Minnesota football under P.J. Fleck has never been dull. “I don’t think we’ve ever settled for anything,” is what Fleck had to say, and it speaks a lot about his mentality. Since 2017, He’s kept Minnesota buzzing in a Big Ten that only seems to get scarier every season. Sure, there’ve been ups, downs, and the occasional “why do we do this to ourselves” Saturdays, but Fleck’s turned this program into one you can’t ignore once fall rolls around.
As 2025 kicks off, there’s a curiosity in Minneapolis. Darius Taylor is back to anchor the ground game after racking up nearly 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, and redshirt freshman Drake Lindsey will take over at quarterback, a big 6-foot-5-inch quarterback trying to fill the shoes of Max Brosmer. Add in a Big Ten schedule that doesn’t pull any punches, and you can see why outsiders are paying close attention to what kind of season Fleck and the Gophers can realistically put together.
And then comes FOX analyst Chris Fallica, and suddenly the mood turns from hype to hard truth. He says, “I know you got a new QB in Lindsey and it’s probably going to be more of a throw-to-set-up-the-run.” What does that mean? Minnesota’s identity as a run-first team isn’t going anywhere, but Lindsey’s arm isn’t going to redefine the offense.
Then Fallica drops a curveball. “Koi Perich is a two-way guy who I think you’re going to get to see quite a bit this year, not a Heisman guy, but kind of a Travis Hunter-type junior.” That’s a nod to a dynamic athlete who can play both ways, a real chess piece for PJ to deploy. Fallica doesn’t stop there. He continued, “This is not a team that is going to go to Oregon and win, or go to Ohio State and win. But… if they lose to those two, I think they can win eight of the other 10 games to… get to eight wins.”
Basically, the schedule’s brutal upfront, but Minnesota’s resume of consistent overperformance means they can still put together a solid 8-4 season. Of course, it’s going to be hard to beat teams like Oregon or Ohio State, but the rest of the schedule says they still have a golden chance. And while Fallica’s take had fans crunching win-loss predictions, Fleck himself seems locked in on something bigger than just surviving the schedule. His goal isn’t just keeping Minnesota afloat; it’s raising the bar every season.
P.J. Fleck refuses to settle for less
Since 2017, Fleck has guided the Gophers to a 58-39 overall record, including four seasons with eight or more wins and a perfect 6-0 bowl record, both numbers rank him among the top coaches in program history. But the hunger is still there, and it’s for the conference or national championship.
On Monday, he reinforced what fans already know: “The job of any head football coach is to create a standard that’s really high, meet that standard, and then create another standard. You want to raise the level of expectation within the program constantly. I don’t think we’ve ever settled for anything. We have to look at that as realistic expectations.” He said.
And he’s backing it up with fresh incentives. With the expanded 12-team playoff system debuting this season, Fleck suggested a path to real national relevance, if the Gophers handle business consistently. The talent, culture, and bowl success are all there; now it’s about converting them into wins when it counts.
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