Trust Tanner Morgan: That's where Gophers offensive recalibration should start

Football sure can be cruel sometimes.

Mohamed Ibrahim — a beloved leader of the Gophers football team, a kid who squeezes every ounce out of his talent and plays his position like a bowling ball knocking over pins — grinds through exhausting workouts all winter, spring, summer and fall camp to prepare for the season, and then — poof! — a season-ending injury in the first game.

Dastardly unfair.

The Gophers lost their best player, and now they must adjust, improvise and get a better sense of who they are before resuming Big Ten play.

How about cut Tanner Morgan loose in an "Air Raid"-style attack?

Kidding, kidding.

Although, when the options are either to give more carries to a third-string running back or allow Morgan more opportunities to throw, I'd trust the senior quarterback with extra responsibility, especially now that we've seen a glimpse of his targets.

The lack of experience at receiver behind Chris Autman-Bell was the team's No. 1 question mark coming into the season. That became far less of a concern after watching Dylan Wright, Daniel Jackson and tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford look up to the task against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the opener.

They need to show it more than once, obviously, but put a healthy Autman-Bell with that group and the passing game looks capable of being a strength more than a complement to a run-centric approach.

P.J. Fleck is a 40-year-old coach with an old soul. His offensive identity is tied to power running and ball control. He loves time of possession as much as kids love TikTok. Expecting Fleck to deviate wildly from his philosophy is fantasy.

The Gophers unveiled a formation against Ohio State that featured eight offensive linemen. That was less a gimmick and more an indication of how they view their identity.

"When we bring in that jumbo, heavy package, we're going to run the ball," Morgan said. "And we're going to do it effectively."

They don't have to abandon their identity or what they do well, but even Fleck admitted that Ibrahim isn't replaceable. Filling the void of his usual workload requires adjustment to the overall blueprint, more than plug-and-play with backups. Expanding Morgan's role as a passer makes sense.

He has started 27 games in his career. He's not a young, inexperienced quarterback that the coaching staff needs to limit or protect. Morgan followed his record-setting 2019 season with a disappointing 2020, but it deserves mention that several factors conspired to create chaos around him (injuries, COVID absences, new offensive coordinator).

That's not a blanket excuse. Morgan needed to play better. He just never appeared completely comfortable throughout that weird season.

Mistakes don't seem to rattle him. He usually brushes off a bad throw or an interception without letting that spiral into something worse. Being in his second season in coordinator Mike Sanford's system should give him more comfort and confidence.

His statistics weren't spectacular against Ohio State — 14 for 25, 205 yards, one touchdown and one ill-advised throw that would have been an interception if not for a penalty — but his connection with a new cast of receivers showed promise.

"My job is to give guys opportunities to make plays, and I've got to do that better," he said. "The better I do that, the more explosive we can be."

Adversity hits almost every football team. That moment came early for the Gophers, a tough blow to a fine young man.

Ibrahim's injury cannot be overstated considering how often and how effectively he carried the ball. The offense isn't doomed, though, it will just look different without him.

Fleck won't want the hallmarks to change. Run the ball, chew up clock, rely on a physical offensive line to wear down opponents. The Gophers need to make up for that lost production any way possible. Relying more on Morgan's passing should be part of the formula.