The Gophers backfield has taken plenty of bullets this season. Star running back Mo Ibrahim suffered a season-ending lower left leg injury in the 3rd quarter v. No. 4 Ohio State.

One month later, backup running back Trey Potts, who was averaging 129 rushing yards per game as a starter, got carted off the sideline at the climax of the Purdue game. Potts’ injury was undisclosed by the Gophers football staff but was serious enough to end his season.

Now the Gophers are playing a rotation of three different backs: Bryce Williams, Ky Thomas and Mar’Keise Irving. Williams is a redshirt junior while Thomas is a redshirt freshman and Irving is a true freshman.

Williams is called “old head” of the healthy running backs by running backs coach Kenni Burns and had his big breakout against Nebraska, rushing 17 times for 127 yards and a 56-yard touchdown.

“Bryce has waited for his turn for a long time,” Burns said. “Never has complained, been a great teammate and a great player.”

“His [Williams’] confidence that he’s attained through reps that aren’t in the most glorious roles is awesome,” offensive coordinator Mike Sanford Jr. said. “People respect Bryce and our team loves him as a leader that didn’t play much in ’19 and ‘20 after being a significant piece of the puzzle in ‘18.”

During his career with Minnesota, Williams totalled 174 attempts for 716 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Against Maryland, Williams was the lone running back who didn’t rush for over 100 yards. Instead, the two younger backs led the way.

Thomas rushed 21 times for 139 yards and a touchdown. Irving rushed 15 times for 105 yards and a touchdown.

Missing spring ball and early parts of the offseason, Thomas “rebuilt” his high school body, getting away some “baby fat” and turning it into muscle, according to Sanford Jr.

“You see an explosive pop with him at running back,” said Sanford Jr. “He’s got toughness but also has great vision and feel. Every week he’s getting better and he’s going to become a dominant back for years to come in this conference.”

“Ky is extremely physical,” Burns said. “Ky breaks tackles consistently and that’s what excites me about him because he can trigger on people and shoot his hips and run through facemask like he did in high school.”

Thomas played for Topeka High School before joining Minnesota, rushing for 7,703 yards and tallying 95 rushing touchdowns for the Trojans. He ranks second all time in rushing yards in Kansas high school history and seventh all time in touchdowns.

Mar’Keise Irving was originally nicknamed “Bucky,” yet due his nickname being the same as the mascot of rival school Wisconsin, it has changed to “Bucko”.

Irving was a 4-star talent out of Hillcrest High School in Country Club Hills, Ill. and ran for 3,264 rushing yards and totaled 587 receiving yards.

“Everyone kind of holds their breath when Bucko touches it and it’s fun,” Sanford Jr. said “Bucko is so naturally gifted and makes opposing defenses second guess how they fit some of the stuff that we do.”

Burns compared Irving’s season to Ibrahim’s 2018 season where Ibrahim had to carry the ball early in his freshman year due to Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks both sustaining season-ending injuries.

“Every guy ticks when their name is called and to do their job at a high level for their team,” was the message to the running back room by Burns after Potts got injured. “Do my job not for myself but the other backs.”

With a veteran offensive line and tight end group, the running back room has blossomed with the leadership of Kenni Burns, making the running game into by far the best aspect of the Gophers offense in 2021.

“If you can finish out a game like we did against Maryland running 23 straight times, you know you are going to love your chances to win,” Sanford Jr. said. “From his time at North Dakota St. and Wyoming, I trust Coach Burns to be able to get the guys in the right positions.”

On Sept. 2 the Gophers lost 45-31 to the No. 3 ranked Ohio St. Buckeyes. During that shootout a surprise hero for the Gophers emerged in redshirt sophomore Dylan Wright, who filled in the gap as the No. 1 wide receiver nicely after redshirt senior Chris Autman-Bell was unable to suit up due to a lingering ankle injury.

Wright hauled in five catches for 57 yards and a touchdown last Thursday. His touchdown was the first score of the game by the Gophers and came after a 56-yard 4th and 1 dash by redshirt senior running back Mohamed Ibrahim that jump started the offense back to life after punts on the previous two possessions.

