IOWA CITY – Another week, and more developments in the running back group for Gophers football.
RB Bryce Williams out for season, but Darius Taylor returns for Gophers vs. Iowa
Linebacker Cody Lindenberg was listed as questionable but did not play, and Darius Taylor left in the fourth quarter.
October 22, 2023 at 1:16AM
Gophers sixth-year senior Bryce Williams will miss the remainder of the season, while leading rusher Darius Taylor, who missed the previous two games, returned to play in Saturday's 12-10 victory over No. 24 Iowa.
The developments came to light two hours before the 2:30 p.m. kickoff when the Big Ten announced its availability report for the game.
During the game, though, both Taylor and redshirt freshman Zach Evans suffered injuries and did not return. Evans was injured just before halftime and limped off the field with assistance from the training staff. He finished with 10 carries for 44 yards. Taylor became a second-half workhorse, finishing a team-leading 16 carries for 59 yards before leaving the game early in the fourth quarter.
There was no immediate update the status of Taylor, the team's leading rusher, and Evans.
On defense, linebacker Cody Lindenberg, who hasn't played this season because of a leg injury, was listed as questionable on the availability report but did not play. He went through some work with a trainer in early workout but was not in uniform for the game. The hope among the Gophers staff was that Lindenberg would benefit from the bye week and be able to return but did not come to fruition. Coach P.J. Fleck said Monday that Lindenberg was "closer'' to returning.
Safety Darius Green left the game in the third quarter because of a leg injury.
"The Wave"
As has been the case since his first visit to Iowa in 2017 while coaching the Gophers, Fleck had his team move from the sideline and onto the field at the end of the first quarter so they could participate in "The Wave" to patients in the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital.
Windy day
The Gophers and Iowa dealt with northwest winds of 20-30 mph, which impacted the kicking game and the passing attacks.
"The wind definitely played a factor,'' Gophers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis said. "… It came from all sorts of directions — crosswind, and then it was coming towards us, and it was going against us. It was switching directions all game.''
When going against the wind, Iowa scored its first-quarter field goal, while Dragan Kesich had the Gophers' fourth-quarter winner. Iowa scored its touchdown with the wind at its back, and Kesich kicked three field goals in that scenario.
Ending a trend
Entering Saturday, Iowa owned an eight-game winning streak against the Gophers, including six in a row with Fleck as Minnesota coach. One constant in the streak is the fact that the Hawkeyes scored first in all eight games, getting five touchdowns and three field goals.
That all changed Saturday, when Iowa scored first on Drew Stevens' 23-yard field goal on their first possession before the Gophers got the first of Kesich's four field goals late in the quarter. The Hawkeyes' average lead in the streak before the Gophers scored had been 12.75 points.
Etc.
• The Gophers improved to 7-1 against Iowa when they were coming off their bye week.
• Iowa was the third Gophers opponent ranked in the AP poll this season, and Minnesota now is 1-2. They lost 31-13 at then-No. 20 North Carolina and 52-10 to No. 2 Michigan. The Gophers also ended a five-game losing streak against ranked teams.
Rutgers views Athan Kaliakmanis as an upgrade over last year’s starting QB, and the Gophers are leaps and bounds better with Max Brosmer. Neither team expressed hard feelings this week.
