Ohio State‘s Big Ten freshman of the week streak is over, but a first-year Buckeye was honored by the conference again this week.
While Ohio State’s run of winning the Big Ten freshman of the week award after every game it’s played this season came to an end – Michigan wide receiver Andrel Anthony and Minnesota running back Mar'Keise Irving split the award this week – North Carolina transfer kicker Noah Ruggles was named the Big Ten’s co-special teams player of the week after he made all four of his field goal attempts in Ohio State’s 33-24 win over Penn State on Saturday.
Week 9's Co-Special Teams Player of the Week: Noah Ruggles of @OhioStateFB
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) November 1, 2021
Connected on all 4 FG attempts and both of his extra point attempts for 14 points in a 33-24 win vs. PSU
Hit a 26-yard FG with 2:41 remaining in the 4Q to seal the win
https://t.co/dHM5laKgB4 pic.twitter.com/a5YtMNOx6F
Ruggles made field goals from 35, 23, 25 and 26 yards against the Nittany Lions, and those 12 points ultimately made the difference in the game. His four field goals tied his own career-high and are tied for the fifth-most in a single game in Ohio State history, as he became the first Ohio State kicker to make four field goals in a game since Drew Basil against Michigan in 2012.
He is the first Buckeye to win the Big Ten special teams player of the week award since former Ohio State punter Drue Chrisman won the award last year.
Ruggles, who split this week's special teams player of the week award with Rutgers punter Adam Korsak, has not missed a single kick for Ohio State this season, converting all 11 of his field goal attempts and all 47 of his extra point attempts.
While Ohio State has still won at least one Big Ten award after all eight games it’s played this season, its streak of winning the Big Ten freshman of the week award after every game concludes after seven games. C.J. Stroud was named freshman of the week after five of Ohio State’s first seven games, while TreVeyon Henderson and Kyle McCord have also each won the award once.
