The Minnesota football team will be without one of its best and most experienced offensive linemen today in a pivotal Big Ten matchup vs. Illinois.
Offensive guard Tyler Cooper will reportedly miss the Golden Gophers' conference game against the Illini.
“Sources: Minnesota will be without starting left guard Tyler Cooper against No. 24 Illinois on Saturday,” ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Cooper is a sixth-year senior who has started the last two seasons for the Gophers.”
A 6-foot-6 super senior, Cooper started 11 of the Gophers' 13 games last season, his fifth at Minnesota. Cooper had redshirted as a true freshman in 2019 and saw minimal to no playing time the following two seasons. As a junior in 2022, Cooper appeared in five games but did not earn a start until last season's opener vs. Nebraska.
Without Cooper up front, today's clash with Illinois will likely be even tougher for Minnesota, which is 5-3 at the moment. After falling in three of their first five games to start the season, the Gophers have won each of their last three, including an upset win over then-No. 11 USC on Oct. 5.
Illinois, the home team for today's game, enters their Big Ten meeting with Minnesota having lost its last game. The Illini, who reached as high as No. 19 in the Associated Press Poll this season, were 6-1 going into a highly-anticipated conference road game last week vs. No. 1 Oregon.
The Ducks proved, though, to be on a different level from Illinois, which has beaten three teams that were ranked at the time of the respective games. Dillon Gabriel and Oregon defended their home turf by defeating the Illini 38-9 and remaining undefeated.
Illinois (6-2, 3-2) will now try to bounce back against Minnesota (5-3, 6-2). The Illini have won each of the last three meetings, although two of those games were decided by one score or less.
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