Redshirt senior quarterback Tanner Morgan and Wright have gotten “a lot” of reps together in practice, according to the Gophers starting quarterback.

“I know his strengths and he knows my strengths,” Morgan said on Tuesday. “[Wright’s] a guy who loves to play football and to get out to practice everyday. That’s what makes it fun throwing to him on Saturdays.”

The Gophers are without Ibrahim this season due to a lower-leg injury. Once Autman-Bell returns from injury, they could utilize a game plan that is more pass heavy.

The next running backs on the depth chart are redshirt sophomores Trey Potts and Cam Wiley. Unlike Ibrahim who is a ground-and-pound back, they can be used at running back or in the slot to catch passes as a receiver.

Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck said on Monday that Wright is a “special talent” that is “just scratching the surface.”

At tight end, the Gophers have a “violent” blocker in redshirt senior Ko Kieft, according to Morgan. Kieft was originally recruited as a quarterback and linebacker at lower levels but Minnesota offered him a scholarship to play tight end and he couldn’t refuse.

Last season, Kieft tallied two receptions for 29 yards and a touchdown in four games. Kieft is mainly used for run blocking while redshirt junior Brevyn Spann-Ford is their receiving tight end.

In last week’s Ohio State game, Spann-Ford had three receptions for 44 yards, averaging 14.7 yards per catch. It was his first game with consistent playing time on the field.
In 2020, Spann-Ford only caught one pass. In his freshman season he grabbed four catches for 25 yards and a touchdown.

“It’s been awesome to see Brevyn grow,” Kieft said on Tuesday. “I’m so proud of that kid. He’s an incredible route runner and pass catcher. His growth in the run game, pass blocking, seeing him grow physically and then also being able to grow mentally has been huge.”

Kieft has been used in “jumbo packages” for the run game and Spann-Ford can be spotted in the traditional tight end position or sometimes out wide in the slot.

With the impending return of Autman-Bell and an experienced tight end core, the Gophers will still have plenty of options to cause havoc on opposing defenses without Ibrahim.

For the Gophers, there isn’t a better matchup than next week to try out a new offensive scheme without Ibrahim in the backfield. They take on the Miami-Ohio Redhawks, who recently got dismantled by the No. 7 Cincinnati Bearcats 49-14. They were losing 42-0 until their first touchdown came with 3:20 left in the 4th quarter.

“My job is to just give guys opportunities to make plays and I’ve got to do that better,” Morgan said. “The better I do that, the more explosive we can be since we have a lot of weapons.”

Despite an encouraging start to their first game of the season, Minnesota was unable to keep Ohio State at bay in the second half. The Buckeyes pulled away in the third quarter, scoring three touchdowns to Minnesota’s one.

The Gophers started out the game strong on the ground, with Ibrahim getting off to a great start running well but they had to punt from their own 48 yard line.

The Buckeyes scored quickly on their next drive with a 71 yard rush by redshirt freshman Miyan Williams to put the Buckeyes ahead 7-0.

Buckeyes kicker Noah Ruggles completed a 35 yard field goal on their second drive, giving Ohio State three more points before Minnesota had a chance to get on the scoreboard.

At this point of the game, Ohio State had all the momentum they could ask for, then the tide turned when on a fourth and inches Ibrahim bolted for a 56 yard run for a drive that was capped off by a Dylan Wright catch over the top of Ohio State cornerback Lejond Cavazos for a 13-yard touchdown.

Head coach PJ Fleck spoke post-game on the wide receiver corps’ performance without WR1 Chris Autman-Bell, “[Dylan Wright] made big time catches,” Fleck said. “Daniel Jackson had some really good grabs, but we need to be a complete WR corps. Michael Brown-Stephens made some big plays along with Brevyn Spann-Ford.”

On the next Buckeyes drive, the momentum of the game again swung in Minnesota’s favor with a Terrell Smith interception, allowing Minnesota to drive to the end zone from the Buckeyes 27-yard line.

That drive was completed by a one-yard Ibrahim touchdown on third and goal to put Minnesota ahead 14-10 at the half.

