P.J. Fleck’s late-game choice against UCLA said plenty about where the Gophers are right now.
With Minnesota down 14 and 2:42 left, facing fourth-and-7 from its own 28, the game was essentially gone. Still, Fleck chose to punt, turning a desperate situation into a surrender. It was the kind of call that made the final minutes feel even more revealing than the score itself.
That decision fit a pattern. Minnesota ranks 32nd nationally in time of possession, but only 89th in scoring.
The Gophers spend plenty of time with the ball and get very little out of it. Big plays are almost nonexistent, with Minnesota sitting 131st in all plays of 10-plus yards and dead last nationally in running plays of 10-plus yards, according to CFBstats.com.
This isn’t an offense built to strike fast or take chances. It moves slowly, drains the clock and leans on caution. Fleck has made that approach part of his identity, and he keeps selling “complementary football,” which in practice sounds a lot like, “Don’t screw it up offense.”
The conservative mindset showed up early, too. On the Gophers’ first possession, they reached fourth-and-2 at the UCLA 38.
Fleck called timeout and sent Luke Drzewiecki out for a field goal attempt from 56 yards. Drzewiecki, who has been a remarkable pickup this season, missed wide right.
The same thing happened on Minnesota’s first possession of the second half. Another fourth-and-4 at the UCLA 38.
Another 56-yard try. Another miss.
Fleck defended both decisions with the same logic.
“I think kicking the field goal is aggressive,” he said. “Going to score points is aggressive no matter how you do it.
Fourth-and-2, wind at his back, the kid hasn’t missed all year. We’re going to get three points.
It’s going to be a tight game. I would do it all over again the same way.”
It’s Year 10 of his tenure, and that’s not changing.
UCLA wasn’t perfect, but the Bruins made things look simple at times. Minnesota’s offense never did. And when the Gophers needed seven yards to keep their hopes alive, Fleck chose the punt - as if that same unit could suddenly string together two touchdown drives in a hurry.
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The Gophers have looked promising enough to inspire some optimism, especially with their depth and the expectation that one of their guards will deliver a strong night. Still, the margin for error figures to be slim, and Minnesotas best path runs through cleaner possession management and a better answer for Cincinnatis work on the glass. If the Gophers can handle those parts of the game, they should give themselves a real chance to make an early statement. [Read more 🡒]