Post Game Comments from Fleck on KFAN

[BilldGopher]

Saw something new this evening on the way out after the game...

Many, many fans and not just Iowegians, stayed to the end. This is great whether Floyd is on the line or not.

As the Billds were working our way to the train station to take us to the West Bank, we encountered a number of young fans...ahem, students...who were pissed off at PJ. Very vocally. This was new.

Interestingly, we saw it again at the train station too.

I know here on GH frustration is high with a lot of folks about time management, timeouts, conservative play, and sometimes inscrutable decisions. I share some of this too. Much of it is justified in Season 5 (or 6 depending on how you're counting).

After the 3 game skid earlier this season just noted that any honeymoon is over. The kids showed up today...God bless 'em...but if Coach walked on water for them before not any more.

I'm sure the AD and Prez are still solid but even brand new pennies end up losing their shine. Time to figure out how to make that zig zag progress chart go up again Coach...

 

[Gopherjar]

I f’n hate Iowa. We rushed for over 300 yards and still lost. Missing another easy field goal, fumbling inside the 10 and throwing a pick late in the game while driving are what cost us this game. Until we play consistently in tight games against our rivals this will continue to happen. Iowa is not a good team but yet we find a way to lose to them every time. They did make clutch plays when it counted but I can’t give them too much credit. Sucks, our defense played their tails off.

 

[Panthadad2]

Saw something new this evening on the way out after the game...

Many, many fans and not just Iowegians, stayed to the end. This is great whether Floyd is on the line or not.

As the Billds were working our way to the train station to take us to the West Bank, we encountered a number of young fans...ahem, students...who were pissed off at PJ. Very vocally. This was new.

Interestingly, we saw it again at the train station too.

I know here on GH frustration is high with a lot of folks about time management, timeouts, conservative play, and sometimes inscrutable decisions. I share some of this too. Much of it is justified in Season 5 (or 6 depending on how you're counting).

After the 3 game skid earlier this season just noted that any honeymoon is over. The kids showed up today...God bless 'em...but if Coach walked on water for them before not any more.

I'm sure the AD and Prez are still solid but even brand new pennies end up losing their shine. Time to figure out how to make that zig zag progress chart go up again Coach...

The best way to lose the students is to get them all revved up to go to home games, and then consistently crap down your leg against rivals at home. And here we are.

 

[Roland Brooks]

Beat nobody

 

[Some Day...Maybe]

Saw something new this evening on the way out after the game...

Many, many fans and not just Iowegians, stayed to the end. This is great whether Floyd is on the line or not.

As the Billds were working our way to the train station to take us to the West Bank, we encountered a number of young fans...ahem, students...who were pissed off at PJ. Very vocally. This was new.

Interestingly, we saw it again at the train station too.

I know here on GH frustration is high with a lot of folks about time management, timeouts, conservative play, and sometimes inscrutable decisions. I share some of this too. Much of it is justified in Season 5 (or 6 depending on how you're counting).

After the 3 game skid earlier this season just noted that any honeymoon is over. The kids showed up today...God bless 'em...but if Coach walked on water for them before not any more.

I'm sure the AD and Prez are still solid but even brand new pennies end up losing their shine. Time to figure out how to make that zig zag progress chart go up again Coach...

He needs to focus more on football and less on all the other stuff he does. He's nowhere near the coach he was when he got here. If he has another shitty year next year you can bet that stadium is going to be a lot less full. 2019 starting to look like an aberration with a lot of Jerry Kill recruits. This offense has never been as boring to watch as it has these last 2 years.

 

[Some Day...Maybe]

I f’n hate Iowa. We rushed for over 300 yards and still lost. Missing another easy field goal, fumbling inside the 10 and throwing a pick late in the game while driving are what cost us this game. Until we play consistently in tight games against our rivals this will continue to happen. Iowa is not a good team but yet we find a way to lose to them every time. They did make clutch plays when it counted but I can’t give them too much credit. Sucks, our defense played their tails off.

