In Minnesota’s 23-10 win over the Buffalo Bulls, Gophers star tailback Darius Taylor put together a terrific performance totaling 141 rushing yards and 36 receiving yards across 30 carries and four receptions.
It’s become a standard for the Gophers’ tailback Through his 19 career games, Taylor has totaled over 100 yards from scrimmage in 10 games including last Thursday night.
With his history of production in just 19 games it’s hard to remember that Taylor has only been playing running back for four years, dating back to his senior year of high school. With just a few years at the position, Taylor is still a developing running back and far from a finished product.
On Monday during his weekly press conference, Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck was asked about Taylor and his development.
“The furthest he’s come is his vision,” Fleck said. “Being able to see the schemes for what the schemes are. That was one of the hardest transitions for him when he first got here.”
Prior to his senior season of high school football at Western Walled Lake High School, Taylor was a wide receiver. That ability carried over last season at Minnesota, when he caught 54 passes for 350 yards and two touchdowns
“Great athlete, could catch the football, could break tackles. He’s a big player. He’s really good in space. He’s tough. He’s a good pass pro. He’s smart,” Fleck continued.
That being said, over the last few years, Taylor has also garnered a greater understanding of the Gophers’ run concepts.
“The understanding of all the run concepts we have, this isn’t just inside zone and outside zone. Our run game is way more extensive than it used to be with just Mohamed Ibrahim,” Fleck explained. “It’s just having a huge offensive line where it’s just vertical. This is a little bit more extensive.”
“He’s got a really good understanding conceptually of what we’re doing and where he needs to take his eyes and what we’re doing with the run game,” he continued. “He can continue to get better. Don’t get me wrong, but that’s where he’s taking the big jump.”
Taylor and the Gophers will look to continue to improve their game this Saturday against the Northwestern State Demons, a game in which Minnesota will be favored by upwards of 45-50 points. It will also offer as a final tune-up game for the Gophers before they get into the meat of their schedule with upcoming draws against California, Rutgers, and Ohio State.
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