The Gophers entered Saturday's game against Illinois averaging 222.1 rushing yards per game, good for second in the Big Ten behind Michigan's 239.9. Minnesota did so with a running back group that's been decimated by injuries this season.
Redshirt freshman Ky Thomas and true freshman Mar'Keise Irving began the season as the Gophers' fourth and fifth options in the backfield, but each surpassed 100 rushing yards in wins over Maryland and Northwestern as the Gophers rolled to more than 300 yards on the ground in both games.
Saturday, though, was tough sledding for the duo.
Thomas led the Gophers with 60 yards on 16 carries, while Irving rushed five times for 26 yards. Much of it had to do with Minnesota falling behind 14-0 and being forced to pass. Also, the Gophers offensive line wasn't nearly the dominant group it had been in the four-game winning streak.
"They continually run hard, but I don't know if there was enough out there for them — if there were enough holes,'' coach P.J. Fleck said of Thomas and Irving. "… We'd get a positive gain, then we'd get a hold. There were times there was nothing, and we'd have a negative run.''
Quarterback Cole Kramer ran four times for 20 yards out of the wildcat formation. Tanner Morgan had four rushes for 14 yards, with a long of 11, but was sacked six times for 31 yards, dropping his rushing total to minus-17.
"They were blitzing a lot of people and keeping a lot of people down in that box,'' Fleck said of Illinois, which held the Gophers to 2.5 yards per rush.
Kicking woes
