Who Deserves the Most Blame for Minnesota Gophers Loss @ Michigan?

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PJ Fleck - Minnesota Gophers at Michigan Wolverines
Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

If you didn’t notice from the headline of this article, I’d recommend all Minnesota Gophers fans who are celebrating a 24-27 moral victory on Saturday at the Big House vs the Michigan Wolverines, this article isn’t for you. Let’s just save everyone the angry DM, and leave now.

Because this is not the place for you. We don’t do moral victories at Minnesota Sports Fan, especially when you had a legitimate chance to go into Ann Arbor and pull one of the biggest upsets in modern Gopher football history, and failed.

This article is about who deserves the most blame for today’s L. And number one on the blame game list, is not the zebras who called an non-existent offsides on an amazing onside kick that the Gophers recovered, with over one minutes still left on the clock. We’re still going to talk about this call first, though.

Blame for Minnesota Gophers loss vs Michigan: Referees (19%)

Let’s just say what everyone else is thinking. How much money did this zebra have on today’s moneyline? We have seen a lot of onside kicks, which oftentimes come with penalities. It’s a desperation play, so everyone involved is trying to get that extra little advantage.

But not today. Today, Dragan Kesich kicked a perfect onside kick, and his teammates covered it just as impressively. Then… flag. Offsides on the kicking team. Obviously, the FOX broadcast went to the replay. Former head NFL referee, Mike Pereira, came onto the screen with a perplexed look on his face. “Umm… I don’t think that is offsides…”

While today’s zebras proved once again why they are the worst animal in the kingdom, they do not deserve the largest slice of blame pie. Without a doubt, that goes to Minnesota Gophers head coach PJ Fleck.

Blame for Gophers loss vs Wolverines: PJ Fleck (81%)

Instead of throwing the kitchen sink at the Gophers’ Little Brown Jug rival, early and often during Saturday’s contest, PJ played scared, and his team reflected that fear. Turnovers, slightly off-target passes and a clear fear to not make that big mistake.

It was pre-2024 Fleck all over again. His conservative gameplan and fear-based play-calling in the first half allowed Michigan to jump out to a 21-3 halftime lead. And those three points demonstrated the worst moment in that first half. Brosmer threw up a hail mary that landed at the 1 yard line, in the arms of Nick Kallerup.

Instead of rushing up to the line and attempting a last second goal line play to make it a 21-7 game, at half, Fleck raced the field goal kicking unit out onto the field. As soon as the ball was spotted, it was snapped, and Dragan Kesich hit a 20-yarder.

Clearly, PJ wanted to get points on the board before halftime, but what good was a field goal going to do your team, in that situation? Rush your offense up to the line of scrimmage and run a play that will get in the end zone. Little did Fleck know, just how much that field goal would come back to bit them.

The touchdown that should have lived in infamy…

Remember, Minnesota lost on Saturday by three points. Had the Gophers scored a touchdown on that last play of the first half, instead of kicking a field goal, then they wouldn’t have needed an onside kick to win.

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The final touchdown of the game, an incredible pass and catch from Max Brosmer to Daniel Jackson, would have tied the game at 27-27. The following extra point would have given Minnesota the lead, 28-27.

And that is why, folks, you don’t make dumb coaching decisions in the first half, like thinking three points is better than a one-yard TD opportunity, when down 21 points.

We know one thing will always be true in Minnesota. We are not going to have he referees on our side, especially when on the road at Michigan. Thus, it is impossible for me to put the biggest blame today on zebras we already know are corrupt.

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Fleck deserves credit for keeping his team emotionally and mentally engaged enough to nearly complete an unbelievable second half comeback at the Big House. But it didn’t happen. And when you look back for “why”. The evidence points at PJ. Stop playing not to lose. Play to win, or don’t play at all.

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