MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Minnesota will try to improve to 3-0 for the third straight season Saturday against visiting Miami (Ohio), but it will have to do so without one of the program's key cogs. Running back Rodney Smith, who is 41 yards shy of becoming the seventh player in school history with 3,000 rushing yards, will miss the rest of the season due a knee injury suffered in last week's 21-14 win over Fresno State.
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network. LINE: Minnesota -13
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"I am devastated for Rodney, but I know he will keep his oar in the water and continue to move forward and attack his rehabilitation process," coach P.J. Fleck said in a statement. "He is a leader on this team and I look forward to him working with our young players as we continue to grow this season." The loss could put a little more on the shoulders of true freshman quarterback Zack Annexstad, who threw for 395 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions through the first two games. The Golden Gophers will be playing their third straight home game to begin the year but they play three of their first four Big Ten contests on the road, beginning Sept. 22 at Maryland. Coming off their seventh straight losing season, the RedHawks have stumbled twice to begin the year and were blanked 21-0 by in-state rival Cincinnati last Saturday.
ABOUT MIAMI-OHIO (0-2)
Gus Ragland threw for 357 yards and three touchdowns in a season-opening 35-28 loss to Marshall, but the senior was stifled by the Bearcats (139 yards, one interception). James Gardner has been the top target with 11 catches for a team-high 142 yards but he has yet to find the end zone after doing so 11 times in 2017. The senior needs 109 more receiving yards to become the ninth player in program history with 2,000.
ABOUT MINNESOTA (2-0)
Freshman Bryce Williams ran for 87 yards after Smith was injured last week and will get the first crack at carrying the load, although redshirt freshman Mohamed Ibrahim is expected to be in the mix this week after missing the Fresno State game with a knee issue. Senior Shannon Brooks, who has 1,728 rushing yards in his career, could make a return from an injury of his own due to a new redshirt rule that allows players to appear in up to four games without losing a year of eligibility. "There's a strategy," Fleck told reporters of Brooks, who is taking part in non-contact drills. "We might have to play him sooner, but I highly doubt it. … We have a plan, and I'll keep that plan to ourselves, but he'll play four games by the end of the year."
EXTRA POINTS
1. Minnesota WR Seth Green ran for two TDs in each of the first two games.
2. Miami entered the week ranked 124th among FBS teams with 73 rushing yards per game.
3. The Gophers have won the first three meetings, including a pair of six-point victories in 2007 and 2011.
PREDICTION: Minnesota 31, Miami (Ohio) 13