Around The Big Ten – November 11

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FOOTBALL

Offensive Player of the Week 
Ty Dieffenbach, UCLA
QB – Sr. – Calabasas, Calif. – Agoura

• Led No. 5-ranked UCLA to a 34-20 win at Minnesota on Saturday, pushing the Bruins to 9-0 for the fourth time ever and first time since 1998
• Passed for a career-high 303 yards and tied a career high with three touchdown passes
• Connected with Aidan Mizell on back-to-back 75-yard touchdown strikes on consecutive offensive snaps for UCLA
• Dieffenbach is the only FBS player since at least 1995 to throw for 300+ passing yards on eight completions
• Last UCLA Offensive Player of the Week: Nico Iamaleava (Oct. 6, 2025)

Defensive Player of the Week
NiJhay Burt, Michigan State
CB– RS-Sr. – Homestead, Pa. – Steel Valley

• Registered a season-high six tackles, adding one interception, one forced fumble and one pass break up to help MSU to a 15-6 win at Michigan to reclaim the Paul Bunyan Trophy
• His interception was his first of the season and also his first in his two seasons at Michigan State
• Led the Michigan State defense to holding Michigan to just six points Saturday night, 15 points below the Wolverines’ season scoring average
• Helped limit Michigan to just 54 yards rushing, a new season-low for the Wolverines, after their previous low of 57 yards vs. Indiana
• Last Michigan State Defensive Player of the Week honoree: Jordan Hall (Sept. 8, 2025)

Special Teams Player of the Week 
Liam Boyd, Michigan State
K – Gr. – Asheville, N.C. – Asheville

• Went 5-of-5 on field goals, scoring all 15 of the Spartans’ points in Saturday’s victory at Michigan, single-handedly out-scoring the Wolverines to help capture the Paul Bunyan Trophy
• Boyd’s five field goals tied the most in a Big Ten game and his 15 points were the most scored by a visiting player of any kind in a Big Ten game this season
• Tied his career-high with the five goals, matching his five upright splits in the season-opener vs. Toledo (9/4)
• Finished the game with makes from 21, 37, 38, 24 and a game-long 49 yards
• Last Michigan State Special Teams Player of the Week honoree: Alante Brown (Dec. 1, 2025)

Freshman of the Week 
Ryan Hopkins, Wisconsin
QB – Newport Beach, Calif. – Mater Dei

• The true freshman quarterback made his first career start on Saturday in Wisconsin’s 31-10 win vs. Rutgers
• Recorded 241 yards and three scores on 18-of-24 passing, with his 241 passing yards tying for the third most for a Badger freshman in their debut since 1990
• Hopkins’ three passing touchdowns were the most by any freshman in the nation this week and his 200.6 passer rating led all FBS freshmen in week 10 action
• Threw scores of 66, 21 and 11 yards, all to different Badger receivers, with eight different Badgers catching passes in the win
• Last Wisconsin Freshman of the Week: Mason Posa (Nov. 10, 2025)

MEN’S SOCCER

Offensive Player of the Week
Charlie Heuer, Indiana
Jr. – M – Elmhurst, Ill. – York Community

• Recorded a goal and two assists in the Hoosiers’ 3-2 win over No. 9 Michigan State
• Assisted on both of Easton Bogard’s goals, giving Indiana a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes, before scoring the game-winning goal, as the Hoosiers clinched the Big Ten title
• Claims his first Offensive Player of the Week honor
• Last Indiana Offensive Player of the Week: Oliver Moller-Jensen (Nov. 3, 2026)

Defensive Player of the Week 
Shakir Nixon, UCLA
Jr. – D – Cerritos, Calif. – Cerritos

• Anchored a defensive effort that led the Bruins to a 1-0 win over No. 6 Washington
• Saw 90 minutes of action on a unit that held the Huskies to just two shots on target, while defending seven corner kicks
• Earns his second career Defensive Player of the Week accolade
• Last UCLA Defensive Player of the Week: Tre Wright (Oct. 6, 2026)

Goalkeeper of the Week
Laurin Mack, Maryland
Jr. – Emmendingen, Germany – SC Freiburg 

• Tallied a career-high eight saves in Maryland’s 2-0 win over Penn State
• Notched his fifth clean sheet of the season
• Nabs his sixth career Goalkeeper of the Week award and third of the season
• Last Maryland Goalkeeper of the Week: Laurin Mack (Oct. 27, 2026)

Freshman of the Week
Tristan Shaw, UCLA
GK – Scottsdale, Ariz. – Chaparral

• Recorded his first career clean sheet with a 1-0 victory over No. 6 Washington
• Notched a pair of second half saves to secure the win
• Earns his first Freshman of the Week award
• Last UCLA Freshman of the Week: Ander Marticorena Saez (Oct. 28, 2025)

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Offensive Player of the Week
Kara Croone, UCLA
Jr. – F – Brookhaven, Ga.
• Recorded her second brace of the season in UCLA’s 3-2 win at USC to clinch the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament
• Opened the scoring in the 48th minute to put the Bruins on the board
• With the score tied at 2-2, connected on a penalty kick with just 2:15 remaining to lift UCLA to victory
• Last UCLA Offensive Player of the Week: Oruha Hayashi (Oct. 13, 2026)

Defensive Player of the Week
Paloma Daubert, UCLA
Jr. – D – Rescue, Calif.
• Notched her first goal of the season on a penalty kick against the Trojans in the 66th minute
• Played every minute (1,620) this year for the Bruins
• Last UCLA Defensive Player of the Week: Paloma Daubert (Oct. 20, 2026)

Goalkeeper of the Week
Peighton Northrup, Ohio State
Sr. – GK – Saline, Mich.
• Tallied three saves in the Buckeyes’ season finale against Michigan
• Faced 10 shots from the Wolverines and held them to one goal
• Last Ohio State Goalkeeper of the Week: Peighton Northrup (Oct. 27, 2026)

Freshman of the Week
Ellie Kocher, Penn State
F – Allentown, Pa.
• Had her second career goal in the first half of No. 23 Penn State’s 4-0 win against Indiana
• Tied for the team lead with three shots versus the Hoosiers
• Last Penn State Freshman of the Week: Hannah Jordan (Aug. 26, 2025)