Minnesota, a 2.5 points underdog to Iowa, collapsed in the second half against Iowa last night. Here are seven takeaways about the game and the program.
1. Minnesota’s 31-14 loss to Iowa was a thud with Gophers fans and unleashed critics of the program now in its eighth year under head coach P.J. Fleck. Sellout crowds at Huntington Bank Stadium don’t happen every game but twice now in less than 30 days Fleck’s team has disappointed the fanbase. Last night’s atmosphere before an over capacity announced stadium crowd of 52,048 was electric.
Just like the North Carolina game on August 31, the Gophers couldn’t hold on to a 14-7 halftime lead. Only last night’s second half was much worse than the 19-17 loss to a North Carolina team that James Madison defeated 70-50 yesterday! The Gophers missed a significant marketing boost for their program in the rivalry game loss to the Hawkeyes.
2. Tackling continues to be a major issue for Minnesota. The Gophers missed 22 tackles in the North Carolina game and Iowa ran at will against the Minnesota defense in the second half. The Hawkeyes put up three scores on their first three drives in the third quarter including 15 and 40-yard touchdown runs by running back Kaleb Johnson.
Iowa’s offensive line manhandled the Gophers with their zone blocking. Beyond the line of scrimmage, Gopher defenders took the wrong angles or were out of position to make tackles. It was evident Minnesota missed injured defensive backs Justin Walley and Aidan Gousby.
3. It was Iowa, not unexpectedly, that made the successful halftime adjustments last night. The Hawkeyes not only figured out how to move the ball and score but defensively found an answer to Minnesota’s passing game that produced two second quarter touchdowns.
The Iowa defense turned up the pressure in the second half on Minnesota quarterback Max Brosmer and covered his receivers. When the game was being decided in the third quarter, Brosmer completed one pass for six yards. The fourth quarter he was four of five for 38 yards.
4. Fleck’s program, long built on a high production run game, has lost its mojo. The Gophers ran for 79 net yards against North Carolina. Last night they totaled 79 net yards again.
The blocking by the offensive line on run plays has been disappointing. This is an experienced unit, but it hasn’t jelled. And there has been more of a commitment to a pass-run balance, which sounds great if it works. Part of that strategy is based on limiting Darius Taylor’s run attempts. He’s the team’s only elite running back and the hope is to keep him healthy after he missed seven games last season.
5. The program is trending in the wrong direction. Coming off of a 6-7 record last year, Minnesota is 0-2 so far against its only Power Four opponents in 2024.
Minnesota’s Big Ten record dating back to the end of the 2022 season is 8-11. Fleck is 1-7 against Iowa. The Gopher program has the potential to do better than those kinds of numbers.
6. It’s fair to wonder whether the team’s offensive and defensive coordinators (Greg Harbaugh Jr. and Corey Hetherman) are as capable as their predecessors. Offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca was on board during two stints when the Gophers had some of their best success. He left for Rutgers in January of 2023.
Defensive coordinator Joe Rossi also earned a lot of praise while he was in charge for several years. He had top 10 national defenses at Minnesota. He left after last season for Michigan State.
7. The schedule looked formidable before the season. Now it appears more imposing.
Minnesota is at Michigan next Saturday and then back home for a October 5 game against another national power, USC. The most winnable game on the schedule could be October 12 on the road at UCLA in the Rose Bowl. If the Gophers aren’t favored in that game, they might not be in the rest of their games: Maryland, Illinois, Rutgers, Penn State and Wisconsin.
Time to surprise the critics and change the program’s trend has to be the mantra now in Dinkytown.
While it’s time for a change in Fleck’s case, I believe someone else who needs to go is AD Mark Coyle. He’s made three bad hires in the last eight years: Fleck, Ben Johnson and Lindsay Whalen.
Great points David. For me I think we already are starting to see the beginning of what most of us knew was coming when the conference expanded again, and removed divisions. Whether we as Gopher fans wanted to admit it or not…the party was over. This program just cannot consistently compete with these teams. There is no fan-support like other schools (because of the great pro sports market we are in), the serious NIL money is never going to be there, and the rich just keep getting richer.
I still think Coach Fleck is as good a coach as this school has had running the program in 50 years. But it’s also telling that the best guy is still an average coach, not a real great recruiter (relative to his peer schools that is). And still looks so clueless on the offensive side of the ball year after year that it’s fair for fans who watch this to go: “What is going on here?”
It is not going to change after 8 years. We know what this staff’s philosophy is. We know what the recruiting is. We know we are likely to never see a big-time QB here. And we know the “goal” is always to make a bowl. That’s all the media talks about. And it (the U) continues to give Fleck his raises, on an endless cycle that sometimes is just odd.
Well stated.