The Gophers backfield has taken plenty of bullets this season. Star running back Mo Ibrahim suffered a season-ending lower left leg injury in the 3rd quarter v. No. 4 Ohio State.
One month later, backup running back Trey Potts, who was averaging 129 rushing yards per game as a starter, got carted off the sideline at the climax of the Purdue game. Potts’ injury was undisclosed by the Gophers football staff but was serious enough to end his season.
Now the Gophers are playing a rotation of three different backs: Bryce Williams, Ky Thomas and Mar’Keise Irving. Williams is a redshirt junior while Thomas is a redshirt freshman and Irving is a true freshman.
Williams is called “old head” of the healthy running backs by running backs coach Kenni Burns and had his big breakout against Nebraska, rushing 17 times for 127 yards and a 56-yard touchdown.
“Bryce has waited for his turn for a long time,” Burns said. “Never has complained, been a great teammate and a great player.”
“His [Williams’] confidence that he’s attained through reps that aren’t in the most glorious roles is awesome,” offensive coordinator Mike Sanford Jr. said. “People respect Bryce and our team loves him as a leader that didn’t play much in ’19 and ‘20 after being a significant piece of the puzzle in ‘18.”
During his career with Minnesota, Williams totalled 174 attempts for 716 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Against Maryland, Williams was the lone running back who didn’t rush for over 100 yards. Instead, the two younger backs led the way.
Thomas rushed 21 times for 139 yards and a touchdown. Irving rushed 15 times for 105 yards and a touchdown.
Missing spring ball and early parts of the offseason, Thomas “rebuilt” his high school body, getting away some “baby fat” and turning it into muscle, according to Sanford Jr.
“You see an explosive pop with him at running back,” said Sanford Jr. “He’s got toughness but also has great vision and feel. Every week he’s getting better and he’s going to become a dominant back for years to come in this conference.”
“Ky is extremely physical,” Burns said. “Ky breaks tackles consistently and that’s what excites me about him because he can trigger on people and shoot his hips and run through facemask like he did in high school.”
Thomas played for Topeka High School before joining Minnesota, rushing for 7,703 yards and tallying 95 rushing touchdowns for the Trojans. He ranks second all time in rushing yards in Kansas high school history and seventh all time in touchdowns.
Mar’Keise Irving was originally nicknamed “Bucky,” yet due his nickname being the same as the mascot of rival school Wisconsin, it has changed to “Bucko”.
Irving was a 4-star talent out of Hillcrest High School in Country Club Hills, Ill. and ran for 3,264 rushing yards and totaled 587 receiving yards.
“Everyone kind of holds their breath when Bucko touches it and it’s fun,” Sanford Jr. said “Bucko is so naturally gifted and makes opposing defenses second guess how they fit some of the stuff that we do.”
Burns compared Irving’s season to Ibrahim’s 2018 season where Ibrahim had to carry the ball early in his freshman year due to Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks both sustaining season-ending injuries.
“Every guy ticks when their name is called and to do their job at a high level for their team,” was the message to the running back room by Burns after Potts got injured. “Do my job not for myself but the other backs.”
With a veteran offensive line and tight end group, the running back room has blossomed with the leadership of Kenni Burns, making the running game into by far the best aspect of the Gophers offense in 2021.
“If you can finish out a game like we did against Maryland running 23 straight times, you know you are going to love your chances to win,” Sanford Jr. said. “From his time at North Dakota St. and Wyoming, I trust Coach Burns to be able to get the guys in the right positions.”
