TGR recaps Minnesota head coach P.J Fleck's weekly Monday press conference, recapping the Gophers 31-3 win over Northwestern and previewing their rivalry game against Iowa. We cut out all the coach speak and get down to the nitty-gritty.
Opening Statement:
Fleck's opening statement on Monday was a somber one, taking his time to send thoughts and prayers from the entire program to the University of Virginia and the tragedy that occurred in Charlottesville on Sunday night, leaving three UVA football players dead.
Takeaways from the win over Northwestern:
Fleck overall appeared to be satisfied with the Gophers' performance noting they were able to do a couple of things well but ultimately left meat on the bone both offensively and defensively as they missed several big plays on both sides of the ball.
The growth of Jah Joyner:
Fleck spoke highly of Joyner discussing how he's dedicated himself on and off the field especially when it comes to working in the nutrition room and weight room. Fleck also noted that Danbury (CT) native is down 40 pounds from where he was when he first entered the program. "He can be one of the best, I think, one of the best players on this football team," Fleck said in regard to Joyner.
On Iowa's defense:
When it comes to his thoughts on Iowa's defense, Fleck noted that the Hawkeyes' ability to score on defense. "It's impressive, I don't know if I've seen that in college football," Fleck said. "Where the defense creates the majority of points throughout the year ... I have a lot of respect for Kirk and what he's been able to build over there."
On Athan Kalikamnis's play:
Minnesota quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis wasn't asked to do a ton on Saturday against Northwestern, attempting just 13 passes over the game. Out of those 13 attempts, he completed seven passes for 64 yards. "There's no greater teacher than experience and that's what he's gaining right now," Fleck said about Kalikmanis and his performance. "He knew he can play better, we've all seen him play better but it all just doesn't fall on him," he would later add.
On senior day:
"Senior day is one the most emotional times," Fleck said about the Gophers' upcoming senior day matchup against Iowa. "Right before a game, that you have to go through this series of emotions even before you go through an emotional game, so there's so many people who have so much for this program."
The biggest challenge of facing Iowa's defense:
What's the biggest challenge in the mind of PJ Fleck about Iowa's defense? "They never beat themselves, they're in the right place, right time, all the time," he said. "They've very smart, they're intelligent, they're tough, they fly around, they tackle well. They've got great instincts and vision on the ball and they're always around the ball," he would elaborate. He would go on to say how Iowa doesn't miss any opportunities that they could possibly take advantage of.
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