Tanner Morgan, Mohamed Ibrahim hold the keys to the Gophers offense — again

They've experienced the wide-eyed growth of a redshirt year, ascended to the top of the Gophers' depth chart as freshmen, reveled in the highs of a 2019 season that featured 11 victories and a top-10 final ranking, and endured a COVID-19-marred 3-4 campaign last year.

Together, Tanner Morgan and Mohamed Ibrahim have accounted for nearly 9,000 yards of offense and 79 touchdowns in their Minnesota careers. And on Thursday night, they return as the leaders and dual linchpins of a Gophers offense that will shoulder a heavy burden in the season opener against fourth-ranked Ohio State.

They're embracing the challenge.

"Being able to play against one of the best teams in the country right off the bat with a team that really does love each other … it's an elite opportunity for us,'' said Morgan, a fifth-year senior. "Our guys are really excited.''

Added Ibrahim, also in his fifth year at Minnesota: "We know what we're getting ourselves into. Those guys represent the Big Ten very well and they go to the playoff ever year. Those guys will be prepared. It just gives us a little boost knowing we've got to be on our 'A' game.''

Ohio State, last year's College Football Playoff runner-up, will enter Huntington Bank Stadium with a 15-0 Big Ten record under third-year coach Ryan Day. The Buckeyes are 14-point favorites in their first visit to Minnesota since 2014, when they escaped with a 31-24 victory.

For the Gophers to match or better that performance, Morgan and Ibrahim executing the run-pass option offense at a high level will be important. They're operating behind a veteran offensive line that likely will rotate six starters who average 336 pounds. Last year, minus two of those starting linemen, Ibrahim averaged 153.7 rushing yards per game, which ranked second nationally.

The Gophers have Day's attention.

"Two years ago, they were a top-10 team in the country,'' he said, "and a lot of those guys are still on the team.''

Keeping the chains moving

When you look at Ibrahim, his 5-10, 210-pound frame might not scream "All-America running back,'' but that's what he is after earning third-team honors last year following a season in which he rushed 201 times for 1,076 yards in seven games. His 28.7 carries per game led the nation, and his 15 touchdowns tied for fifth.

His calling card isn't so much speed as it is tenacity. "He's a bowling ball going downhill with razor blades on it,'' Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said.

Added Ohio State linebacker Teradja Mitchell, "You can't go in there arm-tackling. He's definitely one of the best running backs in the nation.''

Fleck saw the potential of Ibrahim during the Baltimore native's redshirt season in 2017. Ibrahim dominated the Gophers' Sunday scout team games, then burst on the scene in 2018 by rushing for 1,160 yards and nine touchdowns in 10 games while filling in for the injured Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks. He was at his best in wins over Wisconsin, carrying 26 times for 121 yards and a TD, and Georgia Tech in the Motor City Bowl, with 31 rushes for 224 yards and two scores.

With Smith and Brooks back in 2019, Ibrahim saw less of the load, rushing for 604 yards and seven TDs, but capping the season with a 140-yard performance in the Outback Bowl win over Auburn. Last year, he was the bell cow for the Gophers offense, producing 41.3% of its total yards. The Buckeyes should see a lot of him on Thursday.

"As running backs, you want to set the tone fast. You don't want to play at the defense's speed,'' Ibrahim said. "… Coach [Kenni] Burns always told me, 'You have the first five, six, seven plays to set the tone. If not, the defense won't respect you at all.' ''

Seeking his past form

Morgan had a breakthrough season in 2019, taking full advantage of All-Big Ten wide receivers Tyler Johnson and Rashod Bateman torching secondaries. Morgan completed 66% of his passes for an average of 250.2 yards per game with 30 TDs, and all of those stats were school single-season records. A Gophers program that for decades had ached for a difference-making quarterback finally had one.

Last year, with little spring practice time to adjust to new offensive coordinator Mike Sanford Jr., Morgan's stats fell to 57.9% completions for an average of 196.3 yards per game with seven TDs.

Both Morgan and Sanford believe that having a full complement of spring practices and a normal training camp will be a big boost for the offense. Sanford estimated that the Gophers had one live session between spring ball and training camp in 2020 compared with 20 this season.

"It was the most fun I've had in training camp,'' Morgan said. "That doesn't mean there weren't ups and downs, days where you had bad throws, bad reads, but being coached is fun. And being coached hard with intent, that's pretty fun, too.''

Morgan's impact with the Gophers comes both on and off the field, and his teammates rallied around him this year while his father, Ted, battled brain cancer that eventually took his life in July.

"Tanner Morgan is the heartbeat of this football team,'' Fleck said. "There's a person behind that number and that arm leading that team. I couldn't think of a better person leading our football team than Tanner Morgan.''

Morgan, a Union, Ky., native, sees Thursday's game as an opportunity in a place that he's made his second home.

"Minnesota is home to me, too. I've been here five years,'' said Morgan, who like Ibrahim could return in 2022 for a sixth season if he chooses. "It's a place where I love to be and don't really want to leave, to be honest with you.''