ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Purdue cornerback Brandon King got a sneak preview of Ralph Bolden's breakaway speed during a practice last month.

	Andrew Weber/US Presswire
	Purdue running back Ralph Bolden put his speed on display last Saturday.

"He hit a play, he was coming through the A gap," King said, "and man, that was the fastest I've ever seen Ralph run. He's going to be exciting this year. We, on defense, we get to see it all."

The Boilermakers' practices in the spring and summer are generally closed to the public, so Bolden's brilliance was reserved for his teammates' eyes only. He put up ridiculous numbers during spring ball and didn't miss a beat in preseason camp to win the team's starting running back job.

Finally, the rest of the world got to see what Bolden could do on the field, and he didn't disappoint. The 5-9, 194-pound sophomore racked up 234 rushing yards -- the third highest single-game total in team history -- and two touchdowns on only 21 carries (11.2 ypc) in Saturday's win against Toledo. He sprinted 78 yards for a touchdown on Purdue's third play from scrimmage, saying later, "I saw grass. I just ran."

Bolden's effort in his first career start earned him Big Ten co-Offensive Player of the Week honors.

"I was like, 'Wow. Somebody probably gave me extra yards,'" Bolden told reporters of his reaction to seeing his final rushing total. "I'm speechless."

Bolden played as a true freshman in 2008 and had 16 rushes for 28 yards in eight games, but he wasn't fully recovered from a severe knee injury he suffered toward the end of his high school career. The pain disappeared by spring ball, and Bolden surged for 420 yards and four touchdowns in three spring scrimmages plus the spring game.

"Coming off the knee injury and everything, it gave me a lot of confidence, allowed me to do what I thought I could do coming out of high school," Bolden told me last month. "I've been able to carry it over."

Purdue's running backs were the talk of the preseason, the group everyone pegged to make the biggest jump this fall. Senior Jaycen Taylor returned to form after missing all of 2008 with a torn ACL, while Frank Halliburton and Dan Dierking impressed the coaches and heralded freshman Al-Terek McBurse got in some work before being slowed by injuries.

But Bolden stood out from the pack.

"Top end speed separates him in some ways," head coach Danny Hope said. "Right now on our football team, speed is something that we would like to get on the field and have more of it, and Ralph is fast. There were many, many times throughout the course of camp things were bottled up and shut down and he was able to stick his foot in the ground and bounce outside and run off the distance to the end zone."

Bolden is no longer a practice prodigy. He showed Saturday that he's just as dynamic when it matters.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Big Ten football is here!

If you could see me right now, I'd be doing my happy dance. On second thought, it's probably better you don't see me.

Anyway, after this Sahara of an offseason, I'm excited to start blogging about actual games again.

Here's a quick rundown of what's on tap for the opening weekend in the Big Ten:

THURSDAY

Eastern Kentucky at Indiana, 8 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network

Indiana debuts the pistol offense against FCS Eastern Kentucky, a team that enjoyed good success under current Purdue head coach Danny Hope from 2003-07. Keep an eye on the Hoosiers' running back race, as three or four backs, including dynamic redshirt freshman Darius Willis, are expected to get carries. Coming off a 3-9 season, Indiana needs a strong start from its defense, who will face Colonels quarterback Cody Watts, a converted wide receiver who led the team in touchdown receptions (5) last season.

SATURDAY

Towson at Northwestern, noon ET, Big Ten Network

The Wildcats shouldn't have much trouble with Towson, a team that went 3-9 last season and still hasn't decided on its starting quarterback. But this will be a chance for Northwestern senior quarterback Mike Kafka and a new crop of starting skill players to get comfortable and gain confidence. Star defensive end Corey Wootton returns to the field after recovering from a torn ACL, and true freshman running back Arby Fields likely will see a lot of work.

Montana State at Michigan State, noon ET, Big Ten Network

All eyes will be on the Spartans' offensive backfield, where position battles at both quarterback and running back have intensified. Quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol both are expected to play a lot, but who creates separation will be key. Michigan State coaches told ESPN.com last week that running backs Caulton Ray, Larry Caper and Edwin Baker likely will enter the season as the top ball carriers. Montana State also remains unsettled at quarterback with Mark Iddins and Cody Kempt competing for the top spot.

