Gophers vs. Kent State: Injury Report

Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports

Ahead of Saturday’s early kickoff, here’s a look at the injury report for Minnesota and Kent State.

Minnesota

S Damarius Travis (Hamstring)-Doubtful
OG Jon Christenson (Right Knee)-Out
WR KJ Maye (Midsection)-Questionable
S Ace Rogers (Knee)-Doubtful
LB Cody Poock (Knee)-Probable
WR Isaiah Gentry (Hamstring)-Probable
TE Brandon Lingen (Concussion)-Doubtful
WR Jeff Jones (Ankle)-Probable

TE Lincoln Plsek (Back)-Out
TE Duke Anyanwu (Knee)-Out

Overview

Christenson, the Gophers’ starting left guard so far this season, is expected to miss four weeks after undergoing surgery.

Head coach Jerry Kill said Travis and Rogers are unlikely to play this week. Minnesota’s safety depth is a concern, but with an easier opponent coming it doesn’t make sense to risk greater injury to Travis and Rogers this week.

Going back to last week, Gentry was expected to play this Saturday. That looks fairly certain now, but Kill suggested Gentry will have a very limited role against Kent State.

Maye missed overtime last Saturday after being injured, and there was concern after the game that he had a broken rib. He did not practice on Tuesday, and with no clear update on Wednesday Maye has to be considered questionable for Saturday.

Poock has been an impact player through two games this season, with seven tackles in each game. He played through knee soreness against Colorado State last Saturday, and he should continue to do so.

Jones practiced on Wednesday, so he looks likely to play against Kent State.

Lingen suffered a concussion last week against Colorado State, and on Wednesday Kill said he still needs to be cleared. At this point, it would be surprising to see the sophomore tight end in uniform on Saturday.

Plsek and Anyanwu remain out until further notice, so the Gophers are notably thin at tight end.

Kent State

Overview

I couldn’t find any reported injuries for the Golden Flashes, so I presume all starters and other key players will play on Saturday. With all the injuries Minnesota is dealing with, health is one advantage Kent State has.

I want to use the rest of this space to acknowledge Kent State kicker April Goss, who became the second female to score in a Division 1 football game with an extra point last Saturday against Delaware State. It’s unclear if she will get another opportunity against the Gophers this week, but I wouldn’t rule it out.