Mohamad Ibrahim scored his second touchdown of the game in the third quarter, regaining Minnesota’s lead 21-17. Ohio State was able to respond, ending the third ahead 31-21.

Ibrahim had a solid performance for the Gophers, but a fourth-quarter injury puts the rest of his season with the team in doubt. Video of the play showed what appeared to be his Achilles tendon flexing—and possibly snapping—on his left leg.

On that same drive, Kent State transfer Matthew Trickett connected on a 46-yard field goal. 31-24 Buckeyes, his first attempt and make on the Gophers. Trickett won the 2019 MAC special teams player of the year.

Trickett is a massive upgrade from Brock Walker in 2020, and Tanner Morgan said post-game how easier it is to play on offense when you have a kicker that you can trust.

“It’s huge,” Morgan said. “He’s really confident. If you are in a situation where you need a field goal and you have a kicker with long range, it makes you more comfortable. Nobody on our sideline had a doubt that the kick wasn’t going in because that’s what he does on a consistent basis.”

In the fourth quarter Ohio State scored on a 70-yard screen pass to redshirt freshman TreVeyon Henderson, increasing their lead to 38-24.

The next Minnesota possession ended with a score by Bryce Williams, his first carry of the game for 2 yards, still trailing 38-31 to the Buckeyes.

The shootout continued on the next possession with a 61 yard pass by Stroud to Olave to make the game 45-31 Buckeyes, which would be the final score.

Fleck said postgame, “We knew we were going to have to play perfect to win that football game. And we had to make sure they [Ohio State] didn’t play perfect. We had a pretty perfect first half and then the sack fumble on Tanner hurt us.”

Minnesota will face Miami-Ohio next Saturday at home with an 11:00 AM CT kickoff time.

The Minnesota Gophers football team will face off against the No. 4 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes on Thursday night at Huntington Bank Stadium. 

This game will be the first sold-out event at Huntington Bank Stadium since Nov. 30, 2019. There were no fans allowed at the stadium last fall due to COVID-19. 

On offense, the Buckeyes boast the most talented WR core in the country. Ohio State returns starters and likely first-round prospects in Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson. The Buckeyes also have 3 former 5-star recruits at WR: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Julian Fleming and Emeka Egbuka. Marvin Harrison Jr., son of Indianapolis Colts legend Marvin Harrison, is also a receiver for Ohio State.

At running back, Master Teague III leads the backfield with talented true-freshman and 5-star RB TreVeyon Harrison backing him up along with redshirt freshman Miyan Williams. 

Teague III was a force in Ohio State’s running game in 2020. Even with recovering from a torn Achilles tendon in the spring, he ran well, most notably dashing for a season high 169 rushing yards vs previously No. 11 Indiana.

At quarterback, redshirt freshman CJ Stroud is starting in his first career game in his collegiate career. Stroud last season did not attempt a pass but scampered for a 48-yard rushing touchdown against the Michigan State Spartans. 

On defense, Ohio State returns skilled D-Lineman Haskell Garrett, who according to Pro Football Network, is a “highly sought-after 2022 NFL Draft prospect.” Many experts believe Garrett to be the most talented defensive tackle in the country. Along with returning starting DE Tyreke Smith, the Ohio State d-line should be the strength of their defense in 2021. 

In their linebacking core and secondary, Ohio State returns only two starting players from 2020 (the Buckeyes return four starters on defense total). Those two players are cornerback Sevyn Banks and free safety Marcus Williamson which means Ohio State will have a completely fresh-faced linebacking core. 

Even if Ohio State does not return many starters on defense as PJ Fleck and many other head coaches have said this offseason, “they don’t rebuild, they reload.” Ohio State’s depth chart has no freshman starting and the only sophomores projected to start, according to the Columbus Dispatch, are: MLB Cody Simon, OLB Ronnie Hickman and FS WIlliamson.

Ohio State doesn’t have a shortage of depth or talent, they have a shortage of experience, especially in a sold out Huntington Bank Stadium playing in the first sold-out Minnesota Gophers football home game since the 2019 Wisconsin match. 

