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Gophers adjust weekly plans for Saturday night game at California
The University of Minnesota football team plays the first of 10 straight games against Power 4 teams Saturday night at California, now an ACC team. It's a 9:30 p.m. kickoff back here, and P.J. Fleck talked Monday about how the team is altering its schedule to be ready for a West Coast night kickoff. He also gave an injury update on Darius Taylor.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The University of Minnesota football team takes a 2-0 record on the road this week for the first time this season.
West Coast night game
What we know:
The Gophers finish non-conference play at California Saturday night. It’s the first of 10 straight games against Power 4 opponents. It’s a 7:30 p.m. kickoff, which means back in Minnesota, it’s a 9:30 p.m. start.
Coach P.J. Fleck said at his Monday weekly news conference they’re going to keep the players’ bodies on central time as long as possible. It worked well for the Gophers in a win at UCLA last year, at the Rose Bowl. They’ve altered their schedules for the week, everything from flying out to California later to practicing at night.
"We’ve got a certain process that we do any time we’re heading out to different time zones. We put together the best plan we possibly can to make sure we can play our best football from 9:30 central to almost 1 a.m. central on our bodies," Fleck said. "There’s a lot of things we have to do for that to happen. Every week has its own challenges when you want to be 1-0. If you want to be 1-0, you’ve got to pay a price."
Darius Taylor update
Why you should care:
In a radio appearance on Monday, Fleck said he got good news on Darius Taylor. The standout running back had just three carries for 24 yards in Saturday’s 66-0 win over Northwestern State. On his last carry, Taylor had a 17-yard gain and was poised to score a touchdown, but pulled up before the pylon and went out of bounds at the 1-yard line. He went to the medical tent after grabbing at his right hamstring, and did not return to the game.
Fleck said on the radio that the injury isn’t as bad as it could’ve been. That said, Taylor’s status for Saturday night is uncertain.
"There’s levels to any type of injury. Just got some good news, the injury report will come out two hours before kickoff," Fleck said.
He was asked if Taylor will practice this week.
"The injury report will come out two hours before," Fleck said.
Timeline:
That means we won’t know anything until 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and if he’s listed questionable, we won’t know until Minnesota’s first offensive series. That’s unless he’s dressed for pregame warm-ups.
Without Taylor in Saturday’s win, Grant Washington led the Gophers with 20 carries for 127 yards and one touchdown. Fame Ijeboi had seven carries for 51 yards, and A.J. Turner had six carries for 31 yards.
The Gophers may be inclined to take extra caution with Taylor. They have a bye week before hosting Rutgers to begin Big Ten play.