Navy at No. 6 Ohio State, noon ET, ESPN

Before a much anticipated rematch with USC, Ohio State must get past Navy, which always provides a challenge but doesn't appear to be as strong as it is in most years. Terrelle Pryor's progress from Year 1 to Year 2 will be interesting to watch, and I'm also very curious about the left tackle position. Will Andrew Miller or J.B. Shugarts emerge as the answer to protect Pryor's blind side?

Akron at No. 9 Penn State, noon ET, Big Ten Network

Whether it's fair or not, everyone expects a blowout here, and Penn State needs to deliver. The Lions' schedule forces the team not only to win, but win in very impressive fashion. Penn State can build confidence at wide receiver and offensive line against Akron, which ranked 90th nationally in total defense last fall. Akron quarterback Chris Jacquemain is pretty solid and will provide a good test for a new-look Penn State secondary.

Minnesota at Syracuse, noon ET, ESPN2

What is it about Minnesota and dome stadiums? The Golden Gophers thought they had rid themselves of domes for good by moving out of the Metrodome last fall, but they head indoors again to face Syracuse. Emotions will be high in the Carrier Dome as the Doug Marrone era begins and former Duke basketball player Greg Paulus starts at quarterback. Minnesota is the better team here, and as long as the Gophers keep their composure and don't struggle too much with their new pro-style offense, they should be fine.

Toledo at Purdue, noon ET, Big Ten Network

The Danny Hope era begins in West Lafayette as Purdue takes on Toledo, which also welcomes in a new coach (Tim Beckman). It will be interesting to watch how much the Boilers offense has changed under coordinator Gary Nord. Running back is arguably Purdue's deepest position, and backs like Jaycen Taylor, Ralph Bolden and Frank Halliburton all should get work. Boilers quarterback Joey Elliott needs to be aware of Toledo star safety Barry Church, a Nagurski Award candidate.

Northern Iowa at No. 22 Iowa, noon ET, Big Ten Network

This isn't your run-of-the-mill FBS vs. FCS beatdown. It could turn out that way, but Northern Iowa is pretty good and Iowa has some issues at running back. Former walk-on Paki O'Meara likely will get the start at running back for the Hawkeyes. Former Wisconsin linebacker Elijah Hodge, whose brother Abdul starred for Iowa, is making his debut with Northern Iowa at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa has won the last 14 meetings in the series stretching back to 1898.

Western Michigan at Michigan, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC

There's plenty of intrigue here, and I'll be on hand to watch it. Michigan tries to win its first opener since 2006 and close the book on a disastrous 2008 season. The Wolverines could use three quarterbacks (Nick Sheridan, Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson) in the game, and they must try to contain a really good signal-caller (Tim Hiller) on the other side. Perhaps the biggest question is how Michigan will come out after the allegations from players about NCAA rule violations within the program. Can Michigan keep it together for a critical opener?

Illinois vs. Missouri (at St. Louis), 3:40 p.m. ET, ESPN

Easily the best matchup of a pretty bland opening weekend, Illinois and Missouri meet in what is usually an extremely entertaining game. Illinois returns more experience on offense and really needs a win to start a tough opening stretch. A key matchup pairs Illini quarterback Juice Williams and Missouri star linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, who recently Tweeted he'd "squeeze the pulp out of Juice." Williams set the total offense record at Edward Jones Dome in his last appearance against Missouri and needs a repeat performance.

Northern Illinois at Wisconsin, 7 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network

Week 1 wraps up with a night game at Camp Randall Stadium, where Wisconsin's surprise starting backfield of Scott Tolzien and Zach Brown takes on Northern Illinois. The Badgers likely will play both Tolzien and redshirt freshman Curt Phillips at quarterback, but Tolzien will have the first chance to create some separation. Versatile NIU quarterback Chandler Harnish provides a good challenge for a Wisconsin defense replacing five starters in the front seven.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

The Big Ten's only new head coach enters the league with an air of mystery around him and his team. Danny Hope knows Purdue, having coached the Boilermakers' offensive line under Joe Tiller from 1997-2001 and again last year as the head coach in-waiting. But the Big Ten doesn't really know him. He comes from off-the-radar Eastern Kentucky, an FCS program that experienced pretty good success in his five seasons at the helm (35-22).