For Fleck and the Gophers, the keys to the game are to pound Ohio State’s inexperienced linebacking core on offense. Offensive Coordinator Mike Sanford Jr. said on Monday that “It’s a tremendous luxury” to have a running back like Mohamed Ibrahim. Couple Ibrahim with an offensive line featuring no departures, the Gophers should lean on the running game early and often on Thursday night. 

WR Chris Autman-Bell is also still “day-to-day” according to Fleck in a press conference last Friday. If Autman-Bell does suit up, he could be used in a limited role. “We are going to do what’s best for Chris first,” Fleck said on Aug. 23. “And we will take it one day at a time.”

On defense, the Gophers cannot stop Olave, Wilson and the other lethal Buckeye receivers, they can only hope to contain them. Fleck said in a press conference on Aug. 23 that “it might be the best WR core I’ve ever seen”. Defensive Coordinator, Joe Rossi, should plan on blitzing the inexperienced Stroud early to make him uncomfortable in the pocket and pray that a cornerback besides Coney Durr can step up one-on-one versus either Olave or Wilson. 

“I think he’s very talented,” Rossi said of Stroud on Monday. “It speaks to the offers he has coming out of high school.”

The game between No. 4 Ohio State and Minnesota will be televised on FOX at 7 PM CT on Thursday.

Name, image and likeness (NIL) chatter was heard in almost every interview taking place during the 2021 Big Ten Media Days at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, on July 22.

Gophers football head coach P.J. Fleck, running back Mohamed Ibrahim, quarterback Tanner Morgan and defensive lineman Boye Mafe all weighed in on their experience so far dealing with sponsorships and agents in this new era in collegiate athletics.

The NIL rule was put in place after a long debate on whether student athletes should be able to make money off of their own name, image and likeness. One school that was most notably punished for having a player making money off of his name, image and likeness was the University of Southern California (USC) and their former star running back Reggie Bush.

In 2010, Bush forfeited his 2005 Heisman trophy after an NCAA investigation concluded that he had received improper benefits while playing at USC. Subsequently, the NCAA denounced the Trojans of their 2004 national title and USC had to vacate 14 wins from their 2004 and 2005 seasons.

Every statline allocated from Bush during those years was either erased or had asterisks placed by each, according to the Los Angeles Times. Now that it is not a problem for college student-athletes to benefit from their name, image and likeness, there will not be any situations like the infamous Bush case in 2005.

For anyone unfamiliar with NIL, this is how the NCAA describes it via their website:

• Individuals can engage in NIL activities that are consistent with the law of the state where the school is located. Colleges and universities may be a resource for state law questions.
• College athletes who attend a school in a state without an NIL law can engage in this type of activity without violating NCAA rules related to name, image and likeness.
• Individuals can use a professional services provider for NIL activities.
• Student-athletes should report NIL activities consistent with state law or school and conference requirements to their school.

This new policy now allows all NCAA D1, D2 and D3 student-athletes to be financially compensated for their name, image, and likeness as of July 1, 2021, regardless of whether their state has a NIL law in place.

For Morgan and Ibrahim, their first choice for a NIL deal would be Chipotle. This is due to their ultimate love for the popular Mexican eatery.

Morgan’s favorite dish at Chipotle is a burrito bowl with a tortilla on the side, double chicken, beans, lettuce and cheese, while Ibrahim’s is a steak quesadilla.

Morgan would also adore being sponsored by Tony’s Diner, which in his mind is “the best breakfast food on campus.”

Fleck said he would be in favor of Morgan’s choice with Tony’s Diner, “This is no NIL and I’m not getting paid to say this: Tony knows I love gyros, and his diner can make a mean gyro.”

For Mafe, his dreams “go beyond the gridiron.” He is attending the University of Minnesota to achieve a master’s degree in Business and Marketing Education and will not partake in any NIL deals. Yet, if Mafe did, he would choose Walley’s for his first NIL deal, a falafel joint in Dinkytown.

Mafe at Wally’s always orders a 32, Spicy Musahab Chicken Plate. “Get yellow rice on it instead of fries,” Mafe said.

