Three for the show Clay, Schofield and Borland all in the hunt for Big Ten awards
Nov. 19, 2009
MADISON, Wis. -- As the Badger football team heads into the final weekend of Big Ten play, there is a lot on the line. UW has a chance to share its first conference title since 1999 with a win over Northwestern and a Michigan win over Ohio State. With two more wins, Wisconsin would have 10 regular-season wins for just the third time in school history. And, of course, every win makes the Badgers more attractive to any potential bowl games.
Along with that team success, individual accolades usually follow. There are a number of Badgers that have had outstanding seasons this year and when the Big Ten All-Conference awards are announced on Monday, it is expected that many different UW players will be honored. There are three Wisconsin players that stand out, however, and each has a chance to walk away with one of the prestigious individual awards that will be handed out on Monday.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Sophomore RB John Clay • Leads the Big Ten in rushing (111.3 ypg), more than 19.0 yards more than the next closest back • Even more productive in conference games, averaging 121.0 yards per game (over 24.0 ypg. more than the next closest back) • Has rushed for at least 120 yards in six games this season, including five of eight Big Ten games • Leads the conference with 13 total touchdowns and his 10 total TDs in league games topped the Big Ten • Named Big Ten Player of the Week on Nov. 4 after rushing for a career-high 184 yards and three touchdowns at Minnesota
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Senior DE O'Brien Schofield • Tied for third in the country with 20.5 TFLs and ranks fifth in the Big Ten with 8.0 sacks • One of 16 finalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award (best defensive player in the country) • Ted Hendricks Award (best defensive end in the country) Midseason Watch List • Second-team Midseason All-American by CBSSports.com and Phil Steele • Named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 4 after recording 3.5 TFLs, 2.0 sacks and the game-clinching forced fumble at Minnesota • Spearheads a defense that did not allow a team to rush for 100 yards in conference play and allowed just 72.0 yards on the ground in Big Ten games
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: LB Chris Borland • Only freshman to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors during the conference season • Named Big Ten Defensive Player of the week on Nov. 1 after recording a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries vs. Purdue in his first career start • Named Big Ten co-Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 20 after blocking a punt and forcing a fumble on punt coverage vs. Wofford • Joins Iowa's Adrian Clayborn as the only players to earn both Big Ten Defensive and Special Teams POW honors this season • Despite starting just the last four games, is tied for fourth on the team with 7.5 TFLs and is tied for fourth with 51 tackles • Tied for the league lead with three fumble recoveries and is second in the league with five forced fumbles • Also blocked a punt that resulted in a UW touchdown, recorded an interception at Indiana and has seven kickoff returns for 106 yards • "If there's a freshman in this league that's had more of an effect on the team, I would be surprised. He's been a defensive MVP of the league. He's been a special teams MVP of the league. If there's a freshman in this league that's had more of an effect on a team that's in the upper half of its division, then I'd be surprised." - UW head coach Bret Bielema
