Stripped of Mohamed Ibrahim, one the best running backs in the country, because of a season-ending injury less than three quarters into the 2021 opener, the Gophers must navigate the next 11 contests without the weapon that accounted for 41% of their yardage last season.
They must forge ahead without a player that coach P.J. Fleck calls irreplaceable, a workhorse who averaged a nation-high 28.7 carries per game in 2020.
They must soldier on without a back who ripped through Ohio State's vaunted defense for 160 yards — and might have surpassed 225 — before suffering what is believed to be a torn left Achilles' tendon.
So, what now?
Well, if you listen to Mike Sanford Jr., the Gophers offensive coordinator, Minnesota will move forward with tweaks, diversification and a lot of playing to its strengths. But he's not about to channel Barry Switzer and run the Oklahoma wishbone of the 1970s.
"We're not going to wholesale change and become a triple-option team because Mo Ibrahim's not a part of it,'' Sanford said. "We're still gonna run the football, still gonna take what the defense gives us out on the perimeter.''
The retooling starts Saturday when the Gophers are host to Miami (Ohio). They'll face a team that's expected to contend for the Mid-American Conference title, but the Gophers will have more pressing matters on their mind — making sure they remain who they are without one of the pieces that made them.
"We need to play with an identity,'' said Sanford, pointing to the lessons learned in the 45-31 loss to the Buckeyes. "We need to do that for four full quarters. We did that in fits and starts. We played with an identity of being a physical football team, being a physical offense, taking care of the football.''
Next men up
Replacing Ibrahim's production starts with the five players remaining in the running back room — sophomores Trey Potts and Cam Wiley, junior Bryce Williams, redshirt freshman Ky Thomas and true freshman Mar'Keise "Bucky'' Irving.
Potts (5-11, 210 pounds) served as the first option to Ibrahim in the opener, rushing 10 times for 34 yards and catching one pass for 12 yards. Wiley had three carries for 4 yards. Williams rushed once for 2 yards. Thomas and Irving did not play.
“The thing that's fun about it is they're not going to all be Baby Mo Ibrahim. They're not going to be the exact same back as Mo, but his fingerprints are going to be on their style of play.”
Expect to see a running back by committee approach Saturday, possibly with Potts in the lead role and Wiley and Williams as the supporting cast. Williams brings the most experience and three years ago rushed 33 times for 141 yards against Miami (Ohio) when injuries shelved Ibrahim, Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks.
"You're going to see three completely different running styles between Trey Potts, Cam Wiley and Bryce Williams,'' Sanford said.
Fleck expects the group to elevate its game given the opportunity.
"It's a great challenge to our other backs, a great challenge to everybody else on the team, and everybody else is going to have to be able to play a little bit harder, a little bit better," he said.
Fleck raved about the "violent'' running style Ibrahim has, and that move-the-chains tenacity won't be easy to replace. Sanford, though, sees Ibrahim's influence on his fellow backs.
"The thing that's fun about it is they're not going to all be Baby Mo Ibrahim,'' Sanford said. "They're not going to be the exact same back as Mo, but his fingerprints are going to be on their style of play.''
Lean on the big fellas
Several times in the Ohio State game, the Gophers lined up with seven and even eight offensive linemen, trying to bludgeon the Buckeyes with a deep, talented and big line. The strategy worked to the point where Minnesota rushed for 203 yards and three touchdowns.
"That's the offensive identity of our football team right there,'' said tight end Ko Kieft, a tenacious blocker who gave the Buckeyes fits. "Our strength's in our line. Those guys are incredible, and I think it'd be a waste if we couldn't get as many of those guys on the field as possible.''
Both Fleck and Sanford stressed that the "jumbo'' packages might not be featured against every opponent because an extra lineman on the field means one fewer wide receiver. Finding a run-pass balance is key, though Sanford likes the matchup advantage.
"It is hard to defend. That's the bottom line,'' he said. "… That's a lot of poundage that's together hip-to-hip, boot-to-boot and moving people off the line of scrimmage. That's an identity.''
Keep it balanced
An efficient passing attack can make the run game work better, and that's something the Gophers aim to do. Sanford was pleased with the development of secondary receiving targets with top wideout Chris Autman-Bell out because of a lower leg injury.
“It's a great challenge to our other backs, a great challenge to everybody else on the team, and everybody else is going to have to be able to play a little bit harder, a little bit better.”
Dylan Wright, a transfer from Texas A&M, caught five passes for 57 yards, including a 13-yard TD grab under tight coverage. Daniel Jackson contributed three catches for 58 yards, and tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford showed potential with three grabs for 44 yards.
"To see Brevyn step up and make plays in the pass game and even in the run game — he showed first and foremost that he's willing to play more physically and wants to play more physically,'' Sanford said.
Of course, the passing game starts with quarterback Tanner Morgan, who completed 14 of 25 passes for 205 yards and a TD against Ohio State but expects more from himself.
"My job is to give guys opportunities to make plays, and I've got to do that better,'' he said. "The better I can do that, the more explosive we can be.''
