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Head coach P.J Fleck showed a lot of promise in year 1 at his job in Minnesota. With a roster that is severely lacking in the talent department, he put together an impressive 5-7 season. 2018 could see a very similar finish, but it could be a bizarre ride to get there. With an extremely weak out-of-conference schedule, the Golden Gophers will have a chance to make some early season noise, but the lack of talent could kick in, in a big way throughout the course of Big Ten play. The future may be bright for P.J Fleck, who is a proven winner, yet fans are going to have to patient with fleck, who is still in the rebuilding phase with the Gophers.
2018-19 Summary
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With P.J Fleck entering year two with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, it appears he may just fall short of bowling season yet again. The defense returns most of its core players and should be the strength of the Golden Gophers, while significant questions are surrounding the offensive unit. A freshman QB along with a thin supporting cast is a recipe for disaster. Fortunately for Fleck and the Minnesota fan base, 2018 is going to present a time where fans will be overly optimistic. They can quickly start the season 4-0, and will likely be the favorite in all four of those games. Fresno State and the Maryland games are adamant to pick, but we give Fleck the benefit of the doubt and figure his defense will make final stops in those games. Here’s where the roller coaster effect will come into play, as they would be lucky to win just one game in Big Ten play. With this crazy, but expectable scenario taking place, the Golden Gophers would finish with another 5-7 record for the second straight year, leaving them just outside of bowling season.
Record: Wins 5, Losses 7
Week 1: Minnesota 39, New Mexico State 30 (W)
Week 2: Minnesota 30, Fresno State 27 (W)
Week 3: Minnesota 38, Miami (Ohio) 27 (W)
Week 4: Bye
Week 5: Minnesota 23, Maryland 21 (W)
Week 6: Minnesota 21, Iowa 30 (L)
Week 7: Minnesota 10, Ohio State 35 (L)
Week 8: Minnesota 21, Nebraska 24 (L)
Week 9: Minnesota 42, Indiana 35 (W)
Week 10: Minnesota 20, Illinois 28 (L)
Week 11: Minnesota 31, Purdue 42 (L)
Week 12: Minnesota 14, Northwestern 31 (L)
Week 13: Minnesota 20, Wisconsin 41 (L)
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