Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck came into Saturday feeling a little extra confident after his team beat Washington in Seattle last week.
Fleck is known for his high-energy approach, so surfing on the crowd didn’t come as a total surprise. His team started as well on Saturday with a defensive stop on the Wolverines’ first drive, followed by a touchdown from Gophers running back Darius Taylor in the first quarter.
Fleck, who has been with the Gophers since 2017, came into Saturday with an 0-4 record against the Wolverines in his career. His success with the Gophers has led to big-time TV programs coming to Minneapolis before.
Minnesota hosted ESPN’s College GameDay in 2019 before a rivalry home game with Wisconsin for Paul Bunyan’s Axe. The Gophers and Wolverines also have a rivalry with the Little Brown Jug on the line, and Saturday marked the 100th game for the traveling trophy.
P.J. Fleck Addresses ‘Blood Brother’ Moment From Washington Game
Fleck turned heads after the Washington game when Fleck wiped blood from Gophers linebacker Maverick Baranowski’s face onto his when they embraced.
“Well, it’s just a way you can’t go out there and believe with them and play with them as players anymore,” Fleck explained on Big Noon Kickoff. “You’re a coach, right, but the way to show that is. I got your back. And in that moment, that’s what I felt [was] right.”
“And you know, Maverick was originally committed to the Air Force,” Fleck continued. “He was gonna fight for our country, so I figured [it out] and did that. And if you get your first deer, you’re supposed to take a bite out of the heart. So I didn’t do that.”
Gophers Coach PJ Fleck Goes Wild Before Michigan Game [Watch]