Gophers sophomore Blake Cashman was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after a dominant performance in Saturday's 29-12 victory over Northwestern.
Cashman had 10 tackles (nine solo), with two sacks, including one where he stripped the ball from Clayton Thorson. Steven Richardson recovered that fumble for the Gophers.
Cashman, a walk-on from Eden Prairie, was primarily a special teams player before getting more chances in recent weeks as a linebacker in pass situations. He now has 29 tackles and his six sacks are second on the team to Richardson (seven).
This is the first time the Gophers have had a Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honoree since Briean Boddy-Calhoun on Nov. 24, 2014.
