There were some serious questions about how the Ohio State defense would hold up against Penn State without star defensive end Nick Bosa.
Sophomore Chase Young answered pretty much all of them Saturday night in the Buckeyes’ 27-26 comeback win.
Monday, that was enough to earn him a share of the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Week honor.
Young finished the game with three tackles for loss, including two sacks and the game-clinching stuff of a 4th-and-5 play in the final minutes.
He totaled six tackles, two quarterback hurries, and two pass break-ups, including a crucial play where he swatted down a Trace McSorley pass on 4th-and-1.
It’s the first time Young has been named a Defensive Player of the Week.
The last Buckeye to win the award was defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones, who earned it two weeks earlier for his stellar play against TCU.
Young wasn’t the only Buckeye singled out for his performance in Happy Valley. Quarterback Dwayne Haskins won the Offensive Player of the Week for his role in leading the Buckeyes on their 96-yard game-winning drive.
You can find the full release from the Big Ten below.
Offensive Player of the Week
Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State
So., QB, Potomac, Md./Bullis School
- Engineered a pair of touchdown drives in the final eight minutes of the fourth quarter, including a 12-play, 96-yard drive to take the lead as Ohio State overcame a 12-point deficit in a victory at Penn State
- Went 15 of 23 for 212 yards and two touchdowns in the second half in front of a record crowd of 110,889 at Beaver Stadium
- Totaled 270 passing yards and three touchdowns in the contest
- Earns his third career Offensive Player of the Week award and second in as many weeks
- Last Ohio State Offensive Player of the Week: Dwayne Haskins (Sept. 24, 2018)
Co-Defensive Players of the Week
Chase Winovich, Michigan
Sr., DL, Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson
- Registered 3.0 tackles for loss in a victory over Northwestern, marking his 13th straight game with at least 0.5 tackles for loss
- Recorded nine tackles, including a career-high eight solo tackles
- Added 1.0 sack for eight yards in the contest
- Receives his second career Defensive Player of the Week honor and first since 2017
- Last Michigan Defensive Player of the Week: Khaleke Hudson (Nov. 6, 2017)
Chase Young, Ohio State
So., DE, Upper Marlboro, Md./Dematha Catholic
- Tallied 3.0 tackles for loss in a victory at Penn State, including one on the Nittany Lions’ final offensive play of the contest with Ohio State holding a one-point lead
- Finished the game with six tackles, including 2.0 sacks
- Added two pass break-ups and two quarterback hurries
- Claims his first career Defensive Player of the Week award
- Last Ohio State Defensive Player of the Week: Dre’Mont Jones (Sept. 17, 2018)
Special Teams Player of the Week
Joe Schopper, Purdue
Sr., P, Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral
- Placed five of his seven punts inside the 20-yard line in Purdue’s first-ever win at Nebraska
- Averaged 41.3 yards per punt in the contest
- Helped limit Nebraska to an average starting position of its own 22-yard line
- Earns his first career Special Teams Player of the Week honor
- Last Purdue Special Teams Player of the Week: J.D. Dellinger (Oct. 10, 2016)
Freshman of the Week
KJ Hamler, Penn State
Fr., WR, Pontiac, Mich./IMG Academy
- Set career highs with four catches and 138 receiving yards against Ohio State
- Recorded a 93-yard touchdown reception, the second-logest play from scrimmage in program history
- Has caught a touchdown pass in four out of five games this season
- Records his first Freshman of the Week award
- Last Penn State Freshman of the Week: Connor McGovern (Nov. 7, 2016)