering whether the team would be able to replace their former star halfback Mohamed Ibrahim should have their answer.

Kyle Monangai, Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week

LeBron James still played for the Miami Heat the last time Rutgers football had produced a Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week.

All the way back in Week 12 of the 2014 season, Gary Nova took home the metaphorical hardware. It nearly took another decade for the Scarlet Knights to have their second, but it came thanks to their excellent running back Monangai. 

Monangai ran for 143 yards and three touchdowns in Rutgers' 35-16 thrashing of Virginia Tech, and did so on just 16 carries. That's 8.9 yards per carry, i.e., coach Greg Schiano and his team nearly got a first down every time No. 5 touched the ball. 

Most people believe Rutgers' feel-good 3-0 start will come to its usual crashing halt in Ann Arbor this weekend against Michigan. Even if that's the case, every fan in Piscataway should feel proud of Monangai and the effort he put forth last Saturday. 

Braedan Wisloski and Hunter Wohler

Following the a 38-20 win over Charlotte,, Maryland kicker Jai Patel was named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week. Patel couldn't repeat in Week 3, mainly because his teammate Braedan Wisloski decided to flip an entire game on its head with this electric 98-yard kick return. 

Wisloski's touchdown was the first of six the Terrapins would score on the night, as they rattled off 42 straight points after trailing 14-0 early. 

And last, but not least, Wisconsin safety Hunter Wohler was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. He recorded two interceptions in the Badgers' 35-14 win over Georgia Southern, and finished with double digit tackle numbers for the third game in a row. 

Related Stories on Big Ten Football:

  • WEEK 3 BIG TEN POWER RANKINGS: We're well into the 2023 college football season, and things have started to separate in the Big Ten. There's a clear top three in the conference, but also a whole lot disappointing squads, including two nearby teams that slid below Indiana in this week's rankings. CLICK HERE
  • PENIX LIGHTS UP MICHIGAN STATE: The former Indiana quarterback had one of the best first halves in college football history on Saturday, as Washington blew out Michigan State 41-7 in East Lansing. CLICK HERE
  • WOULD B1G EVER KICK A TEAM OUT OF CONFERENCE: With Stanford, Cal and SMU joining the ACC in 2024, conference realignment has truly gotten out of hand. With all the movement up into new conferences coming, we ask the question — would the Big Ten ever forcibly remove a team from its own conference? CLICK HERE
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Daniel Olinger
DANIEL OLINGER

Daniel Olinger is a Sports Illustrated/FanNation reporter for HoosiersNow.com. He graduated from Northwestern University with degrees in both journalism and economics. 

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