Hear how P.J. Fleck responded when asked about the differences between Ohio State and Michigan. #GoBucks
Minnesota football head coach P.J. Fleck knew it was going to be one whale of a challenge for his young, injury-riddled team to come into the ‘Shoe and hang with, let alone beat, Ohio State. He also knew it was a great opportunity.
As it turns out, a pretty good effort by the Golden Gophers in the first half turned in almost a blink of an eye in the third quarter. Ohio State pulled away easily in a 37-3 victory.
Fleck met with the media after his team’s effort to discuss what he saw from his team, but he also had some interesting things to say about Ohio State. We were there to take in his presser and thanks to our Buckeyes Wire YouTube Channel, we’re sharing Fleck’s full comments below.
Fleck touches on what Marvin Harrison means to Ohio State, the talent and depth the Buckeyes have, and even touched on what the difference between the OSU and Michigan is.
You know what week it is, so you also know that we’ll have all kinds of coverage leading up to the big one against Michigan this coming Saturday. Say with us and check back every day leading up to The Game.
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In case you missed it, P.J. Fleck had some very flattering things to say about Ohio State in previewing the matchup. #GoBucks
It’s one more step along a journey for the Ohio State football team. After starting the year 10-0, the Buckeyes host a 5-5 Minnesota Golden Gophers team, attempting to keep their record unbeaten.
It hasn’t been the year Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck envisioned this season, but it’s a young team that’s playing a lot of players that are developing for the future. Unfortunately for the Gophers, that future hasn’t come yet and there’s a big challenge on the doorstep against one of the top teams in the country.
Fleck knows the challenge but also sees an opportunity for this team and discussed as much when he stepped to the podium early this week to preview the matchup with Ohio State. It was vintage Fleck with some pretty long responses and insight, but he had some very complimentary things to say about this Buckeye squad that we think you’ll enjoy.
If you missed any of Fleck’s comments, you can catch them in the below press conference video thanks to the Minnesota Gophers YouTube Channel. During his comments, the Gophers head coach touched on the talent and work ethic of Marvin Harrison Jr., what makes the OSU defense so good, the problems that arise in playing Ohio State, and more.
Ohio State and Minnesota are set to kick things off at 4 p.m. ET. We’ll have coverage leading up to, during, and of course, after the game, so be sure to check back often.
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Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck said “thereâs nothing controversial” about Cooper DeJean’s 54-yard punt return touchdown getting wiped.
Minnesota head football coach P.J. Fleck made sure to share his side of the story today on the invalid fair catch signal that wiped out Cooper DeJean’s  potential game-winning, 54-yard punt return touchdown in Iowa’s 12-10 loss versus the Gophers.
Speaking with the media ahead of the Gophers’ home date this Saturday against Michigan State, Fleck expounded on his thoughts about the replay ruling that impacted the outcome in the battle for the Floyd of Rosedale.
Naturally, Fleck wasn’t about to say that the officials got it wrong.
“Well, thereâs nothing controversial about it, nothing controversial. Offsides is offsides, a false startâs a false start, a hold is a hold, an invalid fair catch signal is an invalid fair catch signal. Now the way the rule states is invalid fair catch, so everybody thinks itâs above your shoulder and has to look like a fair catch.
“Thatâs not part of the rule. The other part of the rule that was implemented years ago is the poison rule. When you poison or Peter any call, you cannot advance that ball. You can point to a ball, thatâs fine. But, with one hand, you canât shoo away people at all. You canât do that. We got called for that weeks ago if you remember. We shooed people away from the ball, caught it, wanted to return it, and it was blown dead,” Fleck said.
The Gophers’ seventh-year head coach also pushed back against the narrative that the replay was initially to see if DeJean stayed in bounds and then morphed into a review on DeJean’s invalid fair catch signal.
“Who said he stepped out of bounds and they were reviewing that? Well, you said assumption. I was never told about out of bounds. I was told when they came over to tell me that it was, they were reviewing whether he fair caught it or not,” Fleck said.
Fleck did feel that the officials should have blown the play dead immediately.
“The only thing that should have happenedâand Iâm not a referee, nor am I blaming anyoneâis it should have been blown dead right there. Donât even let that play happen, because it doesnât exist. The play doesnât even exist, because itâs a poison and a Peter call, and itâs a dead ball. No controversy about it,” Fleck said.
One piece that even upset Iowa fans will probably agree about: the Hawkeyes still wound up with the football at their own 46-yard line with one timeout and a chance to go win the game.
The Gophers made several final plays after the review to seal it.
“I mean, you still had to go play football. That play did not exist, right, so you still had to go play football. Next play, our players respond, we have a sack. Then, we have an interception.
“You know, you get pulled over for speeding, âDo you know why I pulled you over?â âNo.â âWell, you were going 25 miles per hour over the speed limit.â âWell, I was just keeping up with the flow of traffic.â I mean, we still had to make plays. We still had to go make plays. Right, and again, as I said before, I mean, we had three takeaways, we didnât have any turnovers, they had 11 yards rushing, they had 127 yards of total offense. We had 113 rushing yards. We were four-of-five in the field goal unit,” Fleck said.
