Wisconsin football: Braelon Allen named Big Ten Player of the Week

All things considered, Braelon Allen’s first career start at running back for the Wisconsin Badgers couldn’t have gone much better. Most importantly, Wisconsin destroyed Northwestern and picked up their sixth straight win but Allen also had an excellent game personally.

So excellent, in fact, that he was named the Big Ten’s Co-Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.

He carried the rock 25 times for a career-high 173 yards (6.9 avg.) and a career-high three touchdowns. He became the first Badger to record three rushing touchdowns in a game since Jonathan Taylor scored four vs. Kent State on Oct. 5, 2019.

This was his sixth consecutive 100-yard rushing showing, marking the longest streak by a Badger since Taylor opened the 2018 season with seven straight 100-yard games. Spoiler alert: when all of your accomplishments were last accomplished by Jonathan freaking Taylor...you’re having a good run. He is the first Wisconsin freshman to register six straight 100-yard rushing games in a season since Anthony Davis in 2001.

Allen now ranks fifth among all FBS freshmen running backs in rushing yards (834), while ranking third in yard per carry (7.06) and sixth in rushing touchdowns (nine).

This is his first career conference Offensive Player of the Week honor, but he has also been named Freshman of the Week twice this season. The last UW player to take home Offensive Player of the Week honors was Graham Mertz (Oct. 26, 2020) last year. Allen shared this week’s award with Ohio State WR Garrett Wilson who scored four touchdowns (three receiving scores, one 51-yard rushing score) while catching 10 passes for 126 yards.