No way Ibrahim should of got the ball on that fumble. The play before I said to my son, he's gassed. Obviously PJ wasn't astute enough to see that though. But when you rely on 1 guy the whole game, stuff like that is bound to happen. Don't run him on 3rd and 1 at the end of the first half, but give it to him 20 times on 2 series in the 4th quarter.

 

[Hungry and Starving]

No way Ibrahim should of got the ball on that fumble. The play before I said to my son, he's gassed. Obviously PJ wasn't astute enough to see that though. But when you rely on 1 guy the whole game, stuff like that is bound to happen. Don't run him on 3rd and 1 at the end of the first half, but give it to him 20 times on 2 series in the 4th quarter.

I was yelling at my tv screaming for another QB keep just to give Mo a breather. What are they thinking over there? Aithan can really run. Use that.

 

[GoldenRodents]

Close but no bacon

 

[Five Toes]

Saw something new this evening on the way out after the game...

Many, many fans and not just Iowegians, stayed to the end. This is great whether Floyd is on the line or not.

As the Billds were working our way to the train station to take us to the West Bank, we encountered a number of young fans...ahem, students...who were pissed off at PJ. Very vocally. This was new.

Interestingly, we saw it again at the train station too.

I know here on GH frustration is high with a lot of folks about time management, timeouts, conservative play, and sometimes inscrutable decisions. I share some of this too. Much of it is justified in Season 5 (or 6 depending on how you're counting).

After the 3 game skid earlier this season just noted that any honeymoon is over. The kids showed up today...God bless 'em...but if Coach walked on water for them before not any more.

I'm sure the AD and Prez are still solid but even brand new pennies end up losing their shine. Time to figure out how to make that zig zag progress chart go up again Coach...

Hi Biild, everyone in our cheap seats section stayed to the end. Most are not season ticket holders and stayed engaged till the end. I'm older and love supporting the team but feel my time has passed let the chips fall where they fall.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Honestly, with the talent at receiver, the game plan was ok.

My biggest problem was the lack of play action and the lack of new wrinkles to the offense to surprise Iowa.

Poor use of timeouts is an ongoing problem.

The fumble, missed FG, INT, and failure to get the INT at the end of the game were all game changing plays the coaching didn't influence. That's just dumbass, bad luck.

With all that said, the team needs to pass more and farther downfield next season.

They also need to recruit better, but that's another discussion.

 

[Some guy]

No way Ibrahim should of got the ball on that fumble. The play before I said to my son, he's gassed. Obviously PJ wasn't astute enough to see that though. But when you rely on 1 guy the whole game, stuff like that is bound to happen. Don't run him on 3rd and 1 at the end of the first half, but give it to him 20 times on 2 series in the 4th quarter.

lol

 

[Ewert86PC]

The best way to lose the students is to get them all revved up to go to home games, and then consistently crap down your leg against rivals at home. And here we are.

Sounds like my student experience, once we moved into the Dome.

 

[Panthadad2]

Honestly, with the talent at receiver, the game plan was ok.

My biggest problem was the lack of play action and the lack of new wrinkles to the offense to surprise Iowa.

Poor use of timeouts is an ongoing problem.

The fumble, missed FG, INT, and failure to get the INT at the end of the game were all game changing plays the coaching didn't influence. That's just dumbass, bad luck.

With all that said, the team needs to pass more and farther downfield next season.

They also need to recruit better, but that's another discussion.

That's the thing. The team's most successful drive, and only TD, came on a drive that nicely mixed the pass and run. Then PJ goes all turtle, all the time, and runs Mo 5,000 times in a row as a strategy as if it will work (it has never worked against decent teams). Sometimes PJ is as dumb as a box of rocks. He needed to wear a warm hat instead of trying to look cool. His brain was frozen rock solid.

 

[Mulligan]

Honestly, with the talent at receiver, the game plan was ok.

My biggest problem was the lack of play action and the lack of new wrinkles to the offense to surprise Iowa.

Poor use of timeouts is an ongoing problem.

The fumble, missed FG, INT, and failure to get the INT at the end of the game were all game changing plays the coaching didn't influence. That's just dumbass, bad luck.

