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Gopher FB Coach PJ Fleck appeared on the Sports Huddle with Sid, Dave and Max on Sunday, Oct 1.
Sid: 13 pt favorite, but earlier in the week, you were worried about Maryland
PJF: they're the Same team that beat TX in week 1. QB, 3rd-string guy, but he started last year. there was talk he was going to be the starter this year. We did not play well. give them credit in every area. did not tackle well, did not run the ball, turned the ball over. didn't get any takeaways - they beat us at our own game. they way they won is the way we usually win. close game down to last 2 minutes. thought our kids played hard. made too many mistakes
Sid: lost so many players from last year's team.....
PJF: last year has nothing to do with this year. different team different coaching staff. this is our FB team. have to get better in a lot of areas. playing a lot of young people. breaking redshirts.
Sid: couldn't move ball on ground.
PJF: not just Brooks and Smith. need ability to make plays on outside to open that up. they put 8 guys in the box. we have to make plays on outside to open that up. we're going to do what we have to do to win game - what our players are capable of doing. how can we do things to highlight strengths, eliminate weaknesses. do what our players do well.
Max: does Rhoda need to keep it more often?
PJF: a few times he pulled it. backers rocking back over the top. if we run Connor more and lose Connor, we're in really bad position. defense did good job of taking him away. it's not just running him more. that's how Maryland got to their 3rd guy.
Sid: cannot afford turnovers
PJF: we lost our first game because we lost turnover battle. not good enough to turn ball over and win games. not deep enough to recover from that. don't have enough depth and experience. got to play sound FB. didn't get any takeaways. Their QB played really well.
Mona: huge diff in yds gained on 1st downs.
PJF: that was the biggest issue. in a lot of our wins, we win the 3rd-down battle. (there are) reasons why you lose. the result doesn't change that. didn't win 1st and 2nd down. didn't win time of possession. have to continue to fix it. just like after wins, we evaluate - what can we do better.
Sid: lost 1 DB to discipline. lose Winfield during game
PJF: incredibly thin in secondary. lost 3 starters from last year. loss of Duke, loss of Winfield. paper-thin. pull redshirt off of Handy-Holly. continue to get better, teach these young people. get recruiting classes in here. year zero of new culture. got to gain experience right now.
Sid: you used players you wanted to redshirt.
PJF: we don't have enough players on FB team to not play them. I have to play them. there is nobody else. coming down to moving wideouts to corner. that's issue we have in 2017. said that before season. there's where you get to lack of numbers. our challenge. excited about future.
Mona: Special teams didn't play up to standard. kicks out of bounds, missed FG?
PJF: did not play well. 100% on me. did not have team prepared to play at high level. Special teams same things. can't do those things in B1G and expect to win with the youth and inexperience we have. strive for perfection all the time. got to get as close to that as we can. lack of tackling, lack of takeaways.
Sid: you weren't very Disciplined on defense?
PJF: great day to continue to grow. all three phases (offense, defense, special teams) are my responsibility.
Sid: how did the week of Practice go?
PJF: I thought we had phenomenal week of practice. Go back and look at what did we do, how did we do it. what adjustments did we make? they played differently than they had played earlier in the season- more drop-back pass game. they did a tremendous job. falls back on me making sure guys are 100% ready to play. I thought they were.
Sid: how did offensive line play?
PJF: Didn't think we moved anyone. team played hard. didn't move anybody. a big wall across the line. hard to run outside. hard to come back when you have negative yardage (on 1st down). we were at least getting positive yards from inside stuff. have to call things that are the strength of line
Mona: status of Douglas?
PJF: he's out for the year. have to play young kids. probably medical him. hope to get year back. hopefully he'll be stronger when he returns. next year we'll be younger than we are this year. that's way I mapped out 1st two years. for this year, we have to stay healthy to have success.
Sid: you'll get these guys straightened out.
PJF: RTB, Ski-U-Mah.
Sid: 13 pt favorite, but earlier in the week, you were worried about Maryland
PJF: they're the Same team that beat TX in week 1. QB, 3rd-string guy, but he started last year. there was talk he was going to be the starter this year. We did not play well. give them credit in every area. did not tackle well, did not run the ball, turned the ball over. didn't get any takeaways - they beat us at our own game. they way they won is the way we usually win. close game down to last 2 minutes. thought our kids played hard. made too many mistakes
Sid: lost so many players from last year's team.....
PJF: last year has nothing to do with this year. different team different coaching staff. this is our FB team. have to get better in a lot of areas. playing a lot of young people. breaking redshirts.
Sid: couldn't move ball on ground.
PJF: not just Brooks and Smith. need ability to make plays on outside to open that up. they put 8 guys in the box. we have to make plays on outside to open that up. we're going to do what we have to do to win game - what our players are capable of doing. how can we do things to highlight strengths, eliminate weaknesses. do what our players do well.
Max: does Rhoda need to keep it more often?
PJF: a few times he pulled it. backers rocking back over the top. if we run Connor more and lose Connor, we're in really bad position. defense did good job of taking him away. it's not just running him more. that's how Maryland got to their 3rd guy.
Sid: cannot afford turnovers
PJF: we lost our first game because we lost turnover battle. not good enough to turn ball over and win games. not deep enough to recover from that. don't have enough depth and experience. got to play sound FB. didn't get any takeaways. Their QB played really well.
Mona: huge diff in yds gained on 1st downs.
PJF: that was the biggest issue. in a lot of our wins, we win the 3rd-down battle. (there are) reasons why you lose. the result doesn't change that. didn't win 1st and 2nd down. didn't win time of possession. have to continue to fix it. just like after wins, we evaluate - what can we do better.
Sid: lost 1 DB to discipline. lose Winfield during game
PJF: incredibly thin in secondary. lost 3 starters from last year. loss of Duke, loss of Winfield. paper-thin. pull redshirt off of Handy-Holly. continue to get better, teach these young people. get recruiting classes in here. year zero of new culture. got to gain experience right now.
Sid: you used players you wanted to redshirt.
PJF: we don't have enough players on FB team to not play them. I have to play them. there is nobody else. coming down to moving wideouts to corner. that's issue we have in 2017. said that before season. there's where you get to lack of numbers. our challenge. excited about future.
Mona: Special teams didn't play up to standard. kicks out of bounds, missed FG?
PJF: did not play well. 100% on me. did not have team prepared to play at high level. Special teams same things. can't do those things in B1G and expect to win with the youth and inexperience we have. strive for perfection all the time. got to get as close to that as we can. lack of tackling, lack of takeaways.
Sid: you weren't very Disciplined on defense?
PJF: great day to continue to grow. all three phases (offense, defense, special teams) are my responsibility.
Sid: how did the week of Practice go?
PJF: I thought we had phenomenal week of practice. Go back and look at what did we do, how did we do it. what adjustments did we make? they played differently than they had played earlier in the season- more drop-back pass game. they did a tremendous job. falls back on me making sure guys are 100% ready to play. I thought they were.
Sid: how did offensive line play?
PJF: Didn't think we moved anyone. team played hard. didn't move anybody. a big wall across the line. hard to run outside. hard to come back when you have negative yardage (on 1st down). we were at least getting positive yards from inside stuff. have to call things that are the strength of line
Mona: status of Douglas?
PJF: he's out for the year. have to play young kids. probably medical him. hope to get year back. hopefully he'll be stronger when he returns. next year we'll be younger than we are this year. that's way I mapped out 1st two years. for this year, we have to stay healthy to have success.
Sid: you'll get these guys straightened out.
PJF: RTB, Ski-U-Mah.
