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Minnesota’s second-leading receiver kicked off team
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Just when you thought Minnesota couldn’t take any more hits to its receiving corps, the Gophers suffered another blow.
Tracy Claeys announced on Tuesday that Brian Smith, the team’s second-leading receiver, was kicked off the team for a violation of team rules.
#Gophers coach Tracy Claeys tells @KFAN1003 that WR Brian Smith has been dismissed for a violation of team rules.
— JoeChristensen (@JoeCStrib) November 1, 2016
Claeys didn’t go into any detail about what Smith was suspended for.
Smith had 17 catches for 279 yards and one touchdown in his first full season of action. His best game came against Penn State when he recorded the first and only 100-yard effort of his career.
The redshirt junior was inconsistent this season, but he was one of the few options left for Minnesota.
The Gophers already were dealing without tight end Brandon Lingen, who is out for the rest of the 2016 regular season. Minnesota’s struggling passing game will have to find another option without Smith.
Minnesota will host Purdue this Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT.
Connor O'Gara is the senior national columnist for Saturday Tradition. He's a member of the Football Writers Association of America. After spending his entire life living in B1G country, he moved to the South in 2015.