Tyler Johnson wasn’t far behind and was also named to the 1st team. Both Minnesota receivers being named to the 1st team, is the first time that’s ever happened to two receivers on one team.

This year is believed to be the first time in conference history that one school has occupied both receiver spots on the First Team ballots by the coaches and media. #Gophers // #SkiUMah // #RTB pic.twitter.com/b1Q78Ez3V2

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) December 4, 2019

The receivers weren’t the only ones who were honored though. The guy who got the ball to them was also named All-Big Ten. Tanner Morgan captured a spot on the 2nd team next to RB, Rodney Smith and OL, Blaise Andries. Then, 4 more along the offensive line were named as honorable mentions.

What a haul for the @Gopher_OLine! On top of @BlaiseAndries being named to the Third Team, @DanielFaalele_, @connerolson6, Curtis Dunlap Jr. & Sam Schlueter were all named Honorable Mention! #Gophers // #SkiUMah // #RTB pic.twitter.com/LuLvsSjd3U

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) December 4, 2019

ANNOUNCEMENT:

ERIC STRACK – PRESIDENT/FOUNDER

MINNESOTA SPORTS FAN LLC

MINNESOTASPORTSFAN.COM

Dear Minnesota Sports Fam,

You’ve heard it over and over. In fact, Karl-Anthony Towns said something like it just the other day, “I don’t play for individual awards; I play for championships.” 

Ladies and Gentleman, Minnesota Sports Fan LLC & MinnesotaSportsFan.com are proud to present an individual MONTHLY award that‘s likely to change that narrative. An award that could make all team awards irrelevant in this state, going forward… The flannel jacket now becomes the “Minnesota Sports Fan BIG TIME Player of the Month” Award. Fan voting this month (read below for all details this month and going forward) will take place for the next 3 days on our Twitter and Facebook pages. The polls will close at midnight, Monday; and the winner will be announced on Tuesday morning. We will release one highlight video each day, of all 4 nominees (all listed below), one at a time, starting with 

Kirk Cousins: 4 GMS | 1261 YDS | 10 TDS | 1 INT | 137.1 RATE | 78.45 CMP % 

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Rodney Smith: 4 GMS | 78 CAR | 564 YDS | 7.2 YPC | 5 RUSH TDS | 8 TOTAL TDS

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Dalvin Cook: 4 GMS | 85 CAR | 413 YDS | 4.86 YPC | 4 TDS | 14 REC | 179 YDS

Antoine Winfield Jr.: 4 GMS | 23 TKLS | 1 SCK | 4 INTS | 1 TD

(stats via sports reference family)

Here in Minnesota, we are proud of our heritage and we are even prouder of the extra large ball-size (Zim knows what I’m talking about) it takes to get through the weather fluctuations you only see here, throughout a normal calendar year. And with Minnesotans from the beginning (worthy of wearing for at least 8-9 months out of the year), has been the ever-reliable flannel shirt/coat. They make them thick, thin, and everything in between (just like beautiful women). Hell, if you don’t have flannel bedsheets for winter then tap over to Amazon right now and change your best.

But now…. the flannel jacket will gain another point of pride and be again reshaped for what it means for the state of Minnesota. 

Our flannel will be of the classic, thick variety and will have this patch (seen in the video too) on the right pectoral. The jackets will be delivered through team channels (hopefully) and specialty packaged (the packaging is part of the award).

Until we hand the first one out next week, you get just a sneak-peek. I promise, these will blow you away. Every jacket will be custom-made for the winner every month. So, they can’t be made until a winner is crowned. 

Who Can be Crowned, you ask?

For now, this site covers 6 teams regularly:

• Minnesota Vikings
• Minnesota Twins
• Minnesota Timberwolves
• Minnesota Wild
• Minnesota Gophers Football
• Minnesota Gophers Basketball

Only players from these teams are eligible. As we expand coverage in the future, possible changes will be taken into consideration.

Voting and Award Monthly Timeline Going Forward:

Our followers and readers are a big part of this (1/3 to be exact). Starting for November’s Flannel, and then going forward after that, voting for #BIGTIMEPOM will open with one week left in the month that is being voted on (usually around the 23-24 of each month). Normally, voting will be live for one week on our Facebook and Twitter pages) so one individual can vote a total of 2 times. FAN vote will count for 1/3 of the FINAL vote each month. 

