Minnesota head coach PJ Fleck took the podium on Monday to discuss the Gophers' 13-10 loss to Iowa while also previewing Minnesota's upcoming rivalry matchup against Wisconsin. Below, we summarize the major takeaways from Fleck's press conference while cutting out all the coach speak.
Opening statement on the loss to Iowa....
Fleck opened his press conference by calling the loss to Iowa "disappointing" but says despite the loss there are still "a lot of positives to take from that football game." Once again repeating what he said immediately following Saturday's game, Fleck told the media that the Gophers did everything but win th football game.
Ultimately, Fleck says that games and losses like Saturdays teach the program lessons and that the program is going to learn a lot from it, grow from it and ultimately move on from it.
Additionally, he noted there is little to time wallow about the loss as the Gophers need to prepare for another rivalry game on Saturday against Wisconsin.
On the offensive philosophy especially regarding the passing attack:
Fleck was asked if a philosophy change was needed when it comes to the passing offense for the Gophers. Fleck quickly replied that no philosophy change was needed and that the offense that the Gophers are running is the same as the 2019 offense. He also notes that the Gophers' No.1 wide receiver is out and that their best offensive weapon, running back Mohammed Ibrahim resides in the backfield.
On what decided Saturday's game in his mind:
What decided Saturday's game in PJ Fleck's mind? The Gopher's pair of turnovers. "The first person that made a catastrophic error was going to lose that football game," Fleck said in reference to Saturday's loss. "We made two," he added in reference to Aidan Kaliakmanis's interception and Mohammed Ibrahim's late fumble.
On the transfer portal and Minnesota's plans:
Like most people in the industry, PJ Fleck expects it to be a crazy ride this offseason when it comes to the transfer portal. Fleck did confirm that the Gophers' have a "general idea" of what their plans are and how they will attack the portal.
The first step for Fleck and his staff, however, will be to talk with each player in the week after the Wisconsin game to get a stronger idea of what the Gophers' roster will look like heading into the offseason.
On Wisconsin under head coach Jim Leonhard:
"It's a typical Wisconsin team," Fleck said about the Badgers under interim head coach Jim Leonhard when asked about the Badgers. Despite the change at the top, Fleck believes this is still the same Wisconsin program in its core philosophy. An offense built around a strong rushing attack with a complimentary passing game while they have a strong defense highlighted by tremendous linebackers. Additionally, Fleck noted that the Badgers are "athletic at every position".
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