BleedGopher
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per The Gazette:
You want to look for the box that P.J. Fleck arrived in. You want to stuff him back into it, throw a label on and return to sender. Maybe drop it a few times on the way to the mail.
But he’s also the coach that kept Minnesota viable in the last third of 2018. The Golden Gophers won three of their final four games. The run started with an attention-getting 41-10 whupping of Purdue. They lost by two scores to Northwestern and then unfurled one of the most important victories in recent Minnesota football history (maybe the last 20 years).
Fleck’s Gophers went into Camp Randall Stadium and played the Wisconsin Badgers off their feet, 37-15. After 15 years, Minnesota finally reclaimed Paul Bunyan’s Axe and might still be looking for things to fake chop down in Madison.
The “label” has never been difficult with Fleck, who’ll go into year three with 16 returning starters, a small army of proven running backs, top three receivers including Tyler Johnson (78 catches, 1,169 yards and 12 TDs), two QBs who have started games and a crossover schedule with the Big Ten East that includes Rutgers, Maryland and one toughie in Penn State.
Fleck is doing this his way. He has enthusiasm that rivals his players. You assume that works for him. It’s one way to connect.
It didn’t feel like improv when Fleck fired defensive coordinator Robb Smith last November. Fleck watched Illinois bombard the Gophers, 55-31. Illinois, a team that two weeks later would put up zero at home vs. Iowa, had 646 yards total offense, including 430 rushing yards, and five touchdowns that covered at least 30 yards.
Fleck did the hard thing. With three games left, he relieved Smith and promoted Joe Rossi. The very next week, Minnesota held Purdue to 10 points and won.
https://www.thegazette.com/subject/...le-look-ahead-minnesota-game-preview-20190612
Go Gophers!!
You want to look for the box that P.J. Fleck arrived in. You want to stuff him back into it, throw a label on and return to sender. Maybe drop it a few times on the way to the mail.
But he’s also the coach that kept Minnesota viable in the last third of 2018. The Golden Gophers won three of their final four games. The run started with an attention-getting 41-10 whupping of Purdue. They lost by two scores to Northwestern and then unfurled one of the most important victories in recent Minnesota football history (maybe the last 20 years).
Fleck’s Gophers went into Camp Randall Stadium and played the Wisconsin Badgers off their feet, 37-15. After 15 years, Minnesota finally reclaimed Paul Bunyan’s Axe and might still be looking for things to fake chop down in Madison.
The “label” has never been difficult with Fleck, who’ll go into year three with 16 returning starters, a small army of proven running backs, top three receivers including Tyler Johnson (78 catches, 1,169 yards and 12 TDs), two QBs who have started games and a crossover schedule with the Big Ten East that includes Rutgers, Maryland and one toughie in Penn State.
Fleck is doing this his way. He has enthusiasm that rivals his players. You assume that works for him. It’s one way to connect.
It didn’t feel like improv when Fleck fired defensive coordinator Robb Smith last November. Fleck watched Illinois bombard the Gophers, 55-31. Illinois, a team that two weeks later would put up zero at home vs. Iowa, had 646 yards total offense, including 430 rushing yards, and five touchdowns that covered at least 30 yards.
Fleck did the hard thing. With three games left, he relieved Smith and promoted Joe Rossi. The very next week, Minnesota held Purdue to 10 points and won.
https://www.thegazette.com/subject/...le-look-ahead-minnesota-game-preview-20190612
Go Gophers!!