MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota played Purdue on Friday night basically without the number of players it takes to field a starting offense and defense.
And yet it still might have been one of its better performances of the year.
A combination of positive COVID-19 tests and injuries knocked out several players and coaches, but the Gophers still beat Purdue, 34-31, at TCF Bank Stadium to improve to 2-3 in this shortened and delayed Big Ten season.
There were some notable names missing, including starting cornerback Benjamin St-Juste, starting rush end Boye Mafe and starting kicker Michael Lantz. Offensive line coach Brian Callahan also tested positive this past week and has been at home where he will isolate for 10 days. Two other unnamed coaching staff members also tested positive, per an athletics department release. Players who test positive, however, must sit out 21 days, per conference policy.
A Gophers spokesman confirmed pregame the Gophers were missing 20 players. The Big Ten Network, though, said it was 22. Fleck told the broadcast of 85 total scholarship players, he had 61 available.
The Gophers do not name how many positive tests are on the team nor do they identify players, though coach P.J. Fleck has intimated certain absences have been because of COVID-19, including in reference to the early season absences of several special teams players. St-Juste tested positive ahead of last week's loss to Iowa. Defensive coordinator Joe Rossi also tested positive and sat out the Illinois game earlier this season.
But even with all those moving parts, the Gophers looked greatly improved. On offense at least.
In their first four games, the Gophers offense seemed stalled. Quarterback Tanner Morgan had as many touchdowns as interceptions at four. New offensive coordinator Mike Sanford Jr., seemed to struggle with play-calling. And every opponent seemed to know the only players to make plays were receiver Rashod Bateman and running back Mohamed Ibrahim.
In the Gophers' first drive against Purdue, none of those looked like issues. They drove 69 yards through eight plays in a little more than four minutes. Ibrahim, the Big Ten's leading rusher by a mile, still took most of the carries. But Sanford mixed in catches from tight end Bryce Witham, receiver Chris Autman-Bell and receiver Daniel Jackson, capped with running back Cam Wiey's 1-yard touchdown rush.
For a team that couldn't seem to balance or spread its offense in the past four games, the Purdue matchup saw a dramatic shift. Five players took carries, including running back Bryce Williams, wildcat quarterback Seth Green and even walk-on running back Preston Jelen. Seven players caught a Morgan pass, including Bateman, Green, Williams, and tight end Jake Paulson.
Morgan ended the game going 15 of 22 for 264 yards. Ibrahim led the rush with 102 yards on 25 carries for three touchdowns, and Autman-Bell led the receivers with five receptions for 129 yards.
There were also plenty of explosive plays, another conspicuous absence prior to this game. Ibrahim had a 17-yard run. Five pass-catchers had double-digit gains, including a 42-yard catch from Autman-Bell and a 39-yarder from Bateman.
The Gophers defense and special teams were still a bit shaky, though each came up with plays that made a difference. Safety Tyler Nubin blocked a 27-yard field goal to end the first half preserving the Gophers 21-10 lead. The defense struggled to contain receivers Rondale Moore, making his season debut, and David Bell even with backup quarterback Jack Plummer starting in Aidan O'Connell's place. It allowed Purdue 492 total yards and 7.2 yards per play.
But the defense did make the game-saving interception from Josh Aune — set up after two tough calls against Purdue for an incomplete pass that looked like an amazing Bell catch and offensive pass interference on Payne Durham.
