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Gopher FB Coach PJ Fleck appeared on the Sports Huddle with Sid, Dave and Max on Sunday, Nov 5th.
Sid: how do you figure out how game turned around (after Gophers had good drive in 1st qtr)?
PJF: defense didn't tackle well. That (Michigan) is a championship FB team. sometimes you have to get your butt kicked by a champion to figure out what a champion looks like. offensively we weren't consistent enough as far as executing.
Sid: tackling was worst of season, after played well against IA the week before.
PJF: Penn St was 7-0 a few weeks ago. things change. we didn't tackle well against a team with incredible speed. we haven't played a team with that kind of speed all year. 1 missed tackle leads to an 80-yd TD. play a team with less speed, you miss a tackle and can still rally. can't against a team with better speed.
Sid: Croft did some pretty good things
PJF: thought he played well. asking him to do as much as we can ask him to do. that's the best front 7 I've ever played against as a FB coach. we knew we were not going to be able to line up and run the ball straight ahead against them. had to find ways to get to perimeter. used option, motion. takes more than a QB playing well to get results. thought he took a step in the right direction.
Sid: Higdon. guys had shots at him (and didn't finish tackles).
PJF: we weren't moving feet on contact. failing and growth. play a championship FB team, if you don't tackle well, you're not going to win FB games. Jim Harbaugh is one of the best FB coaches in America. you've got to get whooped to understand what it's like to become a champion. got to establish a culture where people want to come here. we're getting there. guys in program are getting better. just not as fast as people want.
Max: what do you do - what's the message to team?
PJF: everyone wants to go to a bowl. it's a reward for a great season. we're far from a bowl team. have to re-establish where we are. what can we get better at? highlight strengths, eliminate weaknesses. message very simple - we got whooped. got to know what champions look like. we can grow from that. I wasn't brought here just to go to a bowl game every year. came here to win championships consistently. It's a process. got to execute at higher level.
Mona: Celestin - arm injury?
PJF: players are like your own sons. I watch them. how are they performing? Jon is the toughest guy on team. when you watch him miss tackles. - fighting through elbow injury, starting to affect missed tackles. got to help team by getting him out of there. Cashman played outstanding. I know Jon wants to be in there - risk vs. reward. don't want to get hurt further. he won't say anything. I felt he couldn't use his right arm. can't use one arm as a LB against a team like Michigan.
Sid: Cashman?
PJF: he will continue to play. he brings an urgency, passion for the game. got to find situations to get him into the game. that's how every player on the team must play. we're not playing at that level right now.
Max: passing game issues. are you getting separation with WR's?
PJF: Not at all. can only do so much. get man coverage, we use man coverage routes - if we don't create separation, it's not just on QB. have to be able to..(pause)...speed kills. we need to recruit really fast athletes, and we will. if we're not the fastest team, we have to use better techniques. Simon really good at teaching. we were 1-11 at our last stop in the 1st year. we've got a heck of a recruiting class. players are determined. got to find a way to get more wins. but we're not going to sacrifice doing things the right way for wins right now.
Mona: early signing period?
PJF: Dec 20th. we're a month away from signing day. everything's faster. want to sign all of our players in December. might have 1 or 2 where we wait till Feb. will be working on '19 class in January.
Max: effect early signing might have on coaches - AD's make decisions earlier in year.
PJF: changed forever. going to see AD's make quicker decisions. see coaches get released (sooner). AD's working behind scenes to bring in coaches. start to see people move faster. might see coaches leave programs toward end of season. nobody knows how it will affect the game. might lose a recruiting class (if coaches leave). lot of changes coming that maybe college FB hasn't seen. new rule - makes it exciting.
Sid: know you'll bounce back. Murray's. good luck.
PJF: RTB, Ski-U-Mah.
Sid: how do you figure out how game turned around (after Gophers had good drive in 1st qtr)?
PJF: defense didn't tackle well. That (Michigan) is a championship FB team. sometimes you have to get your butt kicked by a champion to figure out what a champion looks like. offensively we weren't consistent enough as far as executing.
Sid: tackling was worst of season, after played well against IA the week before.
PJF: Penn St was 7-0 a few weeks ago. things change. we didn't tackle well against a team with incredible speed. we haven't played a team with that kind of speed all year. 1 missed tackle leads to an 80-yd TD. play a team with less speed, you miss a tackle and can still rally. can't against a team with better speed.
Sid: Croft did some pretty good things
PJF: thought he played well. asking him to do as much as we can ask him to do. that's the best front 7 I've ever played against as a FB coach. we knew we were not going to be able to line up and run the ball straight ahead against them. had to find ways to get to perimeter. used option, motion. takes more than a QB playing well to get results. thought he took a step in the right direction.
Sid: Higdon. guys had shots at him (and didn't finish tackles).
PJF: we weren't moving feet on contact. failing and growth. play a championship FB team, if you don't tackle well, you're not going to win FB games. Jim Harbaugh is one of the best FB coaches in America. you've got to get whooped to understand what it's like to become a champion. got to establish a culture where people want to come here. we're getting there. guys in program are getting better. just not as fast as people want.
Max: what do you do - what's the message to team?
PJF: everyone wants to go to a bowl. it's a reward for a great season. we're far from a bowl team. have to re-establish where we are. what can we get better at? highlight strengths, eliminate weaknesses. message very simple - we got whooped. got to know what champions look like. we can grow from that. I wasn't brought here just to go to a bowl game every year. came here to win championships consistently. It's a process. got to execute at higher level.
Mona: Celestin - arm injury?
PJF: players are like your own sons. I watch them. how are they performing? Jon is the toughest guy on team. when you watch him miss tackles. - fighting through elbow injury, starting to affect missed tackles. got to help team by getting him out of there. Cashman played outstanding. I know Jon wants to be in there - risk vs. reward. don't want to get hurt further. he won't say anything. I felt he couldn't use his right arm. can't use one arm as a LB against a team like Michigan.
Sid: Cashman?
PJF: he will continue to play. he brings an urgency, passion for the game. got to find situations to get him into the game. that's how every player on the team must play. we're not playing at that level right now.
Max: passing game issues. are you getting separation with WR's?
PJF: Not at all. can only do so much. get man coverage, we use man coverage routes - if we don't create separation, it's not just on QB. have to be able to..(pause)...speed kills. we need to recruit really fast athletes, and we will. if we're not the fastest team, we have to use better techniques. Simon really good at teaching. we were 1-11 at our last stop in the 1st year. we've got a heck of a recruiting class. players are determined. got to find a way to get more wins. but we're not going to sacrifice doing things the right way for wins right now.
Mona: early signing period?
PJF: Dec 20th. we're a month away from signing day. everything's faster. want to sign all of our players in December. might have 1 or 2 where we wait till Feb. will be working on '19 class in January.
Max: effect early signing might have on coaches - AD's make decisions earlier in year.
PJF: changed forever. going to see AD's make quicker decisions. see coaches get released (sooner). AD's working behind scenes to bring in coaches. start to see people move faster. might see coaches leave programs toward end of season. nobody knows how it will affect the game. might lose a recruiting class (if coaches leave). lot of changes coming that maybe college FB hasn't seen. new rule - makes it exciting.
Sid: know you'll bounce back. Murray's. good luck.
PJF: RTB, Ski-U-Mah.