NCAA – Page 70 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Notre Dame Could Target P.J. Fleck

Posted on November 30, 2021 by David Shama

The surprise news yesterday that Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly is leaving for LSU prompts speculation Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck will be on the candidate list to become the next head football coach of the Fighting Irish. There are more prominent names than Fleck for Notre Dame to consider but his name could be top 10.

Several years ago Kelly was going through a difficult stretch at Notre Dame and Fleck—then at Western Michigan and among the hottest young coaching names in the country—was in the rumor mill as a successor in South Bend. Fleck’s energetic personality and success making the Broncos a national story had drawn impressive media coverage including in-depth features by the New York Times and Sports Illustrated.

Notre Dame’s legacy is all about rah-rah and few coaches can give a butt-kicking Friday night campus pep-talk better than the creative and passionate Fleck. Critics might scoff that his Row the Boat mantra wouldn’t be accepted by the conservative Catholic school in South Bend, but not so fast with that. Fleck could dump Row the Boat at “Touchdown Jesus,” explaining that program building at Western Michigan and Minnesota required cultural changes, but not at storied Notre Dame.

The Irish coaching history has often focused on leaders from the Midwest whose background and values fit the school and team. The list includes national championship coaches Ara Parseghian, Dan Devine (from Proctor, Minnesota), and another colorful personality who coached the Gophers, Lou Holtz. Fleck, an Illinois native who has made his coaching reputation in the Midwest, fits the Irish coaching profile in multiple ways from leading a faith-based life to relishing recruiting to demanding accountability from his players. And, oh yes, his conservative run-first offense, is a perfect fit on those snowy, sleeting Saturdays at Notre Dame Stadium.

Maybe Luke Fickell, Dave Aranda, Matt Campbell, Lane Kiffin or another headliner will be the next Notre Dame coach. Maybe Fleck, the 2019 Big Ten Coach of the Year, doesn’t even want the job if offered. “America’s team” is a pressure cooker assignment where every year the playoffs are the expectation. The annual schedule serves up few “cupcakes,” and the Notre Dame environment, with its emphasis on church and academics, isn’t a fit for certain recruits.

Fleck has a new seven-year contract with the Gophers. He likes working for his boss, athletic director Mark Coyle. He and wife Heather are genuine in their liking for the lifestyle here, including summer celebrations at Lake Minnetonka. They refer to Minnesota as home. Their commitment could also get a test in coming days and weeks.

Worth Noting

Fleck planned to celebrate his 41st birthday Monday night at a local restaurant accompanied by Heather and Paul Bunyan’s Axe.

That was state senator Paul Gazelka tweeting Sunday about the Axe being back home and showing a photo of himself with the famed rivalry trophy.

The Golden Gophers held Wisconsin 17-year-old freshman phenom Braelon Allen to just 47 yards rushing in Minnesota’s 23-13 upset win last Saturday. The UW tailback had rushed for over 100 yards in seven consecutive games. Minnesota defenders swarmed Allen and consistently tackled him low.

In 12 games the Gophers have allowed 100.2 yards rushing per game. That’s a program best since the 1962 Gopher defense held opponents to 52.2 yards, a school record. Minnesota’s figure of 100.2 yards ranks 10th nationally and second in the Big Ten to Wisconsin.

Since defensive coordinator Joe Rossi succeeded Robb Smith after a blowout 55-31 loss to Illinois on November 3, 2018, the Gophers have a 25-11 record. Rossi and his staff excel at player development, game preparation and in-game adjustments. Minnesota didn’t allow an offensive touchdown in the Wisconsin win.

Among the assistants on the Gopher staff is tight ends coach Clay Patterson who had an impressive resume with offenses at smaller programs. As the coordinator at Trinity Valley Community College in 2015 his offense broke the all-time yards per game record at any level with an average of 656.1. Could he be in the mix to succeed Mike Sanford as Minnesota’s offensive coordinator?

Quarterback Tanner Morgan, born April 17, 1999, will be 23 years old before the Gophers play their opening game next season. Quarterback Trey Lance, the Marshall, Minnesota native drafted in the first round this year by the 49ers, will be 22 next spring. In NFL history there are a number of quarterbacks who started for their teams when 21 including Matthew Stafford and Michael Vick.

