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Did the Gophers finally fix their rushing attack? Washington will provide the answer
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- Did the Gophers finally fix their rushing attack? Washington will provide the answer
The Gophers finished with 191 rushing yards as a team against Akron in Week 3, which marked their most against an FBS opponent since they had 193 against USC in 2024. Did some long runs in garbage time hide bigger issues? Or did Minnesota 's struggling run game finally turn a corner?
The Gophers' offensive identity was running the football for P.J. Fleck's first six seasons. That has not been the case since offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr. began calling plays in 2023.
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2017: 182.4 yds/gm (43rd)
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2018: 171.2 yds/gm (60th)
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2019: 182.6 yds/gm (30th)
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2020: 191.9 yds/gm (42nd)
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2021: 199.2 yds/gm (28th)
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2022: 200.0 yds/gm (19th)
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2023: 157.5 yds/gm (65th)
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2024: 115.6 yds/gm (108th)
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2025: 90.6 yds/gm (130th)
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2026 *through three games: 102.0 yds/gm (107th)
Minnesota's rushing attack was abysmal last fall, as Darius Taylor dealt with injuries throughout the season. In hopes of reinvigorating the rushing attack, they brought in two transfers, three incoming freshmen and hired the program's all-time leading rusher, Mohamed Ibrahim, to coach their running backs.
Despite beating Eastern Illinois 59-7 in Week 1, Minnesota ran for just 3.9 yards per carry in that game, and promising freshman Ryan Estrada suffered a season-ending injury. After they ran for just 13 yards as a team against Mississippi State, the alarms began to sound.
Taylor was ruled out with a "lower body" injury against Akron , and the rushing struggles continued. Minnesota had just 18 carries for 37 yards through three quarters. With a 27-0 lead on the scoreboard, they wore Akron down and ran for 154 yards in the fourth quarter on just 15 carries. Their total for the game was 191 yards on 33 carries.
Elon transfer TJ Thomas became the first running back other than Taylor to run for more than 100 yards against an FBS opponent since Jordan Nubin against Michigan State in 2023. He finished with 13 carries for 122 yards and one 71-yard touchdown.
Sep 19, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers running back TJ Thomas (23) scores a touchdown on a 71-yard run against the Akron Zips during the second half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images
Taylor's status is still firmly in question ahead of the Gophers' Big Ten opener against Washington. Thomas outpaced A.J. Turner with 34 offensive snaps and 16 touches compared to just 22 offensive snaps and eight touches for the former Marshall transfer. Second-year player Xavier Ford played nine offensive snaps and received eight carries late in the fourth quarter.
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Washington currently ranks 17th in the country with just 87.5 rushing yards allowed per game, but that's against the third-easiest nonconference schedule in the country, according to ESPN's FPI. Minnesota will have a huge test against a pretty stout front seven led by defensive coordinator Ryan Walters.
The Gophers had 33 carries for 50 yards in their first seven quarters against FBS competition this season. A huge fourth quarter against a pretty average MAC team is currently doing some heavy lifting on their season-long numbers.
It's hard to imagine that Minnesota will have a great chance of upsetting Washington on the road, unless it puts together a complete four-quarter performance on the ground, no matter who's carrying the football.
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This story was originally published by Bring Me The Sports on Sep 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the MN Gophers section. Add Bring Me The Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
