Coming off a COVID-19 outbreak within the program, the Minnesota Golden Gopher football team traveled to Nebraska on Saturday down over 30 players and coaches. However, Minnesota was able to overcome their shorthanded roster and pick up a 24-14 win over the Cornhuskers.
Despite the disadvantage in numbers, the Gophers started the game strong thanks to a 24-yard touchdown run by Mohamed Ibrahim.
🔥 @_MoIbrahim breaks through to give @GopherFootball the lead! pic.twitter.com/7kgoJVfirs
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 12, 2020
Minnesota extended their lead later in the first quarter on a 31-yard field goal from Anders Gelecinskyj to go up 10-0 before the Cornhuskers issued their response in the form of Adrian Martinez.
The Nebraska senior put up a pair of touchdowns with an eight-yard pass to Austin Allen and a seven-yard run to give the Huskers a 14-10 lead.
The Gophers regained the lead right before halftime with Tanner Morgan connecting with Brevyn Spann-Ford on a four-yard touchdown and Minnesota headed into the locker room up 17-14.
The first TD of the season for @brevynford_03 puts @GopherFootball back on top! 💪 pic.twitter.com/luPlXkOXWP
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 12, 2020
After a scoreless third quarter, the Gophers extended their lead on Ibrahim’s second touchdown of the game on a fourth-and-goal to extend the lead to 24-14.
This sequence was wild. 😮
Potts got stopped on the helicopter hit, but @_MoIbrahim saved the @GopherFootball drive on 4th and Goal: pic.twitter.com/Lu9nnZ9qQc
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) December 12, 2020
Ibrahim’s fifth multi-touchdown game of the season helped keep Nebraska at an arm’s length, but the Huskers added a 30-yard field goal from Connor Culp to cut the Gophers’ lead down to 24-17.
Getting the ball with just under five minutes to go, the Gophers rode Ibrahim, who put up 108 yards and two touchdowns on the afternoon to help salt away the game and bring Minnesota back to .500 on the season.
With a 3-3 record, the Gophers next game is up in the air. A possible matchup with Wisconsin has been rumored for next week, but the Gophers could wind up preparing for a bowl game instead as all teams are eligible in 2020.