The next 1/3 of the vote will be by a SECRET AF Minnesota Sports Fan Committee, that I do not take part in, but did carefully hand-pick each member for. It’s a committee of 5 MSF contributors, WHO WILL NOT BE NAMED PUBLICLY, for obvious impartiality reasons. Each committee member is a fan of all 6 teams who’s players are qualified for nomination. 

The final 1/3 of the vote will be mine. I don’t plan to vote every month. I only plan to break ties, when necessary. If the fans don’t agree with the committee, I will break the tie. If everyone else agrees, then I won’t vote at all. 

Normally, the polls will close at midnight of every month. Later that morning (1st day of the new month), the winner will be announced, and the flannel will be delivered within a week of that time. To reiterate yet again, one of these flannels will be handed out each month, so make sure you are following on all of our social media’s and on our site, where we will be writing blogs and posting about each month’s race, as it unfolds.

Let’s blow this thing up and have some fun with it.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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Well, the Gophers played Maryland today. They spanked that ass…. again, for all of the same reasons they’ve spanked that Big Ten ass all year. Because they are better, and they take the field more focused and more prepared than they’re lesser conference opponent. That’s what good teams do.

That’s all I need to write, correct? I mean fuck… what else needs to be said?

But, I won’t stop there. Let’s at least get into the first half. There was a lot of action to be had. It was a slaughter-fest on Halloween weekend at The Bank. It only took two plays from the line of scrimmage, for this game to feel out-of-hand. Maryland had run over the Gophers defense, during their last two meetings, so they caught our defense off-guard when they passed on the first play, for a WHOPPING 7 yards. On 2nd-and-3 though, Tyrrell Pigrom tried the middle of the field…. where Antoine Winfield Jr. lay in wait…

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Understatement: Antoine Winfield's (@AntoineWJr11) done a lot of this in his @GopherFootball career. pic.twitter.com/YBLIRxORaQ

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 26, 2019

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Like I said before, it got out of hand quickly after that interception led to Tanner Morgan playing “.500” with Rashod Bateman, for a touchdown. Then, the defense forced a 3-and-out, before Tanner Morgan drove the offense 74 yards, on 12 plays, and Seth Green punched it into the endzone on a 10-yard keeper out of the Wildcat. That drive took 7 minutes and 29 seconds, in total. The Gophers had the ball for 10:32 out of 15:00 of the 1st quarter minutes.

The first quarter wasn’t even over yet and the Gophers were looking for more points. 2 minutes and 31 seconds into the 2nd quarter, they found what they were looking for, through the air again. This time, Tanner paid off his trusty senior for a 16-yard score; the Gophers’ easiest yet.

The 1st half onslaught finally ended in fireworks, when Coney Durr took a tipped pass 72 yards, to the house. At that point, it was 28-0 and the turtles were dreaming of roads they could be laying shell-down on.

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Even when you know it's going to Rashod Bateman, it's tough to stop.@R_bateman2
| @GopherFootball pic.twitter.com/n9EEaG6wjt

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 26, 2019

The formation's called the “Green Line,” and it resulted in a Seth Green TD.@seth_mgreen | @GopherFootball pic.twitter.com/r5zOV4JuCY

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 26, 2019

They've done it all season, and they just did it again.@GopherFootball's Tanner Morgan finds Tyler Johnson for 6. pic.twitter.com/dDRqB6zDVB

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 26, 2019

Halftime Stats:

Tanner has tossed a pair of TDs.

Five players have combined to rush for 121 yards.

Sori-Marin has filled in nicely in replace of Martin. He has already tied his career high with six tackles.

Winfield and Durr (Pick-6) each have an INT. pic.twitter.com/GT8qmAZHrf

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) October 26, 2019

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Maryland found a way to slow down Tanner Morgan late in the first half (once), when he overthrew (yes, I guess it is possible) Rashod Bateman. After a big return and a couple of big plays, the defense would hold and force the Terrapins into a field goal. Their luck wouldn’t get any better in the 2nd half.

