Potts Taking Over
Saturday’s game made clear that it’ll be Treyson Potts taking over for the Gophers in the absence of Mohamed Ibrahim. Potts got his first opportunity as a starter against Miami of Ohio, and he ran with it, pun intended. The sophomore carried the ball 34 times for 178 yards and two touchdowns in the 31-26 victory. At times, churning his legs and pushing piles, Potts looked surprisingly like Ibrahim, who was on the sidelines helping coach the backs. Quarterback Tanner Morgan refrained from turning the ball over, and threw touchdown passes to both Dylan Wright and Daniel Jackson. Morgan was just eight of 17 passing, but with Potts running over defenders, there was really no reason to throw very often. Ryan Burns of 247Sports has more on the passing game here.
The defense did their part as well. Justus Harris recovered a Miami fumble on the Redhawks’ third snap, and that set the tone. Linebacker Mariano Sori-Marin led the team with 10 total tackles, 1.5 for loss. The Gophers’ front dominated Miami’s offensive line for the majority of the game. In the fourth quarter, Tyler Nubin snagged an interception and Boye Mafe had a huge pass breakup on an attempted two-point conversion. I’d be remiss not to mention Matthew Trickett‘s successful 50-yard field goal as well.
However, we’d also be remiss in not mentioning the team’s collective third-quarter brain cramp. Leading 21-3 to start the second half, Minnesota’s three third-quarter possessions all ended in punts. Miami, meanwhile, went down the field for a touchdown, added a field goal on their next drive, and started another nice drive that ended with a touchdown shortly into the fourth quarter. Fortunately, someone woke up the Gopher sideline in time for the fourth quarter, but a lapse like that against a Power 5 team is likely to have a very different outcome.
Up Next
Next week the Gophers travel to face Colorado. The Buffaloes are 1-1, having stomped Northern Colorado 35-7 and lost to Texas A&M 10-7. They look to be trending in the right direction under second-year head coach Karl Dorrell. Among the Buffs to watch for are running back Jarek Broussard, last year’s Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, and wide receiver Brenden Rice, son of NFL legend Jerry Rice.
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