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Rapid Reaction: Trey Potts steps up in big way as Minnesota avoids upset
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Did you feel that gust of wind? That wasn’t the seasons changing, it was the collective exhale from fans in the Twin Cities on Saturday afternoon.
Minnesota avoided an 0-2 start Saturday, defeating Miami (OH) 31-26 in a closer-than-expected matchup at Huntington Bank Stadium. The Gophers struggled on both sides of the ball, a disappointing effort after a strong showing against Ohio State.
The one bright spot? Trey Potts.
Potts stepped up in a big way for Minnesota in the absence of star running back Mohamed Ibrahim, who sustained a season-ending injury in last week’s loss to the Buckeyes. The running back finished the contest with 178 yards and 2 carries on 34 touches.
He wasn’t quite as explosive as Ibrahim — not many are — but he did prove to be capable of carrying a heavy workload. It paid off for the Gophers.
Tanner Morgan’s play was still an area of concern. The quarterback completed just 8-of-17 passes for 112 yards. He did avoid the big mistake, throwing 2 touchdown passes without an interception. Dylan Wright accounted for 73 yards and a touchdown and Daniel Jackson caught the other touchdown pass.
Minnesota’s defense struggled throughout the game, allowing Miami to pick up 20 1st downs on 341 yards. The RedHawks picked up 237 of those yards through the air.
Another glaring issue on Saturday was Minnesota’s inability to close the deal. Despite owning a 21-3 lead at halftime, Miami was able to scratch and claw its way back into the contest, scoring the first 17 points out of the locker room to make it a 1-point game.
Last week, Minnesota dropped a 14-10 lead to Ohio State and lost the contest 45-31.
More consistent play in the passing attack and getting off the field defensively should be major focus points for Minnesota in the next few weeks. Though the Gophers have shown flashes of brilliance, this team still has a long way to go and a tough schedule ahead.
Next weekend, Minnesota will be taking its first road trip of the season, heading to Colorado for a nonconference Power 5 showdown. Right now, the only certainty is the running game, even without Ibrahim.
Minnesota needs to be a lot more consistent in several different areas to escape Boulder 2-1.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB