PJ Fleck has become Jerry Kill


I think he is pretty good with timeouts. There haven’t been many games to my memory where we haven’t had a timeout when we needed one.
I don’t think burning first half timeouts is as a big of deal as people think.

I mean you can certainly point to 3-5 specific punt/fg/convert it decisions but I think you don’t watch enough football if you don’t think every coach has 1-2 decisions like that per year. For instance if Illinois is 2/4 on 4th down instead of 4/4 and the gophers won everyone blames BB for the loss.
He is a fine game day coach.

His bigger issue to me is his overall philosophy. People are going to want fleck fired for the same reason people wanted tressel fired. Just frustrating to watch. Urban Meyer was better than tressel, but tressel still really good.

If we could hire tressel or Meyer, we should drop fleck

What about Sabin?
Does Lou Holtz still have a pulse?
 
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I’m far from the “fire everyone” boat, but here’s the most alarming thing for me with PJ: He’s a combined 7-41 when trailing at half between WMU and MN, with a 2-21 record in these games at Minnesota.

They show up with a gameplan and that’s it. Sometimes, the gameplan works beautifully (Auburn comes to mind). When it doesn’t, there are no meaningful adjustments and the team just looks panicked on both sides of the ball (especially the offense). I feel like the only time I’ve seen the team bounce back from a rough start is when they just made individual mistakes early on.

Even in games when we’re leading, it often feels like we just get “saved by the bell” and just barely hang on while our opponent adjusts and starts to come back.
 

I think PJ should PLAY TO WIN - Have your freshman QB start throwing the ball from the very first snap - If AK has to "eased" into his first start in front of 103,000 screaming fans then PJ has picked the wrong guy. If AK had been PLAYING TO WIN he would have thrown for a million, billion miles and about 10 touchdowns!! Winning is about WANTING TO WIN. PJ and AK just didn't want to win badly enough. PJ should be fired and then we can hire a successful coach like Urban Meyer (if Neb hasn't hired him first). I am just sick of losing and playing to LOSE!!
ah, the scott frost strategy
 



I’m far from the “fire everyone” boat, but here’s the most alarming thing for me with PJ: He’s a combined 7-41 when trailing at half between WMU and MN, with a 2-21 record in these games at Minnesota.

They show up with a gameplan and that’s it. Sometimes, the gameplan works beautifully (Auburn comes to mind). When it doesn’t, there are no meaningful adjustments and the team just looks panicked on both sides of the ball (especially the offense). I feel like the only time I’ve seen the team bounce back from a rough start is when they just made individual mistakes early on.

Even in games when we’re leading, it often feels like we just get “saved by the bell” and just barely hang on while our opponent adjusts and starts to come back.
I've felt the same way. If we show up and struggle to move the ball the first couple drives, it feels like we are doomed to be stuck in the mud most of the game. He definitely deserves credit for having a good game plan coming in when it works, but the other team is also allowed to gameplan, and when they have a good one I have very little faith in this staffs ability to adjust on the fly.
 


I don't think you can get around bad recruiting. I'm not expecting to recruit with SEC schools, but PJ needs to step it up
 

I've felt the same way. If we show up and struggle to move the ball the first couple drives, it feels like we are doomed to be stuck in the mud most of the game. He definitely deserves credit for having a good game plan coming in when it works, but the other team is also allowed to gameplan, and when they have a good one I have very little faith in this staffs ability to adjust on the fly.
Yep, it’s gotten to the point where it feels like you can confidently tell after two drives if the game is going to be a loss.
 



I’m far from the “fire everyone” boat, but here’s the most alarming thing for me with PJ: He’s a combined 7-41 when trailing at half between WMU and MN, with a 2-21 record in these games at Minnesota.

They show up with a gameplan and that’s it. Sometimes, the gameplan works beautifully (Auburn comes to mind). When it doesn’t, there are no meaningful adjustments and the team just looks panicked on both sides of the ball (especially the offense). I feel like the only time I’ve seen the team bounce back from a rough start is when they just made individual mistakes early on.

