Cobb surprisingly plays, then sets new Gophers' rushing mark

MADISON, WIS. – Gophers coach Jerry Kill listed his star tailback, David Cobb, as "big-time questionable" in the buildup to Saturday's border battle against the Wisconsin Badgers.

Cobb never lost hope.

"Growing up this is something you dream about and I've been waiting my whole to play in a game like this," Cobb said. "So I don't think I thought from day one I wouldn't play. So if it was one play or 30 or 100 plays, I was going to play."

A left hamstring injury limited Cobb's ability to practice this week and caused him to spend all his time in the training room getting treatment.

The injury didn't keep him off the field when it mattered.

Cobb started and rushed for 118 yards and one touchdown in a 34-24 loss at Camp Randall Stadium.

His 40-yard touchdown in the first quarter also set a new school single-season rushing record, eclipsing Laurence Maroney's mark of 1,464 set in 2005.

"I definitely think it's something I take a lot of pride in," Cobb said. "It definitely means a lot right now, but we would have liked to come out with the win. But anytime you can do something and put your name in the books, it's a great feeling and I can't explain how thankful I am for my coaches to give me a chance, and for my teammates."

Maroney wrote in a text to the Star Tribune: "What a hell of a season and congrats on breaking the record."

Cobb's status seemed in question — at least publicly — until he tested his hamstring in early warmups. He didn't practice Tuesday or Wednesday and didn't fully test his leg until Friday.

Kill expressed doubt when talking to reporters throughout the week.

"He didn't practice on Thursday [and] I said there's no way he's going to play," Kill said. "He'd been working with our trainers and doctors and all those kinds of things. They worked him out Friday morning, and they made him open up and see if he could run. He opened up two or three different times and our guys said he's got a chance."

Cobb rushed for 95 yards on 16 carries before halftime. The Badgers bottled him up in the second half, but Cobb said his leg held up fine.

"It probably would have felt a little better if we'd come out on top," he said.

Kill described Cobb's performance as "unbelievable for the situation he was in."

"Like I told him [in the locker room], me and him through his freshman and sophomore year, I pushed him hard," Kill said. "There's a great deal of respect and love from me to him. What he did today, I haven't seen very often for the situation he's been in and he ran hard."