With all that said, the team needs to pass more and farther downfield next season.

They also need to recruit better, but that's another discussion.

The most rational summary I've seen, especially the critique of no wrinkles to the offense. I get pissed but these calls for a new coach are idiotic. Sorry, I don't know how many times I've seen blowing it up and starting over, but I know the odds are against the U of getting someone who has a better chance of getting us over the hump. The game came down to their guy holding onto a deflected pass for an interception and our game not being able to haul in a deflected pass. Turn those two plays around and the Gophers win.

 

[Crosby]

The most rational summary I've seen, especially the critique of no wrinkles to the offense. I get pissed but these calls for a new coach are idiotic. Sorry, I don't know how many times I've seen blowing it up and starting over, but I know the odds are against the U of getting someone who has a better chance of getting us over the hump. The game came down to their guy holding onto a deflected pass for an interception and our game not being able to haul in a deflected pass. Turn those two plays around and the Gophers win.

Play calling was not the issue today. At all. We were wearing them out and this game was ours for the taking. Missed FG and two crucial TOs. Ball game. Had zero to do with the offensive game plan. If we get that field goal and score on those drives, we win handily.

 

[USAF]

Play calling was not the issue today. At all. We were wearing them out and this game was ours for the taking. Missed FG and two crucial TOs. Ball game. Had zero to do with the offensive game plan. If we get that field goal and score on those drives, we win handily.

If my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle.

It has EVERYTHING to do with play calling. We scored 10 points because we PLAYED for 13.

Gutless.

 

[Crosby]

If my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle.

It has EVERYTHING to do with play calling. We scored 10 points because we PLAYED for 13.

Gutless.

Nope. Execution. Not play calling. At all.

 

[GophersInIowa]

Nope. Execution. Not play calling. At all.

Do you see no problem in Mo having 14 carries on one drive (10 plays in a row), the last resulting in a fumble? We may think he’s Superman but he is still a human that gets tired. Yes he shouldn’t fumble but the coaches are also not helping to put their players in the best positions to succeed either.

I don’t remember exactly when this happened but there was a pass completion to Brockington where Athan was designed to roll out to his right. It was a safe play where he can pass, run or easily throw it away. Athan has shown to be very comfortable outside the pocket. With the success Mo was having, doing more of those plays should be a no-brainer IMO.

 

[Tucker32]

Perfect
I would love to continuously be involved in important games

Lol

 

[Tucker32]

Honestly, with the talent at receiver, the game plan was ok.

My biggest problem was the lack of play action and the lack of new wrinkles to the offense to surprise Iowa.

Poor use of timeouts is an ongoing problem.

The fumble, missed FG, INT, and failure to get the INT at the end of the game were all game changing plays the coaching didn't influence. That's just dumbass, bad luck.

With all that said, the team needs to pass more and farther downfield next season.

They also need to recruit better, but that's another discussion.

Alll of those plays except catching the interception could be influenced by the coach. Previous decisions influence what happen in those situations. PJ is a joke.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

on the surface, all of Fleck's comments are reasonable.

But, at the same time, a lot of those comments can be seen as Fleck saying "the players didn't make the plays." It's a very polite way of saying "it's not my fault. The players screwed up."

how about "we need to find out why the throw was made...."

Yes, the QB is a FR. but he's now played the last 2-1/2 games, and presumably taken the most reps in practice. You know, practice - where you prepare the players to face different situations.
I'm not at practice, but I have to assume that somebody is telling the QB how to assess situations and make decisions on when and where to throw and when to run or throw the ball away.

so either the QB was not prepared properly, or he shat his pants under pressure. and that gets back
to coaching.

 

[Gophergrandpa]

It's a mystery to me how we can't seem to defend TEs. This is game 11. We've seen it before; been gashed by it before. And yet we look like we've never seen a pass thrown to a TE. Sam LaPorta is one guy. He should have a big target on his back. How he, and Lachey, can be so open so often is astounding.

 

[Gophergrandpa]

Honestly, with the talent at receiver, the game plan was ok.

My biggest problem was the lack of play action and the lack of new wrinkles to the offense to surprise Iowa.

