Michigan’s first loss of the season came with plenty to chew on, but Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck isn’t overreacting to what he saw from the Wolverines against Iowa.
Michigan dropped a heartbreaker over the weekend when the Hawkeyes marched 91 yards for the game-winning touchdown. Still, Fleck made it clear Monday that the final score didn’t tell the whole story. From his view, the box score showed a team that controlled a lot of the game before letting it slip late.
“Gosh, I tell you what, he is such a gifted athlete and he's really evolving as a really good quarterback. Both the receivers last game had over 100 yards receiving, which again, you add that to the run game, and then you had him as a runner as well.
They're massive up front,” Fleck said on Monday. “That's why I say that the their best football still ahead of them, and you can see it, and we're gonna have to play really sound, really aggressive, really tough on defense.
“Lots of different looks and be really disciplined with it. Because in every area, they can beat you.
And when you have 200 yards receiving against that defense they played last week, plus the running game, plus his numbers they were putting up, plus the quarterback passing and running. That's a juggernaut for sure.
So we've got our hands full with that.”
That praise comes with Michigan heading on the road for the first time this season, traveling to Minnesota to face the Gophers. The timing is awkward for the Wolverines, who are trying to shake off the Iowa loss with a tough stretch still ahead and a bye week not far off.
Minnesota enters the matchup after a 27-24 win at Washington, a late-night road victory that gave Fleck’s team a much-needed boost. The Gophers’ run game also found life in that one, adding another layer of confidence before Michigan arrives.
For the Wolverines, Bryce Underwood will be central to the response. He threw for 276 yards against Iowa, and the expectation is that he’ll need to keep rolling if Michigan wants to get back on track.
Minnesota’s pass defense has been one of the better units in the Big Ten, ranking No. 8 in the conference. The Gophers gave up 227 passing yards to Mississippi State and 239 passing yards to Washington quarterback Demond Williams last weekend.
Michigan’s loss stung, but Fleck’s message was straightforward: the Wolverines still look dangerous, and they’re bringing a lot to the table into Saturday’s matchup.
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