Monday Fleck Press Conference

[MNVCGUY]

Nice to see the heroic comebacks against top tier teams.

we should not have been behind in any if those games requiring a come back.

Oh come on. I guarantee you could go through every teams schedule and find examples of games they were trailing in against a team they should beat. The only exceptions might be the best of the best like Alabama but even there, I know they have had some closer games through the years against teams they were expected to dominate.

 

[MNVCGUY]

I had the same feeling watching his press conference last night. He knows now that he can't leave for a better job and next year will be tough but he eats difficult conversations for breakfast so he should be ok. I am a Fleck guy but I am just very frustrated with the trend we have seen this year watching a veteran team make mistakes and committ penalties etc.

The uptick in dumb/avoidable penalties so far this year has been surprising. One thing Fleck's teams have been really good at is not making those stupid mistakes. That has not been the case as much this year.

 

[CentralGopher]

I don't think he's given that freedom. That is why they don't snap the ball until the last possible moment most of the time. They are taking direction from the sideline (OC) for what to run. I'm guessing that deviating from that plan would get them benched.

Correct, although Sanford should be signalling the adjustment in based on what the defense is showing. Not sure what was different but typically it isn't this bad and our offense does better. Possibly they were much better at disguising what they were doing but I doubt it.

 

[Boomtime]

Purdue has now become a surprisingly big game.

Win...and bleeding stops for a bit.

Lose... and this thing potentially spirals downward.

When looking at the schedule last summer, I never thought we'd be at this point.

 

[MNVCGUY]

Purdue has now become a surprisingly big game.

Win...and bleeding stops for a bit.

Lose... and this thing potentially spirals downward.

When looking at the schedule last summer, I never thought we'd be at this point.

To me Purdue is just as big a deal now as it was coming into the season. Bowling Green doesn't change that. This team has the talent to contend for the West and if you want to be a contender you have to win the majority of your conference games. So winning the Purdue game was always going to be important.

Think most hoped/expected us to be sitting at 3-1 right now so 2-2 is a little frustrating but there is a ton of season left and this team has the talent and experience to be a factor in the West.

BG game sucked, but doesn't mean it is going to define our season. It is on the team and coaches to prove that the BG game was the exception and not the rule.

 

[Boomtime]

To me Purdue is just as big a deal now as it was coming into the season. Bowling Green doesn't change that. This team has the talent to contend for the West and if you want to be a contender you have to win the majority of your conference games. So winning the Purdue game was always going to be important.

Think most hoped/expected us to be sitting at 3-1 right now so 2-2 is a little frustrating but there is a ton of season left and this team has the talent and experience to be a factor in the West.

BG game sucked, but doesn't mean it is going to define our season. It is on the team and coaches to prove that the BG game was the exception and not the rule.

Totally agree, but the pathetic effort by the coaching staff makes the Purdue game a bigger question.

Getting the vibe that Fleck is having his own doubts about this team just by the way he refuses to take chances... other than stupid 4th down attempts deep in your own territory. That was as bone headed of a decision that we've seen in the first 5, or is it 4, seasons.

 

[akgo4]

You can say "its on me", but that only works up until about 0-5. At that point, those issues need to be fixed. You are now at 0-17. I see this as a mental toughness issue caused by the culture that permeates what they are doing as a team. They are playing scared and not to lose right now, You allowed Morgan 13 passing attempts. Regardless of the last 2 pass attempts being picks, do you not trust him? This is a team full of Seniors that played like they needed to be babied to get through it. The coaching needs to recognize that this week and kick some people in the ass, including themselves.

 

[FlaGopher23]

Newsflash for ya bro, most teams that are leading at halftime win the game. 17-17 would not be paltry. 0-17 is not good, but 6-11 wouldn’t be bad.

I’ll try to remember this post when we get 6 wins after being down at the half but by the time that happens I’ll be too busy traveling to my second home on Mars. LOL.

BTW, “0-17 is not good” is the understatement of the year.