Even in games when we’re leading, it often feels like we just get “saved by the bell” and just barely hang on while our opponent adjusts and starts to come back.
In the NFL teams losing at halftime lose 78% of games Fleck loses 85% of games he is losing at half. Win 1-2 more and he is the nfl average (I haven’t seen a good study on the college average but I imagine it’s higher not lower than the nfl)

Next year we should fail to show up in the first half against Eastern Michigan and we are back on the average
 

In the NFL teams losing at halftime lose 78% of games Fleck loses 85% of games he is losing at half. Win 1-2 more and he is the nfl average (I haven’t seen a good study on the college average but I imagine it’s higher not lower than the nfl)

Next year we should fail to show up in the first half against Eastern Michigan and we are back on the average
Completely valid- I’d be curious to see what it looks like for college as well but I haven’t had any luck in searching either.
 

Completely valid- I’d be curious to see what it looks like for college as well but I haven’t had any luck in searching either.
I agree. How many teams are able to flip the script during the game? If a team beats you for a half, they don't need to beat you in the 2nd half to still win.
 

I don't think you can get around bad recruiting. I'm not expecting to recruit with SEC schools, but PJ needs to step it up
Recruiting has not been bad compared to everyone we play in the B1G West. Game plan, coaching, player development, execution, injuries, and luck are what determine our wins and losses vs the West at this point. A big talent gap is no longer the reason we lose to B1G West teams.
 



I agree, for the most part. The issue is, i think this was supposed to be "one of those years" when the stars aligned and we won 9-10 games. Multiple 6th year starters returning at key positions, some of the premier programs perceived to be in down years in the West and the 6th year under PJ Fleck.

Instead we're 4-3 with 5 games to play and we haven't beaten a good team yet. We have 2 games that we HAVE TO win (Rutgers & Northwestern) and 3 that we can win. If we come out of this next stretch with anything fewer than 3 wins, i think we've sunk back to Kill-level.
I keep seeing this, and I'm not sure where it's coming from. I definitely thought 2021 could be special. This year? Sure, before the season there were definitely some who thought that. But there were others who were unsure whether we could replace departing players on the OL and DL. There were many last year saying this season would be a step back for those reasons. We did fortify the lines with transfers, and we hoped we wouldn't miss a beat. At any rate, going into the season, it felt like we'd had pretty good debates here about what to expect.

After the first four games? Sure -- I was looking at hotels in Indianapolis. We were fooled by what we saw against bad teams. I'll say that I don't believe 2023 will be special.
 

I'm probably in the minority. There were many things to be disappointed about, but the game plan that resulted in the Gophers being down 17-10 at halftime while receiving the ball to me isn't one of them.

To me, there are other concerns. Not being macho in a 0-0 game in the 1st quarter with a QB making his first start when in FG range isn't in my top-5.
While I agree overall with this, our futile attempt to score from the 14 after the INT was inexcusable.
 


I’m far from the “fire everyone” boat, but here’s the most alarming thing for me with PJ: He’s a combined 7-41 when trailing at half between WMU and MN, with a 2-21 record in these games at Minnesota.

They show up with a gameplan and that’s it. Sometimes, the gameplan works beautifully (Auburn comes to mind). When it doesn’t, there are no meaningful adjustments and the team just looks panicked on both sides of the ball (especially the offense). I feel like the only time I’ve seen the team bounce back from a rough start is when they just made individual mistakes early on.

Even in games when we’re leading, it often feels like we just get “saved by the bell” and just barely hang on while our opponent adjusts and starts to come back.
The Penn State game in 2019 is an example of where we held on.
 

Option A:Give the ball to your 6th year rb and best player on offense.

Option B: put the ball in hands of freshman QB making his first start.


PJ went option A. 1st and 2nd down went poorly, I don't fault him preserving 3 point with a gutless third down call.


Because option A failed, it doesn't mean we didn't try. Ffs some of you are just over the top
 

ol' jer' is a ball coach. it's who he is, it's in his blood. he turns boys into men and football is his vehicle. ol' jer' is a fix it guy too. if pj fleck has in fact become jerry kill as originally stated in this thread, then this makes sense. fleck did say he's a "jerry kill guy" in his very first press conference when he had hair. so out with the elite slogans and in with building boys into men brick by brick. out with the ego and in with a coach who isn't in this for him, but rather the boys. out with the 4-3 records and in with the, wait, 4-3 records. out with the recruiting rankings in the bottom third of the big ten and in with the, wait, recruiting rankings in the bottom third of the big ten.
 

