Category: NCAA

 

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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The Golden Gophers football program has 14 verbal commits for its recruiting class of 2022, with a list of 12 three-star players and two four-stars, per the composite rankings of 247Sports. Ryan Burns—the recruiting authority from GopherIllustrated that is affiliated with 247—told Sports Headliners three-star commits Zach Evans, Kristen Hoskins and Jacob Knuth will be in discussions later this month for four-star status.

Evans, a running back from Rockwall, Texas, plays in the most competitive classification in the Lone Star state. “He’s putting up gaudy stats in 6A Texas football,” Burns said.

Evans, listed at 5-9, 200, could figure prominently in coach P.J. Fleck’s plans for 2022 with the return status of injured tailbacks Mo Ibrahim, Trey Potts and Bryce Williams unclear. Burns expects Evans to enroll at the University of Minnesota in January and participate in spring football.

Hoskins, from Alexandria, Minnesota, played a major role in helping the Cardinals to a 43-35 section playoffs win over Bemidji last Friday, scoring four touchdowns and making a game-saving interception. Listed by 247Sports at 5-9, 160, the wide receiver is small by even high school standards but Burns raves about him.

“The kid is incredibly electric with the ball in his hands. He’s incredibly quick, incredibly fast,” Burns said.

Recruiting evaluators know Hoskins is one of the most explosive playmakers in the Midwest but Burns believes his commitment to Minnesota is for sure. “…I don’t think another offer would really sway him.”

Knuth, from Harrisburg, South Dakota, is 247’s No. 1 prospect in that state. The 6-4, 207-pound quarterback can make plays with not only his arm but his legs and could have his team headed to a state championship.

Burns said Knuth’s size and skill-set is similar to class of 2021 four-star QB Athan Kaliakmanis. With the addition of Knuth, who is expected to enroll in January, the Gophers will have six scholarship quarterbacks if redshirt senior starter Tanner Morgan decides to play another year. A Morgan return probably means at least one scholarship QB will transfer to another program.

Minnesota’s verbal commits can sign National Letters of Intent next month including current four-star defensive linemen Trey Bixby from Eden Prairie and Anthony Smith of Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. Burns said Penn State’s defensive coordinator recently watched Smith play but doesn’t believe anything has changed regarding Smith’s commitment. “All indications…from Anthony are that he is firm with Minnesota, and I haven’t heard anything to contradict that.”

Fleck and his staff aren’t done recruiting, with Burns expecting the 2022 class to have a few (if not several) more scholarship players even if a final total is months away. Positions targeted will include offensive line, linebacker and perhaps running back with the fluid situation regarding All-American Ibrahim’s decision to play another season.

Burns said the Gophers are looking at junior college defensive and offensive line prospects, too. Current d-linemen Nyles Pinckney, Micah Dew-Treadway and Val Martin won’t be back because their eligibilities are expiring. It’s not clear whether starting defensive end Boye Mafe and offensive linemen Daniel Faalele and John Michael Schmitz will return, according to Burns.

Decisions on return plans by those players and others who are veterans will be known within about two weeks after Minnesota’s bowl game. That timeline will allow whether to enroll in classes.

Burns has a prediction about how Saturday’s game against Iowa can go in the Gophers’ favor. “Score 20 points. 20 points against Iowa should win you a football game.”

Both teams are defense-first, with offenses not as reliable. Burns said the Gophers will have to use some creativity offensively and definitely not rely almost exclusively on their running game. “Tanner is going to have to throw it 25, 30 times,” he said while pointing out Purdue and Wisconsin passed effectively in wins over the Hawkeyes.

Iowa likes to pound the ball, too, and can be reluctant to open up the offense.

“I have more faith in Minnesota’s passing game, than I do Iowa’s,” Burns said.

Worth Noting

Max Shikenjanski, son of former Gophers basketball center Jim Shikenjanski, is an outstanding junior quarterback for Stillwater. “The thing for him is, is it going to be football or is it going to be basketball,” Burns said. He described the Stillwater guard as one of the state’s top basketball prospects in the class of 2023. As for football, Max visited campus for a game earlier this fall and will be evaluated more in the summer.

All the best to my good friend Charley Walters as he recovers from a recent medical procedure.

Don’t expect former Gophers head coach Jerry Kill, now interim head coach at TCU, to be leading the Horned Frogs next season. AD Jermiah Donati made it clear to the Star Telegram in a November 2 story that Kill isn’t a candidate to succeed Gary Patterson.

The U athletic department should initiate a fund-raising campaign to place the first statues outside of Huntington Bank Stadium. The vote here is for coach Bernie Bierman and players Bobby Bell, Bronko Nagurski and Bruce Smith.

Bierman coached the Gophers to five of their seven national championships from 1934-1941. Bell, twice an All-American tackle, was a ferocious pass rusher who had everything to do with Minnesota playing in two Rose Bowls, winning a Big Ten title and compiling a 22-6-1 record during his three seasons of eligibility (1960-1962).

Nagurski, named an All-American at both fullback and tackle, is a football immortal from the 1920s and 1930s who was named to Sports Illustrated’s NCAA All-Century Team. Smith played halfback on two national championship teams and won the 1941 Heisman Trophy—the only Gopher ever to do so. Hollywood made a movie about him, Smith of Minnesota. The handsome football star played himself in the film.

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