University of Iowa senior linebacker James Morris was named Big Ten Conference defensive Player of the Week for his play in the 23-7 win at Minnesota. Iowa won its fourth straight game while opening league play with a win over the Golden Gophers for the second straight year.
Morris, a Solon native, recorded eight tackles against the Gophers, just behind the team-leading 10 tackles of fellow senior linebacker Anthony Hitchens. Morris added a quarterback sack and collected his second interception of the season with four minutes remaining to stop Minnesota’s final drive. Morris has been in Iowa’s starting line-up since early in his freshman season. He has totaled 324 career tackles to rank 15th on the career chart and the interception at Minnesota was the fourth of his career.
Cyclone back wins offensive honor
Iowa State running back Aaron Wimberly was named the Big 12’s Co-Offensive Football Player of the Week. Wimberly, a junior from Snellville, Georgia, was instrumental in Iowa State’s 38-21 victory over Tulsa Thursday night. Wimberly set career highs in carries (19) and rushing yards (137) in the win, averaging 7.2 yards per carry. Wimberly’s first-quarter 35-yard dash, the longest rush of the season for the Cyclones, set up ISU’s first score. He also had one catch for 31 yards and returned his only kickoff in the game for 32 yards to give him 200 all-purpose yards.
Wimberly is the first Cyclone running back to rush for over 100 yards in a game since the season-opener vs. Tulsa in 2012 and the first Cyclone to amass 200 all-purpose yards since 2010. He has yet to have a tackle for loss in 29 carries this season.