Gophers play in bowl game without four defensive starters but see RB Darius Taylor's return

DETROIT — To say the Gophers defense was shorthanded for the Quick Lane Bowl against Bowling Green is an understatement. Minnesota was missing four starters and was without defensive coordinator Joe Rossi, who left the program to take the same position at Michigan State.

On Tuesday at Ford Field, the Gophers cobbled things together just enough on defense to secure a 30-24 victory. The main cobbler, according to coach P.J. Fleck, was Danny Collins, the safeties coach who had the role of interim defensive coordinator.

"Danny filled in and did a great job,'' Fleck said. "… I knew he could do it. He was definitely a different person on the other side [of the headphones], but he was really poised.''

Collins was without starting safeties Tyler Nubin, who opted out to prepare for the NFL, and the injured Darius Green. Also out were injured linebackers Maverick Baranowski and Devon Williams.

Redshirt freshman Coleman Bryson and true freshman Kerry Brown filled in at safety, while redshirt freshman Tyler Stolsky filled in at the open linebacker spot opposite junior Cody Lindenberg. Stolsky and Lindenberg tied for the team lead with six tackles, with Stolsky adding a sack. Bryson and Brown each had five tackles.

The Gophers allowed 303 yards and 24 points, but the defense was strong in key moments, such as when Bowling Green intercepted a Cole Kramer pass and had the ball at the Gophers 15 but came away with only a 33-yard field goal by Alan Anaya for a 10-9 lead late in the first half.

"You look at a lot of positions, and we're playing you know our twos and threes, and that's not disrespectful,'' Fleck said. "They're going to be our ones and twos next year. … They had to grow up fast, and I thought Danny's preparation with his staff was superb.''

The Gophers received good news in who was not on the availability report. True freshman running back Darius Taylor, the team's leading rusher, returned after missing the past five games because of a leg injury. Taylor, a former Walled Lake (Mich.) Western High School standout, rushed 103 times for 591 yards and four touchdowns this season.

On Tuesday, he had career highs of 35 carries and 208 yards with a touchdown, setting the tone for a Gophers ground game that amassed 255 yards on 44 attempts. He was named the game's Most Valuable Player.

The absences of Nubin, tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford and wide receiver Chris Autman-Bell marked the second consecutive year that the Gophers have had at least one prominent player sit out the game, eliminating the risk of injury as they focus on the NFL draft. All-America center John Michael Schmitz didn't play in the Pinstripe Bowl last year and ended up as a second-round pick by the New York Giants.

Both Nubin and Spann-Ford have been invited to play in the Senior Bowl on Feb. 3 in Mobile, Ala. That marks the fifth consecutive year that the Gophers have had at least one player invited to the Senior Bowl.

• Bowling Green's leading rusher, Terion Stewart, missed the game because of a leg injury. The Falcons' second-leading rusher, Ta'ron Keith, entered the transfer portal after the regular season.

• The Gophers improved to 12-12 all-time in bowl games and are on a seven-game bowl winning streak. Fleck is 5-0 in bowls as Gophers coach, the most bowl wins in Minnesota history. His five appearances trail only Glen Mason's seven.