Rucker Honored by the Big 12 as Defensive Player of the Week for Final Regular Season Game

IRVING, Texas – Oklahoma State’s Trey Rucker was selected by a panel of media observers as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for the final week of the regular season and in Oklahoma State’s important 40-34 double overtime win over BYU. The win, which was accomplished in walk-off fashion because of Rucker’s tackle and strip of BYU tight end Isaac Rex during the second overtime. The win pushed OSU to 9-3 on the season and 7-2 in the Big 12 to clinch a berth against Texas in the Big 12 Championship Game next Saturday in Arlington, Texas at AT&T Cowboys Stadium. 

Also honored by the Big 12 Conference was Iowa State running back Abu Sama III as Offensive Player of the Week and Newcomer of the Week. The Cyclones back, making his first start ran for 276-yards on 16 carries in the snow at Kansas State and helped Iowa State to a 42-35 win over the Wildcats in the Farmageddon rivalry game. Baylor’s Richard Reese (special teams) picked up the season’s final Big 12 football weekly awards as the Special Teams Player of the Week. Reese returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in Baylor’s game against West Virginia, a game that West Virginia won 34-31.

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Abig-time effort play to close out the win by Trey Rucker.

Rucker recorded both of OSU's forced turnovers in the Cowboys' win. He made the game-clinching play on the final snap of the game when he wrestled down 6-6, 255-pound tight end Isaac Rex while ripping out the ball to force a fumble right before the ball carrier was down. Rucker then immediately recovered the ball while still on the ground to end the game and send the Cowboys to Arlington. Earlier in the game, the university studies major recovered a fumble at the BYU 19-yard line that led to OSU's second score of the game. The senior safety finished with six total tackles, including five solo stops and a third-down solo stop in the fourth quarter that forced a punt and led to an OSU touchdown on the following drive.

Rucker becomes the fifth Cowboy to be honored with a weekly award by the conference and thanks to running back Ollie Gordon being awarded four times it was the eighth overall award. 
 
Big 12 Players of the Week
September 4
Offense: Emory Jones, UC, QB, Sr.
Defense: Jeremiah Cooper, ISU, DB, So.
Newcomer: Emory Jones, UC, QB, Sr.
Special Teams: Ryan Rehkow, BYU, P, Jr. and Gavin Freeman, OU, WR/PR, So.  
 
September 11
Offense: Quinn Ewers, UT, QB, So.
Defense: Danny Stutsman, OU, LB, Jr.
Newcomer: Adonai Mitchell, UT, WR, Jr.
Special Teams: Colton Boomer, UCF, K, So.
 
September 18
Offense: Dillon Gabriel, OU, QB, Sr.
Defense: Tyler Batty, BYU, DE, Jr.
Newcomer: Nic Anderson, OU, WR, Fr.
Special Teams: Matthew Golden, UH, KR/WR, So.
 
September 25
Offense: DJ Giddens, K-State, RB, So.
Defense: Cobee Bryant, KU, CB, Jr.
Newcomer: Parker Jenkins, UH, RB, Fr.
Special Teams: Chase Contreraz, ISU, K, Sr.
 
October 2
Offense: Jonathon Brooks, UT, RB, So.
Defense: Caden Jenkins, BU, CB, Fr.
Newcomer: Adonai Mitchell, UT, WR, Jr.
Special Teams: Loic Fouonji, TTU, WR, Sr.
 
October 9
Offense: Dillon Gabriel, OU, QB, Sr.
Defense: Beau Freyler, ISU, DB, Jr.
Newcomer: Cameron Epps, OSU, CB, Fr.
Special Teams: Trevor Wilson, KU, WR/PR, Jr.
 
October 16
Offense: Josh Hoover, TCU, QB, Fr. and Ollie Gordon II, OSU, RB, So.
Defense: Kobe Savage, K-State, S, Sr.
Newcomer: Avery Johnson, K-State, QB, Fr.
Special Teams: Chase Contreraz, ISU, K, Sr.
 
October 23
Offense: Ollie Gordon II, OSU, RB, So.
Defense: Eddie Heckard, BYU, CB, Sr.
Newcomer: Nic Anderson, OU, WR, Fr.
Special Teams: Isaiah Hankins, BU, K, So.
 
October 30
Offense: Ollie Gordon II, OSU, RB, So.
Defense: Beanie Bishop Jr., WVU, CB, Sr.
Newcomer: Leon Johnson III, OSU, WR, Sr. and Beanie Bishop Jr., WVU, CB, Sr.
Special Teams: Xavier Worthy, UT, WR/PR, Jr.
 
November 6
Offense: RJ Harvey, UCF, RB, Sr., and Ollie Gordon II, OSU, RB, So.
Defense: Xavier Benson, OSU, LB, Sr.
Newcomer: Adonai Mitchell, UT, WR, Jr.
Special Teams: Bert Auburn, UT, K, Jr.
 
November 13
Offense: Dillon Gabriel, OU, QB, Sr.
Defense: Demari Henderson, UCF, DB, So.
Newcomer: Abu Sama III, ISU, RB, Fr.
Special Teams: Gino Garcia, TTU, PK, Sr.
 
November 20
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.
 
November 27
Offense: Abu Sama III, ISU, RB, Fr.
Defense: Trey Rucker, OSU, S, Sr.
Newcomer: Abu Sama III, ISU, RB, Fr.
Special Teams: Richard Reese, BU, KR, So.