The P.J. Fleck Show, Episode 11

(KMSP) - A tough loss at Iowa last weekend left the Gophers reeling, but as always for head coach P.J. Fleck the focus is on the future--one oar stroke at a time.

But it wasn't just Iowa--four losses this season have come by one possession or less, something that in the moment certainly hurts but that Fleck says will serve them well over the course of the next few weeks. 

The Fox 9 crew stopped by TCF Bank Stadium this week to catch up with Fleck as they look to defeat a stout Michigan front and find some momentum heading into the final weeks of the season.

HEAD COACH P.J. FLECK ON WHAT IT TAKES TO WIN CLOSE GAMES

"We talk about how maturity lead us to finishing. We have a very young and inexperienced team in a lot of positions, guys starting for the first time--so you have to learn how to win and learn how to lose so that in the future you know how not to lose.

"I think we're learning a lot of valuable lessons and we're getting closer and closer."

ON WHAT WENT WRONG DOWN THE STRETCH

"We had a lot of guys open down the field, we had a lot of dropped passes. We needed three or four explosive plays, we talked about that going into the game. 

"We had three or four explosive plays available, we just dropped the ball or just missed the throw by that much. The margin between winning and losing is so small, we just weren't able to get over to that other side."

ON WHAT HE SEES IN THE WOLVERINES

"They're a typical Jim Harbaugh football team. "They're going to run the football and be tough on defense--it's probably the best defense we'll play all year. Their front seven is very athletic--they're big, very strong and they're great tacklers.

"The secondary plays press man coverage a lot throughout the entire game, so we've been working on that with drills and 7-on-7s.

"It's going to be a major challenge for us going into the big house but I know we've had a phenomenal week of practice and these guys just keep getting better.