Gophers must adjust to loss of top ballcarrier

Give it some time, Adam Weber said. The Gophers quarterback had just raced from a morning class to the football facility and he was fielding the expected question:

If a football team's strength is up the middle, what will he do with a new center and a new starting running back?

''That's why this week [of practice] is so important for us," Weber said.

Running back Duane Bennett, who played so well in the Gophers' opening two games -- both victories -- is gone for the season because of a torn ACL in his left knee sustained on a fourth-quarter screen pass in Bowling Green on Saturday. He will have surgery and hopes to return in time for spring football. Center Jeff Tow-Arnett hurt his knee on the same play. Guard Ned Tavale hurt his ankle earlier in the game. He is listed as day-to-day but likely won't play this week.

Coach Tim Brewster said Tow-Arnett's injury is a ''week-to-week" proposition and the team hopes to get him back this season. But Brewster also said a final decision hasn't been made whether or not the junior center will have surgery.

''That remains to be seen," Brewster said. ''He's not out for the season. He's a guy we're going to bring along and see if we can't get [him] back sooner than later."

But for now, the Gophers will insert Trey Davis at center. At running back, freshmen Shady Salamon and DeLeon Eskridge head the depth chart, with junior Jay Thomas adding his experience to the mix.

The Gophers entered the season expecting Bennett -- coming off a strong finish to his freshman season -- to be the workhorse back.

And he was in the opening two victories. Bennett had 147 rushing yards and a 4.4-yard average. As a receiver out of the backfield, he was second on the team with 12 catches for 125 yards. He had scored three touchdowns.

Brewster would prefer not to go with a committee at running back. He said he expects one of the three healthy backs to emerge as the featured runner.

''Duane Bennett is a good player, we're going to replace Duane Bennett with a good football player,'' Brewster said. ''Duane understands that. We've made peace with that as a football team. We know injuries are a part of the game. It is not a devastating injury to our team. There is nobody irreplaceable on our team. And so, guys, we'll line up with a guy.''

With two new guys, actually. The loss of Tow-Arnett takes the only upperclassman off the Gophers offensive line. The way it looks now, the starting five this week could include as many as four redshirt freshmen. Sophomore Dom Alford is the starting left tackle, sophomore D.J. Burriss is competing with redshirt freshman Ryan Orton at left guard. After that it's redshirt freshmen at center (Trey Davis), right guard (Chris Bunders) and right tackle (Ryan Wynn) preparing for Saturday's game against Montana State.

''That's why this week is so important for us, to feel comfortable and get a feel for each other,'' Weber said.

During early walkthrough Tuesday, Eskridge, Salamon, Thomas and Kevin Whaley -- who is 100 percent healthy, according to Brewster -- took reps with the first team.

Eskridge carried the ball four times for 12 yards in the opener. Salamon had 12 carries for 64 yards Saturday. Thomas has not carried the ball since injuring his knee against North Dakota State in the eighth game of last season.

''I know this: Shady Salamon is going to be prepared to play. DeLeon will be ready to play. Both are outstanding players,'' Brewster said.

''I think I'm ready for the challenge,'' Salamon said. ''I have to stay focused, keep grinding, and take one day at a time.''

Said Eskridge: ''Me and Shady, being freshmen, we're excited because now we're really going to get our opportunity to get in at a young age, from first year, to see what football is about at the D-I level. It's a big opportunity.''

Bennett should receive a medical redshirt, which would mean he'd be a redshirt sophomore next year. The NCAA states that a player has to play in fewer than 30 percent of his team's contests. Bennett has played in two of the team's 11 games, or 16.7 percent.