Minnesota Gophers' youth more help than hindrance

(KMSP) - Gopher football is off to a hot start and this weekend they're scheduled to wrap up non-conference play against Ohio’s Miami University.

This season, 52 percent of Minnesota's roster is made of either true freshmen or redshirt freshmen, which is the highest number in all of college football. Normally that would indicate some growing pains are ahead - and there still might be - but right now, the young Gophers are winning in spite of their inexperience.

After their impressive victory over Fresno State, Minnesota is now 2-0 on the young season and they're doing it with a true freshman at quarterback.

Zack Annexstad looked calm, cool and collected in his second start. 

However, the Gophers did however suffer a devastating loss as running back Rodney Smith was lost for the season with a leg injury. That means more freshmen like Mohamed Ibrahim and Bryce Williams will get more opportunities.

While over half the roster is made of freshmen, Coach P.J. Fleck is quick to give his guys credit for playing beyond their years.

“I don’t think any of those guys have shown any type of spook or any type of ‘wow this is too big for me’ at all by just how hard they play, their willingness to do it for somebody else,” the coach said.

Ibrahim did not play against Freso State due to injury, but Fleck said he expects Ibrahim to play this weekend against Miami of Ohio. How much he'll play remains unclear.

With a win Saturday, the gophers would begin the season 3-0 for the second straight year.