Thursday night under the TCF Bank Stadium lights, the Gophers scrimmaged for a solid hour.
Ones vs. ones, twos vs. twos, and so on and so forth. Coach P.J. Fleck put his team through various scenarios, and there were some predictably fun moments. Quarterback Tanner Morgan's pass to receiver Tyler Johnson for a touchdown. Running back Mohamed Ibrahim taking a bunch of carries. The kickers taking turns sinking field goals, as competition for that spot heats up.
A memorable scene came when Fleck tasked his first-string players with a two-minute drill. With no timeouts left, the offense had to drive from around the 50-yard line to at least field goal position for the win. But this time when Morgan tried to float the ball to Johnson with the end zone in sight, safety Antoine Winfield Jr., swooped in for the game-saving interception.
About 150 people showed up to watch this late-add open practice. And the Gophers will hold another session for the public 4:30 p.m. Friday at the outdoor fields at Athletes Village. But considering the team practiced from about 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, there might not be much action. In fact, it will likely be a walk-through.
Check out a quick video below of a one-on-one receiver vs. defensive back drill. Douglas also caught a touchdown pass during the scrimmage. Thomas might have had an interception, too, but I'm going to be honest, I didn't fully catch it.