Hope made some news in February when he signed a recruiting class that included 14 players from Florida and none from Indiana. He inherits a team replacing most of its skill players on offense, but loaded in the secondary. He also brings in two new coordinators in Gary Nord (offense) and Donn Landholm (defense).

So what's the deal at Purdue? I sat down with Hope last week to find out.


Outside the program, there's a lot of curiosity, not knowing exactly what to expect from this team. Do you understand that? Is it just part of the deal with all the new things?


Danny Hope: I'm indifferent to it. It doesn't have anything to do with what we're doing getting ready to play. I'm indifferent about the perception on the outside, the preseason rankings, the expectations, any of that. We know where we're at as a football team. We're a very close football team, and we communicate on a regular basis. We know what our expectation levels are for the season. We're focused on us and not necessarily what's on the peripheral.


Is there any curiosity on your part? Now Joey [Elliott] will be in a major role. Now Keith [Smith] may be the No. 1 wide receiver, or another guy might be in a bigger role than he's ever been before. Are you interested to see how they'll react?


DH: We don't have a choice on how to react to that. We're going to get ready to play and we're going to play well with the players we have. We have a lot of confidence in them. It's the same thing every year. There's always new guys coming onto the scene. I don't care where you're at. We have a few more than others, but it's no different. It's business as usual, in reality.


Joey seems to have the mental makeup you want as a quarterback in knowing the game and the knowledge. What area on the field has he made the most progress?


DH: Right now as a football team, we're becoming more sure every day. Sure about our assignments and our alignments and everything it takes to be a winning football team. I see that with him as well. He's getting the ball out of his hand faster, but a lot of it has to do with the receivers are running sharper routes now. It's a cumulative effect, but he's getting better. I like the way he's getting the ball out of his hand, playing faster.


This program's known for passing the ball, but everyone is talking about the running back position this offseason. What have you seen from that group and the depth you have there?


DH: The seniors coming on strong have really impacted our whole running back pool. Frank Halliburton's a fine football player. He's a 250-pound back. They're a very aggressive group, and that's not always the case with running backs. They run hard, they finish their runs, they block hard, they have a great work ethic. We have three or four guys at the running back spot that could be starters for us. With Frank coming on strong and Jaycen Taylor coming back and looking like he can make a difference to our football team, it has really enhanced our stable of running backs. That's good for the running game, but it's good for the passing game, too. We're a multiple formation offense, and we have more playmakers right now than we had this time last year and way more playmakers than what we had in the spring.


Is that partly because of the older guys or the freshmen being in there, too?


DH: It's the new guys, and the older guys getting their chance. Frank Halliburton, a year ago, he was a big back. Now he's a really good big back. He's a playmaker. He's a really good receiver out of the backfield. [Ralph] Bolden is really fast. Ralph's probably a 10.5 100-meter guy. He's had several times the last couple weeks where he's ran off and left everybody else in the defense from a footrace standpoint. He wasn't really ready to play [last year, due to injury]. And then obviously Jaycen Taylor coming back, he wasn't there last year, and he's a playmaker. And then we added some more speed and skill on the pe
rimeter from a receiving standpoint. Four of our top eight receivers were not with us in the spring, and they're all athletic guys, long jumpers and track guys.


Do you expect to be more multiple on offense than Purdue has been in the past?


DH: They've been awful multiple. I've been around Purdue and Purdue offense, and they've had a million great plays in the last 12 years. But I like the potential of our running backs, I like the potential of our tight ends and we're much better at receiver than we were in the spring. And we're a team that throws the ball, so yes, we'll be multiple.


The guys on defense said when Donn came in, he didn't change the terminology there. You mentioned how Purdue's always been multiple on offense. Are people going to notice major scheme changes when you take the field?


