P.J. Fleck on 6-5 Gophers before Wisconsin: 'This isn't 2-10'

P.J. Fleck: Gophers-Wisconsin rivalry 'one of the best in college football'

University of Minnesota football coach P.J. Fleck spoke with reporters on Monday at Athletes Village after Saturday's 38-35 loss to Northwestern at Wrigley Field. The Gophers close out the regular season Saturday afternoon against rival Wisconsin in the annual battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe. It will also be Senior Day at Huntington Bank Stadium.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The final week of the regular season is already here for the University of Minnesota football team.

The Gophers close out the schedule on Saturday against rival Wisconsin at 2:30 p.m. at Huntington Bank Stadium. It’ll be the final regular season home game for more than 20 seniors on the roster.

Bouncing back from Northwestern

What we know:

The Gophers dropped to 6-5, and 4-4 in Big Ten play after last Saturday’s 38-35 loss to Northwestern at Wrigley Field. There’s plenty of kicker talk after Brady Denaburg missed two field goals, including a 40-yarder at the end of regulation that could’ve forced overtime.

But the reality for P.J. Fleck and the Gophers is the defense has to get better. Northwestern scored 38 points, coming in averaging about 22 per game in Big Ten play. The Wildcats ran for 220 yards, and 5.6 yards per carry.

Preston Stone went 25-of-30 for 305 yards and two touchdowns for Northwestern. The Gophers missed tackles, were often out of position and didn’t make plays when they were in the right spot. They allowed more than 500 total yards. So is the problem scheme, coaching or personnel?

"It’s not a big schematic piece. The coaching piece and personnel piece, yeah there’s some things we have to do better. We’ve all got to do better," Fleck said Monday.

Drake Lindsey continues to impress

By the numbers:

Saturday’s loss was tough to swallow, especially after Drake Lindsey kept the Gophers in the game, throwing for 264 yards and four touchdowns. Three of them went to Javon Tracy. On the season, Lindsey is throwing for 2,145 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions.

"I think Drake is playing at a really high level," Lindsey said.

Row the Boat Turkey Drive

Fleck and the Gophers will host their annual "Row the Boat" Turkey Drive Tuesday night at their football facility. Staff and players will be on-hand giving out Thanksgiving turkey dinners to families in need.

A culture built on serving and giving, Fleck estimated the team will hand out 600 turkey dinners.

‘We’re a 6-5 football team, this isn’t 2-10’

Why you should care:

Fleck said at the start of the season he wanted to the Gophers to be "delusional" about the 2025 season. Why couldn’t they be what Indiana was in 2024, and compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff? Quite simply, the Gophers just aren’t there yet.

Beating Wisconsin on Saturday will heal a few warts from being 6-5, and 0-5 on the road this season. The Gophers’ marquee win this year was 24-6 over Nebraska. A win over the Badgers gives Minnesota a 7-5 record, but is that successful? They’ll go to a bowl game, but questions remain on what the bar should be for the Gophers’ program.

The Badgers have won two of their past three games, both over ranked teams, after it was announced Luke Fickell would return next year. Fleck has four wins over the Badgers, including three of the last four in the series, and a 24-7 win at Camp Randall last year.

"We’re a 6-5 football team, this isn’t 2-10," Fleck said.