News:Donnell Kirkwood carried the ball 19 times for 77 yards and one touchdown against Texas Tech on Friday.
Analysis:Donnell Kirkwood only topped the 100-yard mark three times on the season and will face competition from Rodrick Williams Jr. in the offseason for the top spot on the Gopher depth chart.
News:Donnell Kirkwood carried the ball 28 times for 152 yards and two touchdowns against Illinois on Saturday.
Analysis:Donnell Kirkwood burst out for his second 100 yard game since entering Big 12 play. He faces a tougher matchup against Nebraska next week, but should still get enough touches to put up some numbers, although he most likely won't match his 152 yard performance.
News:Donnell Kirkwood carried the ball 16 times for 58 yards against Michigan on Saturday.
Analysis:Donnell Kirkwood struggled again against Michigan, and has only posted one good game since entering Big Ten play. But even with his recent struggles, he is facing an easier matchup against Illinois next week.
News:Donnell Kirkwood ran the ball 22 times for 134 yards against Purdue on Saturday.
Analysis:Donnell Kirkwood had his best game since entering Big Ten play, but while he topped the century mark, he hasn't found the endzone since entering conference play and faces a tough matchup against Michigan next week.
News:Donnell Kirkwood carried the ball five times for eight yards against Wisconsin on Saturday.
Analysis:Donnell Kirkwood split touches with Roderick Wiliams Jr. but neither proved very effective and the Minnesota offense relied more on quarterback Philip Nelson in the running game. He'll face an easier matchup next week against Purdue, but his lack of production since entering Big Ten play is a cause for concern.
News:Donnell Kirkwood carried the ball 18 times for 73 yards against Northwestern on Saturday.
Analysis:Donnell Kirkwood's role could increase against Wisconsin if Marqueis Gray is unable to go, as Kirkwood would return to being the primary offensive threat.
News:Donnell Kirkwood will try to bounce back against Northwestern on Saturday, after posting his worst game of the season against Iowa in the Big Ten season opener.
Analysis:Donnell Kirkwood's matchup isn't ideal, as he faces off against the nation's 15th best rushing defense in the nation in Northwestern, but he should receive plenty of touches with Max Shortell set to start his third game under center.
News:Donnell Kirkwood carried the ball 12 times for 33 yards and caught two passes for 14 yards against Iowa on Saturday.
Analysis:Donnell Kirkwood, along with the rest of the Gopher offense, struggled to get things going against Iowa, and in the second half, they were forced to abandon the run as they tried to erase a 24-point halftime deficit.
News:Donnell Kirkwood carried the ball 28 times for 99 yards and two touchdowns in the Gophers' win against Syracuse on Saturday.
Analysis:Donnell Kirkwood is the biggest beneficiary of the injury to Marqueis Gray, because when the dual-threat quarterback can't go, Kirkwood becomes the focal point of the Minnesota ground game.
News:Donnell Kirkwood carried the ball 23 times for 110 yards in the Gophers' win against Western Michigan on Saturday.
Analysis: With quarterback Marqueis Gray out, Krikwood shouldered the rushing load. Donnell Kirkwood is the lead back, but if Gray can't go next week against Syracuse, Kirkwood's value increases.
News:Donnell Kirkwood ran the ball 17 times for 70 yards and one touchdown against New Hampshire on Saturday.
Analysis:Donnell Kirkwood tied for the team-lead with 17 rushes. Quarterback Marqueis Gray ran for more yards, but with the Gophers offense relying heavily on the run, Kirkwood should continue to get his touches on a weekly basis.
Kirkwood Splits Carries, Leads Gophers In Rushing Yards
News:Donnell Kirkwood ran for 81 yards on 13 carries and caught an eight-yard pass against UNLV on Thursday.
Analysis: Despite leading the Gophers in rushing yards, Donnell Kirkwood had the third most rushing attempts on the team, one behind fellow running back James Gillum, and three behind quarterback Marqueis Grey. While Kirkwood averaged a nice 6.2 yards per carry, as long as he keeps splitting carries, he will not be a viable option to start.
News: While Donnell Kirkwood will begin the season as the starting running back, the Gophers plan to use a committee system, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Analysis: He'll likely split carries with James Gillum and possibly Devon Wright and freshman K.J. Maye. The Minnesota backfield may not be much of an option for fantasy purposes as a result.
News: Minnesota running back Donnell Kirkwood thinks his hamstring is fully healed, and he expects to be ready to go against Purdue.
Analysis: The Gophers would love to have Kirkwood on the field more often than not. He's simply the best option in the Gophers backfield, especially if quarterback MarQueis Gray can't go.
News: Minnesota coach Jerry Kill says running back Donnell Kirkwood's physical style is something he isn't used to, and that the freshman has impressed him.
Analysis: CBS Sports expects Kirkwood to receive the bulk of the carries over senior Duane Bennett against North Dakota State. Add Kirkwood to your watch list.
News: Kirkwood is unlikely to play this week due to hamstring and calf injuries, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Analysis: He missed last week's loss to Northwestern with the injury. Duane Bennett and DeLeon Eskridge will get even more carries with Kirkwood out.
News: Kirkwood had 12 carries for 50 yards in Thursday's win over Middle Tennessee State.
Analysis: Duane Bennett got 30 carries while Kirkwood got 12 carries and DeLeon Eskridge had 11 carries. It looks like all three backs will get carries, but Kirkwood will only get about a quarter of the touches.
