Courtesy of the Big Ten Conference
OFFENSE:
Ben Chappell, Indiana
SR, QB, Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington South
Chappell completed 32 of 42 passes (76.2 pct.) for a career-high 366 yards and three touchdowns, while adding a rushing score to lead Indiana to a road victory at Western Kentucky. The senior quarterback matched a career best with 32 completions and his 366 yards through the air rank as the sixth-best performance in school history. He also equaled a school record with his fourth career 300-yard contest and climbed to sixth in Hoosiers annals with 4,504 passing yards and 648 passing attempts in his career. After falling behind 7-0 early, Chappell threw a pair of scoring strikes around a field goal to boost the visitors to a 17-7 halftime advantage. He added a one-yard scoring run and another touchdown pass in the third quarter to stake the Hoosiers to a 31-7 lead entering the final stanza. The Bloomington, Ind., native completed five passes of 20 yards or longer in the game and connected on all seven of his third-down passes for 113 yards, converting each third down opportunity. Chappell earns his second career weekly accolade after being honored last season on Oct. 18.
LAST IND OFFENSIVE POW: QB Ben Chappell on Oct. 18, 2009.
DEFENSE:
Quentin Davie, Northwestern
SR, LB, St. Louis, Mo./Cardinal Ritter
Davie posted a game-high 10 tackles and returned an interception 11 yards for a touchdown against Rice to lead Northwestern to its fourth straight road triumph, the Wildcats’ longest string of success away from home since a five-game road winning streak in 1995. The senior linebacker added 1.5 tackles for loss, including a half-sack, and a pass breakup. With Northwestern clinging to a 6-0 lead, Davie picked off a pass late in the second quarter and rambled 11 yards for his first career touchdown and a 13-0 advantage. The visitors would eventually build a 30-6 advantage before allowing a touchdown with 14 seconds left in the game. The Wildcats held Rice to 86 yards on the ground. Davie, who now has three interceptions in his last two games, earns his first career player of the week award.
LAST NU DEFENSIVE POW: DE Kevin Mims on Nov. 24, 2008.
SPECIAL TEAMS:
Aaron Bates, Michigan State
SR, P, New Concord, Ohio/John Glenn
Bates completed a 29-yard touchdown pass to tight end Charlie Gantt off a fake field goal attempt in overtime to give Michigan State a 34-31 victory over Notre Dame. The senior punter also recorded eight punts for 363 yards, good for an average of 45.4 per boot, and placed two punts inside the 20-yard line. Bates currently ranks third in the conference with 45.9 yards per punt, including a long of 62 yards against the Fighting Irish. The Ohio native collects weekly laurels for the first time in his career.
LAST MSU SPECIAL TEAMS POW: K Dan Conroy on Sept. 13, 2010
FRESHMAN:
Le’Veon Bell, Michigan State
FR, RB, Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Groveport Madison
Bell rushed 17 times for 114 yards and a touchdown and added 18 yards on two receptions in Michigan State’s 34-31 overtime victory over Notre Dame. The freshman running back averaged 6.7 yards per carry and scored on a 16-yard run with 5:51 left in the third quarter to give the hosts a 21-14 lead. On the previous play, he kept the drive alive with a 12-yard reception on third-and-11 from the Fighting Irish 28-yard line. Bell has now rushed for more than 100 yards in two of his first three games in a Spartan uniform. The Ohio native earns Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors for the second time this season, after sharing the accolades on Sept. 7.
LAST MSU FRESHMAN OF WEEK: RB Le’Veon Bell on Sept. 7, 2010.