According to Ibrahim, the Gophers coaching staff has had “extensive meetings” to go through the ins-and-outs of name, image and likeness.

“I’m fired up about name, image and likeness,” Fleck said during the Big Ten Media Days on Thursday, July 22. “I think it’s tremendous. Our location, the Twin Cities area, with 3.5 million people and the 18 Fortune 500 companies, this isn’t a small college town, we have businesses galore.”

Fleck also made it clear in his press conference on Thursday, July 22 that his coaching staff first and foremost wants to “educate” their athletes before they are thrown into the sponsorship gauntlet.

NIL is now a major part of the Gopher For Life program which educates players on finances, taxes, and other life skills when they leave the Minnesota football program.

In the 2021 National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) draft, the Minnesota Whitecaps selected former Minnesota Golden Gopher Taylor Wente with the 18th overall pick.

Wente was a regular force to be reckoned with on the ice for the Gophers, playing in every single game her freshman year on the team (38 games) and ranking second on the team with a +20 plus/minus rating. A senior in the shortened 2020-21 season, Wente played in all 20 games for Minnesota without injury.

Wente allocated 73 total points (29 goals and 44 assists) while playing for the Maroon and Gold. As a center she had an impressive face-off resume, winning 51.9% in over 2,100 draws.

Wente is the 11th Gopher to be selected in the NWHL draft’s short history (est. 2015). The most recent Gophers drafted were Patti Marshall and Alex Woken by the Whitecaps in the 2020 draft. Woken was selected with the fifth overall pick, while Marshall was picked at 11.

“Taylor is a great person and player,” Head Coach Brad Frost said. “It’s a great honor to be drafted.”

Off the ice, Wente finished as a three-time WCHA Scholar-Athlete and WCHA All-Academic honoree. She graduated in May with a degree in Business and Marketing Education.

Despite her success with the Gophers, with highlight-reel moments like her performance against Wisconsin in 2018 WCHA Final Faceoff championship, Wente said via Twitter Thursday night that she would not be lacing up for the Whitecaps next season.

Responding to a tweet from the NWHL’s account (and several others) announcing her selection, Wente tweeted “I’m honored to be selected by @mnwhitecaps. I have decided to continue my professional career as Sales Development Representative @arcticwolf.”

The no. 24 Gophers softball team headed west in pursuit of a long postseason run, but they were unable to advance past regional play. The team lost to powerhouse UCLA, ending their season.

After earning a 29-11 record in the Big Ten conference Gopher softball finished second place and secured an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament. Playing in the Los Angeles regional, Minnesota dropped their first game against Fresno State on Friday, May 21. With two wins on Saturday, May 22, the Gophers were set to face UCLA in the final Sunday.

Minnesota’s other Saturday win over Long Beach St. put them against UCLA for the Sunday final, where they were narrowly defeated 2-1.

Friday, May 21

On Friday, the Gophers were involved in a tense pitching duel against Hailey Dolcini one of the “top pitchers in the nation,” according to Gophers Head Coach Piper Ritter. Dolcini pitched a 1.01 ERA in the regular season with a 21-4 record. Amber Fiser took the circle for the Gophers. Fiser was a part of the 1-2 starting pitcher punch alongside Autumn Pease.

Through five innings, the game was scoreless. Minnesota’s lone hit came with an Ellee Jensen lead off single in the bottom of the first inning.

In the sixth inning, Fresno St. finally broke the tie as a pair of singles put runners on first and second base with one out. After a sacrifice bunt by Adrianna Noriega moved both runners to second and third base, Hayleigh Galvan was hit by a pitch, making the bases loaded with two outs.

Up next to bat was Schuylar Broussard, who singled to right field bringing home the Bulldogs’ runners from second and third base. This made the game 2-0 Fresno St. The inning concluded after Center Fielder Natalie DenHartog threw out pinch runner Liliana Mejia at home off of a Avery Lawley single.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, MaKenna Partain singled to CF and DenHartog walked, making a lucrative comeback opportunity for the Gophers down by two. But the next three batters all failed to reach base before the inning ended.