 

[Word]

I’ll try to remember this post when we get 6 wins after being down at the half but by the time that happens I’ll be too busy traveling to my second home on Mars. LOL.

BTW, “0-17 is not good” is the understatement of the year.

I love this post you made years ago. Seriously, you posted this (about a different coach).

Winners know that losing is inevitable but winners move on and learn from the past. You go hard the next time and even harder until you are back winning again.

Nobody makes the perfect decision every time but indecision is far worse. Give the guy a break. No matter how much you bash him on these boards you won't change how he runs the program.

Support the kids, support the team, support the school and the coaches. Put your mind on winning and it will come.

 

[Dakota2]

I don't think he's given that freedom. That is why they don't snap the ball until the last possible moment most of the time. They are taking direction from the sideline (OC) for what to run. I'm guessing that deviating from that plan would get them benched.

Would be fun to watch Sanford or Fleck bench a quarterback who, on his own, changed the play and it resulted in a 60-yard catch and run.

 

[Boomtime]

Fleck coaches "scared". You only need to look at his approach when fielding kickoffs and his fear to return kicks. Not trusting his upperclassmen is a sure sign of it.

I want to see a reporter ask the players how they feel about this strategy? Coach like a pussy and you get results like the BG game.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

There is a difference between saying "this is 100% on me"

and giving specific examples of mistakes or bad decisions.

A HS coach I cover - in a post-game interview - admitted that he got too excited during the game and made play calls that went away from his original strategy. that is an example of a coach being specific about a mistake.

Most coaches do not do that, and Fleck is no exception.

 

[Triple D]

Tickle me alarmed with all the resources we put into WR that we only have one the staff feels can win 1-on-1 matchups against Bowling Green.

I thought Matt Simon was the WR Whisperer?

 

[Triple D]

0-17. That is definitely not Nekton Mentality.

Bowling Green had Nekton Mentality, during warm-ups it was easy to see the BG players were focused and the Gopher players were expecting an easy day.

Definitely not Elite either is it?

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

There is a difference between saying "this is 100% on me"

and giving specific examples of mistakes or bad decisions.

A HS coach I cover - in a post-game interview - admitted that he got too excited during the game and made play calls that went away from his original strategy. that is an example of a coach being specific about a mistake.

Most coaches do not do that, and Fleck is no exception.

"This is 100% on me" sounds like a good thing to say, in the vain of "I'm the leader, so the buck stops here." If memory serves, I think that kind of became a canned line after he got accused his first year of deflecting blame by making excuses. I am less concerned than you about whether he shares specific examples at the press conference.

The bigger question for me is, does he actually believe it and does he plan to make changes? In other words, is there something specific that he has identified about the way we planned and prepared for this game that he will not do the next time we are a heavy favorite? I don't need him to preview that for the opponents, but given how many failures there were on Saturday, it better be something pretty fundamental and significant, because there is no way Saturday should have played out like it did if everyone had done their jobs right.

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

To say that, in a game against a team we are 30+ point favorites over, an individual receiver is such an integral part of the plan that an injury to that receiver becomes a major problem for our game plan is pretty much on par with Scott Frost saying that the way the defense lined up for the first play meant they had to throw out half of their game plan.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

0-17 when trailing at the half.

Just to bring some more color on other half time scenarios too:

2017:
Good:
Oregon State: 20-14 at half; 48-14 final
Michigan State: 17-6 at half; 27-30 loss (much closer game in second half)
Illinois: 7-7 half; 24-17 win

Bad:
Purdue: 14-6 at half; 17-31 final

2018:
Bad:
Ohio State: 14-17 half; 14-30 final

2019:
Good:
Iowa: 6-20; 19-23 final

Bad:
Maryland: 28-21 half; 44-45 final
Purdue: 21-10 half; 34-31 final
Wisconsin: 7-10 half; 17-38 final

 

[Boomtime]

Definitely not Elite either is it?

"Elite" is a marketing ploy to make himself rich. No one that has watched this team for 4/5 years believes anything is elite.

