What P.J. Fleck said after Minnesota's win over Illinois

The Minnesota Gophers were finally able to get their first win of the season today.

They beat the Illinois Fighting Illini 41-14 to get to 1-2 on the season and in Big Ten play. It was a much-needed win for Minnesota, especially after the heartbreaking overtime loss to Maryland last week.

Minnesota is off to a rough start, but received some much-needed momentum on Saturday with a win over the Fighting Illini. We’ll see if this ignites a series of wins for the Golden Gophers moving forward.

With the Gophers feeling good about themselves, here’s what head coach P.J. Fleck had to say after the game.

Fleck:

"This was a team effort on defense."

Talked about how involved Rossi was at home throughout the whole week.

"Our defensive staff put together a heckuva gameplan." #Gophers

— GopherHole.com (@GopherHole) November 8, 2020

Fleck on Bateman:

"He did what he had to do"

"We are at our best when we are balanced."

Fleck talked about how he thought the team came out slow but impressed by how they picked it up. #Gophers

— GopherHole.com (@GopherHole) November 8, 2020

Fleck on Ibrahim:

"I think he's one of the most special backs in America"

"He can see and feel blocks and holds."

"He is a very selfless player." #Gophers

— GopherHole.com (@GopherHole) November 8, 2020

Next up for Minnesota will be a date with the Iowa Hawkeyes next Friday. That game will kickoff at 7:00 p.m. ET and will be shown on FS1.