MINNEAPOLIS -- After the Gophers' 24-17 win Saturday over Northwestern, two Minnesota players earned weekly conference honors. Gophers linebacker Damien Wilson was named Co-Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, while cornerback Jalen Myrick earned Co-Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
Wilson, who entered Saturday's game as Minnesota's leading tackler, had a team-high (and career-high) 15 tackles and added 1.5 tackles for loss as the Gophers' defense held the Wildcats to 17 points. Wilson now has 66 tackles on the season, and his 11.0 tackles per game are tops in the Big Ten.
Myrick, a sophomore, had arguably the play of the game Saturday when he returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown to put Minnesota up 24-17. Myrick's big return came immediately after Northwestern tied the game in the fourth quarter. It was just the fourth time in school history that a Gophers player had a 100-yard kickoff return.
Wilson shares the weekly defensive honor with Michigan linebacker Jake Ryan, and Wolverines kicker Matt Wile was also named Co-Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week along with Myrick.
Earlier this year, Minnesota's David Cobb earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors, and quarterback Chris Streveler was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week. During head coach Jerry Kill's four-year tenure, the Gophers have had 16 players earn weekly conference honors.
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