Big Ten Roundup (Sept. 26): Northwestern, Minnesota Players Earn B1G Football Week 4 Honors

For Week 4 of the 2023 college football season, Northwestern wide receiver Bryce Kirtz was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, while Minnesota running back Darius Taylor maintained his status as the best freshman in the conference.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — It would have been really hard not to name Bryce Kirtz the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week. 

The Northwestern wide receiver from Brownsburg, Ind., nearly broke the Wildcats' single-game receiving record on Saturday during the team's miraculous 37-34 comeback victory over Minnesota. Plenty of Big Ten football players had spectacular Week 4 performances, but no one was better on offense than Kirtz.

Though, one offensive player who did stick out on the sideline opposite Kirtz was Darius Taylor. During a season that is already looking grim for coach P.J. Fleck and the Gophers, the true freshman running back Taylor is one of the lone bright spots. The Minnesota halfback galloped for another 198 yards on Saturday against Northwestern, on his way to being named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week for a third consecutive time. 

Here's everything you need to know in today's Big Ten Roundup:

Bryce Kirtz, Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week

During the first three years of his collegiate football career in Evanston, Kirtz had never once found the end zone. He's been productive for Northwestern at times, but a scorer, he was not.

That all changed on Saturday, when he finished with a ridiculous 10 receptions for 215 yards and two touchdowns in Northwestern's overtime win. 

Bryce Kirtz was a problem Saturday night.

The WR exploded for 10 rec., 215 yds & 2 TDs, shattering every previous career-high. 💥

Here are some highlights from his breakout performance.@kirtz__ x @NUFBFamily pic.twitter.com/K145w0wY7M

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) September 25, 2023

Only three players in school history have ever tallied more receiving yards than Kirtz did on Saturday. He's the first Wildcat to be named the Big Ten Player of the Week since quarterback Ryan Hilinski earned the honor in Week 0 of the 2022 season, when Northwestern kicked off the year with a win over Nebraska in Ireland. 

Darius Taylor, Big Ten Freshman of the Week

Death, taxes and Darius Taylor winning Big Ten Freshman of the Week in 2023. 

There are no words to describe just how insanely impressive the true freshman has been in such a short time for Minnesota. After hardly playing during the team's Week 1 win over Nebraska, Taylor has taken over as the starter in the backfield, and rumbled for 529 yards and four touchdowns on just 86 carries in three games.

Darius Taylor is the REAL deal pic.twitter.com/KxQxV4owVg

— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) September 24, 2023

Even with as poor as Saturday's game went for the Gophers, Taylor's performance against Northwestern was his best to date. He left Evanston with 31 carries for 198 yards and two touchdowns, good for an absurd 6.4 yards per carry. 

Taylor only arrived on campus in Minnesota earlier this year, and already he leads the entire Big Ten in rushing yards despite practically missing the entire first game of the season. In a long lineage of superstar Big Ten running backs, Taylor seems well on his way to becoming a Golden Gopher legend. 

Wisconsin, Ohio State Players Earn Honors

Wrapping things up here, it should be noted that Wisconsin kicker Nathanial Vakos was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week after going perfect on three field goal attempts and three extra points against Purdue.

Likewise, Ohio State safety Lathan Ransom was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for his role in the Buckeyes' thrilling 17-14 victory over Notre Dame. Ransom finished with a career high 13 tackles against the Fighting Irish. 

Related Stories on Big Ten:

• ROBBIE HUMMEL LEAVING ESPN: The former Purdue Boilermaker and beloved college basketball color commentator is leaving ESPN to call Big Ten games for NBC and Fox this season. CLICK HERE
• WEEK 4 BIG TEN FOOTBALL RECAP: It was one of the craziest Saturday nights that the sport has ever seen, from Ohio State's miraculous win over Notre Dame in South Bend, to Northwestern coming back from down 21 to beat Minnesota in overtime. Here is everything that happened in the Big Ten. CLICK HERE
• WISCONSIN 38, PURDUE 17: On Friday, coach Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers defeated coach Ryan Walters and the Purdue Boilermakers 38-17 in West Lafayette. It was a thorough beatdown from start to finish, and Wisconsin's 17th consecutive victory over Purdue on the football field. CLICK HERE