Gophers punter Mark Crawford, who had the best game of his career on Saturday at Purdue, was named Big Ten co-special teams player of the week on Monday.
Gophers punter Mark Crawford honored; game time set for Nebraska matchup
Crawford, a native of Australia, was named the conference's co-special teams player of the week for his performance in a 20-13 victory at Purdue.
October 4, 2021 at 4:07PM
![Minnesota Gophers holder Mark Crawford (96) and place kicker Matthew Trickett (95) celebrated a successful point after attempt by Trickett in the fourth quarter. ] AARON LAVINSKY • aaron.lavinsky@startribune.com](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/MWUT5UJSS2Y3X4N4QDYMWTBWBQ.jpg?&w=712)
Crawford, a sophomore from Perth West, Australia, averaged 51.3 yards on his six punts in the Gophers' 20-13 victory. Included were two career-long 60-yard punts, plus a 58-yarder. Those three are in the top 20 longest punts in the Big Ten this season.
Four of Crawford's punts pinned the Boilermakers inside their 20-yard line, including one at the 2, one at the 9 and two at the 15. Purdue also had no punt return yardage in the game.
Crawford shared the honor with Penn State kicker/punter Jordan Stout.
The last Gophers special teams player to earn a weekly Big Ten honor was holder Casey O'Brien on Oct. 21, 2019. Crawford is the first Gophers punter with a weekly conference honor since Peter Mortell, who was recognized on Nov. 4 and 11, 2013.
Nebraska game time set
The Gophers' next game, Oct. 16 vs. Nebraska at Huntington Bank Stadium, will have an 11 a.m. starting time and will air on ESPN2, the Big Ten announced.
Minnesota’s bench scored 50 points, including a team-leading 18 points from graduate transfer Annika Stewart, showcasing the depth that coach Dawn Plitzuweit promised.
