Minnesota’s Gophers came away with a 30-24 victory over Bowling Green in the Quick Lane Bowl this week, despite a shorthanded defense. The Gophers were missing four starters and even their defensive coordinator, Joe Rossi, who left for Michigan State.
Danny Collins, the safeties coach, stepped into the role of interim defensive coordinator in Rossi’s absence. Coach P.J. Fleck noted that Collins did a great job, despite missing some key players on defense. Starting safeties Tyler Nubin and Darius Green were both out due to injury, as well as linebackers Maverick Baranowski and Devon Williams.
Redshirt freshman Coleman Bryson and true freshman Kerry Brown stepped up to fill in at safety, while Tyler Stolsky filled in at linebacker. The defense allowed 303 yards and 30 points, but came through in key moments.
In addition to their defensive challenges, the Gophers also had some good news with the return of true freshman running back Darius Taylor, after missing the past five games due to a leg injury. Taylor had a standout performance in the game, rushing for 208 yards and a touchdown.
Notably, several prominent Gophers players opted out of the bowl game to prepare for the NFL draft, including Tyler Nubin, Brevyn Spann-Ford, and Chris Autman-Bell. This marked the second consecutive year that the team had key players sit out of the bowl game to avoid injury risks.
The Gophers improved their all-time bowl record 12-12 and extended their winning streak to seven consecutive bowl games. Coach Fleck now holds the record for the most bowl wins in Minnesota history, with a 5-0 record.