The Gophers would score two more touchdowns, both on the ground. Rodney Smith finished off a drive in the 3rd and Seth Green got his second TD of the game in the 4th. There isn’t much else to get into, when it comes to gameplay that mattered. It was a massacre. The Terrapins scored a TD late in the 4th quarter, off of a fluke mistake on defense, but it was long-over by then.

Jacob Clark and Treyson Potts found the field as freshman, late in the game. Potts looked damn good in limited action, carrying the ball 4 times for 42 yards and a touchdown. Clark got to show off his deep ball once too. It’s beautiful.

Now, the Gophers will wait two weeks before hosting Penn State, in by far the most important college football game held in this state in over 60 years. Both teams will be undefeated after Penn State beat the shit out of Michigan State today too.

Bring it.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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Nice weather we're having. ? pic.twitter.com/WQB7PS6zU0

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) October 26, 2019

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Dele Harding with a giant ??? to the Homecoming crowd.

It's an @IlliniFootball pick six to start us off on BTN: pic.twitter.com/2HluMHNBer

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 5, 2019

The Gopher offense would continue to struggle throughout the first half but this would be Illinois’ only highlight, until late in the 3rd quarter, when their only other TD went on the board, a sack/fumble returned for a score. That’s the only way Illinois scored 6 points in this game. The Gopher defense was dominant against an Illini offense that‘s put up 30+ points in every game, leading up to this contest.

Late in the first half, the Gopher offense started to find its stride. With 4:40 remaining on the 1st half clock, they drove down the field to score, leaving just 1:32 to play. Illinois actually came back down the field though, and after Fleck iced their kicker from 46 yards (he left that kick 10 yards short), he knocked the second try directly through the uprights (would have been good from 56).

The Gophers took a 16-10 lead into halftime but the second half is where the offense went into an all-out sprint.

That escalated quickly.

Two strikes from Tanner Morgan makes it 23-10 @GopherFootball! pic.twitter.com/qsFskSVQQi

— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) October 5, 2019

Another one ✅

Tanner Morgan tosses Brevyn Spann-Ford's first career TD for @GopherFootball pic.twitter.com/kcgarPibKT

— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) October 5, 2019

Un ? touched ? for six!@Numerouno1_ coasts for another @GopherFootball TD: pic.twitter.com/qip2mWuX08

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 5, 2019

The offense put on an absolute show in the 2nd half. The passes started connecting too, but the real story was the running backs, who had been relatively held down all season.

Rodney Smith finished with the most yards by a Gopher running back in a Big Ten game (211) since Lawrence Maroney finished with 258 vs Wisconsin in 2005. Meanwhile, Shannon Brooks let everyone know he’s back and ready to rack up some yardage with his own 111, on the ground. There were chunk yardage plays every time you looked up. It was fun (unlike what was happening over at Yankee Stadium at the same time).

This was exactly the type of victory this Gopher team needed, with Nebraska coming to town next Saturday night. They were 5-0 but their wins vs lesser teams weren’t as impressive as you’d like. That wasn’t the case today. If the Gopher defense can show up next week like they did today, and the offensive line can open up holes that these running backs can squeeze through, the Huskers are in for a shit show next weekend…

And I can’t fucking wait.

#Nebraska right now pic.twitter.com/qyJ3GXeWYp

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 5, 2019

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

This is a massive game, toward getting to that point, as a program. Fans are still holding their collective breaths, as we wait to see more out of a team that barely made it out of non-conference play unscathed. A convincing win would change the entire narrative on the season, with Illinois coming to TCF Bank Stadium next week, into another home game vs the most overrated Nebraska team in program history.

The key to beating Purdue comes in the trenches on both sides of the ball. 

Shannon Brooks will make his return this week and that easily makes the Gopher backfield the most talented in all of college football but I’d argue they were near the top, even before his return. The key to the running game doesn’t lie within Brooks’ return. It lies within this offensive line, which has looked vastly overrated, early on.

Sure, they are young, they are MASSIVE, and they are likely to keep improving. That’s definitely the bright side. But, we need to see some noticeable improvement right now, out of this O-line, because their size hasn’t equated to results yet this season, vs NON-Big Ten defensive adversaries. It’s been ugly.

