When Darius Taylor announced his return to the Gophers for a fourth season, the running back room around him completely changed. It was a wide-open competition for the No. 2 role, one that Elon transfer TJ Thomas has grabbed by the horns. In fact, Thomas has been Minnesota’s most effective and efficient runner through five weeks.
Taylor showed the dynamic potential that we’ve grown accustomed to seeing in Week 1 with 17 offensive touches for 87 total yards and three touchdowns against Eastern Illinois. He suffered an injury the following week against Mississippi State, missed the Akron game in Week 3, and has struggled to regain his top form. He has 37 carries for just 68 yards over the last two weeks, which comes out to 1.8 yards per carry.
Thomas has taken his game to another level since Taylor’s injury. He broke out with 13 carries for 122 yards and one touchdown against Akron, and he has begun Big Ten play with 23 carries for 134 rushing yards, which comes out to 5.8 yards per carry…