Minnesota football: Mo Ibrahim has one remaining program record in sight entering November

Mohamed Ibrahim’s status as a Minnesota football legend was already solidified ahead of the 2022 season. One of the best running backs in Gopher’s history, Ibrahim has been a fan favorite for his hard running style and importance in a key period for Minnesota.

However, the decision to come back for another year after a season-ending injury in Week 1 of the 2021 season only magnified his impact on the program. Throughout 2022, Ibrahim has been chasing a number of records and in Week 9, he toppled another.

With a first-half touchdown against Rutgers, Ibrahim broke Darrell Thompson’s 30+ year record for total touchdowns with the Gophers. And after another 100-yard performance, Ibrahim moves into 3rd on the all-time rushing list at Minnesota and maintains a shot to catch Thompson’s 4,518 rushing yards this season.

How did we get here? And can Ibrahim finish the season with 100+ yards in every game on the schedule?

The start of the streak

The 2019 season was a bit of an odd one for Ibrahim, though he was still productive throughout. After leading Minnesota with over 1,100 rushing yards as a redshirt freshman in 2018, Ibrahim gave way to Rodney Smith at the No. 1 RB spot for 2019.

It’s hard to argue with that decision or the results. Smith was a workhorse with over 1,100 yards while averaging 5 yards per carry for Minnesota in his farewell season. Meanwhile, Ibrahim had just over 600 yards as the No. 2 option in the backfield.

That all shifted in the Outback Bowl against Auburn. While the two backs would still split carries against the Tigers, Ibrahim led the team with 20 carries for 140 yards and a touchdown. The bowl performance by Ibrahim set off a string of games that has yet to be broken as he continues to rack up 100-yard games like they’re going out of style.

The COVID season and 2021 injury

There’s no denying the 2020 COVID season of college football derailed some memorable careers for individual players and the trajectory of certain programs. That cannot be said about Ibrahim.

All Ibrahim did was anchor the offense during a challenging season, rushing for 1,076 yards and 15 touchdowns in just 7 games played. That season included 100+ rushing yards in every game against conference competition and a pair of 200-yard games vs. Maryland and Illinois.

With that kind of work during the challenges of COVID, expectations were sky-high for Ibrahim heading into 2021. And he delivered in Week 1 against Ohio State with 163 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns against the Buckeyes.

Unfortunately, everyone is well-aware of how that ended with a season-ending injury for Ibrahim right out of the gate. As a result, Ibrahim elected to return for 2022 as opposed to pursuing the NFL Draft while recovering from his injury.

Chasing records in 2022

Any concerns that Ibrahim might have lingering effects from his injury of 2021 were quickly put to bed. Ibrahim did miss one game — homecoming against Purdue — but has been fantastic in every other game.

Through 7 games, Ibrahim has 955 rushing yards and maintains his similar effectiveness with 5.6 yards per carry. He also has 13 touchdowns for the Gophers.

In the process, Ibrahim has run (pun intended) his streak of 100-yard games up to 16 games, dating back to that memorable Outback Bowl. That is the longest streak for a B1G player since Ezekiel Elliott at Ohio State.

So, what are the chances Ibrahim chases down Darrell Thompson for the program’s all-time rushing mark? Entering Week 10, Ibrahim trails Thompson’s record by 560 yards with 4 games and a likely bowl appearance left to be played.

Considering Ibrahim’s current pace — and the remaining strength of Minnesota’s remaining schedule — it will be an interesting race to watch down the stretch. Right now, another injury might be the only thing to topple Ibrahim’s hopes of another program record.

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.