PJ Fleck Interview new - Sunday 11-17-19

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Gopher FB Coach PJ Fleck appeared on the Sports Huddle on WCCO Radio.

Sid: is Tanner Morgan OK? (....sid called him Tyler Morgan....)
PJ: I have not seen him yet. I'm proud of our trainers. His teammates saw he was wobbly. The officials didn't stop it. we were telling him to go down on one knee. that's what the spotters are for, what the officials are for, to see things like that. hope he's OK. We will take the proper protocol

Sid: team stayed in game despite tough start
PJ: we did things uncharacteristic for us. IA is good team. they played one of their best games of the year. we didn't. that's what happens when you play a good team in a hostile environment. we got down early - that changes how you manage the game. we still had a chance in the final 2 minutes. we didn't play our best. we'll learn a lot from that game. We'll be 0-0 this afternoon.

Sid: IA defense against run
PJ: we were down 13-0. that changes the dynamics of the game. we felt we had to get the ball in the air faster. have to be able to execute. we had some crucial drops

Sid: 5 penalties on MN - only 3 on IA.
PJ: big thing - 5 penalties. that's a lot for us. we are one of the least penalized teams in football. But they came at crucial circumstances. it's a game of situations. ours were in critical situations.

Sid: did you plead your case on the penalty for running on the field?
PJ: it wasn't a case to plead. it's their ball. personal foul came after the play. It's IA's ball. I see a player laying there not moving, I run on the field to make sure he's OK. As I started running out there, he starts getting up. these are my sons. their parents give them to me to raise. I never knew there was a red light or green light. I got a text from the B1G supervisor of officials. He said I got out there too fast. I did that earlier in the game for Tyler. not sure why it was thrown. all it did was cost us 10 yards. from the 7 to the 17 or something like that. I want to be the 1st one there if I see that - no one has ever told me I can't.

Sid: they got 13 points right away. you adjusted completely.
PJ: It wasn't hard. we just had to tackle better. we weren't playing aggressive. you can't feel the game out. I thought we felt it out on defense. give them credit. Their QB is good. the stretch play is difficult to defend. our players played not up to their capability.

Mona: If Morgan can't go, situation on red-shirt with Kramer and Clark?
PJ: Kramer has 2 games on Clark. don't jump to conclusions.

Sid: 368 yards passing. Out-gained IA on their home field by 150 yards
PJ: that's why stats don't always matter. If you look at it on paper, you thought we won the game. didn't win - need to do blocking and tackling better. too many drops, critical penalties. this team still showed its fight, courage, strength, the culture exudes on the field. as poorly as we played, we still had an opportunity to win the game on the final drive. it was a difficult game to manage based on our kicking situation. it puts you in a difficult predicament. at the end of the first half, we had to get points.

Mona: injury situation on kickers. Dunlap
PJ: no update. find out more today.

Sid: did you have any players outside of Morgan really play outstanding?
PJ: WR's played well. but had some crucial drops at big-time moments. I thought as a whole, some guys up front played hard. RB's ran hard. Give IA credit. they are one of the top 10 defenses in the country for a reason. last week we executed at a high level and won the game. this week we didn't execute at our standards.

Mona: how do you get ready for NW?
PJ: don't do anything different. we're 0-0. we need to be able to do just what we did in the 1st 9 games. squeeze all the juice from the orange. that's all we know how to do- go back to work. we had an outstanding week of practice. If you take 4 or 5 plays away, its a different game. that takes nothing away from what this team has accomplished. Our only loss was by 4 points at Kinnick.

Mona: 2-minute offense. how much latitude does QB have?
PJ: he's getting the call from the sidelines. we manage the game for him. I thought we managed it well. at end of 1st half, gave us 4 sec. if we don't get the TD, we're down 3 scores going into halftime. I thought we needed something from that drive. needed something positive to take into the locker room. If we're only down 2 scores, I thought I could give them the message I had to deliver. if we miss it, we're down 3 scores. wanted to get easy points. get a manageable 2-score deficit. came out on 1st drive of 2nd half and cut it to a one-possession game.