Morgan drew speculation about being a second round draft choice in 2019 when he was second team All-Big Ten and a contender for two national QB of the year awards. He has solid mechanics and more opportunities to pass next season compared with 2021 will help him. And so, too, would an improved receiver corps. All of that could position him to be either a draft choice or free agent invite.

Morgan’s work ethic is admired. “No one works harder than him,” Rossi said.

Morgan’s leadership among teammates is also praised. “They don’t want to let him down,” Rossi said.

The last quarterback drafted out of the Gopher program was Craig Curry, an eighth round pick in 1972 taken by the Dolphins.

At least as important for success in 2022 as the return of Morgan is the decision by All-American tailback Mo Ibrahim to pass on the NFL Draft and play one more season at Minnesota. “He’s going to have an unbelievable year next year,” Sanford said recently.

In retrospect, it looks like the Gophers should have targeted a wide receiver in the transfer portal last winter. Fleck and the coaches scored with transfer help from linebacker Jack Gibbens, defensive lineman Nyles Pinckney and field goal kicker Matthew Trickett.

Minnesota will be active in the portal this offseason likely searching for help at linebacker, in the offensive and defensive lines, and perhaps wide receiver.

How about Christmas in the Big Apple? Richard Johnson from SI.com predicts Minnesota will play Miami (Florida) in the December 29 New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.

The Gophers start the 2022 season football season with five consecutive home games, then play only two games in Minneapolis from October 8 thru November 26. Included in the early slate is a rare September date with Iowa.

The Hawkeyes match up better with Michigan than Ohio State for this Saturday’s Big Ten championship game. If the Buckeyes had won the right to advance to the title game, their explosive offense figured to have Iowa playing from behind early on, and catch up is not an Iowa strength.

This writer’s Big Ten power rankings: Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Purdue, Penn State, Illinois, Rutgers, Maryland, Nebraska, Indiana and Northwestern.

Former Gophers wildcat quarterback Seth Green is a tight end at 11-1 Houston where he has caught 12 passes for 134 yards and three touchdowns. The Cougars play undefeated Cincinnati Saturday in the AAC championship game.

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U Axe Win Not Just Another Victory

Posted on November 28, 2021 by David Shama

The Golden Gophers’ 23-13 win over No. 18 Wisconsin was the 57th game of the P.J. Fleck era and one of the most SIGNIFICANT during his five years as head coach at Minnesota.

Euphoric Golden Gophers fans dancing with delight after a home win has seldom been seen in these parts over the decades. But it’s happened twice now in three seasons, with delirious fans on the stadium field celebrating Saturday night’s repossession of the Axe—and two years ago when the Gophers upset No. 5 ranked Penn State in Minneapolis on their way to a historic 11-2 season.

A “here we go again” malaise has hung over Gopher football for decades. Whether it’s coaching tenures that didn’t work out, blown leads in big games, or losing streaks in border rivalries, Gopher football has hardly been the toast of the town for a long time. Just two weeks ago the Gophers lost a seventh consecutive game in the series with the hated Hawkeyes of Iowa. Yesterday’s win over the Badgers won’t wipe away the past but it is a shot of confidence for a skeptical public that waffles in its interest and support for the program.

Minnesota went into the Wisconsin game a touchdown underdog to the nationally ranked Badgers who with a victory could have advanced to the Big Ten championship game. By halftime the Gophers trailed 10-6, partly because of an interception turned into a Badger touchdown.

But the Gophers clearly out-played their opponent in the second half, defeating the Badgers in Minneapolis for the first time since 2003. They also claimed the Axe for the second time in four years, having beaten “Bucky” 37-15 in Madison in 2018.

“This program is all about responding, not reacting,” Fleck said Saturday night after Minnesota defeated the Badgers for only the fourth time this millennium.

Fleck was talking about more than overcoming a halftime deficit in a big rivalry game before a near sellout crowd where patrons paid more than $100 per ticket. Time allowing, he could have detailed a lot of obstacles the Gophers have faced on and off the field, this year and in the past.

The list starts with the loss of All-American tailback Mo Ibrahim who was injured in the opening game and won’t play again until next season. In a run-heavy offense, Ibrahim is the unit’s irreplaceable player. It doesn’t require much reflection to contend Minnesota could have flipped a couple of losses into the victory column with him playing this fall. (During the season, Ibrahim was one of five tailbacks on the roster not available).