The Gophers are currently sitting at 90th in the nation, with 119.5 Rush YPG. Last year, we averaged 171.2 per game, with a lot of the same guys. Hopefully that’s some hope we can grasp onto because their 2019 Yards/Carry isn’t… they rank even worse there (124th in nation) with 2.2 YPC…. Only 5 teams in FBS rank lower. But just like with YPG, they were way better last year (4.3 YPC)…. so… hope?

At this point, we know what we have at RB, WR, and QB. Our skill positions are stacked and Tanner Morgan is more than equipped to handle an offense as loaded as this one. In fact, the more room the offensive line can give this running game, the better Tanner Morgan will be, because when we need Tanner Morgan to come through in clutch time, he’ll be there. But, the less you have to put on his shoulders throughout the course of the game, the better he will be as the game unfolds. He’s an elite game manager with a twinkle in his eye for big time moments. In other words, the Vikings should call him up for Sunday……….

via GIPHY

Defensively, the focus is on the Boilermakers’ now healthy (they hope — he’s questionable but expected to play) QB, Elijah Sindelar, and their standout Sophomore WR, Rondale Moore.

Sindelar was injured last week but put up over 900 YDS, 9 TD’s, and just 3 INT’s in weeks 1 and 2. Moore is looking like one of the WR greats in Purdue history with just 1.3 seasons in the books. He went for 114 REC, 1258 YDS, and 14 TD’s in his Freshman season and has 369 YDS and 2 TD’s in 2019.

But, we have what should be a smothering secondary, led by Antoine Winfield Jr. and they get to face WR’s, as good as Rondale Moore, everyday in practice with Tyler Johnson, Rashod Bateman, and others. I’d be shocked if Moore has a monster game. But if he does, it will likely be on the front-7, rather than the back-4.

PJ Fleck has touted Jim Panagos as a major hire at defensive line. He glowed aboout him at Big Ten Media Day and he raved about him at early media gatherings, before putting Jim at the podium to hit us with his enthusiasm. He’s a great guy and coaches with the type of fire that PJ loves. The results so far though, have been mixed.

We’ve faced 3 new QB’s, that play for underwhelming opponents. The sack percentage looks really good, ranking 17th in the nation but we’re also near the bottom of the NCAA in opponent passer-rating (90th). They’ve allowed offenses to march down the field at times, but have also stepped up and gotten big stops, in big moments. You also can’t discount the triple-option offense they went up against vs Georgia Southern, since they never really threw the ball, period. So far vs the run, they’ve been dominant, ranking in the top-25 in both YPG and YPC.

In other words, there is a lot we still need to find out about this defensive line vs the pass game. If the Minnesota front-4 can keep Sindelar uncomfortable without needing to blitz a ton, it’ll be hard for him to find Moore, with our secondary/linebacker group.

I think we will see a different Gophers team than what we have so far. I want to see some wrinkles on offense and defense, that we haven’t seen in non-conference play. Hopefully, that will lead to some running backs breaking free. If we can get that part of the offense rolling, I think the defense will handle itself, and the Gophers will walk away with this one handily, 31-20.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Morgan came back strong, though. He hit his old trusty target, Tyler Johnson, for two touchdowns in the 1st quarter and it was a 14-10, entering the 2nd. The Gophers moved the ball with relative ease, even with co-starter Mo Ibrahim sitting out with a leg injury. Speaking of running backs, Cam Wiley got the first two carries of his young Gopher career in the first half too.

Daniele Faalele helped Seth Greene into the endzone, on a wildcat run from the 5, later in the half, to make it 21-13 but the end of the half got REALLY dicey and made you question the entire coaching staff in the first half of this game. 

When Morgan threw the INT early in the game, he never should have been passing it. Not against this team. Then, on 4th and 1 around their own 30-yard-line and time running out in the first half, the Gophers went for it and couldn’t convert. They turned the ball over on downs and then gave up a touchdown, making it 21-20 entering halftime.

.@Tanner_Morg12's last two @GopherFootball TD passes have been pretty nice.