In the top of the seventh, Fresno St. added to their lead with Miranda Rohleder scoring from first base off of a Keahilele Mattson double to right field.

The final half-inning of regulation didn’t bode well for the Gophers with Dolcini pitching a 1-2-3 inning, striking out Sara Kinch, Sydney Strelow fouling out to the catcher and pinch hitter Chloe Evans striking out.

Dolcini finished with a complete game shutout, striking out 13 batters. Fiser pitched all seven innings for the Gophers, allowing 3 earned runs.

Fresno St. won 3-0 and advanced to play UCLA in the winners bracket while the Gophers would face Long Beach St. in the losers bracket.

The message in the locker room after the game was to “stay alive” by taking one game at a time, focusing all of their energy on that matchup to get to play another game, according to Ritter.

Saturday, May 22

On Saturday, the Gophers made quick work of Long Beach St, winning 11-0. A solo home run by Kinch and a grand slam by Natalie DenHartog were the highlights of the game. Fiser pitched six shutout innings and Ava Dueck sealed the win over pitching in the final inning.

After the Gophers’ first elimination game victory they would proceed to rematch Fresno St. after the Bulldogs lost earlier in the winner’s bracket to UCLA. The Gophers would need to defeat Fresno St. to move onto the regional final.

Minnesota got off to a hot start quickly, with DenHartog homering to deep CF off of Dariana Orme that brought in two runs in the first inning, giving the Gophers a 2-0 lead.

That home run was DenHartog’s second straight long ball after hitting a grand slam in her final at bat versus Long Beach St. Ritter talked about DenHartog’s surge at the plate on Saturday.

“For her it’s all about timing. She worked most of yesterday and today on being on time for the pitches she wanted to hit,” Ritter said. ”So when you get that swing off and see the ball as well as she did today, it feels good.”

In the bottom of the first inning, Mattson hit a solo shot off of Gophers starting pitcher Pease to cut the lead down to one and through one inning the score was 2-1.

In the third inning, DenHartog knocked in another RBI from a single to center field, allowing Partain to score. The lead returned to two runs for the Gophers, ahead 3-1 over the Bulldogs.

Fresno St. answered with a double by Mattson, who scored two runners from second and third to tie the game at three apiece.

In the top of the fourth, Strelow homered to center, bringing home Kinch. The lead extended to 5-3 Gophers in the top of the fifth with a Partain home run to left field.

Fiser was tasked to close out the game in the bottom of the seventh inning. She got out of a bases loaded jam with a defensive play, knocking a hit from UCLA’s Mattson in the air with her glove. The ball ricocheted to the Gophers short stop Carlie Brandt to throw Mattson out, winning the game.

Sunday, May 23

After a scoreless first inning, Pease hit a batter by pitch but still gave up no runs in the second inning while in the circle for Minnesota. Megan Dray hit a leadoff home run to left center to give the Gophers a 1-0 lead.

The Gophers continued to attack UCLA offensively and had a bases loaded opportunity to increase their lead but ace relief pitcher Rachel Garcia (15-0, 0.82 ERA, 137 Ks, 102 IP) halted the Gophers offensive pursuits.

The Bruins took the lead in the top of the fourth inning as Kinsley Washington hit a two RBI single to score Rachel Garcia and Maya Brady to take a 2-1 lead. Garcia reached base from a single and Brady doubled down the left field line to reach second base as Garcia advanced to third.

The next three innings featured no scoring, but the Gophers almost tied the game up in the bottom of the seventh inning with Chloe Evans reaching second base on a pinch hit ground ball error by UCLA SS Briana Perez.

With one out and a runner in scoring position, Delanie Cox came to pinch hit for Brant and struck out and Partain flew out to left with two outs to end the ballgame — and the Gophers season — in Los Angeles, losing in a close 2-1 battle.

After the final game, Ritter commented on how much she appreciated the leadership of the fifth-year seniors on the team.

“They meant a lot to me because they have been through so much and their dedication to this program really speaks volumes,” Ritter said. “A lot of coaching changes have occurred during their tenure and they helped our upperclassmen a lot, especially during COVID-19 when team bonding was essential.”

