Week 13 Big 12 Football Players of the Week Announced
With Week 13 of the college football season officially in the books, the Big 12 Conference announced three players that would be taking home the 13th iteration of the Big 12 Football Weekly Awards for the 2023 season.
Iowa State running back Abu Sama III claimed two awards in Week 13 earning both Offensive Player of the Week and Newcomer of the Week honors for his big day against Kansas State. Oklahoma State‘s Trey Rucker won the Defensive Player of the Week award and Baylor‘s Richard Reese took home the title of Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week.
Sama was the highlight of the weekend in the Big 12 Conference as he put up insane numbers against Kansas State. In his first career start, Sama totaled 276 yards on 16 carries for an unreal 17.2 yards per carry in Saturday night’s 42-35 win against the Wildcats. Sama was the second FBS player since 1996 with three or more rushing touchdowns of 60+ yards against a ranked opponent, and the first player in the Big 12 Conference to record two 70-plus yard rushing touchdowns in a single game since Adrian Peterson in 2005, according to the official release.
Oklahoma State safety Trey Rucker made the play of the season in overtime against BYU which led to the Defensive Player of the Week award finding its way to Stillwater. Rucker recorded both turnovers for the Cowboys in Saturday’s 40-34 double-overtime win against BYU. Rucker had what can only be referred to as a game-winning play after stripping the ball from a BYU tight end and recovering it for the win. The Maryland native finished his day with six tackles, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries.
The third and final player honored in Week 13 was Baylor running back Richard Reese who made a big impact on special teams for the Bears. Reese returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in Baylor’s game against West Virginia, one of 96 yards, and another for 93. Despite winding up on the losing end of the matchup, Reese became the second player in program history to record two kick return touchdowns in a single game, and the first ever to do it on consecutive kicks.
Last Week’s Winners:
Offense: Jared Wiley, TCU, TE, Sr.
Defense: Billy Bowman, OU, S, Jr.
Newcomer: Jahiem White, WVU, RB, Fr.
Special Teams: Keenan Garber, K-State, CB, Sr.
