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Gopher FB Coach PJ Fleck appeared on the Sports Huddle on WCCO Radio Sunday morning.
Sid: at press conference, you compared your team to a farmer.
PJ: we're growing. you can talk about score, lost a high-scoring game. But we have so many players growing. making plays they probably shouldn't be making at their age. we're so young. AT the same time, players like Carter Coughlin are playing at a high level. It's Like a farm - some of the crops are growing high. some were just planted, but they're growing. some are growing more. we'd like them to grow at the same time. Compare that to Iowa - Iowa has sustainability. they mostly play srs and jrs and sprinkle in some young people we have 7 scholarship seniors. I saw a ton of growth and positivity. But we can't play they way we did defensively in the secondary.
Sid: came close to some TD's.
PJ: we down so fast 14-0. but we continued to RTB, to fight. a lot of our players are doing a lot of this for the 1st time. the future is bright. every game we're getting better. on defense, we've got to solve some things. a lot of youth issues involved. other people have to step up and play. we need to keep looking at how we can grow today.
Sid: QB?
PJ: played well at times. played poorly at times. that's the inconsistency of playing young players. they aren't as mature mistakes were made - immature mistakes. those won't be around forever. we have to go through those things. we have chosen to get way younger, the way I know how to do it - with HS players. other teams might go for a quick fix with a lot of transfers or jucos. we aren't going to do that. we will do everything we can to grow.
Max: neither team could run
PJ: IA prides itself on stopping the run. we focus on stopping the run. proud of our inside defensive linemen - smith, silver, moore. played tremendous. that opened it up for passing game, play-action game. we did better running the ball in 2nd half, once we were able to throw better. make them keep 2 safeties back. we're developing explosive play-makers on the outside. we lost our best 2 RB's. we're working with FR, and they're doing well. proud of the progress we're making. look at how we're growing. that should excite you. give credit to both front 7's. Iowa's game plan is to take away the run. they did better job executing on 3rd down. that was the key. we couldn't get off field on 3rd down.
Sid: MN did more than any team except WI to score on IA.
PJ: no moral victories. no excuses. these are facts - things we have to look at. scored 31 pts against a good defense. that's what we need to be discussing. we have a good offense -but we need to mature faster, and eliminate mistakes, interceptions. we'll get Brooks back. we'll look at mixing up the OL, get something going there. Need defense to get off field on 3rd down. need to keep growing, getting better.
Mona: big difference in OL 1st to 2nd half. Faalele made a difference.
PJ: players we have are 60% FR. most teams, look at the depth chart, you have 1st string, 2nd string, and then some young guys. if they get in a major hole, then they play young guys. for us, we have some FR on 1st string, most of the 2's are FR. We really don't have any 3's. start looking at performance. If you're going to put a FR in the lineup, have to ask if they are mentally ready, emotionally ready. Daniel is ready to play physically. he's the strongest guy on the team. If you put a true FR on OL, is he mentally and emotionally ready? we really have to evaluate that. maybe it's not 4 games, maybe we play him the whole year. If we play him for 4 games now, maybe we'll not be as good a team, but we'll have him for 4 years down the road.
Sid: Cashman.
PJ: We put so much of the defense in his hands with AW out. Cashman has more on his plate. he's one of our best players, best tacklers, one of our smartest players.
Mona: Why does Annexstad stay on field for Wildcat?
PJ: when you have Zach on field, the defense has to check to a defense after we break from formation. when you just line up and run wildcat, there's a wildcat defense already set. when Seth is on field, and goes to wildcat, they have to check to a wildcat call - maybe somebody doesn't get it and they're out of position. we could do things with Zach out there. right now, that gives us the best chance to get the look we want to get. make the defense go to a check at the line, rather than have a set defense. When Seth is on field, he's out there as WR- so the defense can't say it's a true wildcat.
Sid: new 4-game NCAA rule?
PJ: look at how we evaluate all of that. I said we would get a lot younger before we get experienced. we're the youngest team in America. it's
a constant balance between now and the future. we want to give us an opportunity to win now, but also look at down the road. those are the decisions I have to make. not a lot of coaches would want to have 50% roster as FR. but that's the situation we're in, based on the roster when we got here. those are the decisions we have to make, to decide if it makes us better for now or better for later.
Sid: fans were into the game
PJ: fans were tremendous. the fans were into the game - both sets of fans. that's what it should look like every Saturday. we'll get there. it was a close game till the last 5 min. we learned a lot from that game. learned how important that rivalry is.
Sid: Gophers will be OK in the future. Murray's
PJ: RTB, Ski-U-Mah, Go Gophers.
