Gophers on track to play at Nebraska Saturday after pause due to COVID-19
Head coach P.J. Fleck of the Minnesota Golden Gophers looks on in the first quarter of the game against the Michigan Wolverines at TCF Bank Stadium on October 24, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ((Photo by David Berding/Getty Images))
MINNEAPOLIS - University of Minnesota football coach P.J. Fleck said Monday the Gophers are on track to finish the regular season at Nebraska on Saturday.
Minnesota paused all football activities back on Nov. 24 after multiple positive COVID-19 tests within the team. The Gophers’ game at Wisconsin, and last week’s home game against Northwestern, were canceled as a result.
Team officials said 23 players and 26 staff who have tested positive since Nov. 19. But the good news? The Gophers have not had any positive tests since last Thursday, and just two in the last seven days. They practiced for the first time as a team on Sunday after starting a ramp-up with outdoor conditioning and small-group workouts.
Minnesota last played on Nov. 20, a 34-31 win over Purdue at TCF Bank Stadium. At least 22 players were out for that game between COVID-19 issues and injuries. Fleck said after that game about half of that number was due to COVID-19. Offensive line coach Brian Callahan missed that game after a positive COVID-19 test. Defensive coordinator Joe Rossi missed the game at Illinois for the same reason.
Fleck said Monday more than 20 players will not be available Saturday at Nebraska due to COVID-19 issues. So far, none of the positive cases have required hospitalization, and minimal have shown symptoms.
The program’s minimal amount of cases in the last seven days allows them to play a game this week, if they can field enough players and if they continue to test negative.
“We’re planning on playing against Nebraska on Saturday and we’ve prepared accordingly,” Fleck said.
Just like he did on his radio show with KFAN last week, Fleck went out of his way Monday to say the COVID-19 outbreak within his own program is nobody’s fault. He scoffed at the idea any of his players did something wrong to test positive for COVID-19.
Fleck cited that 82 Division I teams across every Power 5 conference this season have had to either cancel or postpone games due to COVID-19 issues.
“I think that there’s a reputation of COVID-19 that if you get it, you must have done something wrong. Like how did you get it? Where did you get it? Everybody is still learning how this whole thing works. That’s the ghost in the room, and it’s hard to just eliminate it,” Fleck said. “If it did happen, that would be out there. When they do test positive, I see it. I talk to them on the phone, on FaceTime and I see the tears and I see the disappointment. That’s the hard part.”
Mo Ibrahim a semifinalist for Doak Walker Award
Mo Ibrahim on Monday was named one of 10 semifinalists for the 2020 Doak Walker Award, which goes annually to the top running back in college football. Ibrahim is the only Big Ten running back to make the final 10.
He’s ranked 17th in the country with 817 rushing yards, despite only playing in five games, which also leads the Big Ten. He’s averaging 163.4 rushing yards per game, which leads the country for running backs who have played in at least five games. He’s also sixth in the country with 13 rushing touchdowns. He has 11 career 100-yard rushing games, including six straight, and is five touchdowns away from tying the single-season school record of 18 set by Gary Russell in 2005.
Earlier this season, Ibrahim had consecutive 200-yard rushing games and was named the Big Ten Player of the Week.