Nov. 1, 2010

PARK RIDGE, Ill. - Illinois quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase earned a pair of Big Ten honors for his performance against Purdue on Saturday, as the conference announced Monday that Scheelhaase was named the Big Ten Offensive Player and Freshman of the Week. It is Scheelhaase's first Offensive Player of the Week honor and fourth time this season that he's been named the Freshman of the Week.

Scheelhaase had a career game in Illinois' 44-10 win over Purdue, completing 16-of-20 passes for 195 yards and a career-high four touchdowns with no interceptions. That resulted in a career-best 227.9 passer rating, which is the sixth-best single-game rating in Illinois history. He also rushed for a career-high 118 yards on 21 carries (5.6 yards per carry), the sixth-best QB rushing total in school history. The 313 yards of total offense and 80 percent completion percentage also marked career highs for the Kansas City, Mo., native.

Big Ten Players of the Week
Offense: Nathan Scheelhaase, ILL
Defense: Shaun Prater, IOWA
Special Teams: Collin Wagner, PSU
Freshman: Nathan Scheelhaase, ILL