The Iowa State women blew the game open in the third quarter and rolled to an 82-55 win over Butler in the season opener today in Ames. Senior forward Nyamer (ny-meer) Diew (dew) led the Cyclones with 19 points and nine rebounds. She started her college career at Butler.

Diew was impressed with the play of a number of freshmen in their first game.

Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly was pleased with how the Cyclones performed after halftime.

Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon II (co-offensive) became just the second student-athlete in Conference history to earn four consecutive Big 12 Player of the Week awards. He was joined by his teammate Xavier Benson (defensive), UCF’s RJ Harvey (co-offensive) and the Texas duo of Adonai Mitchell (newcomer) and Bert Auburn (special teams) as Week 10 honorees. Mitchell picked up his third award of the season while the others are first-time recipients.

Gordon had another impressive performance on Saturday, producing 156 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in the Cowboys’ 27-24 Bedlam win over No. 9 Oklahoma. He logged 138 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground, along with an 18-yard reception. His first touchdown came on a 20-yard run to cap OSU’s game-opening drive, and his second came on a two-yard run with just under eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to give the Cowboys the lead for good. The sophomore has now rushed for 100+ yards in six straight games, which ties for the sixth-longest streak in program history. He has scored multiple touchdowns in four straight games with 10 total scores, including three consecutive games with two or more rushing touchdowns. Gordon’s 138 rushing yards marked the most by any player against the Oklahoma defense this season, and his two rushing touchdowns matched the most against OU this year.

Harvey tallied his fourth consecutive 100-yard rushing game, as the Orlando native recorded a career-high 164 yards on 20 carries with a career-best three touchdowns. He is the first UCF player with four consecutive 100-yard games since Latavius Murray in 2012. Additionally, his 164 rushing yards are the most by a Knights running back since Isaiah Bowser rushed for 172 against Boise State in the 2021 season opener. Harvey had eight different runs during the game for 10 or more yards to give the Knights their first Big 12 Conference win and first win at Cincinnati since 2017. The senior interdisciplinary studies major has 876 rushing yards this season and is on pace to become the first 1,000-yard rusher for the program since 2018.

Benson was all over the field in Saturday’s win over OU, recording seven tackles, a sack, a quarterback hurry, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and three tackles for loss, which is the most by a Cowboy this season and the most by any Big 12 player this week. The senior LB is the first Big 12 player since UT’s Joseph Ossai in 2020 to record at least three TFL, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in one game. Benson helped set the tone early. On Oklahoma’s second drive of the game, he recorded a strip-sack and then recovered a fumble just two plays later. The university studies student entered Saturday with half a sack on the season and no fumbles forced or recovered in his career. In addition to his impact forcing turnovers, one of Benson’s most impactful tackles included a six-yard tackle for loss against Drake Stoops on third down with about four minutes remaining in the first half. The play forced a 51-yard field goal attempt that sailed just wide. Another big tackle also came on third down, as he helped bring down Jalil Farooq five yards short of the marker before OU’s final offensive play that was stopped to seal the three-point Cowboy win.

Mitchell caught eight passes for a career-high 149 receiving yards and one touchdown in Texas’ 33-30 win over No. 23 Kansas State. The junior physical culture and sports student had 96 yards receiving on three catches in the first quarter alone in helping the Longhorns establish a 10-0 lead. He pulled in his team-leading eighth receiving touchdown of the year on a 37-yarder, and followed that with a 47-yard reception that set the offense up for a field goal. He later caught three more passes for 44 yards on a fourth quarter field goal drive that regained the lead for the Longhorns after the Wildcats had tied it at 27-27. That included a 14-yarder on a second-and-20 that led to a manageable fourth-down conversion to get into field goal range.

Auburn made all four of his field goal attempts and three extra points for 15 of the Longhorns’ points in a 33-30 win over No. 23 K-State. Auburn connected on field goals from 32, 49, 34 and 42 yards with the last two coming in the latter part of the fourth quarter and overtime to break ties and regain three-point leads for Texas. The one in the fourth quarter came with just over six minutes remaining for a 30-27 lead, and the 42-yarder in overtime provided the margin of victory after the Longhorns’ defense held the Wildcats scoreless on their possession. The junior economics major has now made his last eight field goal attempts.