Sid: what do you say to your team after a game like that?
PJ: you win some, you lose some. sometimes you play well, but you play a good team and they beat you. on the 78% - we've won all year when we get the 78% except 2 games (Fresno St and Georgia Southern). you play a team like IA, we lost the 78% battle, you get beat. that brings validation to what we believe. to win the 78% need to win the ball-turnover margin. need to have less missed tackles. they had more explosive plays. if you look at those things, we didn't deserve to win. we had a chance, but we didn't deserve to win.

Sid: You can't say it, but I can. The Officiating was terrible. what a coaching job. unbelievable. Murray's. Let's pray Morgan is OK.
PJ: RTB, Ski-U-Mah, Go Gophers
 


I’m sick of hearing about the kicking situation. Is it Clark? He kicks a better ball than Lantz anyhow. Should of kicked the FG down 20-13 period. He says he has confidence in his players. He put him out there from 50, which was the only kick he had missed in 2 games. “Our kicking situation” that’s ridiculous to say.


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The head official clearly had a burr up his *** last night, very evident early on when the ball was re-spotted and the surly (oh I guess) “FOR MEASUREMENT” statement was made (because it wasn’t obvious...), and then later he saw PJ run up to check on TJ and was clearly the one to get upset and throw the flag on that.

As far as the L goes take 24 hours to get upset, mourn, then forget it and refocus.
 

I agree that this was a total team defeat. I doubt the water girl had a good game, certainly many of the coaches and players had bad games by our normal standards. We have a core, apparently unfixable problem with our four man pass rush. Part of every game plan for us the rest of the season is going to have to include some blitz packages to overcome this. That will leave us vulnerable to screens, etc. but we can not let QB's just sit back there and throw us to death. An ugly loss, turn the page. Go Gophers.
 



The head official clearly had a burr up his *** last night, very evident early on when the ball was re-spotted and the surly (oh I guess) “FOR MEASUREMENT” statement was made (because it wasn’t obvious...), and then later he saw PJ run up to check on TJ and was clearly the one to get upset and throw the flag on that.

As far as the L goes take 24 hours to get upset, mourn, then forget it and refocus.

PJ also had touched an official earlier. It wouldn't have been shocking to see a flag there since it could have been called a shove.
 

To quote John Candy....$10 and my left nut says Morgan plays against Northwestern


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PJ also had touched an official earlier. It wouldn't have been shocking to see a flag there since it could have been called a shove.

Do you remember the reason for the push though! That sideline official was in the process of screwing the Gophs by not stopping play to re-spot when the original spot was 2 yards off after the 3rd down play.
 



PJ also had touched an official earlier. It wouldn't have been shocking to see a flag there since it could have been called a shove.

PJ is as emotional as any fan. His boundless energy and emotion comes with pluses and minuses. There is the intent of rules and then there is a zero tolerance interpretation which are two different things.
 

Do you remember the reason for the push though! That sideline official was in the process of screwing the Gophs by not stopping play to re-spot when the original spot was 2 yards off after the 3rd down play.

So it’s not OK to touch/push/whatever happened (I don’t recall this play) a ref unless the official is making a bad call - then it’s OK?


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Reading this, I infer that PJ was both ticked off with the officiating in Iowa City and upset that they let a game get away that they felt they should win. I disagree with him on a couple things he said in the interview. The first is that I think his penalty did make a difference as Iowa starting on the 17 is much more advantageous to them than starting on the 7. Iowa is really conservative on offense and you can almost count on safe play calling inside their own 10 yard line. That could have saved time on the clock and/or field position. The second is that I disagree with the take the points before halftime thought process especially when he would then go for it on 4th and 4 in the 3rd quarter down just 7. On the first decision, he's got two yards to go and chance to cut the game to 20-10 with the slight chance of actually getting to kick a field goal if the first play is a real quick slant incompletion. On the second decision, it's 4th and 4 as opposed to 4th and 2 and the ball is not near the goal line. A touchdown only ties the game and there is a ton of time left to play. The ball is also in the middle of the field making it an easier angle for Walker than the one he doinked in to end the half. It just didn't seem like the upside to tying the game there was worth the risk of coming away with no points there. It just seems like Fleck was real conservative to end the half and real agressive in the 3rd quarter. Again if Tyler just catches the ball, the game is tied and the result is perfect and we're almost certainly talking about a win so the play call was great.
 

