Barret Pickering Earns Big Ten Honors

The Huskers won one of Big Ten-est games they have played as members of their new conference. In a 9-6 victory over Michigan State, Nebraska’s freshman place kicker increased his career long from 35 yards (against Michigan) to 36 and then 47 yards in the fourth quarter.

For his efforts, Barret Pickering was named the Big Ten Co-Special Teams Player of the Week. It is the second straight week a Husker has been honored by the conference, after both senior running back Devine Ozigbo and freshman quarterback Adrian Martinez earned conference awards last week.

The weekly award is the first of Pickering’s career. On a day when the pregame ceremonies included a tribute to the Late Sam Foltz and Mike Sadler, he became the first Husker to be named Special Teams Player of the Week since Sam Foltz in 2015.

Pickering accounted for all of Nebraska’s points in the Huskers’ 9-6 victory over Michigan State on Saturday. The Birmingham, Ala., native has never played a game in the snow, much less kicked a field goal in conditions like Saturday. Pickering has made his last eight field goal attempts and is now 12-of-16 on the season.

Pickering shares the honor with Michigan’s kicker Jake Moody. Other Big Ten Players of the Week include Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins (Co-Offensive Player of the Week), Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor (Co-Offensive Player of the Week), Iowa’s A.J. Epenesa (Co-Defensive Player of the Week), Minnesota’s Blake Cashman (Co-Defensive Player of the Week) and Maryland’s Anthony McFarland (Freshman of the Week).