Poor use of timeouts is an ongoing problem.

The fumble, missed FG, INT, and failure to get the INT at the end of the game were all game changing plays the coaching didn't influence. That's just dumbass, bad luck.

With all that said, the team needs to pass more and farther downfield next season.

They also need to recruit better, but that's another discussion.

We don't really know if we have talent at receiver because we have purposely chosen not to develop it as the year wore on. Passing is a game of timing, coordination, rhythm and repetition. If, as the season progresses, you refuse to use your passing game "because you can win by running" then, when in very tough circumstances you suddenly need your passing game, it won't be there. Running Mo 14 times in a row late in the game against an Iowa defense that knew he was getting the ball each time is coaching malpractice. No play action? No balance whatsoever to the offense. NO SURPRISE PLAYS EVER? Just grind Mo to dust. This offensive play calling is like in PeeWees when you don't have any plays at all: you just keep giving the ball to Bobby because he can run over people.

I love the effort our guys gave. They truly gave it their all. Never gave up. But it is as though we don't even have an offensive coordinator. Our game plan is simply a variation of three plays that everybody has seen a million times. Nothing ever new as the season wears on. Nothing special geared to a particular opponent. I've never seen a more predictable, less creative offense ever from the Gophers, even in the dark days. Even someone as conservative as Kirk has a few new looks up his sleeve for us (involving TEs, which we refuse to cover). We on the other hand never show creativity or diversity on offense. We just keep swinging the hammer in the same place time, after time, after time. It dulls the senses of the other skill players. They all begin to doubt themselves, doubt whether they can make plays. So frustrating.

 

[Crosby]

Do you see no problem in Mo having 14 carries on one drive (10 plays in a row), the last resulting in a fumble? We may think he’s Superman but he is still a human that gets tired. Yes he shouldn’t fumble but the coaches are also not helping to put their players in the best positions to succeed either.

I don’t remember exactly when this happened but there was a pass completion to Brockington where Athan was designed to roll out to his right. It was a safe play where he can pass, run or easily throw it away. Athan has shown to be very comfortable outside the pocket. With the success Mo was having, doing more of those plays should be a no-brainer IMO.

I really don't see a problem with it, no. If Mo was so tired that he couldn't hang onto the ball, then he would not have barreled through a bunch of bodies for an 8 yard gain on that same play. Did he look tired to you? It looked to me like he got stronger as the game went on. Before the game, the argument on this board was basically this.... one group said we should run it over and over and over again. The other group generally said "we need to mix in enough passes so that the ground game will work. We'll never be successful against this Iowa defense by running, without the threat of the pass." Well, it's hard to imagine the running game working any better than it did. We made one of the best defenses in the country look very average. In fact, the game plan worked extremely well. And when we DID pass the ball, did that fill anyone with a lot of confidence? There was at least one more pass, maybe two, that Iowa should have picked. That said, I thought Athan did a very credible job last night.

I'll be critical of one play call. On the interception play, we should have NEVER put that ball in the air. Even if we get three points there, our chances of winning that game are 70% at that time. So I agree with you that we didn't put our team in the best position to succeed with that one.

Seems to me that the only reason people clamor for more passing is because they find that brand of football boring.

I am really disappointed/frustrated that we lost to Iowa... AGAIN! I am not a PJ apologist. I question some of the things he does, and I question the recruiting results. I question the need to burn timeouts the way we do. But the game plan last night was great. It came down 100% to execution in a few key moments and we blew it.

 

[Some guy]

I really don't see a problem with it, no. If Mo was so tired that he couldn't hang onto the ball, then he would not have barreled through a bunch of bodies for an 8 yard gain on that same play. Did he look tired to you? It looked to me like he got stronger as the game went on. Before the game, the argument on this board was basically this.... one group said we should run it over and over and over again. The other group generally said "we need to mix in enough passes so that the ground game will work. We'll never be successful against this Iowa defense by running, without the threat of the pass." Well, it's hard to imagine the running game working any better than it did. We made one of the best defenses in the country look very average. In fact, the game plan worked extremely well. And when we DID pass the ball, did that fill anyone with a lot of confidence? There was at least one more pass, maybe two, that Iowa should have picked. I thought Athan did a credible job last night.