Anyone catch the play where Iowa blatantly held Coughlin, preventing him from getting to Stanley, in which Stanley completed a huge first down play? That one was crucial and pissed me off. They missed quite a few holds on Iowa when they ran the edges too.


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Anyone catch the play where Iowa blatantly held Coughlin, preventing him from getting to Stanley, in which Stanley completed a huge first down play? That one was crucial and pissed me off. They missed quite a few holds on Iowa when they ran the edges too.


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It’s happened to him in every game this year.
 

Thanks Son. A few unanswered questions today's report by Fleck as it was too early unfortunately. Hopefully everyone will be healthy by the weeks end.
 

It’s happened to him in every game this year.

Getting pretty sick of seeing it, and if I have to see it on a crucial play in the Badger game....I’ll be furious


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Getting pretty sick of seeing it, and if I have to see it on a crucial play in the Badger game....I’ll be furious


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You are likely to be furious then. Nobody is better at getting away with holding than Wisconsin.
 

Little disconnect for me. Sprinted onto the field to check on TJ but not sure next day how Tanner is?

Also, like somebody else said about I believe in my players... Our kicker was big time versus Penn St but now we have a kicker situation versus Iowa?

The red light/green light is bs. All Officials consider themselves in charge of the game...they give you a nod, a wave to come on the field. No other coach runs out there during the play? Just own it.
 

Also, pleased to hear the coaches managed the 2 minute offense well for Tanner. Ummm?
 

Anyone catch the play where Iowa blatantly held Coughlin, preventing him from getting to Stanley, in which Stanley completed a huge first down play? That one was crucial and pissed me off. They missed quite a few holds on Iowa when they ran the edges too.


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Meh, I saw that play and those types of "holds" happen all the time on all sides including with our guys.

As long as the OT (Whirffs), keeps Coughlin directly in front of him they aren't going to call that and you shouldn't expect them too. O-lineman are taught to grab on the inside of the defenders shoulder pads and only let go when the defender gets outside of them. But Whirff's kept Coughlin in front of him.
 

Anyone catch the play where Iowa blatantly held Coughlin, preventing him from getting to Stanley, in which Stanley completed a huge first down play? That one was crucial and pissed me off. They missed quite a few holds on Iowa when they ran the edges too.


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The officiating call that really bothered me was the 3rd down at the end of the 2nd quarter where the Iowa player clearly went out of bounds and they kept the clock running, requiring us to burn our last timeout. The ref was right there and had a perfect point of view and made the completely wrong call. If we had that timeout, we have a much better chance of scoring a TD at the end of the half instead of the FG we settled for.
 

Anyone catch the play where Iowa blatantly held Coughlin, preventing him from getting to Stanley, in which Stanley completed a huge first down play? That one was crucial and pissed me off. They missed quite a few holds on Iowa when they ran the edges too.


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Saw it but saw plenty that went the other way or went uncalled. Seems to me that it works itself out.
 

Anyone catch the play where Iowa blatantly held Coughlin, preventing him from getting to Stanley, in which Stanley completed a huge first down play? That one was crucial and pissed me off. They missed quite a few holds on Iowa when they ran the edges too.


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I remember the game last year they were holding on just about every play. They wrap their arms around and then get their hands under but still are grabbing with both hands. It's very weird. It's clearly something they are taught. I was telling my friends I was watching the game with that how is that not a hold like on every single play? I didn't notice it as much this game but I did notice the one you are talking about. There were a couple of others too. So I'm not sure if it's not a hold because of the way they do it, or if the officials look the other way with what they do?
 

The officiating call that really bothered me was the 3rd down at the end of the 2nd quarter where the Iowa player clearly went out of bounds and they kept the clock running, requiring us to burn our last timeout. The ref was right there and had a perfect point of view and made the completely wrong call. If we had that timeout, we have a much better chance of scoring a TD at the end of the half instead of the FG we settled for.