The latest went to @T_muhneyy10. pic.twitter.com/G20yhKuWug

— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) September 14, 2019

✌️,

Number of @T_muhneyy10 @GopherFootball TDs in the 1Q. pic.twitter.com/skmPp4P4w4

— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) September 14, 2019

Green Line coming right at you.@GopherFootball leads 21-10. pic.twitter.com/gpGLFbUnhR

— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) September 14, 2019

I was hoping to run away with it in the 3rd quarter but that’s not what happened. More bad playcalling and poor play led to a scoreless 3rd quarter but it only took a few seconds into the 4th, for Bryce Williams to take in a half-yard score that put the good guys back on top by a TD + 2-pt conversion, 28-20. Let’s also remember that Georgia Southern’s last score in the 1st half never should have counted.

fuck ?s. #Gophers pic.twitter.com/aYvrT9WhTv

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) September 14, 2019

The only way to describe the 4th quarter of this game is a mental rollercoaster. The playcalling was questionable, at best, and the Gophers had trouble moving the football behind their backup running backs, after Mo Ibrahim didn’t play, because of a leg injury and a concussion for Rodney Smith in the 1st half.

The Gophers looked like they were about to secure a victory with a 10 point lead, late in the 4th quarter until this blocked kick happened and changed everything..

Georgia Southern turned a blocked punt into a 77-yard TD run ?

(via @CFBONFOX)pic.twitter.com/j83REl0TSH

— Bleacher Report CFB (@BR_CFB) September 14, 2019

Suddenly, the Gophers needed Tanner Morgan again, and after a game where he played pretty poorly… he again came through in clutch time and drove the Gophers down the field before Tyler Johnson did Tyler Johnson things…

Tyler Johnson with the game-winning touchdown catch. His 3rd of the day! pic.twitter.com/lpKmv6uRjL

— Ian Wharton (@NFLFilmStudy) September 14, 2019

So, the Gophers get a dub in a game they probably shouldn’t have…. but they are heading into Big Ten play undefeated. The rest of the season won’t finish so well, though if they don’t figure out a lot of things over the next two weeks, before they travel to Purdue on the 28th…

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

It was a beautiful night at the University of Minnesota campus; one of those nights that makes you thank god/aliens that we have outdoor college football again. And the crowd showed up early, and in good numbers, just like Fleck asked them to. Life was good, leading up to kickoff.

But when kickoff took place, things slowed down in a hurry.

The Gophers looked sloppy out of the gate and struggled mightily to move the ball up and down the field. SDSU started the game with a double reverse that got their run game going early. Good thing J’Bore Gibbs can’t throw the ball because if the Jackrabbits couldn’t run for a first down in the first half… they weren’t getting one.

The action opened up in the 2nd quarter when Rashod Bateman took over. He caught 5 total passes in the 1st half, totaling 132 yards and one of the most beautiful touchdown catches you’ll see all season, at any level…

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Pornhub won’t be necessary tonight. #Gophers #RTB pic.twitter.com/Pn4xNux1x1

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) August 30, 2019

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After a 15 yard penalty on the extra point, for illegal hands to the face, the Gophers missed the backed-up kick and took a 13-7 lead into halftime. SDSU got their 7 points in the 2nd quarter too, when they drove 66 yards on 6 plays and scored off of a J.Bore Gibbs 1-yard TD run. But the Gophers definitely entered halftime with the momentum, after Bateman’s one-handed TD snag.

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2nd Half

The second half started out just as good as the first half ended, when the Chris Williamson, who didn’t have a starting CB spot entering camp, picked J’Bore Gibbs off and returned it to the house for six. That put the Gophers up 20-7 and life was looking pretty damn good… until it wasn’t. 

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I love so many things about this play… the rush… the desperation for the ball… and then the pick-6…. can I just get this in syringe form??? #Gophers pic.twitter.com/xzUcJIuXgr

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) August 30, 2019

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After this pick-6, the Jackrabbits and Gophers were different football teams. The Gophers couldn’t move the ball, all of a sudden, and they couldn’t stop the SDSU rushing attack. Throw in a couple of beautiful play calls from the SDSU offensive coordinator, that lead to big pass plays, and before you knew it… the Gophers were losing 20-21, and their 2019 season outlook was suddenly in question as we entered the 4th quarter.