Yes, we've had games where they played well. but results say we're still at Mason level football. And I'll wait to judge if recruiting has resulted in a better football team once they hit the field. Recruiting doesn't mean much without development.

Fingers crossed, tho. Gopher fans are due for success.

 

[MNVCGUY]

"Elite" is a marketing ploy to make himself rich. No one that has watched this team for 4/5 years believes anything is elite.

Yes, we've had games where they played well. but results say we're still at Mason level football. And I'll wait to judge if recruiting has resulted in a better football team once they hit the field. Recruiting doesn't mean much without development.

Fingers crossed, tho. Gopher fans are due for success.

I don't know....2019 was a pretty damn elite year in my mind.

Your last line made me chuckle because we all know the only thing your fingers are crossed for is a scenario that leads to Fleck getting fired.

 

[Boomtime]

I don't know....2019 was a pretty damn elite year in my mind.

Your last line made me chuckle because we all know the only thing your fingers are crossed for is a scenario that leads to Fleck getting fired.

Not getting fired.

Just needs to cut the self promotion and win games.

I do sense a few more fans are seeing thru the bs, tho.

 

[Gophers1992]

Not getting fired.

Just needs to cut the self promotion and win games.

I do sense a few more fans are seeing thru the bs, tho.

What "self promotion" is he doing? This is such a tired line. Any promotion he's doing is promotion of the whole team and program. You don't have to like it, but this is just a lazy criticism.

 

[bamor5229]

Just to bring some more color on other half time scenarios too:

2017:
Good:
Oregon State: 20-14 at half; 48-14 final
Michigan State: 17-6 at half; 27-30 loss (much closer game in second half)
Illinois: 7-7 half; 24-17 win

Bad:
Purdue: 14-6 at half; 17-31 final

2018:
Bad:
Ohio State: 14-17 half; 14-30 final

2019:
Good:
Iowa: 6-20; 19-23 final

Bad:
Maryland: 28-21 half; 44-45 final
Purdue: 21-10 half; 34-31 final
Wisconsin: 7-10 half; 17-38 final

I think you are misremembering our 2019 game against Maryland as what happened in 2020. Also we beat Purdue by 7. I get your point, but we had a number of blowouts in 2019 where we won by more than two touchdowns.

 

[kisarazu]

To say that, in a game against a team we are 30+ point favorites over, an individual receiver is such an integral part of the plan that an injury to that receiver becomes a major problem for our game plan is pretty much on par with Scott Frost saying that the way the defense lined up for the first play meant they had to throw out half of their game plan.

I don't want to take Fleck on his word as I think he rambles with coach speak in situations like these. But if a HC truly believes that their game plan went out the window because they lost a wide receiver...
Let's pick one:
(1) They don't have a good plan.
(2) They don't have good enough players.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

Listened to Fleck's radio show this week.

On the 4th-&-1 from the Gophers' 30 - Fleck said he felt the team needed a boost. He also said that, even if they didn't make it, he thought the Gophers' defense would hold BG to a field goal, so it would be 3-3 at worst. And then he said, given the same situation, he would do it again!

He also said something to the effect that he's not making excuses, but the Gophers were playing without their All-American RB, and their top 2 WR's missed most of the game.......

Other points - he stands by Tanner Morgan. Morgan has played a lot of good games for MN.
I don't remember 'play-calling' ever coming up.

The show kept going off on tangents, including PJ talking about his kids being in gymnastics and other things that had nothing to do with Football. Their "preview of Purdue" segment was just a few minutes at the end of the show. according to PJ, Brohm is a great coach. Purdue has 2 good QB's. This is the best Purdue defense since Fleck has been in the B1G, etc.

 

[RolGnav]

He also said something to the effect that he's not making excuses, but the Gophers were playing without their All-American RB, and their top 2 WR's missed most of the game.......

Yeah, understandable considering Bowling Green had All-Americans at every position.... wait...

Seriously, what kind of "not making excuses" of an excuse is that?