Talk of firing seems very premature. With our track record of hiring coaches, I'd be surprised if our next coach has a better big ten record six years in than PJ does. It is frustrating when you have a bad year, but plenty of teams have been rewarded for sticking with a coach through a down year or a few. There were stretches where people talked about firing Lucia, then he came back and gave us 2 frozen fours in 3 years. Iowa has gone through lots of stretches where people were frustrated with Ferentz, and he always seems to come back with another great year.
Don’t think Ferments is the person to model after. He has to decide - team more important or is family more important. The one thing that I am sure will change at Iowa, they only signed 1 player off the portal- now a 4th. tight end. But hopefully PJ will do a better job of finding better players- Carroll leaves a lot to be desired. Someone GHoler recommended looking at available QB’s. Looks like QB‘s are going for $500,000.
 

Fleck is an ok coach that will lead the Gophers to a non New Years bowl game almost every year. I will not give him credit for 2019 because he did not recruit the studs on that team I look at what his recruits have done and it's just ok. If you fine with ok then he's the coach for you.
Who recruited Bateman?
 

Lucia should have been fired way, way sooner - from where I sit. That program should never have to settle - if there is any team in the state that we should have perennially high demands on, it's Gophers Hockey.

Ron Gardenhire should have been fired much earlier as well.

I am all for giving Fleck more time - that said, as a state we have been ok with just "getting in the playoffs" for a long time.
Pitino was also given too many years before deciding to move on.
 


Option A:Give the ball to your 6th year rb and best player on offense.

Option B: put the ball in hands of freshman QB making his first start.


PJ went option A. 1st and 2nd down went poorly, I don't fault him preserving 3 point with a gutless third down call.


Because option A failed, it doesn't mean we didn't try. Ffs some of you are just over the top
Posted in another thread, would be interesting to know what the 3rd and 7 call would have been before the false start made it 3rd and 12. At 3rd and 12 it was full predictable that he was not going to ask his freshman QB to try and make a huge play in the face of massive pressure and elected to play it safe and take the 3.
 

Posted in another thread, would be interesting to know what the 3rd and 7 call would have been before the false start made it 3rd and 12. At 3rd and 12 it was full predictable that he was not going to ask his freshman QB to try and make a huge play in the face of massive pressure and elected to play it safe and take the 3.
I would agree

I was certainly frustrated with the play calling and it's ok, it's just the 'they didn't try"

They tried, they thought they could run it down PSU's throat. They couldn't and once it got to third and long...welp

You could say well, throw a fade...well our fastest WR is MBS and we tend to throw interceptions when we throw his direction
 

Yes
I think they’ll beat Illinois
I still think they beat Illinois but I have no idea who wins the west.
If Purdue and Michigan beat Illinois it could be anyone from Purdue, Iowa, wisconsin, Minnesota
 

I’m far from the “fire everyone” boat, but here’s the most alarming thing for me with PJ: He’s a combined 7-41 when trailing at half between WMU and MN, with a 2-21 record in these games at Minnesota.

They show up with a gameplan and that’s it. Sometimes, the gameplan works beautifully (Auburn comes to mind). When it doesn’t, there are no meaningful adjustments and the team just looks panicked on both sides of the ball (especially the offense). I feel like the only time I’ve seen the team bounce back from a rough start is when they just made individual mistakes early on.

Even in games when we’re leading, it often feels like we just get “saved by the bell” and just barely hang on while our opponent adjusts and starts to come back.
Nfl teams losing at halftime lose 78% of the time in the nfl. It’s probably higher in college but I haven’t seen a real study on it.

With Saturday. Fleck wins 13% of the time. If we can find a way to fall behind by halftime against joe try western we can pump that up to 16.
 



PJ needs Brian Kelly seeds.
Brian Kelly literally lost a game this year in the exact same situation missing an extra point.

I think it’s funny people are acting like it’s some rare thing that he did going for two. People go for two in that situation like half the time and probably more than half the time as an underdog
 




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