The University of Minnesota football team is back from their bye week and travels to Illinois on Saturday. ((credit: University of Minnesota Athletics))
MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota football team is back from its bye week, traveling to Illinois on Saturday with the salt of a 20-10 Homecoming loss to Purdue still fresh.
Without Mo Ibrahim, the Gophers ran for just 1.8 yards per carry against the Boilermakers. They dropped a touchdown in the end zone for an interception, missed a short field goal, failed to convert a 4th-and-1 at their own 29-yard line and a potential long touchdown to Brevyn Spann-Ford negated by a Tanner Morgan sack fumble.
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Gophers coach PJ Fleck previews Illinois at weekly news conference
PJ Fleck said Monday he expects star running back Mo Ibrahim to return Saturday at Illinois, and previewed the game out of the Gophers bye week.
The Gophers were doomed by mostly self-inflicted wounds, and they had a week to correct them.
"Just knowing that we lost and you’ve got to go through a bye week, you don’t get another opportunity to play until two more weeks. It was definitely in there, that feeling in there of losing," center John Michael Schmitz said. "I don’t like losing, I don’t think anyone likes losing so just having that gut feeling in you definitely motivated a lot of guys and knowing what we can accomplish this year."
The Gophers head to Champaign this week in a battle of two of the best running backs in the nation. Ibrahim is back after missing the Purdue loss with an injury, and is fourth in the country at 141.8 yards per game, and seven touchdowns. Illinois running back Chase Brown is No. 2 in the country at 146.5 yards per game, and has four touchdowns.
Last week against Illinois, Brown had 31 carries for 152 yards. The Gophers feature the No. 1 defense in the country, allowing just 222 yards per game. They feature the No. 6 rushing defense, allowing 81.4 yards per game. Something has to give.
"He’s one of the best backs in the country and that’s an amazing thing for a defense to go against. That’s a great challenge, that’s something we’ve been waiting on and something that we’re up for. It’s going to be fun," safety Tyler Nubin said.
Last year, Brown had 32 carries for 152 yards as Illinois left Minnesota with a 14-6 victory. Last week, Minnesota largely held Purdue in check in the run game before a 68-yard run from Devin Mockobee in the fourth quarter. Last year, the Gophers held Wisconsin star Braelon Allen 55 yards.
"It’s going to be a great challenge, but I think it’s a great opportunity. It’s not going to take anything superhuman or super special by any single individual, it’s just going to take everybody doing their job, playing tough in their gap and making a play when it comes to them," said linebacker Mariano Sori-Marin, who leads the defense in tackles.
A TRIP HOME FOR 12 GOPHERS
Minnesota had its Homecoming Week against Purdue, but Saturday’s game in Champaign is a homecoming of sorts for 12 Gophers’ players originally from Illinois. Among them are Schmitz, Sori-Marin and Nubin, as well as injured receiver Chris Autman-Bell.
Let’s just say there’s competition for tickets.
"I need about 30 tickets this week so it’s going to be a bandwagon of Nubin supporters out there this week. That’s always awesome," Nubin said.
"I think I got about 40 close people coming. It’s always good when the game is close, family and friends get to make a quick little drive to Champaign," Sori-Marin said. "The biggest thing that comes to mind is the fight for Illinois tickets."
GOPHERS TALK ALABAMA
The team announced Tuesday morning it has scheduled a home-and-home series with Alabama, and the Gophers will host the Crimson Tide in September of 2032. PJ Fleck, assuming he’s still the head coach, will be 51 years old.
Most current Gophers’ players will be in their early 30s by then. Could Morgan be on the coaching staff for the game?
"Who knows man, who knows. I don’t tell the future, but it’s cool man. It’s awesome for this program, it blows my mind how games are scheduled so far in advance, 10 years. If I’m not around or coaching, I’ll definitely be watching. I might even be there," he said.
Sori-Marin joked about finding eligibility to play in the game.
"I think me and Tanner will be excited for that game, playing in it," he joked. "But no, that’s cool for the University of Minnesota, for the program, to get that opportunity. I’ll be 32, 33 years old at that point, maybe I’ll get the opportunity to go to that game."
Nubin said he’d love to play Alabama this year. For that to happen, the Gophers would have to win their final seven games and the Big Ten title to be considered for the College Football Playoff. For now, they’re just dreams.
"Honestly that’s awesome, I can’t wait to see it. I wish we could play them, we’ll just have to see them in the playoff or something like that," Nubin said. "I think it’s awesome."