Offensive Player of the Year:

Chase Spieker (CAM)

Defensive Player of the Year:

Jack Follman (CAM)

Lineman of the Year:

Cooper Marvel (Fremont-Mills)

Coach of the Year:

Barry Bower (CAM)

Assistant of the Year:

Travis Nelson (E-EHK)

Offense 1st Team:

QB: Chase Spieker (CAM), RB: Braxton Blackburn (Fremont Mills), RB: Alex Hansen (E-EHK), TE/WR: Cash Emgarten (E-EHK), TE/WR: Jack Follman (CAM), OL: Cooper Marvel (Fremont-Mills), OL: Chase Jahde (CAM), OL: Jackson Radcliff (E-EHK), K: Kegan Croghan (CAM), Utility: Brody Paulson (CAM)

Defense 1st Team: 

DL: Cooper Marvel (Fremont-Mills), DL: Jackson Radcliff (E-EHK), DL: Owen Hoover (CAM), LB: Jackson Embree (East-Mills), LB: Jack Follman (CAM), LB: Alex Hansen (E-EHK), DB: Cash Emgarten (E-EHK), DB: Ryan Bower (CAM), P: Quintin White (E-EHK), Utility: Austin Williams (CAM), Returner: Cash Emgarten (E-EHK)

Offense 2nd Team: 

QB: Jameson Kilworth (E-EHK), RB: Jacob Martin (Stanton/Essex), RB: Austin Williams (CAM), TE/WR: Jackson Embree (East-Mills), TE/WR: Collin Bower (CAM), OL: Josh Nelson (E-EHK), OL: Owen Hoover (CAM), OL: Caleb Brandt (Fremont-Mills), K: Logan Jahnke (Fremont-Mills), Utility: Luke Madison (Fremont-Mills)

Defense 2nd Team: 

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa senior Jay Higgins has been named a 2023 Dick Butkus Award semifinalist. The announcement was made on Monday by the Butkus Foundation.

Higgins is one of 12 semifinalists for the Butkus Award, presented to the nation’s most outstanding linebacker. He is one of three players from the Big Ten Conference on the list along with Ohio State’s Tommy Eichenberg and Penn State’s Curtis Jacobs.

Higgins leads the Big Ten and ranks second nationally (the most by a Power 5 player) with 12.6 tackles per game. He has two 15+ and seven 10+ tackle games this season.

The Indianapolis native has 81 tackles in six Big Ten games, averaging 13.5 tackles per contest. Higgins had 18 tackles at Penn State, tied for the second-most in a game this season and the most by a Hawkeye since Jack Campbell in 2021.

Campbell won the award in 2022 and was a semifinalist in 2021, while Josey Jewell was a finalist for the Butkus Award in 2016 and a semifinalist in 2017.

Higgins was named a midseason first-team All-American last month by FOX and Sporting News and a second-team honoree by the Associated Press.

Teammate Cooper DeJean was named a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, presented to the best defensive back in college football, last week.

Iowa (7-2, 4-2) returns to action on Saturday against Rutgers (6-3, 3-3). Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. (CT) on Duke Slater Field at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. The game will be televised on BTN and broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network.

Offensive Player of the Week

Isaiah Williams, Illinois

WR – Jr. – St. Louis, Mo. – Trinity Catholic

• Posted 13 receptions, the most by a Big Ten player this season and tied for the fifth-most by any FBS player in 2023, for 131 yards and two touchdowns in Illinois’ 27-26 win at Minnesota
• Recorded the game-winning 46-yard touchdown catch with 50 seconds remaining in the game and Illinois trailing by five points
• Kept Illinois alive with a 22-yard reception on 4th-and-11 from the Minnesota 15-yard line with 1:25 remaining
• Earns his first career Offensive Player of the Week award
• Last Illinois Offensive Player of the Week: Chase Brown (Oct. 17, 2022)

Defensive Players of the Week

Aaron Casey, Indiana

LB – Sr. – Douglasville, Ga. – Alexander

• Piled up nine tackles with seven coming in the fourth quarter to hold Wisconsin scoreless in the final frame and seal the Hoosiers’ 20-14 win
• Added 4.0 tackles for loss, the most by a Hoosier since 2016, which included 2.0 sacks, with all four tackles for loss coming in the second half, with three in the fourth quarter
• Forced a fumble in the fourth quarter, which led to IU’s first recovered fumble of the season
• Earns the first Defensive Player of the Week accolade of his career
• Last Indiana Defensive Player of the Week: Micah McFadden (Dec. 7, 2020)

Special Teams Player of the Week

Drew Stevens, Iowa

K – So. – North Augusta, S.C. – North Augusta

• Made a 53-yard field goal with 14 seconds remaining to give the Hawkeyes a 10-7 victory over Northwestern at Wrigley Field
• The kick put Iowa alone at the top of the Big Ten West Division standings with three weeks to play
• The game-winner is the second of Stevens’ career (at Minnesota, 2022), it is tied for the second longest of his career and it is his fourth career make from 50+ yards
• Garners the first Special Teams Player of the Week honor of his career
• Last Iowa Special Teams Player of the Week: Tory Taylor (Oct. 16, 2023)

