P.J. Fleck crowd-surfing before the game? Yeah, Minnesota’s coach is absolutely dialed for their Week 5 showdown against the 3-1 Michigan Wolverines. The man literally launched himself into the Minnesota faithful after his “Big Noon Kickoff” interview, only for them to surf him right back to the set. If that’s not getting hyped, I don’t know what is.
Rowing The Boat Into A Rivalry
The energy Fleck brings is unreal, and it’s definitely needed when Michigan comes to town. The history here is brutal, folks. Minnesota has dropped their last five games against the Wolverines. The last time they even touched the “Little Brown Jug” was way back in 2014, with a 30-14 win at Ann Arbor. Think that’s bad? They’ve lost 11 of the last 12 meetings, and an absolutely mind-boggling 35 of the last 38. We’re talking about a losing streak at home against Michigan that goes all the way back to 1977! With that kind of history, you can see why Fleck is doing whatever it takes to spark his team.
Blood, Sweat, And Big Ten Wins
Minnesota’s season so far has been a bit of a rollercoaster, too. They kicked things off with a massive 59-7 win over Eastern Illinois. Then, they got absolutely clobbered at home by Mississippi State, 38-13, a team that’s now 4-0 and ranked No. 16. But to their credit, the Gophers bounced back, dropping Akron 41-7 in Week 3. The biggest moment, though, had to be their Big Ten opener on the road against Washington, where they pulled out a gritty 27-24 win. That’s where things got really wild with Fleck. After that Washington win, he was seen wiping blood off linebacker Maverick Baranowski’s face and putting it on his own. Dude, what?! Fleck explained it perfectly: “You can’t go out there and bleed with them and play with them. You’re a coach. But the way to show that is, ‘I got your back.’ And, in that moment, that’s what I felt was right.” That’s a coach saying, “I’m with you, no matter what.”
Baranowski, who Fleck said was originally headed to Air Force, is a fifth-year senior and has been putting in work. Through the first four games this season, he’s got one sack, one interception, and a team-high 28 combined tackles. He’s clearly a guy Fleck believes in, and that moment with the blood? It just screams passion for his players and the game.
Now, with Michigan coming to town, and that absolutely brutal history against them, Fleck’s gotta be hoping that fire, and maybe a little blood, is exactly what his squad needs to finally flip the script. This isn’t just another game, it’s a chance to rewrite some seriously ugly history, and Fleck is clearly ready to do whatever it takes.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
Leave a Reply