COLUMBUS — Ohio State cornerback Jay Timmons has been named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week following his outstanding performance in Saturday's 19-15 victory over defending national champion Indiana.
Timmons finished the game with seven tackles, including five solo stops, two pass breakups, and a forced fumble. His performance helped the Buckeyes hand Indiana its first loss of the season while snapping the Hoosiers' 22-game winning streak.
The freshman's biggest contribution came in the third quarter when he forced a fumble that Earl Little Jr. recovered. Remarkably, it was Indiana's first offensive fumble in 1,473 plays, ending the longest such streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Timmons has quickly become an important part of Ohio State's secondary. Through five games, he has recorded 16 tackles, one tackle for loss, six pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.
The conference honor isn't his only recognition this week. Timmons was also named the 247Sports True Freshman of the Week and On3 Freshman of the Week for his performance against Indiana.
His emergence comes at an important time for Ohio State. With quarterback Julian Sayin expected to miss several weeks because of an arm injury, the Buckeyes could find themselves relying even more heavily on their defense to keep winning games.
Timmons becomes the second Ohio State player to earn Big Ten weekly recognition this season. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith previously received Offensive Player of the Week honors following his performances against Illinois and Iowa, giving the Buckeyes three weekly conference awards.
Ohio State enters its bye week at 6-1 before traveling to USC on October 31.