Those fifth year seniors included Carlie Brandt, Fiser, Katelyn Kemmetmueller and Partain.

After relying heavily on wide receivers Tyler Johnson and Rashod Bateman the last two seasons, the Gophers football team will now have to find their way without either player this year. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Johnson in the 2020 NFL draft, and Bateman followed suit on Thursday when he selected No. 27 overall by the Baltimore Ravens.

The 2021 spring football game provided an opportunity to look at who might be stepping up in the Gophers’ receiving corps this season.

Redshirt junior Chris Autman-Bell solidified his place as the top wide receiver with his performance in this year’s spring game. He was the Sid Hartman Offensive MVP of the game, hauling in four receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown. His chemistry on Team Maroon with quarterback Tanner Morgan was impeccable, quieting any doubts he would have trouble handling the promotion.

Autman-Bell has played with Morgan for five years and has known him since high school, and said postgame that Autman-Bell has done well in his role.

“Chris does a phenomenal job of getting open and coming down with balls,” Morgan said. “We’ve seen it in the past and here in the spring that he can make 50-50 type-catches. I love that dude to death, and he’s done an awesome job leading this team.”

Going into the scrimmage, the rest of the wide receiver depth chart was a big question mark. None of the returning receivers have had notable success in their past seasons playing for the Gophers and Brady Boyd, an incoming three-star recruit out of Southlake, Texas, has yet to hit the collegiate gridiron.

Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck is excited to see what the young pass-catcher can accomplish as he starts his career in Minneapolis.

“He’s been to the state championship in Texas, so he is a big-time player in big-time situations, and he showed that today,” Fleck said. “His ceiling is so high, he’s going to add to our youthful receiving depth, and he’s an unbelievable human being.”

Boyd played well alongside returning players Daniel Jackson and Clay Geary on Team Gold, catching passes from Zack Annexstad. They seemed very comfortable in their roles on the field and would fit in well alongside Autman-Bell in the depth chart. Boyd hauled in two passes for 60 yards.

Jackson and Geary had four receptions each for 63 and 74 yards, respectively. Geary came up big in the fourth quarter for Team Gold, earning three of his four catches in the final drive.

Fleck said he was impressed with the hunger in his young wide receivers and that Geary’s big catches in the final drive show he can do the same in game situations this season.

On Team Maroon, wide receiver Mike Brown-Stephens caught two passes totaling 25 yards and made a four-yard touchdown pass to Morgan.

One wide receiver yet to make an appearance with Minnesota is Dylan Wright, who did not play Saturday. A former four-star recruit, Wright is a transfer from Texas A&M who is entering his junior year.

Autman-Bell and Team Maroon beat Team Gold 24-17 as Cam Wiley ran in a late two-yard touchdown for the final score.

The Gophers open their season in a marquee matchup versus Ohio State at TCF Bank Stadium on Sept. 2. The last time Minnesota played the Buckeyes, it lost 30-14 at Columbus, Ohio, in 2018.

Gophers softball pitcher Autumn Pease has had a breakout junior season from the circle for the No. 23 ranked Gophers softball team. In the team’s 32 games this season, Pease holds an 11-1 record with a 1.45 ERA, 85 strikeouts and 15 walks through 18 appearances and 92 total innings pitched.

The highlight of Pease’s 2021 campaign thus far has been her no-hit performance on April 17, where she fanned three Nebraska batters down on strikes to record the 32nd no-hitter in Minnesota program history. Before Pease even entered the circle, she was confident she could put together a no-hit performance.

“Earlier in the day, I told myself, ‘I’m gonna throw a no-hitter today,’” Pease said. “So then when it was going on, I kept track in the back of my head like, ‘Oh, it’s the third inning, still no hits.’ And then Sydney Strelow made a really great back-end play in the fifth inning. And I looked at her, and I was so excited. Once the seventh inning ended, and all my teammates came up to me, and I almost started crying because it was so cool.”

Pease also said she watched Chicago White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodon throw a no-hitter on April 14 and told herself she would do the same and did three days later.

