UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State junior safety Marcus Allen claimed Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors after a 22-tackle effort in the thrilling overtime win against Minnesota. Allen shares the honor with Northwestern’s Ifeadi Odenigbo.

(Photo by Paul Burdick. Check out more of Burdick’s work here)

Allen registered a career-high 22 tackles – 8 solo, 14 assisted – to lead the Penn State defensive effort. He also had one tackle for loss in the overtime win. Allen’s 22 stops are the most by a Penn State player since Paul Posluszny made 22 tackles at Northwestern in 2005 and are tied with Posluszny and Ron Crosby (vs. Ohio, 1974) for fourth place on Penn State’s all-time single game tackles list.

Allen’s 22 tackles are the most by a Big Ten player since Wisconsin’s Mike Taylor had 22 stops at Ohio State on Oct. 29, 2011. Allen is just the second player in FBS this season to reach the 20-tackle mark — Rodney Butler of New Mexico State made 24 stops (4 solo, 20 assisted) versus New Mexico Sept. 10.

With his performance, Allen vaulted into the Big Ten tackles lead on the season and ranks 20th in the NCAA with 10.0 tackles per game.