DH: Here's what most people don't realize. There's a play-calling system in every offense and every defense, and the system hasn't change. I don't want to ever be in a situation where the coordinator leaves and I don't understand the system, where we can't keep that intact and continue moving on without those coordinators. I've been a head coach before and had a system and one time got outside of the system when the coordinator left and next thing I know, I wasn't quite exactly what we had in and didn't have in. So we have a certain system in, and the play-caller can pick anything out of that system, any plays he wants, as long as they can be manufactured within the system. I took the Purdue offense to Eastern Kentucky, put it in verbatim, and then a couple years later, some of that was the Purdue offense and some was some other stuff. And there were some signs of that here when I came back here [in 2008]. It wasn't exactly the Purdue offense that I had in place after I left here after the 2001 season. Coach Nord has the liberty to call any of the plays he wants, as long as they fit within the system. He's a creative coach and does a great job of keeping the defense off balance. I think our fans will really enjoy his play-calling. I sure do in practice.


How important is your freshman class toward what you want to accomplish this season?


DH: Really important because of the need we had at wide receiver and also the depth at linebacker. We had two freshman linebackers come in at mid-year with [Dwayne] Beckford and [Antwon] Higgs, which has been huge. They've been through a spring ball and a summer and now camp. And then with the receiver position, we're eight receivers shy off the depth chart from a year ago. Those new guys, they're the guys now. It's been a lot of growth and a lot of effort. It's coming together. It really is.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Cornell Jackson started spring practice with just a basic working knowledge of the Purdue running backs he was hired to coach.

He wouldn't have wanted things any other way.

Everything Jackson knew about the Boilers backs came from his job interview with head coach Danny Hope, who briefed him on each of the players. After being hired, Jackson chose not to watch any film on the backs, giving them a blank canvas to display their skills.

"As a position coach, you want to see your guys perform live," Jackson said. "In morning workouts, I watched them run around. And then once we started spring ball, that was my deal, to watch them run, to watch them block, to watch them catch, all those things."

Needless to say, he liked what he saw.

Although Purdue didn't have its most experienced back (Jaycen Taylor) or quite possibly its most promising runner (freshman Al-Terek McBurse) on the field this spring, Jackson and Hope came out of the 15 practices feeling optimistic about the running back position.

Arguably no player in the Big Ten had a more eye-popping spring performance than Boilers sophomore Ralph Bolden, who rushed for 420 yards and four touchdowns on 66 carries in four scrimmages. Junior Dan Dierking added 211 rushing yards and three touchdowns, including 95 yards and two scores in the Black & Gold game.

The emergence of both Bolden and Dierking bodes well for Purdue, which loses almost all of its starting skill players from last season, including quarterback Curtis Painter and running back Kory Sheets. Both backfield positions looked shaky entering spring ball, but running back could end up being a surprising source of depth for the Boilers this fall.

"I was pleased that those kids did exactly what we asked them to do and how we asked them to do it," Jackson said. "Those kids proved to me that they want to contribute to this football team. From the standpoint of depth, I feel good."

Bolden, Dierking and burly senior Frank Halliburton all impressed Jackson during the practice, and the group will get even stronger this fall.

Taylor, who split carries with Sheets in 2006 and 2007, is on schedule to return from a torn ACL sustained in training camp last summer. He was held out of contact this spring but brings plenty of experience and leadership to the field.

McBurse, the team's top incoming recruit, gained clearance from the NCAA in late April after eligibility issues prevented him from participating in spring ball.

"He was here in the spring, he was involved in meetings, he saw guys at practice," Jackson said of McBurse, a heralded back from Winter Springs, Fla. "In his mind, he's thinking, 'Hey, I can do this, too.' When we start camp, the young man is going to want to get in the mix and we're going to get him in there."

Bolden was a virtual unknown before spring practice. He tore his ACL toward the end of his senior year in high school and was still somewhat limited last season at Purdue, where he had 16 carries in eight games as a reserve.

"Ralph's got the quick feet," Jackson said. "He's a small back (5-9, 194), so sometimes he can hide behind those offensive linemen, find that seam and break through. Here's a guy that has got a low center of gravity, got great vision and got tremendous speed."

Halliburton brings power to the backfield at 6-2, 251 pounds, while Dierking is closer to Bolden's size but boasts a thick frame and good blocking skills.

Purdue has been primarily a pass-first team during the spread offense era, but the run game could play a bigger role in new coordinator Gary Nord's scheme.

"The thing I want to accomplish out of all these guys," Jackson said, "I don't care who's in the ballgame, I don't care what situation it might be. I just don't want the offense to change because you've got to put a different guy in there. I want the offense to stay the same. I think we accomplished that this spring."

