Gophers running back Bryce Williams likely to miss rest of season with injury

P.J. Fleck heard the question — "Have you ever had a position group decimated this much by injuries?" — and quickly had his answer.

"Not like this — especially at a position that is the anchor of our system," the Gophers football coach said. "Never had anything like it, but that doesn't mean you're immune to it."

Fleck on Monday announced that running back Bryce Williams, who suffered a lower left leg injury Saturday at Northwestern, likely will be lost for the rest of the season. Williams becomes the third Gophers running back to suffer a season-ending injury, joining Mohamed Ibrahim and Trey Potts.

"It's unfortunate,'' Fleck said. "It's one of those years that's kind of got us right now. But it's the next man in, the next man up. Everybody's on deck."

Williams suffered the injury while being tackled along the sideline after catching a pass for a 19-yard gain in the first quarter. His left foot appeared to be pinned underneath a Northwestern player at the end of the tackle.

A redshirt junior who ranked fourth on the team with 186 rushing yards and three touchdowns, Williams had become part of a trio with true freshman Mar'Keise Irving and redshirt freshman Ky Thomas carrying the load the past three games. Now it's down to Irving, Thomas and redshirt sophomore Derik LeCaptain, a linebacker and special teams player who's added offensive duties.

Despite the injuries, the Gophers haven't missed a beat in the running game. They rushed 53 times for 306 yards on their way to a 41-14 victory at Northwestern. Irving carried 19 times for 110 yards and two touchdowns, and on Monday was named the Big Ten's freshman of the week. Thomas rushed 21 times for 106 yards, marking the second consecutive game in which both he and Irving surpassed 100 yards.

The 6-2, 235-pound LeCaptain got his chance late in the fourth quarter and scored the Gophers' final TD on a bruising 24-yard run.

Fleck said he has moved another defensive player to running back as a contingency plan but wouldn't identify the player. The coach also used humor during his news conference to address the situation.

"I told the entire team, 'Listen, if any of you have ever carried a ball in any part of your career, if you have a picture with a button from the YMCA league with a ball in your hand and you're chinning it properly, you are going to be available, possibly, to run the football for us this year,'" Fleck said. "… We're diving into some Pop Warner film."

The Gophers will need depth because they rely heavily on the run game. Their 47.5 rushes per game lead the Big Ten and rank fifth nationally, while their 222.1 rushing yards per game rank second in the conference and 15th among FBS teams. Irving (66 carries, 355 yards) and Thomas (56-334) rank second and third on the team.

Helping Minnesota's run game stay productive no matter who's carrying the ball is a big, deep and veteran offensive line and tight end group. Five different backs have 100-yard rushing games this season.

"Whoever's running the football, they know that there's a really good wall in front of them helping them," Fleck said. "They don't have to do it alone."