Trojans’ Moss, Nittany Lions’ Winston Jr., Bruins’ Bhaghani, Wolverines’ Zvada and Huskers’ Raiola garner accolades
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ROSEMONT, Ill. – Following Week 1 contests, the Big Ten Conference’s Offensive, Defensive, Co-Special Teams Players and Freshman of the Week were announced Monday. Below are this week’s honorees:
Offensive Player of the Week
Miller Moss, USC
QB – R-Jr. – Los Angeles, Calif. – Bishop Alemany
- Connected on 27 of his 36 attempts for 378 yards and a touchdown in USC’s 27-20 upset of No. 13 LSU
- Found Ja’Kobi Lane for a 28-yard touchdown with 5:44 left in the fourth quarter
- Led the Trojans down the field on an eight-play, 75-yard drive to help seal the victory
Defensive Player of the Week
Kevin Winston Jr., Penn State
S – Jr. – Columbia, Md. – DeMatha Catholic
- Tied a career-high with 12 tackles, including seven solo, for his third career double-digit tackle game
- Registered eight of his 12 tackles in the first half against West Virginia
- Had the first forced fumble of his career in the first quarter
- Notched a solo tackle for loss, tying his career mark
- Last Penn State Defensive Player of the Week: Ji’Ayir Brown (Sept. 19, 2022)
Co-Special Teams Players of the Week
Mateen Bhaghani, UCLA
K – So. – San Diego, Calif. – Del Norte
- Went 3-for-3 on field goal attempts, including a game-winning 32-yarder with less than a minute remaining in UCLA’s 16-13 win at Hawai’i
- Also connected from 22 and 37 yards out
- Over three kickoffs, had one touchback and averaged 63.7 yards
- All three field goals came in the second half, helping UCLA overcome a 10-0 halftime deficit
Dominic Zvada, Michigan
K – Jr. – Chandler, Ariz. – Valley Christian
- Recorded field goals of 53 and 55 yards in his Wolverine debut, both among the longest field goals in Michigan history
- His 55-yarder in the fourth quarter is the sixth-longest in program history
- Scored nine straight points for the Wolverines
- Last Michigan Special Teams Player of the Week: James Turner (Nov. 27, 2023)
Freshman of the Week
Dylan Raiola, Nebraska
QB – Buford, Ga. – Buford
- Became the second Nebraska true freshman quarterback to start a season opener since WWII, joining Adrian Martinez who started in 2018 against Colorado
- Completed 19-of-27 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns, including 192 yards before halftime
- Guided the Huskers to touchdown drives on five of his eight drives
- Threw both touchdown passes in the second quarter as Nebraska outscored UTEP, 23-0, as the 23 points were the most by Nebraska in a quarter since 2018
- Last Nebraska Freshman of the Week: Malcolm Hartzog (Oct. 3, 2022)
2024 Big Ten Football Players of the Week
Sept. 2
O: Miller Moss, R-Jr., QB, USC
D: Kevin Winston Jr., Jr., S, PSU
S: Mateen Bhaghani, So., K, UCLA
S: Dominic Zvada, Jr., K, MICH
F: Dylan Raiola, Fr., QB, NEB