I'll be critical of one play call. On the interception play, we should have NEVER put that ball in the air. Even if we get three points there, our chances of winning that game are 70% at that time. So I agree with you that we didn't put our team in the best position to succeed with that one.

Seems to me that the only reason people clamor for more passing is because they find that brand of football boring.

I am really disappointed/frustrated that we lost to Iowa... AGAIN! I am not a PJ apologist. I question some of the things he does, and I question the recruiting results. But the game plan last night was great. It came down 100% to execution in a few key moments and we blew it.

Agree on all of this.
I wish we had hired someone more innovative offensively instead of KC last year (and I was one of the few who said that at the time). But it is what it is.

If 2021 and 2022 is the new high water mark, eventually that will be a problem. If we win next week it’s the best 4 year stretch in big ten play since the late 1960s.

I’m going to go ahead and wait and see another year or two before I whine for a coaching change all the time.

 

[Some guy]

No way Ibrahim should of got the ball on that fumble. The play before I said to my son, he's gassed. Obviously PJ wasn't astute enough to see that though. But when you rely on 1 guy the whole game, stuff like that is bound to happen. Don't run him on 3rd and 1 at the end of the first half, but give it to him 20 times on 2 series in the 4th quarter.

If only this guy was the coach

 

[Catechol]

Agree on all of this.
I wish we had hired someone more innovative offensively instead of KC last year (and I was one of the few who said that at the time). But it is what it is.

The loyalty hire could be problematic but was definitely the most known option after the necessary firing of Sanford - KC had huge success with Fleck both at WMU and UMN. Well, one really good year at each. But perhaps with his philosophy, which does not seem to evolve, there is a ceiling. The offense is great when you have a first round draft pick at WR, and can be carried to a decent W-L by an NFL RB, but it largely comes up short against good defenses and top tier opponents. I think they were counting on the fact that if they won that many games at WMU (in fact went 2-1 against B1G West teams in their good WMU year) they could certainly dominate the B1G West as they'd be able to recruit much better players at Minnesota. The results have been good at times, overall very respectable, but mixed not just in W-L, but recruiting and in game coaching.

 

[Some guy]

The loyalty hire could be problematic but was definitely the most known option after the necessary firing of Sanford - KC had huge success with Fleck both at WMU and UMN. Well, one really good year at each. But perhaps with his philosophy, which does not seem to evolve, there is a ceiling. The offense is great when you have a first round draft pick at WR, and can be carried to a decent W-L by an NFL RB, but it largely comes up short against good defenses and top tier opponents. I think they were counting on the fact that if they won that many games at WMU (in fact went 2-1 against B1G West teams in their good WMU year) they could certainly dominate the B1G West as they'd be able to recruit much better players at Minnesota. The results have been good at times, overall very respectable, but mixed not just in W-L, but recruiting and in game coaching.

I don’t think they were stupid enough to think they’d be dominating the big ten west with any system at Minnesota in the first 6 years.

Wisconsin doesn’t even dominate the big ten west when they came in at their peak.

Did anyone really think Minnesota was going to “dominate” the big ten west? Did you? Because that expectation is going to lead you to a lot of disappointment.

Maybe we are using the word dominate differently

 

[gopherbadgerman]

It's a mystery to me how we can't seem to defend TEs. This is game 11. We've seen it before; been gashed by it before. And yet we look like we've never seen a pass thrown to a TE. Sam LaPorta is one guy. He should have a big target on his back. How he, and Lachey, can be so open so often is astounding.

Because our MLB is a good run stuffer but absolutely cannot cover the middle of the field, and the coaches have determined he can’t come off the field I guess.

 

[Gopher028]

You’re going to have to change who you’re cheering for if 1 and 2 bother you that much. That’s not going to change.

No, they're not. And that means we will continue to be mediocre at best just barely missing relevancy year in and year out.
As PJ says, 'change your best'....but he wont.