11:40 AM ET

Chris Autman-Bell will miss the rest of the season because of a lower-leg injury.

Autman-Bell will have surgery and will be out for the rest of the season. Autman-Bell was injured while trying to catch a pass in the second quarter of the game. He has 11 catches and 202 receiving yards.

He is a big part of the football team. He's one of the most important parts of what we do and how we do it.

Autman-Bell has played in 47 games for Minnesota and has 125 career catches. He has made a reception in each of the 41 games he has played. Minnesota will ask the NCAA for a seventh year of eligibility for Autman-Bell, but will leave the decision up to him.

Entering this week's Big Ten opener at Michigan State, the University of Minnesota has received votes in both polls. Michael Brown-Stephens, Clay Geary, and Dylan Wright are expected to fill in for Autman-Bell.