Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor named Big Ten Freshman of the Week (again)

Another weekly conference honor has been bestowed upon talented true freshman running back Jonathan Taylor.

The Big Ten named Taylor as its Freshman of the Week on Monday after the back rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries in Wisconsin’s 38–13 win over Maryland on Saturday.

It is the fourth time Taylor, the 5’11, 214-pound running back from Salem, N.J., has earned the distinction this season already. It is the third consecutive week this particular conference accolade has been given to him.

For the season, Taylor leads the Big Ten in rushing with 1,112 yards and rushing yards per game (158.9). He is second in the conference in touchdowns (11) to Penn State’s Saquon Barkley (12).

From B5Q’s article from this Sunday on Taylor’s big day:

On his third carry in the first quarter of the Wisconsin Badgers’ 38-13 win over the Maryland Terrapins, Taylor went over the 1,000-rushing yard mark on the season, matching the FBS freshman record for the fewest games to reach that milestone.

“At the moment in the game, I probably didn’t know when I got it,” Taylor said. “I mean I’m pretty sure I got it and then thought about it later, but I was just focused on the game and now probably think about it afterwards.”

During his 22-carry, 126-yard performance on Saturday, Taylor joined the likes Emmitt Smith (Florida, 1987), Marshall Faulk (San Diego State, 1991), Adrian Peterson (Oklahoma, 2004), Jamario Thomas (North Texas, 2004), and Wisconsin’s P.J. Hill (2006) in achieving the accolade.

“It’s definitely humbling to be mentioned with those guys,” Taylor said. “There will never be any tailbacks like those guys, they’re phenomenal. I just love it when things like that happen because then I can go and chop it up with my guys up front that do a lot of the heavy lifting, so that’s just a testimony to show how hard they’re working.”