Nov. 12, 2007

OFFENSE:
Juice Williams, Illinois 
SO, QB, Chicago, Ill./Chicago Vocational
Williams tossed a career-high four touchdown passes and rushed for 70 yards to lead the Illini to their first triumph over a No. 1 team since 1956 and hand top-ranked Ohio State its first loss of the season. The sophomore quarterback completed 12-of-22 passes for 140 yards and averaged 4.4 yards on 16 carries. Williams completed scoring strikes to four different wideouts to give Illinois a 28-14 advantage in the third quarter. Ohio State would narrow the gap to seven points entering the fourth quarter before throwing an interception with 8:09 remaining in the contest. On the ensuing drive, Williams converted a fourth-and-one on a quarterback sneak and then converted three third-down attempts with rushes of 12, 12 and three yards to run out the clock and give the Illini the victory. The Illinois offense racked up 260 rushing yards on the day against an OSU defense which entered the game ranked third in the country allowing only 65 rushing yards per contest. Williams picks up the first weekly conference laurel of his career.
LAST ILLINOIS OFFENSIVE POW: RB Rashard Mendenhall on Sept. 24, 2007

CO-DEFENSE:
Dan Connor, Penn State 
SR, LB, Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven
Connor matched a career-high with 18 tackles, including 11 solo stops, and added 1.5 sacks to lead Penn State to a shutout on the road against Temple. The senior linebacker spearheaded a Nittany Lion defense which held the Owls to four rushing yards to post its second shutout on the year. The Wallingford, Pa., native earns his fourth career weekly accolade and second this season after being honored on Sept. 10, 2007, and Sept. 4 and Oct. 30, 2006. Connor's four career player of the week awards is tied for the second-highest total in Big Ten annals behind only former teammate Paul Posluszny, who was honored five times from 2003-06.
LAST PENN STATE DEFENSIVE POW: LB Sean Lee on Nov. 5, 2007

Matt Shaughnessy, Wisconsin 
JR, DE, Norwich, Conn./Norwich Free Academy
Shaughnessy collected seven defensive stops and 2.5 tackles for loss, including 1.5 sacks, to anchor a Badgers defense which limited Michigan to 47 rushing yards in a home victory. In the second quarter, the junior defensive end contributed on a third-down sack deep in Wolverines territory to force a punt. Wisconsin scored on the ensuing short drive to build a 17-0 advantage. After Michigan narrowed the gap to 23-21 in the fourth quarter, Shaughnessy pushed the offense back 20 yards with another sack to pin the Wolverines on their own 11-yard line. The Badgers intercepted the ensuing pass to set up another score to seal the victory. Shaughnessy collects the first weekly award of his career.
LAST WISCONSIN DEFENSIVE POW: LB DeAndre Levy on Oct. 29, 2007

SPECIAL TEAMS:
James Bailey, Indiana 
JR, KR, Detroit, Mich./Denby
Bailey returned four kickoffs for a career-best 161 yards, including a 91-yard touchdown to give Indiana an early 7-3 lead at Northwestern. The junior kick returner averaged 40.3 yards per return and recorded his first touchdown. His 161 yards ranks as the third-highest single-game total in school history and broke his previous personal-best of 159 yards set earlier this season at Michigan State. Bailey earns his first career weekly conference accolade.
LAST INDIANA SPECIAL TEAMS POW: K Austin Starr on Oct. 8, 2007