Bret Bielema is 10-0 all-time vs. the Gophers; P.J. Fleck just wants this one

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.”


Go Gophers!!
 

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.”


Go Gophers!!
Fleck 1, Bulletin Board material 0.
 

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.”


Go Gophers!!

Spot on, Coach. I respect Bielema too.

I'm glad that the writer noted that the first 4 wins in Bielema's 7-0 streak against Minnesota were compiled against Mason, Brewster and Kill. Fleck shouldn't be associated with the entire streak.
 

People are obsessed with these streaks. He wins the first three vs Fleck, the last one in flukey fashion, and now he supposedly owns Fleck. People act like we can’t win because a streak is in progress.
 




Spot on, Coach. I respect Bielema too.

I'm glad that the writer noted that the first 4 wins in Bielema's 7-0 streak against Minnesota were compiled against Mason, Brewster and Kill. Fleck shouldn't be associated with the entire streak.
I used to be disrespectful to Coach Bielema and his first name but after last year he is and always will be Coach Bielema in my book. The guy knows football.

Hoping to break the streak this weekend. It will be a meaningful win if we get it. Ski U Mah.
 


That IL game last year at home about broke me as fan. My illusions of AK ever becoming a good QB ended. My respect for Rossi diminished. It seemed to break the team, too. They didn't win another Power 4/5 game until USC this year. I took some time off from the Gophs and didn't watch another full game until the bowl game. As a fan, beating Illinois would be a much bigger win than it should be...at least for me.
 




2021 was every bit as frustrating IMO, losing 14-6 in Bielema's first season with the Illini.

Gophers were ranked 20th with Big 10 West title hopes having only 1 Big 10 L, while Illinois came into the Bank 3-6.
That was a bad one. Combined with the BG loss, could have easily been a great season...
 

2021 was every bit as frustrating IMO, losing 14-6 in Bielema's first season with the Illini.

Gophers were ranked 20th with Big 10 West title hopes having only 1 Big 10 L, while Illinois came into the Bank 3-6.
Fuckin brutal!
 




Spot on, Coach. I respect Bielema too.

I'm glad that the writer noted that the first 4 wins in Bielema's 7-0 streak against Minnesota were compiled against Mason, Brewster and Kill. Fleck shouldn't be associated with the entire streak.
First seven wins in Bielema’s 10 game winning streak were against Fleck’s predecessors … ten straight wins, not seven.
 

2021 was every bit as frustrating IMO, losing 14-6 in Bielema's first season with the Illini.

Gophers were ranked 20th with Big 10 West title hopes having only 1 Big 10 L, while Illinois came into the Bank 3-6.
Yeah, that was a tough game to sit through.
 

I just watched this interview with BB from the Illini Board.

You could do a lot worse than having this fat guy as your coach. He is pretty well spoken and knows how to build up a program. Sure you can dislike him as a rival, but as a teammate or as a player he is probably great

Iowa is going to take a run at him if he gets it rolling at Illinois. Iowa City is pretty great and Hayden is a big legacy to be part of.

Ban this person
 

If I recall correctly Big Phat Bret was the a-hole who put in a FG vs. a Brewster led Gopher team in the waning moments, after calling a TO to set it in motion. The game was already out of reach and he chose to run up the score. But maybe I’m mistaken.
 


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.”


Go Gophers!!
Please update the title thread 😃
 




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