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P.J. Fleck on Iowa week: 'I do like bacon'
Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck held his weekly news conference on Monday as Minnesota opens Big Ten play against Iowa Saturday night at Huntington Bank Stadium in the battle for Floyd of Rosedale.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - It’s Pig Week at the University of Minnesota. The Gophers host rival Iowa in the battle for Floyd of Rosedale Saturday night at Huntington Bank Stadium.
Last year, Fleck got his first win against the Hawkeyes in seven tries. It came with some drama, as Cooper DeJean appeared to score the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter on a punt return. It was called back after he made an invalid fair catch signal, and the play was blown dead.
The Hawkeyes still had the ball near midfield, and needed a field goal to win the game. The Gophers ended it on a Justin Walley interception. Fleck said at his weekly news conference last year’s ending doesn’t add any drama.
"No, not at all. We were 1-0 last year, that was it. You know me, I don’t carry things over from one year to the next. That game was its own entity, that game had its own 60 minutes for both teams to get a chance to win," Fleck said. "We were able to bring Floyd home."
That said, Fleck is making sure his players are educated on such signals so it doesn’t happen to them.
"We educate them on what is the right fair catch signals and what the points mean and what the getaway signals mean and all those valid and invalid fair catch signals. We educate them on all that," Fleck said.
‘I do like bacon, extra crispy’
With it being Iowa week, many within the Gophers program and those close to it will be getting their fix of bacon this week. Radio analyst Darrell Thompson has it every day. Does Fleck include it in his nutrition plan for the week or will he do anything special?
"Just prepare. I do like bacon, extra crispy though. Don’t like anything that’s soggy about the bacon. Extra, extra crispy bacon. We’ll have some certain things we do traditionally inside the program, but we’ve got a football game to win," Fleck said. "You look back to high school and you had Homecoming and prom, those are huge games. Usually you put your rivals on those two games. I wasn’t responsible for decorating the gym or picking the music, our responsibility is to go out and play a really good game and go win the game."
Rivalries remain amid Big Ten expansion
The Big Ten is now 18 with the additions of UCLA, USC, Washington and Oregon to the league this season. That said, rivalries are staying intact. The Gophers face the Hawkeyes, Wisconsin for Paul Bunyan’s Axe, Michigan for the Little Brown Jug and Penn State for the Liberty Bell Trophy.
"I’m glad we’ve kept all those rivalries, because this is what college football is all about," Fleck said.
Justin Walley update
Fleck offered a minimal update on defensive back Justin Walley, who left Saturday’s game against Nevada with a right knee injury. After a brief stint in the medical tent against Nevada, Walley had a brace on his knee and tried to run on the sideline, but did not return to the game after talking with team trainers.
We’ll find out Walley’s status for Iowa when the injury report comes out two hours before kickoff Saturday night.
"He felt good yesterday, which is really a good sign. But you know me, two hours before game day, two hours before kickoff. Thanks for asking though," Fleck said.