Moore Big Ten Receiver, Freshman of the Year
6 Boilermakers Join Moore with Big Ten Offensive Honors
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Nine Purdue football defensive players and specialists have earned All-Big Ten honors.
Leading the way is freshman Rondale Moore, who was named first-team return specialist by the coaches and second-team by the media. He is the first Boilermaker to earn first-team honors since punter Cody Webster in 2013.
Junior linebacker Markus Bailey was a second-team selection by the coaches and third-team by the media. Senior punter Joe Schopper was third-team by the coaches and honorable mention by the media.
Five defensive players were honorable mention: sophomore linebacker Derrick Barnes (coaches), senior cornerback Antonio Blackmon (coaches and media), redshirt freshman cornerback Kenneth Major (media), junior tackle Lorenzo Neal (coaches and media) and senior safety Jacob Thieneman (coaches and media).
Senior kicker Spencer Evans was tabbed honorable mention by both the coaches and the media.
Bailey and Schopper were honorable mention picks in 2016 and 2017, while Neal and Thieneman were last season.
In addition, senior quarterback David Blough is Purdue's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient for the second straight year. He is a finalist for Wuerffel Trophy, presented to the college football player that best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.
Purdue completed the regular season with a 6-6 overall record and a 5-3 Big Ten mark, its first winning conference campaign since 2006 and good for a second-place tie in the West Division (with Iowa and Wisconsin). It marks the Boilermakers' highest finish since divisional alignment began in 2013.
The Boilermakers are heading to their second bowl game in as many seasons under head coach Jeff Brohm and will learn their destination and opponent Sunday.
The Big Ten will announce all-conference offensive players and individual award winners Wednesday.
ALL-BIG TEN HONOREES AT A GLANCE
Rondale Moore: Ranks second in Big Ten with 170.7 all-purpose yards per game … paces Purdue in kickoff returns (30 for 599 yards, 20.0 average) and punt returns (11 for 82 yards, 7.5 average)
Markus Bailey: Tied for fifth in Big Ten with average of 8.7 tackles per game … leads Boilermakers with 5.5 sacks and ranks second with 8.0 tackles for loss and one fumble forced … has two pass breakups and one interception … first Boilermaker with 100-plus tackles (104) since Landon Feichter with 105 in 2014.
Joe Schopper: Ranks fifth in Big Ten with average of 43.1 yards per punt … of his 56 attempts, 27 have been fair caught (48 percent) and 21 came to rest inside the opponent's 20-yard line (38 percent) … had 11 punts of 50-plus yards.
Derrick Barnes: Ranks third on Boilermakers with 82 tackles … fourth with 5.0 tackles for loss and tied for fourth with 3.0 sacks.
Antonio Blackmon: Tied for ninth in Big Ten with 0.9 passes defended (team-leading nine pass breakups and two interceptions to rank second) … has 62 tackles.
Spencer Evans: Ranks second in the Big Ten with 18 field goals (tied for fourth on the Purdue season list) and fourth in overall scoring and kick scoring (7.8 points per game) … has made 78.3 percent of his field goal attempts (seventh on the school season list).
Kenneth Major: Tied for sixth in Big Ten with three interceptions … shares team lead with one fumble recovered … has 55 tackles and two pass breakups.
Lorenzo Neal: Tied for seventh in Big Ten with two fumbles forced … has 30 tackles, including 3.0 for loss and 1.0 sack, with two pass breakups and one blocked field goal.
Jacob Thieneman: Tied for eighth in Big Ten with average of 7.8 tackles per game … tied for eighth in conference with 0.6 sacks per game (five in nine games) … ranks third on Boilermakers with 7.0 tackles for loss and five pass breakups and fourth with 71 total tackles despite playing only nine games.
6 Boilermakers Join Moore with Big Ten Offensive Honors
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Nine Purdue football defensive players and specialists have earned All-Big Ten honors.
Leading the way is freshman Rondale Moore, who was named first-team return specialist by the coaches and second-team by the media. He is the first Boilermaker to earn first-team honors since punter Cody Webster in 2013.
Junior linebacker Markus Bailey was a second-team selection by the coaches and third-team by the media. Senior punter Joe Schopper was third-team by the coaches and honorable mention by the media.
Five defensive players were honorable mention: sophomore linebacker Derrick Barnes (coaches), senior cornerback Antonio Blackmon (coaches and media), redshirt freshman cornerback Kenneth Major (media), junior tackle Lorenzo Neal (coaches and media) and senior safety Jacob Thieneman (coaches and media).
Senior kicker Spencer Evans was tabbed honorable mention by both the coaches and the media.
Bailey and Schopper were honorable mention picks in 2016 and 2017, while Neal and Thieneman were last season.
In addition, senior quarterback David Blough is Purdue's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient for the second straight year. He is a finalist for Wuerffel Trophy, presented to the college football player that best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.
Purdue completed the regular season with a 6-6 overall record and a 5-3 Big Ten mark, its first winning conference campaign since 2006 and good for a second-place tie in the West Division (with Iowa and Wisconsin). It marks the Boilermakers' highest finish since divisional alignment began in 2013.
The Boilermakers are heading to their second bowl game in as many seasons under head coach Jeff Brohm and will learn their destination and opponent Sunday.
The Big Ten will announce all-conference offensive players and individual award winners Wednesday.
ALL-BIG TEN HONOREES AT A GLANCE
Rondale Moore: Ranks second in Big Ten with 170.7 all-purpose yards per game … paces Purdue in kickoff returns (30 for 599 yards, 20.0 average) and punt returns (11 for 82 yards, 7.5 average)
Markus Bailey: Tied for fifth in Big Ten with average of 8.7 tackles per game … leads Boilermakers with 5.5 sacks and ranks second with 8.0 tackles for loss and one fumble forced … has two pass breakups and one interception … first Boilermaker with 100-plus tackles (104) since Landon Feichter with 105 in 2014.
Joe Schopper: Ranks fifth in Big Ten with average of 43.1 yards per punt … of his 56 attempts, 27 have been fair caught (48 percent) and 21 came to rest inside the opponent's 20-yard line (38 percent) … had 11 punts of 50-plus yards.
Derrick Barnes: Ranks third on Boilermakers with 82 tackles … fourth with 5.0 tackles for loss and tied for fourth with 3.0 sacks.
Antonio Blackmon: Tied for ninth in Big Ten with 0.9 passes defended (team-leading nine pass breakups and two interceptions to rank second) … has 62 tackles.
Spencer Evans: Ranks second in the Big Ten with 18 field goals (tied for fourth on the Purdue season list) and fourth in overall scoring and kick scoring (7.8 points per game) … has made 78.3 percent of his field goal attempts (seventh on the school season list).
Kenneth Major: Tied for sixth in Big Ten with three interceptions … shares team lead with one fumble recovered … has 55 tackles and two pass breakups.
Lorenzo Neal: Tied for seventh in Big Ten with two fumbles forced … has 30 tackles, including 3.0 for loss and 1.0 sack, with two pass breakups and one blocked field goal.
Jacob Thieneman: Tied for eighth in Big Ten with average of 7.8 tackles per game … tied for eighth in conference with 0.6 sacks per game (five in nine games) … ranks third on Boilermakers with 7.0 tackles for loss and five pass breakups and fourth with 71 total tackles despite playing only nine games.