Ad Disclosure
P.J. Fleck talks preparing for Auburn’s defense, analyzing Gus Malzahn’s tendencies
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Minnesota is gearing up for a tough test in the Outback Bowl, and head coach P.J. Fleck took part in a media day on Saturday.
Following a 10-win season, the Gophers are getting ready to take on Auburn and a tough Tiger defense. Unfortunately, the Gophers also recently lost offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca as he left to take the same position at Penn State.
When discussing the challenge ahead, Fleck admitted that Auburn is probably the best defense the Gophers will face all season long:
P.J. Fleck on whether Auburn has the best defense Minnesota has faced all season: "Top to bottom, it's probably the best. It's not just Derrick Brown.. it's everywhere."
— Josh Vitale (@JoshVitale) December 28, 2019
Asked about Auburn’s head coach, Fleck said he has analyzed the bowl games coached by Gus Malzahn over the years. Fleck even went on to say that Malzahn traditionally does a great job of ditching his tendencies in the postseason:
P.J. Fleck said Minnesota has watched a lot of bowl games that Gus Malzahn has coached Auburn in. Said he "probably shouldn't tell him this," but Malzahn does a great job of completely changing tendencies for bowl games.
— Josh Vitale (@JoshVitale) December 28, 2019
Heading into the game, Auburn is currently a seven-point favorite in the bowl game. Can the Gophers pull off the upset?
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.