A young child tosses a football through the dense Georgia air as a receiver stands in the distance. The ball whizzes into a father’s gentle hands and a smile crosses his face. Every Saturday, a father-son duo pretended they were on the game’s biggest stage, with seconds left on the clock. Years later, former Gophers […] READ MORE
Gopher Football Articles
What Can Minnesota Fans Expect in P.J. Fleck’s Second Season?
P.J. Fleck didn’t exactly take over the role of head coach for the Minnesota Golden Gophers under ideal circumstances. But, like any head coach, he had to make the most of the situation he was given. He was replacing a head coach that had guided the team to the school’s second 9-win season— ever. Those […] READ MORE
Q&A: J. J. Guedet on Gophers Commitment: “Coach Fleck is great. He is young and enthusiastic.”
J.J. Guedet, a 6-foot-7, 257-pound junior offensive tackle from Washington (IL) High, recently committed to Minnesota. Guedet is the fourth player from the Class of 2019 to verbal to the Gophers. Guedet helped lead the Panthers to a 10-3 record last year, losing to Dunlap 21-0 in the Class 5A semifinals. Gopher Hole […] READ MORE
Spring Game Takeaways as Gold defeats Maroon, 24-20
The Gophers held their annual Spring Game on Thursday as weather pushed the start time ahead two days. Team Gold took on Team Maroon as the Gophers simulated a live game in front of a crowd at TCF Bank Stadium. Quarterback Tanner Morgan led the way, completing 18 of his 28 passes for 272 yards […] READ MORE
The Gophers are ready to use Antoine Winfield Jr. creatively in 2018
Minnesota continued their spring practice slate with another open practice. The coaches continue to emphasize situational work as play installation reaches another level. Overall, the players have been continuing to build off of the instruction this spring. The Gophers held a closed scrimmage last Thursday with roughly 115 plays on script for both teams. It […] READ MORE
RB Kobe McCrary is ready for the next step in his football journey
Kobe McCrary’s journey has led him in many different directions. In a few weeks, another page is going to be written in his story. McCrary transferred to Minnesota from Butler Community College, a school where he played behind current Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson. During his sophomore year, McCrary rushed 225 times for 1,190 […] READ MORE
Carter Coughlin is feeling comfortable in his second season at the “R” position
Edge rusher Carter Coughlin was adjusting to his new role last season. At linebacker, Coughlin was three to four yards off the line of scrimmage. In 2017, Coughlin didn’t have as much space to work as he transitioned to the “R” rushing spot in Robb Smith’s defense. The reaction time necessary for him to rush […] READ MORE
“A Bierman Symphony?”: Why the Gophers and P.J. Fleck are exploring music therapy
If you spend time enough time at a Gophers practice, you might hear a concerto blasting through the speakers while players are stretching. Sounds odd, right? Not for the Minnesota football staff. Head coach P.J. Fleck said the Gophers are experimenting with classical music to aid player recovery. “We have somebody on our staff that’s […] READ MORE
P.J. Fleck and Vikings’ QB Kirk Cousins connected through leadership
When new Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins toured Minneapolis during February’s Super Bowl, he was on a mission to learn from Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck. According to Fleck, it was the other way around. “It wasn’t an interview to interview me,” Fleck said. “I need to know probably more from him than he needs to […] READ MORE
Improving the Gophers’ defense starts in the trenches
Tough defensive line play is needed to compete in a physical conference like the Big Ten. If you can’t develop up front, it will be a tough day at the office. Last year, the Gophers didn’t have necessary personnel to deploy a competitive defensive scheme. Creativity was hindered and opposing offenses wore Minnesota down, one […] READ MORE