Pease credited the defensive plays made by Strelow and the Gophers’ fielders, saying they were key to her success from the circle.

“It’s not just the pitcher throwing the no-hitter,” Pease said. “It’s the defense as well because a pitcher can’t throw a no-hitter without the defense being so good. There were little bloopers that were hit that are hard to catch, but my teammates ended up just tracking everything down and sticking with all the balls. So I think that the biggest reason why I got my no-hitter was actually the defense.”

Pease has proven even sharper for the Gophers this season than her first year with the program in 2020, after transferring from Idaho State. Pease threw for a 2.12 ERA with a 4-2 record in 59.1 innings pitched and a 62/10 strikeout/walk ratio last season.

“I think I’ve improved a tremendous amount with just getting my spins tighter,” Pease said. “I had hit great spots, and my location was great last year, and I’m not a speedy pitcher. So hitting my spots in the strike zones even better than last year has been a huge growth in my game.”

Coming out of Murrieta Mesa High School in Murrieta, California, Pease had offers from smaller schools. After pitching a 2.36 era with 115 strikeouts over 121.2 innings at Idaho State, she decided to move up to a bigger program in Minnesota.

“We played Louisville in my first career start, and we beat them,” Pease said. “It was Idaho State’s first win over a Power Five team in some time, and I developed a mindset that I can compete regularly versus this type of talent. After sticking it out for the rest of the season, I realized it was the time to move and get a better education with a heightened challenge in the Big Ten at Minnesota.”

Against Louisville, Pease threw a complete seven-inning shutout with three strikeouts and four walks en route to a 3-0 win over the Cardinals on Feb. 8, 2019.

When Pease decided to transfer, she was interested in Minnesota because her sister had already moved out to the state and showed her around the University’s campus.

“She was driving me around, and I realized that this is such a cool campus. It just has the total college field that you see in the movies. And then, as soon as I wanted to become an orthodontist, I looked into dental school at Minnesota,” Pease said. “And I was like, ‘Okay, I’m going to go to Minnesota after my four years at Idaho State.’ And then when Minnesota reached out, I was like, ‘Cool, now I get to do my undergrad at Minnesota and my dental school, so I just get all of it in one.’”

A spectacular Sunday showing for the Gophers men’s golf team at Firethorn Golf Course in Lincoln, Nebraska, gave the Gophers a share of the Git-R-Done Husker Invitational title with Kansas State.

The Gophers shot a 5-under 279 — their lowest round of the season — to achieve their first tournament victory since winning the Macdonald Cup in New Haven, Connecticut, in September 2019. Overall, they finished even-par at 852: (290-283-279).

Senior Angus Flanagan shot a 5-under 66 on Sunday to win medalist honors. Flanagan’s 66 was the lowest by any Minnesota golfer this season, and he was one shot away from his career low of 65, which he has achieved twice, in the 2019 Big Ten championships and the 2019 Gopher Invitational.

Nationally ranked No. 9, Flanagan is the first Gopher to win consecutive tournaments since Jose Mendez won the Rutherford Intercollegiate and the 2014 Big Ten championship.

Junior Lincoln Johnson earned his second career top-10 finish, placing ninth and scoring 2-over 215. It was just the second time Johnson achieved consecutive rounds under par, his first being in his sophomore year at the 2019 Jerry Pate Intercollegiate.

Johnson and Flanagan placed in the top 10, while senior Thomas Longbella and freshman Ben Warian tied for 13th with a 4-over par 217. Longbella scored his best finish and 54-hole score this season with an even-par 71 on Sunday.

Sophomore Connor Glynn placed a season-high 20th with his lowest 54-hole score (219) and top score to par (+6).

Junior Harry Plowman-Ollington made his 2021 debut and finished 22-over 235. Plowman-Ollington was 1-under on the first nine holes on Sunday but had a final nine to forget, finishing 15-over on the day.

The Gophers have until April 30 off to prepare for the Big Ten championships, taking place at Crooked Stick Golf Course in Carmel, Indiana. The Big Ten championships go through May 2.