College Football Buzz: Perfect Timing for P.J. Fleck as Bye Week Sets Stage for Critical Stretch!
Quarterback Max Brosmer and freshman safety Koi Perich have Gophers on road to a bowl
As Gophers fans celebrated on a warm Southern California evening, P.J. Fleck faced questions in a cramped space beneath the Rose Bowl. His Gophers football team had just secured a 21-17 victory over UCLA with a touchdown in the final 30 seconds, and the coach displayed a mix of accomplishment and relief.
“We really need a bye week. I’ve never felt that a bye came at the wrong time,” he remarked. “We’re pretty beat up. We’re held together by tape, bubble gum, and straw.”
Fleck and the Gophers are entering their first of two bye weeks this season—the second comes on Nov. 16—offering them a chance to recover, regroup, and focus on recruiting. They head into the break with a 4-3 overall record and a 2-2 mark in the Big Ten, having swept the California teams. Both Saturday’s game and their earlier 24-17 win over then-No. 11 USC required fourth-quarter comebacks. Each outcome could have shifted in the opposite direction, but that resilience earned the fan base a renewed sense of hope.
The Gophers’ next steps will largely depend on the three-week period that falls between these two bye weeks. They will begin with a home game against Maryland on Oct. 26, followed by road trips to Illinois on Nov. 2 and Rutgers on Nov. 9, facing three opponents that are considered evenly matched with them.
The Terrapins (3-3, 0-3) are currently on a two-game losing streak and are scheduled to host USC this Saturday. The Fighting Illini (5-1, 2-1), ranked No. 22 in the AP poll, will face No. 24 Michigan and No. 2 Oregon in the next two weeks and recently gave up 49 points to struggling Purdue. Meanwhile, the Scarlet Knights (4-2, 2-1) have suffered back-to-back losses, scoring just one touchdown in each game against Nebraska and Wisconsin.
However, these games won’t come easy for the Gophers, as four of their five games against FBS opponents have been decided by seven points or fewer. To reach bowl eligibility, Minnesota will need two more wins after starting the season 2-3. The team has demonstrated its ability to compete closely with defending national champion Michigan at the Big House while also falling behind 10-0 against the struggling UCLA.
A promising aspect for the Gophers lately has been the contributions from a graduate transfer senior and a true freshman star when they have the ball.
Quarterback Max Brosmer has been instrumental in the comeback victories over USC and UCLA, and he nearly led the team back from a three-touchdown deficit in a 27-24 loss to Michigan. He has particularly excelled in the fourth quarter, directing six touchdown drives across these three games.
The leadership of Brosmer, who started for three years at New Hampshire before joining the Gophers, has been crucial. He arranged a training and bonding trip with his offensive skill position teammates to his parents’ home in Georgia last May, and it’s showing positive results this fall. A notable moment was his 27-yard pass to Daniel Jackson, advancing the ball to the UCLA 21-yard line with just 1:50 remaining.
“We hadn’t thrown that ball in weeks, but we practiced it a lot over the summer and during offseason workouts,” Brosmer shared on Tuesday during a KFAN radio show. “That’s a clear example of how our preparation translates to success on the field.”
During the decisive drive against UCLA, Brosmer completed 5 of 7 passes for 56 yards, connecting with tight end Jameson Geers, wide receivers Jackson, Elijah Spencer, and Le’Meke Brockington, as well as running back Darius Taylor for the touchdown. All of these players took part in the Georgia trip.
The Gophers have another standout in true freshman safety Koi Perich from Esko, Minnesota. He made a significant impact in Minnesota’s comeback against Michigan with a 60-yard punt return in the fourth quarter that set up a touchdown. The following week, he forced a fumble that halted a USC drive deep in Minnesota’s territory and secured the win with a leaping interception in the end zone.
He continued to impress against UCLA, making a diving interception in the third quarter that led to another touchdown, and then picking off the Bruins’ Hail Mary attempt as time ran out.
Pro Football Focus rates Perich with a score of 91.2, the highest among true freshmen across all positions.
“Every time he touches the ball, you can’t help but think, ‘Wow, what’s he going to do next?’” Fleck remarked.