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.”
