📅 Published on: 2024-11-24 13:11:46
⏱ Duration: 00:35:25 (2125 seconds)
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📝 Video Description:
Gophers Head Coach PJ Fleck and select student-athletes discusses Minnesota’s game vs. Penn State on 11/23/2024 at Huntington Bank Stadium.
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🎙 Channel: Minnesota Gophers
🌍 Channel Country: United States
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🕵️♂️ Transcript:
for for e for for e for for for for for e all right um real hard loss uh tough loss to take uh but uh you got to give Penn State a lot of credit they’re really good football team they’re top four team in the country for a reason they got players everywhere I thought we had really good game plan I thought we had executed it really well on the offense defense and special team sides um you know in the back of your mind know it’s going to find a way you know what your team can do with their heart their Spirit how hard they play uh we’ve been in now seven one possession games that’s the new Big 10 and the ball’s not round sometimes it goes your way sometimes it doesn’t uh but the measure of a person is how they respond to it and um there’s a lot of lot of Tears in that locker room because of how hard they play but um Penn State found a way to make one more play than we did and um it was a great football game sometimes you got to step out of the head coach role to appreciate a game like that because that’s a really good football college football game with two really good teams I said we’re three and four in one possession games which I told our team we’re just as good as anybody we’ve played or lost to just as good just got to do it and U and that that’s not I don’t think you know you all have a job to do but I don’t think anybody disagree with how close we’ve been in a lot of areas uh but when you turn the ball over two times and Penn State doesn’t I mean that’s if I would have told you they’re going we’re going to turn the ball over twice and they’re not going to do it at all I mean none of you probably would have picked us to begin with um there’s a lot of things that you look at after a game you got to evaluate everything starting with me um you know I gotta look at every decision I made and evaluate it but there’s no hindsight I don’t believe in that I I don’t believe in I could have would have should have um I’m sure there’s a lot of things you want to ask me about which gladly they answer um no such thing as hindsight you make the best calls in the best situations and some work some don’t they had a bunch of plays that worked some didn’t and U you know but I couldn’t ask for anything more from a football team than what was just displayed on that field and we’re past moral victories and things like that but uh I I I love where our program’s at because like I said you have seven one possession games we played 11 games we’ve blown two teams out that’s the new Big 10 and we’re in every single game we got a chance to win every one of them and uh they made one more play than we did so uh I got to go back and evaluate why and uh you know make those changes and got a short week coaches being in the morning and and U we’ll get healed up best we possibly can and and uh bus out to Madison so with that open up for questions well we did so many things that were incredibly awesome we had a great we had we did so many things that we needed to be able to do and we did and we won the time of possession we were really good on third down we were really good on third down defense special teams came through with a block field goal a block extra point came up with a block punt uh you know there’s some unbelievable plays made on the offense defense side of the ball playing their hearts out this one of the best teams in the country this is one of the top five teams I’ve ever played against as as a football coach um but when you go back and look there’s a lot of things Andy that you just kind of go back and I’m sure you’ll ask me about some specifics and look forward to answering those chip would you like to ask me any specifics chip I mean the reverse pass it worked so it’s a good call um we’re in the perfect defense for it practice it all week uh the only thing that they showed that they did that they did that they didn’t show was pop 11 out and if you letes them pop out there’s nobody there and uh you know it just didn’t it just didn’t come together how you know it came together in practice but I love the call I love where it’s at I love the look that we put it into I’d call It All Over Again by the based on the look that we had they just popped 11 out and I thought Max did a good job of throwing the ball away at that point but that one play didn’t cost us the game and that I love that call um the reverse pass you know works you know some other things we did work um you know but some don’t and that that’s just that’s just how it is we got the ball at the eight yard line tough place to be with their their looks and their cover zero stuff and their man coverage and and what they can force you into and um you know we still had two plays to be able to to still get in the end zone from there and um and then from there you know kicking the field goal is the best decision I mean that’s that’s the smart decision and the best decision it’s both it’s not just smart and safe it’s the best decision you got three timeouts there’s five minutes to go you make it within one score our defense stops them so we’re going to get the ball back to go exactly the way we needed it to do and um they they run a really good fake punt that’s that’s that’s a heck of a call by James and and a heck of a call so it didn’t matter if we’re in punt safe doesn’t matter if you’re in in punt uh return we’re holding them up so we have the defensive scheme and we have the holes covered and the gaps covered but I mean if they that’s what they were going to run no matter what I mean that’s that’s a heck of a call and they only had to get a few yards so um they had a really good scheme and called it up and got it think fake punt there at all or you thought you get the ball back uh I mean it it it it’s being discussed but you know if you if you call it and you don’t get it and then we got a wall there I mean we got the ball in field goal range you know and that’s just that’s one of those calls those are why you fake it when everybody doesn’t think you’re going to do it uh but there was discussion back and forth that’s my call on what on what we decide to do on that the Special Teams like in this type of a game it might not get as much love but on both sides making huge plays that kind of determine the game how important was it for both teams that was huge I mean you look at Dron being perfect on the field goals and coming through big for us there and he was ready to kick the game winner if it came down to it I think you know their special teams was really solid too um our guys came through really really big on the Block extra point which again you you find a way to flip it and you win the middle eight right there then you come out and score in the first possession I mean that that’s winning the middle eight and to beat a team like Penn State you got to find a way to do that and we did it and again it just we weren’t able to close out the game but but special teams was a big part of this game and I give Coach League a lot of credit and our special teams they played their hearts out and it’s unfortunate with the fake punt but again that’s that that’s my responsibility and that comes down to me Max on his interception with just a l throw do you believe say that again Max’s interception just a late throw there uh the interception I I think just the placement you know the one thing Penn State forces you to do which I think you saw all night is you know that’s one of the best front sevens in all college football I mean there’s a lot of first rounders and second rounders and third rounders up there and same with the linebackers I just felt like we were always a little bit like we had to get rid of the ball just just a fraction of a second a little earlier for that which they only sacked us one time I mean again you tell me they’re GNA sack us one time going into that game I’ll take it I thought our guys did a tremendous job I think Max made one or two throws he’d probably want back that one’s a really good decision just needs to be about four more feet to the right and I see what he was seeing he was throwing behind that guy it’s not like he didn’t see him he just it just wasn’t you know his best throw of the night but but um they make you pay when you make a mistake they got you and that that’s that’s the beauty I mean you look at their Corners they’re really good but when you have a front seven like that it takes a lot of pressure off the back end it takes a ton of pressure off the back end because there’s going to be tip balls you’re not able to get down the field to really stretch the field vertically as much uh and you got to get excuse me you got to get rid of the ball pretty quickly and I thought Max did a great job of that all night um you know and and and the fumbles was unfortunate really good call we got a speed option into the boundary and and uh it just we you lose a handle on it I mean that happens and that’s unfortunate and the timing is bad but um you know it’s just just one of those plays you know and uh we we just didn’t get any takeaways either we we needed to get some takeaways and and we couldn’t and and we didn’t and it’s a credit to them for taking care of the ball the night for the defense well I thought they played their tail ends off I thought they played exceptional I mean you look at Penn State I don’t know what that’s one of the best offenses in the country when they had 361 yards and probably 60 of that’s in the last drive or whatever I mean you look at the stats they were pretty close throughout the entire game I thought we did a good job of of of you know corralling the Run tackling flying around I thought we contested a lot of balls down the field Now 44 is going to get his touches and I thought they did a really good job in the second half of making some adjustments to 44 and finding unique ways to continue to get him the football because I I still don’t know why people don’t talk about him for the Heisman Trophy I’m not saying he’s going to win it but I don’t I’m not sure why I’ve seen a top 10 he’s not he’s not in it that guy makes that team even better like way better than they are and they’re a really good football team and he makes them better and he influences them in at every level on offense quarterback running back wide out tight end blocker receiver it’s unbelievable I me he’s one of the best college football players I’ve seen and played against because he’s you could you have you can limit him I mean we did everything we could take him out of the game and he still had eight catches for 102 yards when somebody builds a game plan around you and you still do that and you still find a way to you know do all the other things he did special player uh but I thought they played their hearts out um you obviously want some field goals instead of touchdowns but we had one miscommunication uh on what on the on the big the big explosive play but other than that I mean they played their tail ends off man I couldn’t be more proud of that defense I couldn’t be more proud of our offense couldn’t be proud of I’m serious special team same way that’s just a that’s just a high quality November Championship type football game kind of an unsung hero but I don’t think I’ve had seen a tight end have a better blocking first half than Nick kello just some big blocks out there yeah and he I don’t know if I kind of ripped half his finger off it was all Ronnie lot not saying we cut it off let’s make it very clear we did not cut it off but that’s why he ran in there I mean it’s it’s not his finger is not good and that kid is tough I mean it’s tough as it comes uh and I think that’s a credit to K Keef you know what K Keef passed down to to Nick cup what Nick Cup’s going to pass down to Jameson gears and the rest of the young tight ends we’re a tough football team I’m not afraid to tell them that I told them that in the locker room and I told them I mean this is I mean I think we’re one of the better teams in the country I we’re not ranked but with our schedule they two and two and you know top 25 teams and we’ve had every opportunity to finish and close out some games and we didn’t and we we’ve missed it by that much and but it for for a year to show that it is truly a game of inches and the margin for error is really really small I think this show is hting Nick karup’s blocking Nick callup that type of player I mean I mean Nick’s going to play in the NFL one day because to find a wide tight end like that as big as he is and blocks as hard as he does and doesn’t get any credit and helps us in the pass game in a sneaky way um he’s going to play a lot of football what went into the execution of the trick play TD phone the Sudden Change there yeah it’s just a really good call and we had two or three that we felt really really good about uh based on what they shown and again 11 dropping on the on the tackle one and Max does a really good job throwing that away but uh we felt really good about um the the trick play We called and executed it perfectly and the timing was there and Max did a good job protection was really good and you know James and Gars ran the right route and ran it really well and good spacing on it good timing and that’s what you want out of a uh misdirection type trick play one or two more for Coach DJ the first offensive drive you had you opted to go for it on fourth and one worked obviously but what was the thought process there to pull the trigger instead of take the field goal oh I just felt like you’re playing number four team in the country and you’ve got to make sure that you’re always managing you know risk versus reward constantly and early in the game you can make up for something a lot later it’s different towards the end you’re looking at the clock you’re looking at your timeouts you’re looking at the management of the game you’re looking at win Direction you’re looking at how far your kicker can kick it you’re looking at them to stop even if they go down and score you know when we kick the field goal we’re still only down eight you know we stop them so everything we did I felt really really good about and it played out the way and the decisions we made that uh we made for that particular situation um there I can’t sit there and say that I regret any decision because you know what you know and then you go execute it I felt really good about where we were at at that situation I felt good about our push I felt that we had to be able to show what kind of game it was going to be and um that was a great opportunity to do it plenty of time to make up for it if we if we don’t get it but uh complete faith in our guys and and what they could do i’ really be happy for Dron because he had a rough start to the season and I think he’s made 11 Street field goals though yeah uh that’s Dron that’s response that’s what this team’s about you know I think you know a lot of people you know kind of you know you miss a few and then you know I mean you’re the focal point and pointing fingers and people saying what they do out from the outside and external and one thing about him is he’s always been steadfast and the great thing about a kicker is a lot of you asked me I just keep kicking what are you gonna do with J gon we’re gonna keep kicking him in fact we’re gonna kick him more because that’s what you do and uh he’s a special special person special student athlete uh he’s got a great personality and his mental toughness I think he’s shown throughout uh this entire year and uh his all intent was to go down and we’re going to go kick the game winner you know if we don’t score a touch down but you got to give Penn State a lot of credit that was back and forth I mean that was a that was a that was a heavyweight fight right there and I’m just proud of our team and how hard they fight but you you you come up short and it’s it’s it’s really disappointing uh there is no moral victories and there wasn’t one oh that’s okay in that locker room there are a lot of Tears you could fill up an ocean with how many tear are in that locker room because how bad our guys love to win and how bad they fight but uh unfortunately we were ain’t able to get that done and again that starts with me going back and look at every decision you make and how you can make this team better um in preparation and also during the game and I’ll definitely do that as well as our coaches will too so I appreciate you all being here thanks for covering us roll the boat Sky Michel Gophers everybody have a great Thanksgiving thank you e e spe Max and Daniel take a seat we’ll go ahead and Max PJ talked about the the hardship of of losing all these one one possession games how does it feel the kind of we have that wrong side of another one it’s tough yeah I’ve I’ve you know been in I’ve had Seasons before where it goes one way and you you get the one possession games and the other Seasons sometimes it doesn’t and uh that’s how football works you know the ball can bounce your way and or or may not um and all we can do is focus on what we can control and um how we can get you know fix the fix whees and respond in a way that’s positive M what was your point of view on the two turnovers there yeah it’s it’s something that can happen it’s it’s a something that I I have better control over that I U felt that I could have um you know done better with with that and help my team out better and put my team in a better situation uh at the end of the day I know what happens at football but um I know that I can be way better um and put my team in a better situation um to allow us to score more points and um but you know it happens and I appreciate my team uh you know rally rallying around me when when stuff like that happens but um I can those is just stuff that you can control and I’m going to I’m gonna focus on that and continue to get better for my team how pleased were you with the execution of the trick play to James uh it was great yeah we had we had prac it all week and um sometimes those are Hit or Miss either it’s wide open or it’s not um and it just happened to be wide open and Jameson got to a really good spot with really good timing and protection was absolutely incredible up top so that’s why we scored there Max on the other side of it the trick play to AR what what didn’t go right on that one uh they honestly ended up getting into a perfect call on the defense um you know we we didn’t foresee uh number 11 bailing out there in the boundary and um it just happens though I think it’s a great call I really do I think it’s a a good time for that and a good a great call for that and we had practiced it all week um for a couple weeks actually so um it’s something that we we were confident and comfortable with and um it was just a play that that didn’t go our way and um you know I think rather than taking a a negative negative spot I think it was good that um you know we just went on the next play Max uh big first down in the fourth quarter to Darius it looked like he was your third choice third progression yeah like you looked off two receivers yeah it’s it’s just part of the progression I think Darius Scott’s a really good spot um happened to step up and I think he he realized he had space there and um that was you know one of the few passes that I got to him today um and I thought he did a really good job with that and um helping us move the chains on that drive Daniel can you walk us through you made a lot of tough catches this year but that one down the scene you got kind of licked on the back uh yeah we know uh Penn State’s uh DBS they kind of do a heavy outside um type leverage so we knew like we could be able to slip inside and be able to get the ball thrown in field and you know what I’m saying Max put in a perfect spot honestly later in between two people we didn’t really truly foresee that safety coming over the top as as much as he did but I mean still he put in a perfect spot to where I could come down with it anyy was there anything more in the game for you knowing it was the last time playing um I say we just continued our offense you know uh my inflamation into the offense I’d say I have a a nice role into the offense and so being able to get all of our Playmakers the ball and which we did I think that helps you know what I’m saying AR success Daniel pen State’s a team that’s number four in the country in the playoff Chase and everything it seem like that that’s the type of your team where you were playing was it that tough of a game oh yes definitely uh all the credit goes to them I mean they’re a great team they play they have great coaches and I mean they’re I mean they’re fun to play against I mean obviously playing against a number four team in the country you you love the challenge you love to be a to compete against those guys and you know make your mark in the game so home por was special teams for you guys tonight obviously on the def you get the blocked extra point but also the blocked Point as well yeah it’s huge special teams uh number one they they do a really job of flipping the field and and controlling that third aspect of of the game uh and you know a lot of games are actually one one and loss in special teams a lot of you know a lot of games when we need get big plays like that um on the field goal block when Ethan is down there Jack Henderson blocked that and um all the way down and and and got the extra two points and that’s huge that’s a really big um you know you know change in the energy of the game um and it allows you know the energy to to be spread throughout the team uh and I’m really proud of my guys for doing that um field goal block unit for example is a a really selfless um you know part of the game and to be able to give your all every single time on field goal Block it’s fun to watch um and I love I love seeing those guys go at it on field goal Block it’s um it shows you how much they love football because a lot of people you know either don’t rush or they do and go get the block and so they did that time that time guys want to take us through the Dipsy Doodle play on the reception to Jameson in the endzone yeah yeah that’s um yeah so um I mean we we uh we practice like you said practice to play a few weeks uh now as alongside that uh play with arante um and we got the right look we wanted to into it and uh J Mo everybody did their their job successfully J Mo sold the play I mean the line blocked perfectly and then me and our all of our hand off you know saying just happened efficiently so that’s why the play is successful great great ball handling how do you look at taking the bitterness of this one into a rivalry game next week right um you know we’re going to put this one to bed we’re going to you know learn from this one I mean obviously this is a tough loss you know one possession games always a tough loss but uh we’re going to learn from this one as we did every week and do every week and uh we’re going to go out there and uh put this on the rest and learn to go out there for Wisconsin had to set off the field goals a couple times do you feel that might come back to haunt you it can for sure I mean I think that’s the flow of the game sometimes sometimes you can’t get in for seven and um you know having a a really Elite field goal kicker uh with with dragon back there it’s it’s you know you’re you’re going to get points and we’re all we have you know he has all the confidence from us um you know knowing that he’s going to make that kick or those kicks and um you know sometimes that’s what keeps you in the game and he’s doing a really good job I love I’m so proud of him for how he’s responded throughout the season um he’s done an absolutely unbelievable unbelievable job keeping us in games and and winning Us games you know how impactful was it to be able to move you around and TI It matchups as this game went on uh yeah that was um a lot of our uh you know offense into a third down a little bit and uh I thought it I mean it worked I thought it worked well so I can say that any more for Max again thank you for take a seat we questions I’d say I’d say it was a pretty difficult loss just like any other game really I mean I’d say the guys played as hard as as hard as we could we feel like um you know you’d like to come away with those games but like coach says the ball isn’t round you know sometimes so the game you know isn’t guaranteed to go your way but it definitely hurts anthy how would you describe the emotion in the locker room sounds like it was difficult in there um we knew we gave it our all so it was very emotional especially for all the seniors and um at the end of the day we know we give it it all so um it was it was a little it was a little sad in the locker room but you know we got we got big things coming for us in this next coming up week Jack what went into the block extra point from your Vantage Point uh really just determination in uh the first Pat I got a I got a glimpse of daylight and so I knew um on the next on the next couple I’d have an opportunity to make it so I just I just fired through that hole and uh you know was able to make that play that’s what I saw is that something you guys maybe saw throughout preparation during the week uh yeah yes what your thoughts when Ethan grabbed that ball oh uh I mean you know that’s a unique opportunity doesn’t happen often but uh when it does happen like the way it did you got to scoop and score those and uh you know shout out to Ethan for executing and what we practice yeah take us through the sack you had the first half uh you know they had three detached into the boundary I was disguised ing in the box and then they motioned uh tight end number 44 over I kind of bumped out and then they snapped the ball I came free off the edge U I think that was the only one of the only times the game that they didn’t pick me up on the blitz and I was able to get home we’ve been uh putting some significant pressure on him thanks to the D line so what was the challenge of of Warren today he had 100 yards eight catches or so what was the challenge with with him um you know I think he’s just a great player really and they put him in unique spots to make plays uh the way they work him around their offense so I think they got a great system with them and uh you know he’s a great player I think he has a bright future so how frustrating was pen State’s last Drive considering you guys allow them convert like three4 down conversion can you repase that or repeat that how frustrating was it defending Penn State’s last try considering they like three fourth down uh I’d say it was pretty frustrating you know you want to get off the field anytime it is third down right so um you know our mentality on third down is just get off the field you know by any means necessary and we put a lot of emphasis on that seeing your day tell me about the last time coming out of the tunnel at the stadium um you know all 100 dogs were ready to go you know we were all barking in the tunnel you know you know it wasn’t really I I don’t think it was any significantly different different than uh you know pass coming out but um you know everyone is ready to go so that’s the mentality we brought Anthony what did this game mean a little bit more to you being for Pennsylvania um just a little yeah um mostly this game was just about the seniors I was me and like Kendo said we all you’re all hungry dogs ready to come out and really put it to them and give it at all and then that’s kind of the mentality we came back in the locker room after after the game and we knew that we could it our all and it’s just I mean it didn’t go our way but but again we gave it our all and love all the seniors that played cuz you know they they’ve helped me grow and grow so much and I I’ve taken so much as hendo to J like to ROR to everybody that I’ve played with so like I I appreciate them so much and that that was the meaning of this game for the seniors appreciate that bro thank you all very much love you appreciate you guys e e
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