Darius Taylor stars in homecoming as Minnesota tops Bowling Green in Quick Lane Bowl

Detroit — Minnesota star freshman running back Darius Taylor got a unique Christmas gift this year: A chance to return from injury in front of a hometown crowd, playing in the Quick Lane Bowl on Boxing Day at Ford Field. 

And with roughly 100 tickets dispensed to family, friends and whoever else was in tow, Taylor, a Walled Lake Western graduate, dazzled in his first game since late October, powering his squad to a win.

“It was cool to have all my family here. I used probably about 100 tickets,” Taylor said. “Yeah, I had a lot of people here. But it was just cool to play in front of my family and honestly it was just great to be back playing, in general, with the guys.” 

It was a dream homecoming for Taylor, who accounted for more than 200 yards and a touchdown as Minnesota (6-7) bullied and bruised Bowling Green (7-6) in a 30-24 win. 

“I'm really happy for him, happy for Shanika (Taylor's mother), happy for his family and his grandma and his niece. It's so cool to watch him come back to his home city and his home state and do what he did in front of a lot of people who came to support him,” Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck said.

From the jump, Minnesota featured Taylor heavily in his return from a leg injury. He had 10 total touches — eight carries, two catches — after not playing since Oct. 21. Fleck said after the game that Taylor’s lengthy absence during the back half of the season made it easier to load up the tailback with touches in what will be the final football game he plays for months. 

Fleck also heaped praise on the Minnesota training and medical staff for getting Taylor back in action — his return almost came weeks prior, late in the regular season. But instead a fully-fresh Taylor dazzled.

“I might've said 40, 40-45,” Fleck said about the number of carries they expected from Taylor on Tuesday. “Just to kind of get his mind down there and if he got 30, then it was like three quarters of the way there. But, we were going to have to. I think that was one of the bigger mismatches for us.”

Both teams began the game with distinct touchdown drives that wound up encapsulating their respective afternoons. 

The Falcons obliged first when, after two first downs on two plays, quarterback Connor Bazelak took a deep drop and lofted a 46-yard rainbow to Odieu Hilaire, who broke open behind his defender on a deep post concept. Hilaire snagged the pass and tumbled across the goal line to open the scoring 1:13 into the game.

Minnesota responded, running 13 plays to cover 75 yards and score a touchdown before a two-point attempt failed with kicker Dragan Kesich getting stopped inches short of the goal line. 

And while the Falcons scored in just 1:13, Minnesota bled 7:51 off the clock. 

The reliance on Taylor also came as Gophers quarterback Cole Kramer played in his first extended action. As such, the Gophers went with a ground-heavy attack, even featuring Taylor as a wildcat quarterback for extended sequences. And though it wasn’t strictly his fault, Kramer made a key mistake late in the first half to give Bowling Green a lead. 

With less than three minutes before the break, Minnesota’s offense took over at its own 29 yard line holding a 9-7 lead. Kramer took the first snap and was plastered in the back by a defender right as he fired a pass. Falcons defensive back Darius Lorfils camped under Kramer’s fluttering pass, returning the interception to the Gophers 15. Three plays later, an Alan Anaya field goal gave the Falcons a 10-9 lead, one they held at the break.

“And that ended up probably being the series of the game," Fleck said. "Because if they score a touchdown there, the game is completely different."

The Falcons managed a quick score early in the fourth quarter, aided by a long run from PaSean Wimberly, to bring the margin within a touchdown. But on the ensuing drive, Taylor — with the aid of a long kick return and a pass interference penalty — continued churning yards and burning clock. 

A 17-yard touchdown scamper with 8:03 remaining put the game out of reach for good.

It was his first, and only, score of the game — a fitting capper for the freshman after days cavorting around Detroit with teammates and coaches, bringing them to his house and taking them out for coneys and, of course, rocking Cartier Buffs. 

“It was a great opportunity to come in and play with my guys again, so I was willing to do whatever it took to win this game,” Taylor said.

Andrew Graham is a freelance writer.