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Emeka Egbuka, Kurtis Rourke headline Big Ten’s weekly honors for Week 6
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Emeka Egbuka and Kurtis Rourke were among the top Big Ten performers of the weekend, leading their respective programs to another crucial win in Week 6. As a result, Ohio State and Indiana remain undefeated as we head into Week 7 and crucial B1G matchups ahead.
On Monday, Egbuka and Rourke shared the B1G’s Offensive Player of the Week award for Week 6 with the league handing out 5 individual honors for the weekend. Here are the full honors:
Co-Offensive Player of the Week
- Kurtis Rourke, Indiana QB
- Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State WR
Rourke was on point with 25-of-33 passing for 380 yards and 3 touchdowns for his 4th game of the season with multiple TD passes and no interceptions. He is the first IU QB with 3+ TDs in 3 B1G games in a season since 1967 and led the Hoosiers to their 6-0 start and bowl eligibility. It is the 2nd POTW honor for Rourke this season.
Egbuka went off for a career-high 3 touchdown passes against Iowa while tying a career-high number with 9 catches. He rounded out the day with 71 receiving yards and had Ohio State’s lone touchdown of the first half.
Defensive Player of the Week
- Jordan Burch, Oregon DE
Burch was the defensive leader of Oregon’s win over Michigan State with a career-high 2.5 sacks to go with 4 tackles and a fumble recovery. He became the first Duck since 2007 with at least 2.5 sacks in a single game at Autzen Stadium, and Burch is now tied for the league lead with 5 sacks in 2024.
Special Teams Player of the Week
- Brian Buschini, Nebraska P
Buschini delivered 2 punts over 60 yards and averaged 50.2 yards per punt in a 14-7 win over Rutgers. The 69-yarder off Buschini’s leg in the 4th quarter pinned Rutgers at their own 15-yard line. He even added a 30-yard pass on a fake punt.
Freshman of the Week
- Trech Kekahuna, Wisconsin WR
Kekahuna went off for 6 catches and 134 yards with 2 touchdowns in a blowout win over Purdue. His first career touchdown came on a 69-yard score in the second half and recorded the most receiving yards for a Badger in a B1G game since Chimere Dike went for 185 in October 2022.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.