Saturday’s hard-fought contest did not end in Minnesota’s favor.

Going on the road to Iowa City is never an easy task, and the Gophers expected a tight contest throughout. After getting off to a slow start, Minnesota responded well on both sides of the ball in the second half.

Unfortunately, the Gophers fell short after getting the ball back with a chance to win the game late. But one drive, in particular, will receive much of the attention after the loss.

It came when Minnesota was driving deep inside Iowa territory with a chance to tie the game. Facing a short fourth down, the Gophers went for it but failed to convert when Tyler Johnson dropped a pass.

After the drop, Johnson took a very late hit from an Iowa player, which promptly drew a flag. Unfortunately, P.J. Fleck also drew a flag after he ran out onto the field to check on Johnson after the hit. The offsetting penalties resulted in a turnover on downs and the ball going back to Iowa.

After the game, Fleck accepted responsibility for the flag, but he also admitted he would do the same thing given a different opportunity. He said he would make every attempt to be in his player’s corner and be the first person they see in an injury situation:

Though the loss stings, Fleck went on to say that everything for the Gophers is still ahead of them, and he’s not wrong. Wins against Northwestern and Wisconsin would put Minnesota in the B1G Championship Game:

He also said that starting quarterback Tanner Morgan was shaken up after back-to-back sacks on the final drive. Hopefully, Morgan will be okay and is able to bounceback quickly:

The Gophers will now reset and get ready for a road trip to Northwestern next weekend.