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P.J. Fleck, Minnesota beginning to thrive in underdog role
By Paul Harvey
Published:
P.J. Fleck is on an impressive run when being listed as an underdog for a game.
After a slow but undefeated start in non-conference play, many did not expect Minnesota to keep up in the B1G Championship race. However, that is exactly what the Gophers did, rolling into the season finale with a 10-1 record and shot at the B1G West title.
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In order to get there, Minnesota pulled off a huge upset of Penn State at home. Unfortunately, Fleck and company were also taken down as underdogs on the road by Iowa.
Entering Saturday’s game against Wisconsin, the Gophers will once again be underdogs at home. Most places are currently favoring the Badgers by 2.5 points.
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However, that status should not scare Fleck. According to stats shared by College GameDay’s Chris “Bear” Fallica, teams led by Fleck are now 6-1 outright in their last seven games as underdogs. The loss was the loss to Iowa.
In his last seven games as an underdog, P.J. Fleck’s teams have won six outright and lost by four at Iowa as a 3.5-point underdog.
— Chris Fallica (@chrisfallica) November 27, 2019
Nothing guarantees a win, but you can bet the Gophers will play with confidence against Wisconsin. Saturday’s kickoff is set for 3:30 pm EST on ABC.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.