Sid: at press conference, you compared your team to a farmer.
PJ: we're growing. you can talk about score, lost a high-scoring game. But we have so many players growing. making plays they probably shouldn't be making at their age. we're so young. AT the same time, players like Carter Coughlin are playing at a high level. It's Like a farm - some of the crops are growing high. some were just planted, but they're growing. some are growing more. we'd like them to grow at the same time. Compare that to Iowa - Iowa has sustainability. they mostly play srs and jrs and sprinkle in some young people we have 7 scholarship seniors. I saw a ton of growth and positivity. But we can't play they way we did defensively in the secondary.
Sid: came close to some TD's.
PJ: we down so fast 14-0. but we continued to RTB, to fight. a lot of our players are doing a lot of this for the 1st time. the future is bright. every game we're getting better. on defense, we've got to solve some things. a lot of youth issues involved. other people have to step up and play. we need to keep looking at how we can grow today.
Sid: QB?
PJ: played well at times. played poorly at times. that's the inconsistency of playing young players. they aren't as mature mistakes were made - immature mistakes. those won't be around forever. we have to go through those things. we have chosen to get way younger, the way I know how to do it - with HS players. other teams might go for a quick fix with a lot of transfers or jucos. we aren't going to do that. we will do everything we can to grow.
Max: neither team could run
PJ: IA prides itself on stopping the run. we focus on stopping the run. proud of our inside defensive linemen - smith, silver, moore. played tremendous. that opened it up for passing game, play-action game. we did better running the ball in 2nd half, once we were able to throw better. make them keep 2 safeties back. we're developing explosive play-makers on the outside. we lost our best 2 RB's. we're working with FR, and they're doing well. proud of the progress we're making. look at how we're growing. that should excite you. give credit to both front 7's. Iowa's game plan is to take away the run. they did better job executing on 3rd down. that was the key. we couldn't get off field on 3rd down.
Sid: MN did more than any team except WI to score on IA.
PJ: no moral victories. no excuses. these are facts - things we have to look at. scored 31 pts against a good defense. that's what we need to be discussing. we have a good offense -but we need to mature faster, and eliminate mistakes, interceptions. we'll get Brooks back. we'll look at mixing up the OL, get something going there. Need defense to get off field on 3rd down. need to keep growing, getting better.
Mona: big difference in OL 1st to 2nd half. Faalele made a difference.
PJ: players we have are 60% FR. most teams, look at the depth chart, you have 1st string, 2nd string, and then some young guys. if they get in a major hole, then they play young guys. for us, we have some FR on 1st string, most of the 2's are FR. We really don't have any 3's. start looking at performance. If you're going to put a FR in the lineup, have to ask if they are mentally ready, emotionally ready. Daniel is ready to play physically. he's the strongest guy on the team. If you put a true FR on OL, is he mentally and emotionally ready? we really have to evaluate that. maybe it's not 4 games, maybe we play him the whole year. If we play him for 4 games now, maybe we'll not be as good a team, but we'll have him for 4 years down the road.
Sid: Cashman.
PJ: We put so much of the defense in his hands with AW out. Cashman has more on his plate. he's one of our best players, best tacklers, one of our smartest players.
Mona: Why does Annexstad stay on field for Wildcat?
PJ: when you have Zach on field, the defense has to check to a defense after we break from formation. when you just line up and run wildcat, there's a wildcat defense already set. when Seth is on field, and goes to wildcat, they have to check to a wildcat call - maybe somebody doesn't get it and they're out of position. we could do things with Zach out there. right now, that gives us the best chance to get the look we want to get. make the defense go to a check at the line, rather than have a set defense. When Seth is on field, he's out there as WR- so the defense can't say it's a true wildcat.
Sid: new 4-game NCAA rule?
PJ: look at how we evaluate all of that. I said we would get a lot younger before we get experienced. we're the youngest team in America. it's
a constant balance between now and the future. we want to give us an opportunity to win now, but also look at down the road. those are the decisions I have to make. not a lot of coaches would want to have 50% roster as FR. but that's the situation we're in, based on the roster when we got here. those are the decisions we have to make, to decide if it makes us better for now or better for later.
Sid: fans were into the game
PJ: fans were tremendous. the fans were into the game - both sets of fans. that's what it should look like every Saturday. we'll get there. it was a close game till the last 5 min. we learned a lot from that game. learned how important that rivalry is.
Sid: Gophers will be OK in the future. Murray's
PJ: RTB, Ski-U-Mah, Go Gophers.