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

It's Tuesday, and that means mailbag time. Great week in the Big Ten, so let's see what's on your mind.

Andy from Greensboro, N.C., writes: OSU played very scary today and I am not impressed with the overall performance. However I am thinking positive in the fact that hopefully all the kinks got out today in regards to next weekend at USC. I am happy that the defense caused turnovers, but they allowed some big rush plays to a mediocre OU team. I also noticed that OSU played its normal 'non-aggressive' defense and seemed very conservative. I know USC is the opposite and very aggressive with many blitzes and schemes, so do you think OSU will become more aggressive on D as well, or play normal conservative ball come next weekend? I would have loved to see more blitzing today and obviously I would like to put some pressure on Sanchez next weekend as well. If you are Jim Heacock, what kind of things would you throw at USC to either slow down their RB?s or help cause turnovers?

Adam Rittenberg: I'll ask Jim Heacock about this in a few minutes, but I think the Buckeyes have to take some chances against USC, particularly early in the game. The biggest positive -- heck, the only positive -- coming out of the Ohio game was the defense's ability to get takeaways. The Buckeyes might rattle USC quarterback Mark Sanchez by forcing an early turnover or two, which would provide a struggling offense the chance to jump ahead. Though maintaining aggression is key, I don't know how much Ohio State should blitz linebacker James Laurinaitis. He needs to track those running backs and should stay at home as much as possible.

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Alex from Indianapolis writes: Adam, First and foremost I love the job you continue to do on here! I just got back from the Iu-Murray State game and WOW the defense is probably one of the best Ive seen around here in years! Matt Mayberry continuesto fly around the ball and making plays all over! I watched the OSU game earlier today, and really dont see that much of a drop off between Laurinaitis and Mayberry. Your thoughts?

Adam Rittenberg: Wow, Matt Mayberry fan club keeps growing. He's seriously the most popular player in my mailbag. I'd like to see him face a real opponent first before putting him on Laurinaitis' level. The guy has excellent speed and good size, but he's no Laurinaitis right now. I will agree that Indiana's defense is much improved. The line boasts more than just Greg Middleton and the secondary should be solid with Austin Thomas, Nick Polk and new arrival Jerimy Finch.

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Ryan from Lubbock, Texas, writes: Regarding your pick for Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week: Ray Small did get the sexy punt return for TD, but it seemed the Buckeyes got away with a clip. If I had to pick, I'd take OSU's Shaun Lane, who recovered the fumbled punt by Ohio. That ball was only a few blades of grass away from being out of bounds!

Adam Rittenberg: Ryan, I struggled with that one a bit, but I did pick Lane for the Big Ten's Pontiac Game Changing Performance. I still don't know how he managed to stay in bounds to recover that fumble. An amazing athletic play. Another strong candidate is Purdue's Frank Halliburton, the Big Ten's official choice, who became the first Boilermakers player in 121 years to block two punts in a game.

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Leslie from Ypsilanti, Mich., writes: Do you think Michigan has a chance of winning more than 5 games in the Big Ten this year?

Adam Rittenberg: Four or five Big Ten wins sounds about right for the Wolverines, but they have to get much better quarterback play later in the year. The defense looks very solid, particularly up front, which should be the difference Saturday against Notre Dame. The injuries on the offensive line concern me a bit, and the running backs need to perform against top competition. The good news is Michigan has two winnable road games (Minnesota, Purdue) and hosts Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan State.

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Sam from Chicago writes: Are any Northwestern Wildcats on the NFL Draft watch this year? Tyrell Sutton is obviously their best player and receives the most recognition, but is he big enough to succeed at the next level? What about senior defensive tackle John Gill? Thanks and love the constant updates on the blog!

Adam Rittenberg: Thanks, Sam. Defensive tackle John Gill is by far Northwestern's top pro prospect. He could be a first-day pick in April with a strong senior season, though being suspended for the opener can't help. Scouts I've talked with love Gill's strength and ability to get in the backfield. Tyrell Sutton should land somewhere because of his receiving ability. He's arguably the Big Ten's top pass-catching running back. A wide receiver or two might get a look, but those two are about it.