We were all on pins and needles as we watched the 4th quarter unfold and some fans even headed for the exits early… but then, just when the Gophers needed to force a turnover the most… it happened…

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FUUUUUUUUUUUUMMBLLLEEEEEEE #GOPHERS FOOTBALL AT THE SDSU 35!!!!!!! https://t.co/YnaeUA9YYj

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) August 30, 2019

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After the fumble, the Gophers remembered they were playing an FCS team. They gave the ball to Rodney Smith repeatedly and he rumbled, bumbled, and stumbled his way to the SDSU goaline before Mo Ibrahim finished the job. Then it was time for a little Minny Special, to erase the earlier missed extra point.

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@GopherFootball
Gophers go up against a scrapy Jackrabbit team from SDSU pic.twitter.com/mIAgldte3X

— Marty Werden (@gopher1408) August 30, 2019

The Minny Special! ?

QB Tanner Morgan hauls in the 2-point conversion, and @GopherFootball is back in front of S. Dakota State late: pic.twitter.com/hOn4UQ6Lg1

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) August 30, 2019

Morgan fakes a late call at the line and it's a direct snap to Rodney Smith who reverses to Tyler Johnson, who passes to Tanner Morgan for a good 2-point conversion!

(all of this actually happened) #Gophers

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) August 30, 2019

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It wasn’t pretty… but the Gophers got the job done. Only time will tell how formidable of an opponent SDSU was…

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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Entering 2018, the Minnesota Gophers were ready to put their offense on Rodney Smith’s shoulders and ride the workhorse back to as many victories as possible before he ran into the NFL like some of the legendary Gopher running backs before him… but that’s not the way the year ended up. In fact, it ended just 1+ games after it got started.

Smith rushed for 156 yards on 24 carries vs. New Mexico State in the season opener before getting only 2 carries the next week vs Fresno State, before blowing out his knee… Another knee injury vs. Indiana would end Shannon Brooks’ 2019 too. PJ Fleck, Kirk Ciarrocca, and Co. had no choice but to turn to Mohamed Ibrahim, a redshirt Freshman, who wasn’t supposed to see much of the field at all in 2018, let alone be thrust into a starting spot.

Gopher fans weren’t sure what to think at that point… RB was supposed to be the most secure position on the offense… but after finding his footing and working through some of his own minor injuries, Mohamed Ibrahim proved RB was still a position of strength, even with an offensive line that had plenty of its own consistency issues.  Mo finished the season with 1160 yards and 9 TD’s in just 10 games played.

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So with a healthy Rodney Smith now back in play after a 2018 medical redshirt cleared one more season for him, I asked PJ Fleck on Sunday afternoon, what we can expect the backfield split to look like vs SDSU and here’s what PJ said: “I think Rodney and Mohamad will take the majority of the carries early, and then we’ll see how it goes from there.”

My own expert opinion on who will start vs the Jackrabbits? I am yet to attend a practice where Mohamed Ibrahim doesn’t take first snaps with the 1’s. With just a few days left to change my mind, I’d be a bit surprised to see #1 trot onto the field before #24, on Thursday.

But no matter who starts the game, it’s clear that Mo and Rodney are RB1 and RB1A. PJ wants to rotate as many backs in as each game calls for, though and won’t hesitate to stretch the depth in his backfield. He’s hoping the game Thursday vs the Jackrabbits calls for a lot of different running backs seeing carries. “We do have the ability to play Bryce [Williams] in situations that make him really, really good, and then we kind of go from there. You’ve got Trey Potts ready. You’ve got Cam Wiley ready… I’m not afraid to put them in the game. You might see them in the first quarter, depending on how the game is going and what we are having success with.”

In other words, whoever has success is going to see the ball and hopefully we are having enough success that we are rotating guys in, to stay fresh. When you’re facing an FCS team, even one as good as SDSU, you are hoping to outmuscle up front and move the ball consistently on the ground.

With an improving offensive line and a bevy of running back talent, the Gophers should be able to grind the ball consistently all season… as long as the backfield can stay healthy, which as we found out last season, is far from a guarantee.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Here is PJ’s full press conference from yesterday (I ask about the RB split at the 05:05 mark)

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