Bryce Williams News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/bryce-williams/ Minnesota sports, but different Sun, 31 Oct 2021 14:28:28 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=32,height=32,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cropped-cropped-MSF-favicon-1.jpg Bryce Williams News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/bryce-williams/ 32 32 Gophers Are Running Out of Running Backs https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/gophers-are-running-out-of-running-backs/ Sun, 31 Oct 2021 14:24:32 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=36922 It was another dominant performance by the Minnesota Gophers running back room on Saturday in a convincing win on the road over last year’s Big Ten West champions, the Northwestern Wildcats. Unfortunately, that same group lost another comrade to an undisclosed lower body injury this week, leaving freshmen Mar’Keise Irving and Ky Thomas as the only available running backs on roster.

Entering the 2021 season, running back was one of the deepest and most competitive position groups on the team. It started with All Big Ten back, Mohamed Ibrahim. He lasted three quarters before leaving the opener vs Ohio State with a season-ending leg injury. In those three quarters, Mo racked up 163 yards and 2 touchdowns on 20 carries (5.1 YPC).

Potts Down, Wiley Transfers

So 2022’s RB1, Trey Potts, was forced to take the reigns a season early. He proved to be more than ready and was in route to his own All Big Ten type performance after three starts. But then @ Purdue, Potts suffered his own season-ending injury; one that kept him in an Indiana hospital for six days after Minnesota defeated the Boilermakers that Saturday.

Thankfully, Trey was able to return to Minnesota and, last we heard, was recovering well. In the five games Potts appeared in this season (112 carries), he ran for 552 yards and 6 touchdowns, posting 4.9 yards per carry average.

Then to thin the room even more, Cam Wiley, entered the transfer portal after falling to the bottom of the RB depth chart entering the bye week. If made based on future playing time, that decision by Wiley sure feels premature given the opportunity he’d surely have going forward.

Williams Out, Freshmen Remain

Wiley would have been forced into action today at Northwestern, because Minnesota lost another running back. This time, it was redshirt senior Bryce Williams who had to be carted off the field after a huge 3rd down catch and run that ended in a collision near the sideline. Williams never returned. His status going forward is unknown.

The young 4-star talents remaining for the Gophers have already proven themselves worthy Big Ten backs. Redshirt freshman, Ky Thomas and true freshman, Mar’Keise Irving both went for 100+ yards against the Cornhuskers last week and helped stomp Colorado earlier in the year. Both kids went crazy again vs the Wildcats on Saturday.

  • (FR) Mar’Keise Irving: 19 CAR | 110 YDS | 2 TD | 5.8 AVG
  • (RSFR) Ky Thomas: 21 CAR | 106 YDS | 5.0 AVG

PJ Fleck imagined Ky and Bucko being one of the best 1-2 punches in the Big Ten eventually… but not because they were thrust into action in 2021. But it helps when the offensive line is blocking at the elite level the Gophers’ is.

Emergency LeCaptain

So, the concern isn’t about the reserve running back options PJ Fleck currently has to choose from. The worry is focused on what happens if Ky Thomas and Mar’Keise Irving were to get banged up like the upperclassmen who have fallen before them? Who are the Gophers going to play at running back? It’s a legitimate question.

Well, we got that answer late in the game on Saturday. Backup Sophomore LINEBACKER, Derik LeCaptain, replaced Thomas and Irving in the offensive backfield for the last Minnesota drive vs Northwestern, when they led 34-14. He even got a carry. A carry that he took to the house.

Don’t be overly surprised. LeCaptain was quite the running back in his high school days. Sure, your uncle says that same thing every Christmas… but for Derik, it’s true and there’s video evidence to prove it.

Let’s Just Stay Healthy

Could Derik LeCaptain be a competent power five running back behind the Minnesota Gophers offensive line? Maybe… but I’d rather not find out. If Bryce Williams is going to be out for any extended period of time, PJ Fleck and company needs to find ways to take reps off what would be his only two remaining backs.

Whether that’s more Wildcat runs by Cole Kramer, more wide receiver runs/swing passes or just more throwing volume for Tanner Morgan, Mike Sanford needs to come up with a game plan that has the best chance of maintaining the health of Mar’Keise Irving and Ky Thomas.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> Sun, 31 Oct 2021 09:28:28 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football Bowl-Eligible Gophers Sit Atop B1G West After Dominating Wildcats https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/bowl-eligible-gophers-sit-atop-b1g-west-after-dominating-wildcats/ Sat, 30 Oct 2021 23:11:04 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=36911 Saturday was a big day for Big Ten football. There were matchups all over the conference that were supposed to help determine the contenders from pretenders in both divisions. But by the time the Northwestern Wildcats kicked off to the Minnesota Gophers at about 2:45 PM in Evanston, the #9 Hawkeyes had already lost to the Badgers and #6 Michigan fell to #8 Michigan State.

Both results from those morning contests helped to swing the doors wide open in the East and West races. That was good news for Minnesota, who thanks to Iowa’s loss, were gifted a chance to take sole position of first place in the the West.

Suddenly, a maroon and gold win at Ryan Field would mean more than bowl eligibility..

Taking care of business

The Minnesota Gophers have played down to their competition throughout the PJ Fleck era and you don’t have to look any further than week 4 of this season, when they somehow found a way to lose to FCS Bowling Green at Huntington Bank Stadium. That wasn’t going to happen this weekend, though.

While the offense failed to punch the football into the endzone during their first two drives, instead settling for two field goals inside the Northwestern 10-yard-line, the defense picked up their slack, returning a fumble for a touchdown in the first quarter and giving up just 14 points on the day.

