By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Tanner Morgan made his mark on Northern Kentucky high school football as the quarterback on Ryle football teams that won 21 of 25 games during the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
Last Saturday, Morgan impressed college football fans across the nation by leading Minnesota to a 31-26 win over Penn State in a showdown between two Big Ten Conference rivals that entered the game with perfect records.
The redshirt sophomore completed 18 of 20 passes for 339 yards and three touchdowns in one of the biggest victories in the history of the Minnesota program. The Golden Gophers improved to 9-0 and jumped from No. 13 to No. 7 in this week’s Associated Press national poll.
Penn State (8-1) dropped from No. 5 to No. 9 after the loss to one of the most surprising college teams in the nation. Minnesota wasn’t ranked among the top 25 when the season began and has now achieved its highest ranking since 1962.
Morgan was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for his passing performance in Saturday’s nationally televised game. It was the second time this season that he completed 90 percent of his passes. He completed 21 of 22 for a career-high 396 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Purdue on Sept. 28.
Through nine games, Morgan has completed 131 of 193 passes (67.8 percent) for 2,100 yards and 21 touchdowns. Over the last two seasons, he has passed for 3,501 yards, which ranks 11th all-time at Minnesota.
The Golden Gophers have a 13-2 record over the last two seasons with Morgan as the starting quarterback. He has guided the team to 12 straight wins, which is tied for the third longest current winning streak in the nation.
If Minnesota wins its next game at Iowa, it will have a 10-0 record for the first time since the 1904 season and reach double digits in victories for the first time since 2003.