P.J. Fleck: Gophers hosting Mississippi State ‘great for college football’
P.J. Fleck: Gophers hosting Mississippi State 'great for college football'
University of Minnesota football coach P.J. Fleck held his weekly news conference Monday at Athletes Village. The Gophers are 1-0 after a 59-7 win over Eastern Illinois. Fleck talked about this Saturday's match-up against SEC foe Mississippi State, and why it's important to play a Power 5 time in the non-conference.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The University of Minnesota football team is 1-0 after opening the regular season with a dominating 59-7 win over Eastern Illinois at Huntington Bank Stadium.
This week, P.J. Fleck and the Gophers take things up a notch. They host Mississippi State out of the SEC at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium.
‘For college football it’s really healthy’
What they're saying:
Fleck and the Gophers have made a habit out of scheduling at least one major conference team in their non-conference slate. Last year, they traveled to California after the Bears joined the ACC. In 2024, they opened against North Carolina. In 2023, they traveled to North Carolina. In 2022, they hosted Colorado and they traveled to Boulder in 2021.
Not every program schedules Power 5 teams in the non-conference. Many programs do it to boost their resume when it comes time for College Football Playoff consideration. Fleck says it’s good for the game, regardless of the result. The Bulldogs are Minnesota’s first home SEC non-conference opponent in 65 years. It’s also a Gold Out.
"I think for college football it’s really healthy. I think that’s fun, exciting, great for the fans. When you look at the parity, everybody doesn’t do it and that’s the issue," Fleck said. "Are you punished for it, or rewarded for it? Scheduling is really important. This game was picked and made a decade ago. I think it’s great for college football."
The Bulldogs went 5-8 in 2025, and 1-7 in SEC play. They’re coming off a 62-13 win over Louisiana-Monroe.
Containing Kamario Taylor
Why you should care:
The Gophers’ defense limited Eastern Illinois to four first downs and 110 total yards. They’ll have a much tougher task against Mississippi State this week.
Quarterback Kamario Taylor passed for 354 yards and four touchdowns against Louisiana-Monroe. The Bulldogs piled up 762 total yards and 62 points.
"He’s very, very talented. He’ll be one of the best quarterbacks we’ve ever played. He’s a very dangerous player, that’s for sure. 762 yards offense, that’s a lot of offense, that’s a lot of yards," Fleck said. "If you’re not excited to take on a challenge, then you’re not a competitor."
Drake Lindsey faces an SEC team
Dig deeper:
Gophers’ quarterback Drake Lindsey grew up in SEC country, an Arkansas native. He threw for 264 yards and one touchdown last Thursday, while Darius Taylor ran for three scores and Javon Tracy had two punt return touchdowns.
Fleck was asked Monday if Lindsey will be amped up to play an SEC team. He says the two have already had that conversation.
"That was a conversation him and I had this past week after the game. I told him I don’t care who we play, the mind space and the head space you were in, that’s where you need to live," Fleck said. "We have 11 games guaranteed left, and they all mean the same, they’re all championship games. The brain space, mind space, be there."
Special night for Javon Tracy
The backstory:
Gophers’ wide receiver Javon Tracy came on late last season. He had three touchdowns at Northwestern in 2025, but immediately made an impact in last week’s opener.
Tracy became the first player in Gophers’ history to return two punts for touchdowns in one game. He also led the Gophers in receiving with five catches for 98 yards.
The Miami (Ohio) transfer got to celebrate with his family after one of the touchdowns. His older brother is New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy.
"That’s rare to have those types of players within the family that are that good. I know Javon has a great relationship with his brother and looks up to him, and he should," Fleck said. "Watching him in the offseason from January through training camp, it was a completely different kid. You see the response from his family, that’s so cool."