WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Gophers coaching staff watched a player-evaluation decision backfire in their faces — on Saturday night at least.

In the offseason, head coach P.J. Fleck and staff opted to bring back Darius Taylor as its No. 1 tailback for the 2026 season, while Fame Ijeboi transferred to Purdue to be its starter.

That decision loomed large in the Minnesota-Purdue game at Ross-Ade Stadium.

Ijeboi rushed 31 times for 195 yards and three touchdowns in the 41-13 win, while Taylor had seven carries for 15 yards.

In the offseason, the Gophers committed a significant amount of compensation to bring Taylor back as its No. 1 tailback in his senior season. The U also wanted Ijeboi to return to Minnesota for his junior season, but the Folcroft, Pa., native wanted to be a starter and that wasn’t likely with Taylor on the roster, sources told the Pioneer Press in September.

The Gophers stayed loyal to Taylor despite an injury history that has cost him roughly 25 percent of games in his career. He has missed one game this season and does not appear to have the same explosiveness he showed at the start of the season.

Ijeboi still appeared to be entertaining a return to Minnesota as the transfer portal remained open and he stayed uncommitted, but his move to a fellow Big Ten program had direct repercussions for Minnesota.

The Gophers are one of the lowest-spending teams in the Big Ten Conference this season and Fleck has said that lack of funds is most felt with positional depth.

Fleck was complimentary of Ijeboi on Monday. “He’s doing a great job — no surprise,” he said in his weekly press conference. “He did a great job when he was with us. So happy for him. In this new world of college athletics, I think everybody is looking for different opportunities and I’m so happy for him. He found that opportunity to be the No. 1 back there. …

“He did so much for our program and he’s such a great person and he’s playing at a really high level. We are going to have to tackle really well. He breaks tackles a ton. He’s a strong runner. He’s got great vision, catches the ball well out of the backfield  and has been a big addition for them.”

Coming into Saturday, Ijeboi had 86 carries for 354 yards and six touchdowns and 11 receptions for 88 yards. Taylor had 57 carries for 139 yards and four touchdowns, along with 11 receptions for 104 yards and 1 receiving TD.