P.J. Fleck says Gophers RB Darius Taylor is ‘day-to-day’
Gophers P.J. Fleck on Mississippi State loss: ‘We weren’t at our standard’
Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck held his Monday press conference at Athletes Village coming off a 38-13 loss to Mississippi State. Minnesota hosts Akron on Saturday to close out the non-conference season. Fleck reflected on the loss, and talked about Darius Taylor's health going forward.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The University of Minnesota football team hosts Akron this Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium to close out non-conference play.
The Gophers are coming off a 38-13 loss to Mississippi State, which dominated the game in every way. P.J. Fleck on Monday gave an update on Darius Taylor, who is clearly not his fully-healthy self.
‘We take it one day at a time’
What we know:
The Gophers’ standout running back has had problems staying healthy his entire career at Minnesota. That finally appeared to be behind him after 94 total yards and three first half rushing touchdowns in a 59-7 win over Eastern Illinois.
But against Mississippi State, he had just six carries for 15 yards. The Gophers ran for just six yards total. Fleck said Monday he’s considered day-to-day, and didn’t share much detail. In a new 2026 rule, the Big Ten does not release availability reports before non-conference games. It won’t start until conference play.
What we don't know:
That means we won’t know Taylor’s status for Saturday against Akron until pregame warm-ups, and perhaps when the offense takes the field for the first time.
"We just take it one day at a time. Truly is a day by day basis, I mean he started the football game last week." Fleck said.
‘We weren’t at our standard’
What they're saying:
Fleck didn’t fault his team’s gameplan in a 25-point loss to the Bulldogs. They never got into a rhythm, largely due to Mississippi State’s speed and athleticism all over the field. The Gophers were down 21-3 before fans were settled in their seats. The performance raises questions about where the Gophers can go this season, as the Bulldogs won just one SEC game last year.
Minnesota trailed 28-6 at half, and briefly made it interesting in the third quarter after a defensive touchdown. Kamario Taylor passed for 227 yards and three touchdowns, and the Bulldogs ran for 252 yards and two scores. There were missed tackles, there were blown coverages. Mississippi State made explosive plays, and the Gophers had no answers.
"The small technique things of why they are what they are at times didn’t show up. When they didn’t show up, we got burnt. You play a team like that, that can stretch the field, you’re going to have to be really sound," Fleck said.
The Gophers have now lost five straight games to non-conference Power 4 opponents.
Too many penalties
Why you should care:
Fleck prides his program on playing with discipline. That didn’t happen against the Bulldogs. Along with the defensive miscues that led to points, the Gophers committed 12 penalties on the day. Five of them came from the offensive line.
They totaled 115 yards in penalties, something uncharacteristic from a Fleck-coached team.
"That’s not our football style, we’re not known for that. You look at 14 years of data, we’re not known for being a highly-penalized team. You hope that’s just a one-game deal, because that’s not how you’re going to win football games at any level," Fleck said.
What's next:
The Gophers host Akron at 11 a.m. Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium.