Gophers tailback Rodney Smith was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week on Monday after piling up 257 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's 34-32 win over Rutgers.
Smith had 22 rushes for 111 yards and a touchdown, shedding tackles with his spin moves. He made a leaping reception for a 27-yard gain. He also had two kickoff returns for 119 yards, including his perfectly timed 94-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
Smith has the second most rushing yards in the Big Ten (701), behind Northwestern's Justin Jackson (792). Smith is the Gophers' first Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week since David Cobb on Sept. 8, 2014.
Programming note
The Gophers announced that their Nov. 5 home game against Purdue will start at 2:30 p.m., and will be televised by Big Ten Network.
