Related: Ben Johnson Found a Future Star in True Freshman Cam Christie

With just over a month left in the regular season, the Gophers find themselves in the middle of the Big Ten (7th) and still very much a part of NCAA tournament conversations.

Cam Christie Earns Big Ten Freshman of the Week

After a thrilling, come-from-behind, overtime win against Northwestern this past Saturday at the Barn, Cam Christie was awarded Big Ten freshman of the week with a 15 point, 6 rebound performance; 10 of his points came in the second half.

🏀 #B1GMBBall WEEKLY AWARDS 🏀

🔵 Player: @BoilerBall's Zach Edey
🔵 Freshman: @GopherMBB's Cam Christie

➕ https://t.co/f4SNy5dHw9 pic.twitter.com/4BZbnQP3iV

— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) February 5, 2024

Cam grabs the Gophers first Freshman of The Week award since 2019(!) when former Minnesota big man Daniel Oturu took home the honors. This is also only the second “of the week” award any Gopher has received this season, with Dawson Garcia earning Player of The Week previously this season.

Christie, younger brother of Lakers SG Max Christie, went 6 of 12 from the field and 3 of 7 from beyond the arc, including his biggest shot of the game being a three coming with just under a minute left in regulation to give the Gophers their first lead of the second half, eventually leading to an OT win.

A cold blooded 3 from @24CameronC 🥶

That crowd tho ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/bWbeaH80jI

— Minnesota Men's Basketball (@GopherMBB) February 4, 2024

Saturday night vs Northwestern wasn’t the only big game Christie has had recently. It didn’t count toward his award-winning week but Cam had a really nice game two weeks ago vs Penn State, scoring 17 points, grabbing 8 rebounds and dealing 5 assists in a victory against Penn State.

Minnesota Gophers an NCAA Tournament Team?

The Gophers will look to keep the momentum going as they welcome Michigan State to the Barn this Tuesday. They are in the thick of conference play, and currently sit half of a game back of fourth place in the Big Ten, with matchups against Iowa and second ranked Purdue coming up after the Spartans.

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I’m not saying they are going to be a top seed, but finishing strong in Big Ten play, with the possibility of an upset against a team like Wisconsin or Illinois, this team could have a serious case for a chance to be on the right side of an upset come tournament time.

Here is the #Gophers availability report ahead of today's game vs. Louisiana. RB Darius Taylor and WR Chris Autman-Bell are out. LB Cody Lindenberg listed as questionable. pic.twitter.com/4fE3KIkznt

— Daniel House (@DanielHouseMN) September 30, 2023

It happened on the Gophers’ final offensive play in regulation. Taylor busted a 3rd and short designed inside run, to the outside, where he was caught and dragged down for a 1-yard loss. He came up grabbing at the back of his left leg and wasn’t available during Minnesota’s only drive of overtime, one that ended in a field goal.

PJ Fleck refused to update Taylor’s condition this week

PJ Fleck was asked for an update on Taylor’s injury during his weekly press conference, on Monday. His response was short and direct: “No injury update. I’ll have that for you two hours before game time [vs Louisiana].”

In other words: ‘I’m not telling you anything because I don’t have to tell you anything until the NCAA forces us to release the mandatory injury report two hours prior to each game’

But now, it’s official. and his absence from the active roster this weekend doesn’t provide much of an update on his health or status going forward this season. It could be a minor hamstring strain, it could be an ACL tear.

Prior to the injury, Taylor rushed for 198 yards and 2 touchdowns, moving his yardage total on the season to 532 yards. On Monday, he won his third-straight Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor. He’s the first ever Gopher to accomplish the feat and only the 2nd-ever Gopher to win it three times in one season (Shannon Brooks – 2015).

Darius Taylor 3-peats as Big Ten Freshman of the Week

3️⃣-peat❕@Dariustay1or secures @B1Gfootball Freshman of the Week for the third consecutive week! pic.twitter.com/Xjak976LyT

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) September 25, 2023

PJ Fleck can’t help but feed Darius Taylor

The Minnesota Gophers were leading for nearly the entire contest, Saturday night, and Athan Kaliakmanis rebounded well from what he described as the worst game of his career vs North Carolina, the weekend before. But as the game went on, PJ Fleck could not help but run, run and run some more, especially after jumping out to a big lead.

Related: Minnesota Gophers football schedule 2023

Offensively, Minnesota ended up running 42 times and passing just 19. While it’s true, I called for Fleck & Co to remain balanced, in the Northwestern game preview I wrote last week, it was hard to blame him for defaulting to the surprise freshman phenom, as the game went on. For three quarters, the Wildcats could not stop him.

Every time Darius Taylor touches the football, it feels like a game-changing play is one broken tackle away. That proved true on the Gophers final touchdown of the night, a 4th and short run up the middle that appeared dead in the backfield, but ended up a 43-yard TD.

He gets another! 😤

Second TD of the night for @Dariustay1or and @GopherFootball.

📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/SeulJIm3Om

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) September 24, 2023

Darius Taylor on pace to make Minnesota Gophers football history

Remember, Darius Taylor is a TRUE FRESHMAN. This time last year, he was getting ready for his senior homecoming game and the dance that followed, playing against 15-16 year old kids, much of the time. Now, he’s the #3 rusher in the nation in yards gained, stomping all over power-5 defenses in one of the two emerging super conferences of college football.

Legendary Gopher running back and current Golden Gopher color analyst (KFAN Radio), Darrell Thompson, set the single-season freshman rushing record in 1986, when he amassed an astonishing 1,376 yards on the ground.

Not only is that record in grave danger, should Taylor return to the Gophers’ starting lineup next week vs Louisiana, but Darius is currently on pace to rush for 1,596 yards, which would challenge Mo Ibrahim’s all-time single season record of 1,665, set just last season.

Read our entire collection of Minnesota Gopher football blogs

But, you can’t break records if you’re not on the field so, as of now, Minnesota Gophers fans will hold their breath and hope Taylor finds his way back on the field after one missed week vs the Ragin Cajuns…

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan