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Typical gopher.
It’s what they do, who they are. The football equivalent of a buzzkill.
Throw a shutout in an impressive road win one week, seem totally unprepared to produce one of the most inexcusable losses in program history the following week.
And PJ Fleck wonders why a large metropolis views its program with so much negativity and skepticism. Due to days like Saturday, a Homecoming horror show of the highest order.
This last embarrassment belongs entirely to Fleck. All. The stain of a 14-10 loss to Bowling Green cannot be erased with slogans.
The Gophers suffered a loss as a 31-point favorites, making it one of the 20 biggest upsets in college football in decades based on the points spread.
Bowling Green had lost 10 straight games against opponents from FBS. The Falcons roster includes 71 players who graduated high school in 2020 or 2021, making them one of the youngest teams in the country.
None of this mattered. They were the best team in all areas. Framing. Offense. Defense. Special teams.
“Everything that happened there on that pitch is coming back to me,” said Fleck, who is now 0-17 as he was down at halftime.
What a damning statistic. Not once in 17 tries has Fleck turned a halftime deficit into a victory. Not even a 7-3 deficit at Bowling Green. No, this mountain was too high to be conquered.
A head coach is responsible for preparing and managing his team’s game, and Fleck missed both areas on Saturday.
His team committed stupid penalties. The offense was… it’s hard to even describe this mess. Special teams have turned into a pumpkin. And the odd clock handling and game calls put the icing on the cake.
“I don’t know which football team was there,” Fleck said.
The offense exposed was so bewildered and unimaginative that it should be sent back to the Stone Age. Coordinator Mike Sanford’s play call showed no confidence in anything other than the runs in the middle.
If this is all Sanford’s handiwork – crafting a plan less creative than a hot dish – and not a directive from Fleck, then give offensive coordinator Matt Simon a chance to play.
Just as bad was the execution of that mundane game plan. The veterans offensive line – the recipient of considerable hype and praise – has repeatedly breathed against the Bowling Green blitzes. Tanner Morgan had his worst performance in a Gophers uniform. And the receivers struggled to open up on the pitch.
The Fleck / Sanford scheme relies on electrical operation, but the lack of balance makes it absurdly predictable. Either they hate passing or they don’t trust the passing game, and neither is good.
In the second quarter, Fleck went for the fourth and 1 of his own 29s. I didn’t necessarily mind the bet, but Sanford called a slow-developing running game that lost 5 yards. Bowling Green turned this gift into a touchdown.
In the third quarter, the Gophers faced third and sixth at Bowling Green 33. Sanford called off a run that lost a yard. Fleck then sent kicker Matthew Trickett, who missed a field goal for 52 yards.
Strange.
Fourth quarter, the Gophers trailed 14-10 when they started a drive in their 8 with 7:35 to go. They began to operate with the urgency of a lazy person. So methodical in signaling plays and then slamming the ball you thought they had a 10 point lead.
This practice went nowhere but offered two more chances, Morgan ended his last two possessions after a game by throwing back-to-back interceptions.
“You talk about being the reason for the quarterback position,” Morgan said. “Today I was the opposite of reason. It’s 100% on me.”
His stat line looked more like a freshman making his first start than a fourth-year starter: 5 of 13 passes for 59 yards with two interceptions and a lost fumble.
Morgan’s regression from 2019 is significant. Fleck ruled out whether he would consider a change to that position.
“You could talk about it in every position because I think nobody played well,” he said.
Or well trained.
Put the two together and here is the result. Another loss of Gophers signature.
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