UM QB Gray likely to miss Wisconsin game

MINNEAPOLIS It sounds unlikely that the University of Minnesota football team will have quarterback MarQueis Gray on the field when the Gophers travel to Madison this weekend to take on the Wisconsin Badgers. Gray reinjured his ankle in Saturdays loss to Northwestern, and Gophers head coach Jerry Kill said Gray is a question mark for Minnesotas upcoming game against rival Wisconsin. Gray missed two games after suffering a high ankle sprain against Western Michigan. He returned to action Saturday against Northwestern, beginning the game at wide receiver. But Gray eventually took over at quarterback when sophomore Max Shortell was dinged up early. After going 7-for-11 for 66 yards through the air against the Wildcats in relief of Shortell, Gray was reinjured when he took a hit to his leg following a first down run. Kill said the latest injury was a step back for Gray after making progress during the teams bye week. "I think hes about like where he was in the off week," Kill said of Gray. "Hes in a boot. Im optimistic where we can get him jogging some this afternoon, but he hasnt jogged. Its frustrating for him. I know that. Its frustrating for all of us, but at the end of the day you care about the kids. Hes doing well, and then comes up and hes just had some tough luck. Thats all there is to it. "Hell battle back and find a way. Our deal is weve just got to find a way to keep him healthy." Without a healthy Gray, Minnesotas running game may suffer Saturday. The dual threat Gray is second on the Gophers with 320 rushing yards on 54 carries, including three rushing touchdowns. Gray also said that offensive lineman Foster Bush will not play Saturday. Among those players listed as questionable are defensive lineman Roland Johnson, left tackle Ed Olson and wide receivers Isaac Fruechte and Marcus Jones. Kill added that sophomore wide receiver Devin Crawford-Tufts is questionable but "probably wont play," while safety Derrick Wells is questionable due to a laceration on his knee. "At one time during the game, we had five starters that were not playing," Kill said of the Northwestern game. "We just didnt have a lot of good continuity. As I tell our coaches all the time, those are excuses. Youve got to find a way to get it done. So weve got to have those players that step in, theyve got to step in and get it done." Follow Tyler Mason on Twitter.