Mohamed Ibrahim says he checked all the boxes in dynamic return to Gophers

The pregame highlight on Thursday was when New Mexico State coach Jerry Kill and Gophers coach P.J. Fleck met on the field, shook hands and chatted. And the crowd roared.

Yes, Kill was back on campus after recently indicating that, because of hard feelings toward the program he once ran and Fleck, he might skip the handshake. Fortunately, he didn't follow up on that unwise gesture.

But that's not why the stadium roared during pregame activities. The roar came during player introductions when Mohamed Ibrahim's picture flashed on the scoreboard. The loudest cheer was for the Gophers' No. 24.

Yes, Mo was back. He missed the remainder of the 2021 season after rupturing his Achilles' in the opener against Ohio State. He threw himself into rehabilitation following surgery and was in the starting backfield Thursday, ready to revive his status as one of the nation's top running backs.

Trey Potts was back as well. His workload increased last season when Ibrahim went down, but his season ended in Week 5 when he went down against Purdue and ended up hospitalized for a week. He's back to his role as Ibrahim's more-than-capable backup.

Any notion that Fleck would carefully work his recovering players into the game was bashed in the first quarter.

Ibrahim's first carry in a year was a 16-yard gain around left tackle. Aggies defenders bounced off him or were dragged a few yards. Just like old times. The first six carries were by Ibrahim, then Potts took a handoff near the five-minute mark of the first quarter. After two Tanner Morgan passes, 16 of the next 17 plays were runs by Ibrahim and Potts. There was no hesitation on Fleck's part to use them. Ibrahim had three carries during the opening drive of the third quarter then was smartly removed from the game after gaining 132 yards on 21 carries. Potts, who added 89 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown, played most of the third.

Ibrahim and Potts are back. And, on Thursday, they ... were ... healthy.

That's the one thing the Gophers can come away with following the rout of a much inferior opponent. Ibrahim looks stronger than he did last season. He runs with power but has some shiftiness as well. His most impressive run of the first half was when spun away from one Aggies defender, then broke two more tackles during a 7-yard gain. It's hard to tell if his speed is all the way back.

There were jump cuts, spin moves and a willingness to run over people. He seemed to have everything working.

"Checked the boxes," Ibrahim said. "Checked them all. We're ready to go."

Kill had talented running backs in Shannon Brooks, Rodney Smith and David Cobb during his time leading the Gophers. But he sounded like he would take Ibrahim in his starting backfield over them.

"Their running back is one of the better ones I've seen in a long time," Kill said. "His feet keep moving on contact, he's hard to tackle and they're just a physical football team."

Thursday's game completes Ibrahim comeback from injury. His 121 yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns in the first half proves he hasn't forgotten how to run. His true effectiveness will be determined as the Gophers face better opponents.

Potts had 46 yards on eight carries in the first half and showed his quickness during his own 16-yard scamper in the second quarter. His injury has never been disclosed, but it was serious enough for him to remain in an Indiana hospital for a week.

So it's a relief just to see him back in a uniform. Contributing to the Gophers ground attack is a plus.

"This guy, thanks to the doctors at Purdue, thanks to the medical team there, thanks to the medical team and doctors in Indiana, thanks to the doctors and medical team here at the University of Minnesota, he's alive," Fleck said. "And not only is he alive...he ran for a lot of yards and a touchdown tonight. And you never knew if he'd ever play again."

We'll never know how 2021 would have turned out if Ibrahim and Potts had been available all season. Granted, the Gophers exceeded the "pair and a spare" philosophy followed by former head coach Glen Mason regarding running back depth on a roster. Ky Thomas and Mar'Keise Irving ran effectively in their absences.

Those 163 yards Ibrahim rolled up against mighty Ohio State before the Achilles' rupture makes one wonder how much havoc Mo would have caused in the Big Ten if he had been around all season, and how opponents would have handled the change of pace Potts would have provided.

But it's unhealthy to play the what-if game. That can be morale-draining.

Dreaming is healthier, and Gophers followers now can imagine what Ibrahim and Potts - who both received game balls Thursday - can provide to a team looking to contend in the Big Ten West Division.

"It wasn't about the yards or the stats," Fleck said. "It's about what they have overcome."