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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
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