The Gophers lost three games by a total of 17 points. With Ibrahim, or more emphasis and execution of the passing game, Minnesota might have won against Bowling Green, Illinois and Iowa.

In season ending wins over Indiana and Wisconsin, Fleck and offensive coordinator Mike Sanford opened up the offense. By doing so they helped the run game and the throwing rhythm of quarterback Tanner Morgan.

Fleck’s conservative offensive philosophy of run-run-run and taking time off the clock has been a solid approach at Minnesota. Some Saturdays the Gophers face a talent disparity against their opponents, needing to reduce possessions by the other team’s skilled playmakers, and long scoring drives by Minnesota have paid off many times during the Fleck era, especially with a game changing runner like Ibrahim. But the willingness to open up the offense with more passes from Morgan and more receivers targeted is a significant change and one that should continue into the bowl game and next season.

The win Saturday gives the Gophers an 8-4 overall record, 6-3 in Big Ten games. The perception and reality of those totals is much better than records of 7-5 and 5-4. Minnesota finished in a second place tie with the Badgers and Purdue in the West Division standings. Only nine times in the last 50 years have the Gophers finished at .500 or better in conference games.

Minnesota is no coaching paradise. It is one of the more challenging jobs in the Big Ten including because of its distance from recruiting hotbeds like California, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas. The U has fired eight coaches since 1970—and they weren’t all inept coaches. Iowa and Wisconsin, BTW, have fired zero head coaches in the last 30 seasons.

Every Gopher head football coach in modern times has been challenged to find adequate in-state talent to make a run at even being a .500 team in the Big Ten. The better college football prospects, regardless of where they are from, want to play at a program that wins season after season, goes to big bowl games, has CFP aspirations and a track record of sending players to the NFL. That hasn’t exactly been Minnesota’s profile.

Fleck and his assistants (including highly valued defensive coordinator Joe Rossi) are on the favored side of winning and losing. Fleck’s overall record at Minnesota is 34-23. His winning percentage of .597 is the third best ever among Gopher coaches who coached in 45 games or more. Minnesota had had 19 coaches since 1900 and Fleck ranks sixth all-time in program wins.

Fleck’s Big Ten record is 21-22. Pat Fitzgerald, considered by authorities to be among the best coaches in the Big Ten and a consensus top coach nationally, is 64-68 in league games at hard-to-win Northwestern. Scott Frost, who just finished his fourth season at Nebraska and is head coach of a storied program, is 10-25 in conference games.

Fleck is also 2-0 in bowl games including a New Year’s Day Outback win over the SEC’s Auburn Tigers. The Wisconsin win could boost the chances of a quality bowl game destination for the Gophers who won’t be headed to Detroit this holiday season.

The victory over the Badgers and the overall success of the coaching staff is a return on investment for University of Minnesota leaders and outside boosters. This fall athletic director Mark Coyle and school president Joan Gabel approved a new seven-year contract for Fleck, and along with that commitment will come increased compensation for assistant coaches. The U, including the board of regents, and outside financial boosters, have made major commitments in recent years to all varsity sports with the most visible new resource being the Athletes Village.

Clearly the football program is going in the right direction and is authentic. And whether fans like it or not, it’s also time to accept Fleck as genuine. His personality is too over the top for critics but this is who Fleck is. “Row the boat,” and all that goes with it, is not an act.

This is a coach committed to the RBT culture and his way of doing things. It’s not for all recruits, players and fans. But it works for many. “We’re all about fit here,” Fleck said Saturday.

When it comes to sharing messages, Fleck’s Gophers never know what they’re going to hear but sometimes the lesson ties to his long ago vision of being an elementary school teacher. The other day he spoke about the need for his players to be themselves and no one else, referencing the children’s book Be You! That’s also authentic Fleck.

During the five years of the Fleck era the program has made progress on and off the field. The Gophers are 22-10 in the last three seasons, while dealing with the chaos of the pandemic and social unrest in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Collectively the student-athletes have achieved a record GPA, dedicated countless hours to community service helping children and adults, and avoided external incidents that could bring embarrassment to all involved.

Every Gophers football coach has been criticized for his personality and his results. It goes with the job. But they all noticed the chorus quiets when you win.

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Gophers Need a Lift at Quarterback

Posted on November 14, 2021 by David Shama

It’s time for the University of Minnesota football coaches to consider replacing Tanner Morgan at quarterback. A struggling Morgan has been too inconsistent this season and he faltered again yesterday in Minnesota’s 27-22 loss to Iowa.