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Matthew from Toledo, Ohio, writes: Adam, OSU keeps winning, but still drops in the polls. I don't blame the voters for making that call, but it really makes me wonder how voters will react if OSU beats USC. If OSU drops the #1 team in the nation, even if by a small margin of victory, do you honestly think OSU bumps all the way up to #1? I just have a hard time believing voters will let go of the recent BCS past.

Adam Rittenberg writes: Rest assured, Matthew. Ohio State will be No. 1 in the country if it beats USC, especially since the game is in L.A., where nobody beats the Trojans. The flexibility you mention with Ohio State shows that the voters are willing to reward strong play and penalize subpar performances like the Ohio game. There's a lot of negativity going around about the Buckeyes, but they'll get respect from everyone if they knock off USC, which remains the sport's gold standard.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

It's nice to see the league office also had a hard time settling on just one offensive player of the week. For the first time since 1997, more than two players shared the honors for a category.

I definitely considered the choice for defensive POTW, but most of his production came with the game out of reach. I really like the call for special teams.

From the league release:

OFFENSE

Javon Ringer, Michigan State, Sr., RB

Ringer racked up a career-high five rushing touchdowns despite sitting out most of the fourth quarter in a victory over Eastern Michigan. The senior running back rushed 34 times for 135 yards and totaled 205 all-purpose yards in the game. His five rushing scores mark the second-best single-game total in Spartans history, just one short of the school record set by Blake Ezor in 1989, and the third-highest total in Big Ten annals behind only Ezor, Illinois' Howard Griffith (8 in 1990) and Indiana's Levron Williams (6 in 2001). Ringer collects his second weekly laurel after being honored on Oct. 15, 2007.

Adam Weber, Minnesota , So., QB

Weber led the Gophers to a 2-0 start by completing 21-of-25 passes (84 percent) for 233 yards and three touchdowns while adding a rushing score as Minnesota pulled away late for a road victory over Bowling Green. The sophomore quarterback compiled an impressive pass efficiency rating of 201.9 in the game and completed 12 consecutive passes at one point. After the Falcons cut the deficit to 21-17 in the third quarter, Weber responded with a pair of fourth-quarter scoring drives to put the game away, hitting Eric Decker on a 28-yard touchdown and adding a three-yard scoring run. Weber picks up his second weekly accolade after being honored on Sept. 10 last season.

Evan Royster, Penn State , So., RB

Despite playing less than three quarters, Royster set a career high with 141 rushing yards on 17 carries and tallied three touchdowns in a rout of Oregon State. The sophomore running back averaged 8.3 yards per carry and scored three touchdowns for the second straight game, becoming the first Nittany Lion to register six touchdowns in the first two games of a season since Lydell Mitchell in 1971. Royster broke loose on scoring sprints of 15, 28 and four yards in the first half to help the Nittany Lions produce a 35-7 halftime lead. This marks the first weekly laurel for Royster.

DEFENSE

Karl Klug, Iowa, So., DE

After missing most of last season due to injury, Klug posted career highs with nine tackles and two sacks while also forcing a fumble to help the Iowa defense post a shutout against Florida International. The sophomore defensive end's second sack forced a fumble that was recovered by Iowa on FIU's final drive. The Hawkeyes limited the Golden Panthers to 56 rushing yards and four-of-15 on third downs. Iowa posted its fifth shutout in Kirk Ferentz's nine-plus seasons as head coach and its second straight dominant defensive outing, after holding Maine to a field goal on Aug. 30. Klug earns his first weekly honor.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Frank Halliburton, Purdue, Sr., FB

Halliburton made history in Purdue's win over Northern Colorado, becoming the first Boilermaker in 121 years to block two punts in a game. The senior fullback's first deflection came in the second quarter and resulted in a 9-yard punt. In the third quarter, Halliburton recorded his second block, which was picked up by teammate Mike Conway and returned 11 yards for a touchdown. In one day, Halliburton equaled the Purdue single-season record for punt blocks set by Todd Stelma in 1998 and Bernard Pollard in 2004. Only two other Big Ten players have ever blocked two punts in a game -- Wisconsin 's Richard Johnson against Missouri in 1984 and Iowa's Sean Considine versus Iowa State in 2003. This is the first weekly accolade for Halliburton.