“It’s a big decision, but it wasn’t very difficult”

PJ Fleck wanted to put the final nail in the coffin when he made the decision to shoot the ball from the 1-yard line on fourth-and-goal with less than a minute left in a 17-17 game in Minneapolis on Saturday night to play.

The decision paid off as quarterback Max Brosmer scored his third touchdown of the night with a QB sneak, giving Minnesota a 24:17 lead over the 11th-place USC Trojans. With nine seconds left, freshman safety Koi Perich secured the win with an interception in the end zone.

Why was Fleck great when he could have let Dragan Kesich make an easy field goal and then rely on the defense with less than 60 seconds?

“It's a big call, but it wasn't very difficult,” Fleck explained afterwards. “How often in a game like this, 17-17, do you have an inch to beat USC? Just like they did in every game. And they don't throw the ball in the end zone like that – unless we decide to win the game, but protect the lead and allow us to play the defense we need to to secure the win.”

Minnesota trailed 17-10 in the fourth quarter before staging a comeback with two touchdown drives. It was similar to their comeback attempt a week earlier against Michigan, when they nearly won after trailing the defending champions 24-3 in the fourth quarter. Had there not been a questionable offside call on an onside kick, the Gophers, trailing 27-24 with more than 90 seconds, would have had the ball and a chance for a tie or a win.

In the end, the Gophers are 3-3 with winnable games against UCLA and Maryland before and after a bye week. Minnesota could be 5-3 heading into its final four games against Illinois, Rutgers, Penn State and Wisconsin.

“Put the ball and the game in the players’ hands and let them win it, and they did that,” Fleck reiterated. “I couldn't be prouder of her. What a great team to coach with an incredibly challenging schedule.”