With the Gophers leading 13-10 early in the third quarter, Morgan’s sideline pass to an open Chris Autman-Bell was too high, and the errant throw cost Minnesota a third down conversion. The Gophers punted to Iowa and the Hawkeyes scored on a 72-yard touchdown pass on their first play to take a lead they never gave up in the battle for possession of Floyd of Rosedale.

Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said at his postgame news conference the timing of the throw was early. “That was a critical play in the game,” said Fleck who is now 0-5 in the border rivalry with Iowa.

Morgan’s passes were off-target throughout the game, including balls that just sailed beyond his receivers. He completed 14 of 30 passes for 183 yards including a 68-yard strike to Autman-Bell for a fourth quarter touchdown.

Morgan had multiple near interceptions in the loss that knocked the Gophers out of a four-way first place tie in the Big Ten West Division. A short quarterback by Big Ten standards, Morgan’s passes are frequently tipped by defenders rushing toward him with raised hands in the air.

After the Gophers scored late in the fourth quarter on the Autman-Bell pass, they trailed 24-22. That set up a two-point conversion attempt where Morgan rolled to his right and threw toward the end zone only to have his pass knocked down.

In the closing minutes, behind by two points, Morgan and the Gophers had opportunities to change the score. Not a playmaker with his legs, Morgan couldn’t create extra yards, or time to throw the ball, when plays broke down.

It wasn’t just the quarterback who was inconsistent in the passing scheme. The receivers dropped too many passes, or didn’t make difficult catches, or even get open. That kind of performance has been another flaw in the Minnesota offense this season. The Gophers have nowhere near the receiving talent of two years ago when Morgan was so impressive throwing to all-conference playmakers Tyler Johnson and Rashod Bateman.

“You’d like to be able to see more completions, that’s for sure,” Fleck said. “Too many drops.”

The coaching staff’s responsibility is to provide more capable receivers than Minnesota has shown. That has to be considered a recruiting failure and it’s uncertain how the receiver roster gets fixed in the offseason.

The Gophers, 6-4 overall, 4-3 in Big Ten games, have remaining games at Indiana and home against Wisconsin. Then there will be a yet to be determined bowl game. Morgan is a wonderful person, terrific leader and outstanding game manager, but the present circumstances and timing provide an opportunity for a shakeup at quarterback.

Fleck has four scholarship quarterbacks behind Morgan who to his credit has helped win a lot of games since becoming the starter after the 2018 season was underway. Two of them, redshirt junior Zack Annexstad and redshirt sophomore Cole Kramer, have game experience.

Annexstad lost his job to Morgan in 2018 after he was injured. Annexstad has started seven games for Minnesota and has a stronger arm than Morgan. Kramer has been effective in the wildcat formation this season and has thrown two touchdown passes. He is the best runner among the quarterbacks and has exceptional on-field poise.

A change in the quarterbacks now could spark a passing game that has struggled in painful close losses to Bowling Green, Illinois and Iowa. A quarterback who could provide an occasional running threat in the option offense will make the superb running game even better. Ability to throw with more arm strength can get the ball down the field faster.

Indiana, 0-7 in the Big Ten, was a preseason top 20 team but has been hit hard by key injuries. Yesterday the Hoosiers lost 38-3 to mediocre Rutgers. Although the Hoosiers will try to rally for their final home game next Saturday, their win probability is about 20 percent. That’s a prime stage and opponent to give a start to Kramer or Annexstad.

A solid contribution from the quarterback and a Gopher victory improves the possibility of an upset against a hot Badgers team on a six-game winning streak. Although the Gophers have home field advantage, Minnesota has about a 30 percent likelihood of winning the game as things appear now.

If the Gophers change quarterbacks for the last three games of 2021 and his play elevates the offense that will be welcome news for next season. The development would set expectations for a much more balanced offense that is likely to include the return of All-American tailback Mo Ibrahim.

In yesterday’s game a sideline TV shot of Fleck showed him wringing his hands on a crucial play. At his news conference, the frustration of the loss was perhaps more evident than any time in his Gopher career. Being 0-5 against Iowa is painful.

Fleck’s record against his other border rival is 1-3. The coaches need to decide if another QB gives them a better path to making their record 2-3 against Wisconsin and again taking possession of Paul Bunyan’s Axe.

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