Three offensive plays into Saturday night's game against Fresno State, the Gophers suffered a big blow.

Senior running back Rodney Smith injured his left knee on a play in which he took a screen pass 11 yards for a first down. When Smith tried to make a cut, he fell to the turf. Trainers tended to Smith on the field and assisted him off it. Smith was putting little weight on his left leg and was moved into a tent on the sideline for evaluation. There was no immediate update on his condition.

True freshman Bryce Williams replaced Smith in the backfield. Last week's backup running back, redshirt freshman Mohamed Ibrahim, suffered a leg injury against New Mexico State. He was dressed Saturday, but Williams got the call.

Come back to startribune.com for more on this story later Saturday night.