Gophers offense felt Darius Taylor's presence in return from injury

Taylor looked like a superstar in his season debut against Rhode Island.

Sep 7, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers running back Darius Taylor (1) runs for a touchdown against the Rhode Island Rams during the first half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Darius Taylor made his long-awaited season debut for the Gophers football team in Week 2 against Rhode Island. While he played only 36 snaps, it was noticeable how different Minnesota's offense looks when the star running back is in the lineup.

Taylor finished the day with 14 carries for 64 yards and one touchdown. What was most impressive was his four catches for 48 yards through the air, which are both career highs. The Gophers' yards per play improved from 4.4 in Week 1 to 5.9 in Week 2.

"I think he's one of the best players on this football team, maybe in the country," head coach P.J. Fleck said. "You talk about importance to a certain team, how important a player is to their particular team, he's really important to our team, not only on the field but off the field. The type of person he is, the leader he is, how he's developing as a man. There's so many things that I love about Darius."

After missing seven games due to injury as a true freshman, Taylor missed Minnesota's season opener against North Carolina due to an ankle injury. The U made it a priority to add depth to its running back room this offseason, bringing in three incoming transfers to help take the load off Taylor's shoulders.

Oklahoma transfer Marcus Major filled in the starting role in Week 1 with 20 carries for 73 yards and a touchdown. But it was clear that Minnesota's offense levels up when Taylor is on the field.

"We missed him, you can't say you miss your best players when they're not in there, we definitely missed him," Fleck said. "I thought guys did a good job supplementing that in game one, but you can just feel his presence, the things he can do on the offensive side of the ball. In the backfield, split out wide, his balance, the way he runs the football, what he can do with the ball in his hand."

The Gophers have seen success under Fleck in the run game behind a featured back, and it looks like Gophers might go as far as Taylor takes them this season.