The Wildcats would score seven of those points early in the 2nd quarter to make the score 13-7 but that was as close as they’d get to catching the Gophers. Their last seven points weren’t scored until 6:37 remained in the game.

Tanner Morgan completed some big passes when asked, but mostly handed the ball to freshmen running backs Ky Thomas and Mar’Keise Irving. He’d watched them tear the home defense apart all evening long.

  • (FR) Mar’Keise Irving: 19 CAR | 110 YDS | 2 TD | 5.8 AVG
  • (RSFR) Ky Thomas: 21 CAR | 106 YDS | 5.0 AVG

Another MN running back bites the dust

Redshirt Senior running back, Bryce Williams, got the start at running back next to Tanner Morgan but he left the game on a cart after being injured on a nice catch and run in the 1st half. If his injury keeps him off the field for any period of time, Minnesota will have just two running backs left on roster.

Even in the 4th quarter of this win, I was worried about giving any more carries to Irving or Thomas. Losing another running back could derail what the Minnesota Gophers are building in 2021. Fleck shared my concern, entering linebacker Derik LeCaptain as the emergency running back during the last offensive drive.

In his only carry, he broke about three tackles and ran for a touchdown. Incredible.

Kings of the West (for now)

The final score of Saturday’s blowout was 41-14, in favor of the Gophers. It was their second-greatest margin of victory on the season, behind the 30-0 shutout of Colorado in week 3. We knew the Gophers had a good chance of taking the West reigns after today but they still had to go out and prove it on the field. They did.

Beating the shit out of the Northwestern Wildcats doesn’t prove anything but PJ Fleck and Co have set themselves up for success with just four games remaining on the schedule (vs Illinois, @ Iowa, @ Indiana and vs Wisconsin).

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> Sat, 30 Oct 2021 23:44:37 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football Gophers Will Need Tanner Morgan Eventually https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/gophers-will-need-tanner-morgan-eventually/ Fri, 29 Oct 2021 19:11:38 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=36890 The 2021 Minnesota Gophers offense has lost its RB1, Mohamed Ibrahim and RB2, Trey Potts to season-ending injuries. Fortunately for their chances at contending in the Big Ten West, running back was one of their deepest positions entering the year. But the Gophers now have just three running backs remaining on roster, after Cam Wiley entered the transfer portal last week.

But even with the ever depleting backfield, PJ Fleck has been reluctant to put his offense on the shoulders of 5th-year quarterback, Tanner Morgan. Instead, he’s opted to trust his remaining running backs, who have combined for 470 yards and 4 touchdowns in Minnesota’s last two wins over Maryland and Nebraska.

Maybe not this week… maybe not next week… but eventually…

There have been games this season where the Minnesota offense hasn’t needed Tanner Morgan. They’ve been able to dominate play on the ground, and when you’re running up and down teams like the Gophers did last Saturday vs the Terrapins, there’s really no good reason to do anything else.

Other times, however, Fleck has been too reluctant to put the ball in the hands of his veteran leader who he claims to trust so much. Like earlier this season in the worst loss of the head coach’s time in Minnesota. When they were upset at home against Bowling Green in week 4, Tanner Morgan finished 5/13 for just 89 passing yards and 2 interceptions. Dreadful.

If Tanner could have found ANY rhythm on ANY drive during the second half of that game, the Gophers probably win and they’re probably 6-1 instead of 5-2. Instead, Morgan threw both of his interceptions on the final two Minnesota drives, sealing the historic upset. Maybe there was a reason Fleck looked hesitant to give him too many opportunities that day.

If BGSU can do that to this Minnesota offense then so can Iowa and Wisconsin, who are both still on the schedule. At some point, Morgan will have no choice but to throw his team to a victory.

Can Tanner Do It?

Throughout his career in maroon and gold, Tanner Morgan has proven himself as someone who’s capable of being a future NFL draft pick. Hell, he set just about every single-season passing record in the University of Minnesota record books back in 2019, when he finished the season with 3,253 yards, 30 touchdowns and 7 interceptions on 66% passing. But back then, he had Tyler Johnson and Rashod Bateman on each side of him.

Even since, the Kentucky kid has shown flashes of his 2019 self. Just two weekends ago, Morgan went 14/15 for 171 yards and 2 touchdowns in the first half vs Nebraska. During that game, he got in a rhythm early and was tossing dimes all over Huntington Bank Stadium.

Then, he threw two early second half touchdowns and PJ Fleck quickly shut him down for the day. Tanner finished 20/24 for 204 yards, 2 TD and 2 INT.

In other words, we know Tanner Morgan has it in him. But we don’t know whether or not he can be consistent enough and neither does PJ Fleck. Can he tap into that guy vs Wisconsin or Iowa? Because he will absolutely need to play better if the Minnesota Gophers hope to find themselves representing the West in the Big Ten Championship game; something that’s still very much within reach.

No Better Time Than Now

Saturday afternoon in Evanston vs the Northwestern Wildcats would be a perfect time to find out what Tanner Morgan can do. Pat Fitzgerald’s team won the West last season but they’ve been a shell of themselves in 2021, ranking near the bottom of the Big Ten in just about every category.

The Wildcats have been especially bad against the run, surrendering 218.3 yards per game, easily worst in the conference. Illinois is 13th and they give up 150.5 YPG. Thus Pat Fitzgerald will expect PJ Fleck to run them to death on Saturday afternoon.

The Minnesota offense shouldn’t shy away from exploiting those stacked-box looks early. If Sanford can keep Northwestern guessing with a 50/50 early run/pass split (much like what we saw vs Nebraska), Tanner Morgan could get some very easy looks in the first half.

If he can find that early rhythm, the Minnesota Gophers could dispose of the Northwestern Wildcats before halftime and Morgan would gain some confidence going forward.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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