I thought that one, the very questionable holding call against our receiver that killed a scoring drive in the first half, and the awful 15-yard penalty on the punt "interference" were all equally terrible, and all were significant in affecting the game. The cheap holding call cost us points, the botched OOB call resulted in 3 instead of, probably, 7, and the punt "interference" gave Iowa its only 3 points of the second half, which ended up being huge.

Were there any questionable and significant calls that went the Gophers' way that I am missing? I don't recall any at this time.
 

Little disconnect for me. Sprinted onto the field to check on TJ but not sure next day how Tanner is?

Also, like somebody else said about I believe in my players... Our kicker was big time versus Penn St but now we have a kicker situation versus Iowa?

The red light/green light is bs. All Officials consider themselves in charge of the game...they give you a nod, a wave to come on the field. No other coach runs out there during the play? Just own it.

Well he won’t disclose the health of Tanner right now, not sure if he’s allowed to due to HIPAA laws. Isn’t there something where Tanner has to give the consent for them to say how he’s doing? Thought I’ve seen that discussed in past injured player threads. Beyond that, I doubt Fleck wants to get into the health of Morgan yet. Leave NW and Wisconsin guessing on what our QB situation looks like.


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I remember the game last year they were holding on just about every play. They wrap their arms around and then get their hands under but still are grabbing with both hands. It's very weird. It's clearly something they are taught. I was telling my friends I was watching the game with that how is that not a hold like on every single play? I didn't notice it as much this game but I did notice the one you are talking about. There were a couple of others too. So I'm not sure if it's not a hold because of the way they do it, or if the officials look the other way with what they do?

Holding and tugging is everywhere from linemen to defensive backs; trick and art is not getting caught and letting go after a quarter beat, just enough to slow momentum. If the hands are inside supposed to be ok but Coughlin was clearly grabbed outside the shoulder and his progress/turn impeded which clearly should have been called. Stanley got to do his Michael Vick impression which isn’t natural and would never normally happen.

We benefit at times as well...but I’d argue for more consistency on the egregious stuff. It’s really wierd.
 

I remember the game last year they were holding on just about every play. They wrap their arms around and then get their hands under but still are grabbing with both hands. It's very weird. It's clearly something they are taught. I was telling my friends I was watching the game with that how is that not a hold like on every single play? I didn't notice it as much this game but I did notice the one you are talking about. There were a couple of others too. So I'm not sure if it's not a hold because of the way they do it, or if the officials look the other way with what they do?

The ref was staring right at the Coughlin hold. Every fan was screaming about it. It was ridiculous. The holding penalty needs to be better defined, and there needs to be a better way of implementing the call. I’d say it’s by far the most common penalty being committed, and when refs pick and choose what ones to acknowledge, it just makes for a blame the refs playground. It needs to be fixed in my opinion.


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Well he won’t disclose the health of Tanner right now, not sure if he’s allowed to due to HIPAA laws. Isn’t there something where Tanner has to give the consent for them to say how he’s doing? Thought I’ve seen that discussed in past injured player threads. Beyond that, I doubt Fleck wants to get into the health of Morgan yet. Leave NW and Wisconsin guessing on what our QB situation looks like.


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We won’t know until Sat morning and that’s fine.
 

The officiating call that really bothered me was the 3rd down at the end of the 2nd quarter where the Iowa player clearly went out of bounds and they kept the clock running, requiring us to burn our last timeout. The ref was right there and had a perfect point of view and made the completely wrong call. If we had that timeout, we have a much better chance of scoring a TD at the end of the half instead of the FG we settled for.

that situation definitely pissed me off. Forgot about it until you brought it up. That was huge


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Well he won’t disclose the health of Tanner right now, not sure if he’s allowed to due to HIPAA laws. Isn’t there something where Tanner has to give the consent for them to say how he’s doing? Thought I’ve seen that discussed in past injured player threads. Beyond that, I doubt Fleck wants to get into the health of Morgan yet. Leave NW and Wisconsin guessing on what our QB situation looks like.

Every player signs a HIPAA release. If Fleck wants to talk about the health or injuries of any player, he can.
 




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