Gophers pound Northwestern 31-3 behind Mo Ibrahim's 178 yards, 3 TDs
Minnesota Golden Gophers running back Mohamed Ibrahim (24) scores a touchdown during the college football game between the North Western Wildcats and Minnesota Gophers on November 12th, 2022, at Huntington Bank in Minneapolis, MN. ((Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images))
MINNEAPOLIS - There wasn’t anything flashy about it, but the University of Minnesota football team improved to 7-3 on the season and now has a three-game win streak after a 31-3 victory over Northwestern on a chilly Saturday afternoon at Huntington Bank Stadium.
The Gophers (7-3, 4-3) are also still very much alive in the Big Ten West race, after Purdue beat Illinois 31-24 in Champaign. Minnesota still needs to beat Iowa and Wisconsin to close out the season, and get help, but slim hopes of getting to Indianapolis remain tangible for another week.
Saturday, it was the Mo Ibrahim show. The sixth-year senior carried the offense, literally and figuratively, with 36 rushes for 178 yards and three touchdowns. He now has 18 on the season, tying Gary Russell’s 2005 record. He has 51 for his career, which passed former Wisconsin star Jonathan Taylor for sixth in Big Ten history.
One other record? Ibrahim is now second in career rushing yards for the Gophers with 4,264, passing Rodney Smith’s mark of 4,122.
"I didn’t even know that. I looked up to Rodney when I first got here," Ibrahim said. He showed me how to prepare for a game, how to take care of your body, how to deal with going through hard times. It’s an honor to pass him, he probably shot me a text in congratulations. That’s a big bro I look up to."
He’s behind only Laurence Maroney, and is on pace to pass him. Ibrahim also tied Darrell Thompson's record with his 23rd career 100-yard game, and is the only Minnesota running back ever to record nine 100-yard games in one season. Ibrahim will leave the Gophers as one of the best running backs in program history.
With Tanner Morgan unable to play due to an upper body injury suffered at Nebraska, Athan Kaliakmanis got his second career start at quarterback. The Gophers’ redshirt freshman was 7-of-13 passing for 64 yards, and spent most of the day handing the ball off to Ibrahim and Trey Potts.
Ibrahim had 22 carries for 116 yards and two touchdowns by halftime for his 18th straight 100-yard rushing game. After a lighter workload to start the season, Ibrahim now has least 30 carries in four straight games.
"He’s so smart and he does so much un-required work that I trust him and the physical part takes care of itself. He’s so locked in mentally and emotionally to the film prep and un-required work. Tomorrow we’ll piece him back together," Gophers coach PJ Fleck said after the win. "He’s mentally, physically and emotionally ready to do it come Saturday."
The Gophers’ defense kept the Wildcats out of the end zone, allowing only a second quarter field goal as Minnesota led 14-3 at the half. Minnesota limited Northwestern to 278 total yards, just 72 on the ground, 3-for-12 on third down and had three turnovers on downs. Tyler Nubin got an interception on the first play of the third quarter, and the Gophers got sacks from Terell Smith (1.5), Beanie Bishop (1), Jordan Howden (0.5), Braelen Oliver (0.5) and Jah Joyner (0.5). Ryan Stapp also added a fourth quarter interception of third string quarterback Carl Richardson.
"I thought Nubin and Howden set the tone with physicality. That’s what leadership shows and does. I don’t ever question that from those two safeties back there," Fleck said.
Northwestern's top offensive player, Maple Grove native and running back Evan Hull, was limited to 13 carries for 54 yards and 98 all-purpose yards.
Ibrahim all but sealed the win with a 1-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter, giving the Gophers a 24-3 lead. Making his 2022 debut, freshman Zach Evans scored from six yards out to give Minnesota a 31-3 lead with 4:24 to play. Minnesota ran the ball 58 times in its 71 plays, collected 303 of their 366 total yards on the ground and averaged 5.2 yards per carry.
Fleck said the time will come for the passing game. Minnesota had three pass catchers Saturday: Daniel Jackson, Brevyn Spann-Ford and Dylan Wright.
"We’ve had to run the football an awful lot. We need more balance and we know that. But that’s what we have to keep working on," Fleck said. "We’re capable of doing it, we just have to do it. We have to just go execute."
Minnesota has won its last three games by a combined 82-16, and allowed just one offensive touchdown over the last 12 quarters. That’s after a 45-17 loss at Penn State, where hopes of contending in the Big Ten West after were all but dashed.
"I think it’s just being able to respond to things that might not be going our way. Not putting our heads down, just continuing to fight knowing what we have to do to get the job done," linebacker Cody Lindenberg said.
The Gophers host Iowa next week for Senior Day at Huntington Bank Stadium in the annual battle for Floyd of Rosedale. It’s the only real blemish on PJ Fleck’s tenure at Minnesota. He’s 0-5 against the Hawkeyes. Illinois travels to Michigan next week, and Purdue will host Northwestern.
Minnesota needs to win out and finish 9-3. The Gophers need Illinois to lose at Michigan, and Purdue to lose one of Northwestern or Indiana, and they could be headed to Indianapolis.
"You guys called it the ‘Wild, Wild West.’ That’s exactly what it is. Who knows, next 13 days are going to be really exciting. I’m not saying we’re going to win it every single time, but we’re always going to be in the hunt and do everything we can to be in the hunt. It’s fun when you’re in the hunt," Fleck said. "That’s why they call it the ‘Wild, Wild West.’ It’s getting wilder."