Mohamed Ibrahim, in his humble way, shook his head during the postgame news conference when Tanner Morgan began politicking after being served a Heisman Trophy question regarding his running back.
Running back Mohamed Ibrahim on his way to rewriting Gophers record book
He moved past Marion Barber III for fifth place on the rushing list and tied Darrell Thompson for rushing TDs.
September 18, 2022 at 6:06AM
"He's got my vote, for sure," Morgan said after Ibrahim rushed 23 times for 202 yards and three touchdowns in the Gophers' 49-7 victory over Colorado on Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium. "I've got the best seat in the house when '24' gets the ball. It's pretty fun."
From his physical, 19-yard run to start the game through his 15-yard run that capped his day after three plays on Minnesota's first possession of the third quarter, Ibrahim flashed the style the made him the 2020 Big Ten Running Back of the Year.
Ibrahim collected his fourth 200-yard rushing game, surpassed 100 yards for the 12th consecutive game, moved past Marion Barber III for fifth place on the Gophers' career rushing list and moved into a tie with Darrell Thompson for the program record of 40 rushing TDs.
"It says a lot about our team getting me in the end zone three times today,'' said Ibrahim, who was lost for the 2021 season in the opener because of an Achilles' tendon injury. "They pushed me."
Literally, Gophers teammates did push Ibrahim for his third touchdown, an 18-yard run in which he stampeded Buffaloes linebacker Joshka Gustav during what resembled a rugby scrum.
"I made a cut and then I saw No. 1 on the left, so I knew I had to get north-south right now,'' Ibrahim explained. "He kind of hit me, knocked me off balance. And then while I was falling, the safety was getting low for the hit. I kept my head up, and after that, I felt the push and just kept my feet going.''
Added Morgan, "That was pretty cool, huh?"
Ibrahim has rushed 67 times for 464 yards and seven touchdowns this season, and his career total is 3,467. That leaves him 1,187 behind Thompson's career record of 4,654.
"I'm just glad he's on our team,'' Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said.
Injuries take a toll
- Along with wide receiver Chris Autman-Bell's knee injury, the Gophers also lost starting left guard Axel Ruschmeyer to a leg injury in the first quarter. Nathan Boe took his place. Fleck said Ruschmeyer would be OK.
- Wide receiver Daniel Jackson returned to action after missing the first two games because of a foot injury. He was targeted twice and caught both for gains of 18 and 8 yards.
- Defensive lineman Austin Booker saw his first action of the season and had a tackle for loss.
- Freshman running back Zach Evans (foot) remained out.
Etc.
- The Gophers extended their winning streak over Pac-12 opponents to five games. They've defeated Colorado in 2022 and 2021, beat Washington State in the 2016 Holiday Bowl and topped Oregon State in the 2016 and 2017.
- The Gophers have limited their past 11 opponents to fewer than 300 yards of offense, the longest streak in the nation.
- Jon Hoese, a fullback who played for the Gophers from 2007 to '10, gave the speech at Saturday morning's captains' breakfast.
A boost in the backcourt, clutch play from Dawson Garcia, a shortened rotation and continuing trouble on long shots stood out.
