After Historic Gopher Win, PJ Fleck Defended Drake Lindsey and Stood Tall vs Haters

Students at the University of Minnesota and surrounding establishments are celebrating tonight, along with the rest of Golden Gopher nation. That’s what happens when your football team pulls off one of the biggest victories in the past 50 years.

Early Saturday afternoon, PJ Fleck and the Gophers defeated the Michigan Wolverines 20-14 at Huntington Bank Stadium. It was Minnesota’s first victory over their Little Brown Jug rival since 2014 and the first at home since 1977.

During the field storm afterward, Fleck told the FOX broadcast that — outside the birth of his kids and marriage to his wife Heather Fleck — Saturday, October 3, 2026 might be the best day of his life.

“THIS MIGHT BE THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!”
@GopherFootball HC PJ FLECK with an awesome interview with @JennyTaft after beating Michigan pic.twitter.com/o2tck3QKvQ

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 3, 2026

Fleck: “I couldn’t be prouder. Besides my marriage, my kids being born, this might be the best day of my life. Row the boat, Ski-U-Mah, go Gophers.”

The score all game was not a great indicator of how things were going down on the field, where the Gophers dominated pretty much from start to finish. The box score reflects the eye test too.

Gophers dominate Wolverines despite Drake Lindsey struggles

Michigan came in struggling on the offensive side of the football through four games. But in Minneapolis Saturday, they would have gladly taken the 350 yards of offense they were averaging before today.

Instead, all the Wolverines’ could muster against the Gophers was 180 yards — 101 through the air, and just 79 on the ground. Ballyhooed and generously compensated QB Bryce Underwood was drowning all game, completing less than 50% of his passes (10/21) with 0 touchdowns and 2 fateful interceptions.

In his postgame presser, PJ Fleck talked about how impressed he was by “the swarm” and “the violence” of his defensive unit and praised the effort put forth all week by his staff and their players. He clearly loves this team.

P.J. Fleck on what stood out to him on defense:
The swarm, the violence. Our game plan was on point. Coach Collins, the defensive staff, the education that they put in, and the effort and the commitment and the purpose they put into every single game plan.
I get to watch these… pic.twitter.com/CrzVAAbiSZ

— GopherHole.com (@GopherHole) October 3, 2026

DEFENSE SHOWED OUT #RTB#SkiUMah#Gopherspic.twitter.com/89Z27lnn9u

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) October 3, 2026

The offense needed all the help they could get from both defense and special teams. Because Drake Lindsey and the boys did not bring their A-game to the gridiron this week, specifically their QB — who the draft experts keep telling us has 1st round potential when he is done playing college football.

That’s not what we saw Saturday against the Michigan Wolverines, where Drake managed only 136 yards, along with 1 touchdown and 2 brutal interceptions, completing 17/25 (68%) passes. Both interceptions occurred while the Gophers were within striking distance of paydirt, and largely the reason why Minnesota trailed until the fourth quarter.

PJ Fleck defends Minnesota’s QB

After the game, Fleck was asked about his redshirt sophomore quarterback, and how he went about coaching him through his struggles during the first half. PJ’s answer was not surprising, if you’ve been paying attention the past decade.

He told Lindsey to “Row the Boat” and reminded him that he’s the best player on their team. That it’s up to him to lead them to victory no matter how well he’s playing. While Drake wasn’t perfect in the second half, he committed zero turnovers and managed the game to near-perfection… at least from PJ Fleck’s standpoint.

What's the message to Drake Lindsey when he doesn't finish the half?
P.J. Fleck: Change your best. Respond. Row the boat. You're the best player. Go be the best player.
https://t.co/1yJFNb4qEU#Gopherspic.twitter.com/b10FIor7bu

— GopherHole.com (@GopherHole) October 3, 2026

Reporter: “What was the message to Drake when he doesn’t finish the half?

PJ Fleck: “Change your best, respond, row the boat. You’re the best player. Go be the best player. He got hit on one interception. Tough, tough throw. The other one, I’ll put that one on me. I put him in a bad situation. That one’s on me.

I could have gotten out of that call. But I think it was a good call. I could have got us out of the situation. And that’s where, when I write down on my notes in this book, that’s what I put: Get him out of the situation. Don’t put him in that situation.

