When Eric Decker limped to the bench last Saturday in the fourth quarter after injuring his left ankle he might have given more than a few Gopher fans heart palpitations. Along with his off the field roommate, quarterback Adam Weber, Decker is a player the Gophers just can’t be without if they are to have a winning season in the Big Ten Conference. They are a two-man attack for the Gophers so far this season, accounting for most of the yardage and four of the team’s six offensive touchdowns.
Decker said after the game he “rolled” his ankle but expected to play on Saturday in Evanston against Northwestern in the opening conference game for both teams. It’s the same ankle that has troubled the senior wide receiver in the past and is now more susceptible to injury.
The 2-1 Gophers have rushed for 257 yards and passed for 700. Decker has 415 yards in receptions, or 43 percent of the team’s rushing and passing total. He has 27 receptions in the first three games or almost half of the team’s total of 61. His average of 138.3 yards and nine receptions per game ranks No. 3 and 4 in the country.
Last Saturday was a painful day for the Minnesota native, even though he caught two touchdown passes and set the school career record for receptions with 204. Not only was Decker icing his ankle even before the game ended, but earlier he had his chin bloodied in a vicious collision with a California defender. That collision didn’t stop Decker from making one of the better catches in Gopher history, grabbing a 26 yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.
But most painful was losing the game to No. 8 ranked California. The Gophers and Decker, who received multiple stitches to his chin, were in a 21-21 tie with the Golden Bears going into the fourth quarter before losing 35-21.
Gopher coach Tim Brewster has frequently expressed praise for Decker and offered this following Saturday’s game: “He’s as tough a kid as there is in the country,” Brewster said. “He’s tough as nails.”