Week 7 Big 12 Football Players of the Week Announced
With Week 7 of the college football season officially in the books, the Big 12 Conference announced five players that would be taking home the seventh iteration of the Big 12 Football Weekly Awards for the 2023 season.
TCU quarterback Josh Hoover split the title of Offensive Player of the Week with Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon after stellar performances from both. Hoover was joined by another freshman signal caller on the list with Kansas State freshman quarterback Avery Johnson taking home Newcomer of the Week honors. Kansas State’s Kobe Savage claimed Defensive Player of the Week honors, and Iowa State kicker Chase Contreraz was selected as the Special Teams Player of the Week.
Hoover earned his half of the Offensive Player of the Week award after leading the Horned Frogs to a 44-11 win over BYU in his first career start. Hoover completed 37-of-58 passes for 439 yards and four touchdowns on Saturday which ranks as the 10th-most passing yards by a QB in a single game this season. He is the first Power Five QB with 400 passing yards and four scores in his first career start since 2019 and the first Big 12 signal caller to achieve the feat since 2014.
Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon made his presence known in Saturday’s 39-32 win over Kansas by totaling new career-highs in carries (29), rushing yards (168), catches (6), receiving yards (116), longest catch (50) and in all-purpose yards (284). Gordon became the first player in all of college football this season and the first Oklahoma State player to record more than 100 rushing and receiving yards in a single game since Gerald Hudson accomplished the feat against Kansas in 1989, according to the official release.
Kansas State’s senior safety Kobe Savage was all over the field on Saturday, tying for the team lead in tackles recording the first career multi-interception game since 2018 by a member of the Wildcats. The Texas native became the first K-State safety to record two or more picks since 2014, and played a massive part in holding Texas Tech running back Tahj Brooks under 100 rushing yards.
Savage’s teammate, Avery Johnson ran for five touchdowns against Texas Tech in Saturday’s 38-21 win over the Red Raiders to etch his name into the Big 12 history books. Johnson for the second-most rushing touchdowns in a game in Big 12 history and set the Conference record for rushing TDs in a game by a freshman quarterback. Johnson tied Kansas State’s single-game rushing touchdown record and compiled the most rushing TDs in a game nationally by a freshman QB since 1995 in just his third game of college football to earn Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors.
Iowa State kicker Chase Contreraz had an impressive day against the Cincinnati Bearcats by going 3-of-3 on field goal attempts and 2-2 on extra points in the Cyclones’ 30-10 win on Saturday afternoon. Contreraz also showed off some savvy skills in the open field, executing a fake field goal for a first down, which led to a score just five plays later. Contreraz continues to be the model of consistency and is now a perfect 17-for-17 on extra points and is 5-5 in his last five FG attempts which helped earn him a second Big 12 Weekly Award this season.
Last Week’s Winners:
Offense: Dillon Gabriel, OU, QB, Sr.
Defense: Beau Freyler, ISU, DB, Jr.
Newcomer: Cameron Epps, OSU, CB, Fr.
Special Teams: Trevor Wilson, KU, WR/PR, Jr.