That’s my fault.”

Then, the postgame questions turned to PJ Fleck, who has been taking a lot of heat publicly for his “antics” in recent weeks. After Minnesota’s win vs Washington, Fleck rubbed linebacker Maverick Baranowski’s blood on his face and wore it to the postgame press conference like war paint.

Saturday morning, during the Big Noon Kickoff Show, he did an impromptu stage dive off the FOX set outside of 3M Arena at Mariucci in what was a pretty crazy pregame scene on campus.

Fleck responds to his own haters too

Some appreciate Fleck for who he is more than others. And those who are not fans of Minnesota’s head coach rarely hold back their feelings when his name comes up in conversation. Nobody loves to talk about PJ more than his biggest haters.

When asked how he shakes off all the criticism he takes, Fleck made it very clear that he just doesn’t care. Then, he used the question as a teaching moment. You should never be afraid to be your authentic true self, was essentially his message (read it in its entirety below the video)

PJ Fleck was asked after the game how he's able shut out the haters and continue being himself despite the heat he takes publicly.
His message, per usual, is worth a listen no matter what you think of the Minnesota Gophers' head coach.
“We will never ever, ever, ever take winning for granted… I don't think there's any reason for anybody in this world, no matter who you are, to apologize for who you are. As long as you are being the best, most authentic, most real version of yourself every day, and you're changing your best, and you're doing good in the world. You do that, don't you ever change… Be yourself.” pic.twitter.com/fwuwJrGPLb

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 3, 2026

Reporter: “I feel you take some heat. How do you not take that to heart, and how do you also project on the team to just keep on having fun?”

PJ Fleck: “One, that guy back there allows me to be PJ Fleck. He allows me to be me. I’m me, everybody. I get paid to win football games. I also get paid to bring notoriety and, hopefully, a really, really positive, energetic way to the University of Minnesota and everything that we’re about. That’s my job, and I get to be myself doing it, and I don’t think you ever have to apologize for being yourself.

And the crowd surfing, I’ve been doing that 14 years. You know why. When you’re 0-9, 0-10, you’ve never won a game as a head coach. When you win, that’s where that started, at UMass, 14 years ago. So I said from there on, we’ll do that every time. Our locker room will be a celebration, because we will never, ever, ever take winning for granted. So that’s the dedication I made myself, good, bad, hired, fired.

But yeah, I mean, I don’t think there’s any reason for anybody in this world, no matter who you are, to apologize for who you are. As long as you’re being the best, most authentic, most real version of yourself every day, and you’re changing your best, and you’re doing good in the world. You do that, don’t you ever change. That goes for kids, that goes for everybody. Listen to this: don’t you ever change. Be yourself.

We tell our kids all the time, which came from Heather, be you. Just be you. We’re the University of Minnesota. I’m me, Heather’s her, Garrett’s him, Mark Coyle’s him. I’m proud to be a Gopher. Thanks, everybody. The Jug’s back home. Row the boat, Ski-U-Mah, go Gophers.”

Minnesota Gophers now turn attention to Purdue

Next up for the 4-1 (2-0) Minnesota Gophers is a road game at Purdue next Saturday. The Boilermakers are a different kind of opponent than what the Maroon and Gold have battled the past two weeks.

After defeating Illinois this weekend, Purdue is 2-3 on the season. Before today’s win, however, the Boilermakers allowed a total of 139 points the previous three games in losses to Wake Forest (38-36), UCLA (52-38) and #3 Notre Dame (49-10).

Slaughter with a big INT!!! 🦅
📺 @BigTenNetworkpic.twitter.com/t9BuMkzokT

— Purdue Football (@BoilerFootball) October 3, 2026

On paper, the Golden Gophers should take care of business next weekend in West Lafayette. Then, they get a bye week before Iowa rolls into Dinkytown with the Floyd of Rosedale on October 24.

Then again, I’m sure Michigan was thinking something pretty similar when they arrived on campus this morning, and we all know how that went. If PJ Fleck wants to capitalize on the momentum created by Saturday’s historic victory, the Gophers cannot screw things up next week at Purdue.

Here is the entire MN Gophers postgame press conference Saturday, including the Fleck interview and players from both sides of the ball.