Here’s the full sequence of Fleck answering the media’s questions on Monday about the invalid fair catch signal that erased DeJean’s potential heroics.
Iowa has this week off to collect itself, get healthy and then make a push for the stretch run.
The Hawkeyes (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) will return to action the following week in Week 10 of the college football season when Iowa travels to Wrigley Field to battle Northwestern (3-4, 1-3 Big Ten) on Nov. 4 at 2:30 p.m. The game will stream on Peacock.
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“They’re Iowa.” P.J. Fleck knows what to expect from the Hawkeyes and he respects Iowa’s formula. After all, he’s 0-6 against the Hawkeyes.
As P.J. Fleck brings his Minnesota Golden Gophers into Iowa City, he looks to solve an 0-6 start as Minnesota’s head coach versus the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Each of the three losses under Fleck’s direction inside Kinnick Stadium have come by one score. Iowa handed him another one-score loss last season in a 13-10 defensive struggle.
By now, Fleck knows what to expect from Iowa.
“They’re Iowa,” Fleck opened when asked what stands out about the 2023 Hawkeyes.
“I think with this team, I think when we’re talking about complementary football, I think a lot of people just think you’re really good on offense, really good on defense and really good on special teams. It’s not about being good on one or the other.”
A constant victim from the ghosts of Hawkeyes’ past, Fleck understands as well as anybody that Iowa has a recipe for success.
“It’s about how do you go through a game and go win games based on your formula to win games? I don’t think there’s a team that does it better than Iowa.
“They understand who they are more than most teams, they stick to who they are more than most teams, and then they beat you in every area. And that was a prime example against Wisconsin, of exactly who Iowa is. And they’re very efficient. They don’t turn the ball over. Their special teams are a huge factor in how they win. I mean a huge factor, special teams doesn’t get enough credit. And their defense is one of the best defenses in the country consistently. So they have a formula and they do it really well,” Fleck said.
Defense and special teams and then some more defense and special teams. Mix in a timely drive or two, or a big offensive play or two, and Iowa is in business.
Fleck knows the drill and Iowa will look to employ that same formula to the finish line this afternoon. The Hawkeyes have won eight straight in the series and are looking to extend a program-best stretch of possession with the Floyd of Rosedale.
Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on NBC.
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Iowa has had Minnesota’s number for a long time, especially in Iowa City. As gameday arrives, P.J. Fleck discussed Iowa’s dominance.
The Golden Gophers haven’t won in Iowa City since P.J. Fleck’s first year playing college football. That was all the way back when Fleck was a freshman wide receiver at Northern Illinois in the fall of 1999.
That was the final game of Kirk Ferentz’s first season at the helm as the Hawkeyes’ head coach. Keep in mind, Ferentz is now the longest-tenured head coach in college football.
Minnesota hasn’t won in Iowa City since. It’s a stretch of 10 straight home wins for the Hawkeyes.
The series against Iowa in general has been incredibly lopsided of late.
Fleck carries an 0-6 mark as the Gophers’ head coach into Kinnick Stadium this afternoon and Iowa has won eight straight overall in the series. That’s the Hawkeyes’ longest winning streak in the series in its history.
Ferentz actually dropped his first two as Iowa’s head coach in the series versus Minnesota. But, it’s a rivalry that he and Iowa have controlled ever since. Ferentz and the Hawkeyes have made capturing the Floyd of Rosedale routine, winning 18 of the past 22 in the series.
Fleck is well aware of the close losses versus Iowa during his time atop the Minnesota program. The Gophers have dropped four one-score games in that span, losing 17-10 in 2017, 23-19 in 2019, 27-22 in 2021 and 13-10 last season.
Fleck wasn’t downplaying earlier this week what a win over Iowa would mean for him and the Minnesota program.
“Obviously, it means a lot to our fan base. It means a lot to our players. It means a lot to our state, as it does Iowa’s team. They’ve had a lot of success in years past. I think we’ve had one win there since 1999, and just twice in 40 years. That’s not a lot. So we’ve got to work it out for us.
“We know how good they are. The game has been really close the last few years, as a rivalry should be. I think both teams really respect the rivalry and the fan base really do, too. Obviously, Iowa’s had the upper hand over the years, but we’re prepared to be do everything we can to be 1-0. It’s a one-game championship season. It’s a huge rivalry game. We’ve talked to our players about what it means. They understand that. A lot of guys who have been here understand that as they know how close we been.
“And we kind of do the history of the rivalry, just like we do every year with a rivalry game. But we’re going in to play a top 25 team. We know that. They know all the facts that everybody reports, but we just got to go in and play our best game on offense, defense and special teams.
“I mean this team has still has not played their best football yet and that’s my responsibility and my job to get them to. And hopefully they can do that on on Saturday afternoon,” Fleck said.
Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT this afternoon inside Kinnick Stadium where the Hawkeyes will look to run their string to nine straight over the Gophers.
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Rece Davis of ESPN had some interesting candidates he could see Michigan State hiring as its next head coach
Rece Davis could see Michigan State rowing the boat next fall.
Davis — host of ESPN’s “College GameDay” show — revealed a handful of candidates Michigan State should consider for its open head coaching position. The list includes P.J. Fleck of Minnesota.
Here’s what Davis had to say about Fleck and the Spartans chances of making him their next head coach:
“I’m a big fan of PJ Fleck,” Davis said. “I’m not sure that this constitutes a big enough upward mobility for him from Minnesota, but maybe it does. That would be for him to decide.”
Davis considers a move by Fleck as a bit of a long shot, so he also named Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi and Iowa State’s Matt Campbell as others to monitor.
I’m not sure many Spartans fans would be happy about any of these three hires (I personally wouldn’t), but I also wouldn’t be shocked if it ends up being one of these three. Of this group, Fleck would be my personal first choice.
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Could Michigan State football be rowing the boat next fall?
Could Michigan State football be rowing the boat next fall?
College football insider Bruce Feldman is reporting that he’s heard Michigan State has “some interest” in current Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck for its soon to be vacant head coach position. It came out on Monday that Michigan State has notified currently suspended head coach Mel Tucker he will be fired for cause.
Feldman put together a complete list of candidates Michigan State could consider but Fleck was the only one he noted there was known interest from the Spartans. Fleck has been at Minnesota since 2017, and has led the Golden Gophers to nine or more wins in each of the last three full seasons (not including the COVID shortened 2020 year). Prior to his time at Minnesota, Fleck turned around Western Michigan in going from 1-11 in his first season to a 13-1 year and Cotton Bowl appearance in 2016.
Whether or not Fleck would consider leaving one Big Ten school for another is a whole other question. But it’s interesting to hear from Feldman that the Spartans are at least interested in Fleck at this point in the early stages of the coaching search.
Click on the tweet below to read Feldman’s complete breakdown on potential candidates Michigan State will pursue to replace Tucker:
With Michigan State moving on from Mel Tucker, who do the Spartans target to be their next head coach? Mike Elko? PJ Fleck? Sean Lewis? Lance Leipold? Chris Klieman? Hereâs what weâre hearing about the MSU coaching search: https://t.co/EIWWsPmT11
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Another Big Ten school is dealing with the possibility of a toxic environment within its football program. This time it revolves around P.J. Fleck and the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
According to an interview with Front Office Sports, former players weighed in on the Minnesota football program comparing it to that of a cult. One term used in the interviews collected by FOS was the Fleck Bank. It ultimately meant that players could get away with a positive drug test or violation of team rules according to the report.
âYou almost wondered who was a rat and who wasnât a rat,â the first player told FOS. âYou always felt like you had to keep [your] guard up. They told us we could seek help with a mental health counselor, and get some therapy sessions. But our schedules were so busy that it was like, when would you do that?â
âSome of Fleckâs recruits tested positive, but he looked past it because they had coins in the Fleck Bank from doing community service or staying around to pray with him,â said the second player. âHe wanted you to be family, and he wanted you to do whatever he wanted you to do.â
With so much attention on cultures within programs after the hazing scandal at Northwestern, it remains to be seen what this could mean for the Minnesota program. Athletic director Mark Coyle seems to be firmly in the corner of Fleck but this could become a fluid situation to monitor if any current players come forward as well.
The New York Giants did their homework before secreting Minnesota center John Michael Schmitz with the 57th overall pick in this year’s NFL draft.
A bit older (24) than most draftees due to a redshirt freshman season and an additional eligibility exemption due to COVID-19, Schmitz comes to the Giants as a ‘turnkey,’ game-ready player.
Schmitz’s college coach, P.J. Fleck, recently told the folks on the Giants Huddle Podcast that JMS was a ‘row the boat’ guy, loves his passion and the feeling is mutual as Schmitz followed Fleck from Western Michigan to Minnesota.
“Well, first of all, he fit everything — what the ‘row the boat’ culture is about, what we’re about within our walls, whether that’s at Western Michigan or Minnesota,” Fleck said in reference to his ‘never-give-up’ mantra.
“It’s all about the people, and it’s all about fit. I think the best NFL teams have the best cultures and have the best fit and connectivity, and that’s what we’re all about. It was really easy to tell John Michael Schmitz was going to fit our program. He was tough, a south side of Chicago kid. If you’ve ever met his mother, you would know exactly what I’m talking about. She’s one of the toughest people I’ve ever met.”
Schmitz’s mother, Debbie, accompanied him to East Rutherford after the draft to meet the Giants, most specifically head coach Brian Daboll and offensive line coach Bobby Johnson.
“I walked out of there and I’m like, ‘This is a perfect fit,'” Debbie said after meeting Daboll and Johnson. “This couldn’t have worked out any better for John Michael because they remind me of my son. . . It was meant to be.”
The Giants hope so, too. And they hope he’s as mean and nasty as Fleck suggests.
“He’s one of the greatest people off the field, one of the best connectors of a locker room that you’ll ever meet,” Fleck said. “However, when he’s on that football field, he is a nasty, nasty human being. That’s what you want because you’re creating that identity of what you’re going to become as a program, especially when you’re in the Big Ten, and especially when you’re in the north and in the Mid-American Conference. You’ve got to be able to impose your will, and we believe strongly in that.”
