Throughout his Gophers career, Mohamed Ibrahim has gained the tough yards in big games.
He churned out 121 yards to help beat Wisconsin for Paul Bunyan's Axe in 2018. He powered his way to 140 against Auburn in the Outback Bowl at the end of the 2019 season. And finally, he gained 163 in three quarters of work in Thursday's opener against Ohio State.
That, unfortunately for Ibrahim and the Gophers, will be it for the running back in 2021. Coach P.J. Fleck on Monday announced that Ibrahim will miss the remainder of the season because of a lower left leg injury suffered late in the third quarter of Minnesota's 45-31 loss to the fourth-ranked Buckeyes. Ibrahim will undergo surgery on Tuesday.
"There is no replacing Mohamed Ibrahim,'' Fleck said. "He's a special, special player.''
Though Fleck would not give specifics on the injury, it is believed to be a torn Achilles' tendon.
Ibrahim was not available for comment but posted on Twitter: "what if everything you are going through is preparing you for what you've asked for?''
Ibrahim, the reigning Big Ten running back of the year and a player Fleck considered the best running back in the country, was injured with 37 seconds left in the third quarter on his 30th carry of the game. He went down after making a cut and pushing off with his left leg. Ibrahim tried to limp off the field but fell to the ground and was tended to by the team's athletic training staff.
Fleck described the injury as "not career ending. He'll make a full recovery from it, but you feel really, really bad for the young man.''