Freshman of the Week

Kaden Feagin, Illinois

RB – Atwood, Ill. – ALAH

• Recorded a career-high 148 yards of offense in Illinois’ 27-26 win at Minnesota
• Added 22 carries for 89 yards on the ground, highlighted by a 54-yard touchdown reception for the first receiving score of his career to give Illinois a 21-20 lead in the third quarter
• His 54-yard touchdown catch was the longest reception by an Illini this season and led all players in the game with 148 yards of offense
• Earns the second Freshman of the Week honor of his career
• Last Illinois Freshman of the Week: Kaden Feagin (Oct. 16, 2023)

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa sophomore place kicker Drew Stevens has been named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week following his game-winning field goal with 14 seconds remaining to defeat Northwestern at Wrigley Field, it was announced Monday by the Big Ten office.

With the game tied 7-7 and 1:46 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Hawkeyes drove 37 yards over seven plays to get into field goal range. Stevens then drilled the 53-yard attempt, equaling a season long (Michigan State).

The native of North Augusta, South Carolina, leads the team in scoring this season with 58 points and is second in the Big Ten in field goals per contest (1.56).

This is the second weekly honor for Stevens — both coming in outstanding performances against the Wildcats. Stevens was recognized as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Oct. 31, 2022, after making all four field-goal attempts, including a 54-yarder, against Northwestern in Kinnick Stadium.

This marks the fifth time this season that Hawkeye football players have earned Big Ten weekly recognition. Tory Taylor was an honoree (special teams) in back-to-back weeks after wins over Purdue and Wisconsin. Cooper DeJean (special teams) and Nick Jackson (defense) were recognized after Iowa’s win over Michigan State. Sebastian Castro (defense) was honored following the Hawkeyes’ triumph at Iowa State.

Iowa (7-2, 4-2) returns to action on Saturday against Rutgers (6-3, 3-3). Kickoff is set for 2:40 p.m. (CT) on Duke Slater Field at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. The game will be televised on Big Ten Network and broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Hawkeyes (13-5) will travel to Evanston, Illinois, to face Louisville on Friday at 2:30 p.m. in the Sweet 16. The game will be played at Northwestern’s Lakeside Field.

“We are so excited to be going to the NCAA Tournament,” said head coach Lisa Cellucci. “It’s a pretty awesome feat to be going to the Sweet Sixteen for the sixth straight year. I’m really proud of this team. I think our body work, the strength of the schedule, and the big wins we did have during the year definitely set us up for this. We are going to a familiar place with familiar opponents, so we are really looking forward to the challenge.”

Iowa will also be in a pod with No. 2 national seed Northwestern, California and Miami (Ohio). California and Miami meet on November 8 for a chance to move on to face the Wildcats. The two winners will play on November 12 for a spot in the Final Four.

The NCAA appearance is a sixth straight under Cellucci, a first for the Hawkeyes since 1996. Iowa’s 28 appearances are the most of any school as a member of the Big Ten Conference.

Louisville is 14-6 overall and finished 3-3 in ACC play in 2023. The Cardinals advanced to the semifinal game of the ACC Tournament before falling to Duke, 1-0.

It will be the 15th meeting all-time between Iowa and Louisville (series tied 7-7). The teams met on October 15 in Louisville, Kentucky and the Hawkeyes won, 2-1.

A young Iowa State men’s basketball team opens the new season at home on Monday night against Green Bay. The Cyclones have played in two straight NCAA Tournamets under coach T.J. Otzelberger and defense remains the focus.

Otzelberger says this team will be more versatile from a lineup perspective.

Sophomore guard Tamin Lipsey calls this a yung but talented squad.

Lipsey on what they want to get out of this first game.

Sundance Wicks is in his first season as Green Bay coach. The Phoenix were 3-29 last season.

The third ranked Iowa Hawkeye women open the season on Monday night against Fairleigh Dickinson. The Knights have an entire new lineup under first year coach Stephanie Gaitley.

That’s Iowa coach Lisa Bluder. The Hawkeyes have already sold out the entire season in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Bluder does not want to taper the attention the team is getting after last seasons run to the NCAA title game but knows high expectations come with it.

A new look Iowa State women’s basketball team opens with a late morning game on Monday against Butler. The Cyclones have eight newcomers on the team.

The game will be played in front of a large contingent of elementary school students.