QB Annexstad ready for Big Ten opener
For the second week in a row, the Gophers’ offense nearly took a big hit on the injury front. But unlike senior running back Rodney Smith’s season-ending left knee injury, freshman quarterback Zack Annexstad is slated to play in Saturday’s Big Ten Conference opener at Maryland.
The true freshman injured his left ankle in Minnesota’s 26-3 win over Miami-Ohio, but he returned after missing one play. With Minnesota holding a 23-point lead, Annexstad did not play in the fourth quarter. Minnesota is 3-0 after playing all three of its nonconference games at home.
“It seems like he’s going to be OK, according to what our people say, so (I’m) hopeful,” Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck said of his young quarterback.
“It’s a pretty gutsy performance. I’m never one to make the judgment call on who goes in and who goes back in (on injuries) … As you watched how (Zack) went through the game and how comfortable he was, he was still making throws, making good throws, making good reads at times. But I just felt as he got to the end of the third quarter, I could see him hobbling a little bit.”
The Gophers offense, Fleck said, might further explore the option of utilizing safety Anthone Winfield. Against Miami, he broke four tackles on a 31-yard punt return and had a 76-yard return for a touchdown in the season opener. Winfield has not played offense since the pee wee level.
“There is always options, but we’ve got to get him through the whole season, too,” Fleck said of Winfield. “We want him to be the best player he can be. Is playing him on offense going to take away from that? He doesn’t believe that. We’ve had that conversation multiple times.”
Wide receiver Tyler Johnson is a key player to watch at the start of the conference season. How Johnson responds to the uptick in opponents is a critical factor for a Gophers’ offense without a clear-cut reliable running back and a true freshman quarterback.
Johnson set the tone for a solid showing against upstart Maryland with nine receptions for 133 yards and three touchdowns against the RedHawks. Another encouraging sign was the performance of true freshman running back Bryce Williams, who had 33 carries for 141 yards and caught a 34-yard screen pass that led to score.
