BleedGopher
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Beat Bielema. It's time.
Per Randy:
Monday morning, P.J. Fleck did his best impersonation of a benevolent Dikembe Mutombo.
The Gophers football coach — all 5-foot-10 of him — anticipated the question: “What would it mean to you to not only get your first win over Coach [Bret] Bielema, but also lock up bowl eligibility?” — and politely swatted it away, much like the 7-2 former Denver Nuggets star, but without a finger wag.
“This is going to bore you,” Fleck answered. “1-0. That’s all we’re worried about.”
Fleck’s approach is that each game stands alone, each week is a one-game championship season, and this week that season is No. 24 Illinois. On Saturday, the Gophers visit the Fighting Illini in Champaign, where they’ll face a coach that has Minnesota’s number.
Bielema took over as Illinois coach in 2021 and has a 3-0 record against Fleck, winning 14-6, 26-14 and 27-26 last year with an improbable fourth-quarter rally. If you look back to Bielema’s days as Wisconsin’s coach, his win streak over the Gophers stretches to 10 games. He went a combined 7-0 against coaches Glen Mason, Tim Brewster and Jerry Kill.
“I have a lot of respect for Coach Bielema and what he does,” Fleck said. “He always has a hard, smash-mouth, tough football team no matter where he’s been — Wisconsin, Arkansas, Illinois. It’s his DNA.”
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!
Per Randy:
Monday morning, P.J. Fleck did his best impersonation of a benevolent Dikembe Mutombo.
The Gophers football coach — all 5-foot-10 of him — anticipated the question: “What would it mean to you to not only get your first win over Coach [Bret] Bielema, but also lock up bowl eligibility?” — and politely swatted it away, much like the 7-2 former Denver Nuggets star, but without a finger wag.
“This is going to bore you,” Fleck answered. “1-0. That’s all we’re worried about.”
Fleck’s approach is that each game stands alone, each week is a one-game championship season, and this week that season is No. 24 Illinois. On Saturday, the Gophers visit the Fighting Illini in Champaign, where they’ll face a coach that has Minnesota’s number.
Bielema took over as Illinois coach in 2021 and has a 3-0 record against Fleck, winning 14-6, 26-14 and 27-26 last year with an improbable fourth-quarter rally. If you look back to Bielema’s days as Wisconsin’s coach, his win streak over the Gophers stretches to 10 games. He went a combined 7-0 against coaches Glen Mason, Tim Brewster and Jerry Kill.
“I have a lot of respect for Coach Bielema and what he does,” Fleck said. “He always has a hard, smash-mouth, tough football team no matter where he’s been — Wisconsin, Arkansas, Illinois. It’s his DNA.”
Bret Bielema is 10-0 all-time vs. the Gophers; P.J. Fleck just wants this one
P.J. Fleck, who is 0-3 in games coached against Bret Bielema, spoke Monday of how much he respects him as a coach.
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!
