Gophers football Head Coach P.J. Fleck summarized his team’s mindset in one word at the annual Big Ten Media Days on Thursday.
“Competition,” Fleck said, standing at the podium.
The Big Ten’s addition of UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington for the 2024 season will call for a more competitive Gophers team compared to their 2023 season. Oregon and Washington finished last season ranked inside the top 10 teams in the country, according to the final AP Poll.
Meanwhile, the Gophers finished their conference season with a 3-6 record.
Fleck said competition is broken down into three aspects — competing within yourself, with teammates and against the teams the Gophers face this season.
“We’re on the same team,” Fleck said. “We’re not beating each other, and that’s what makes you even more competitive.”
The Gophers hope to be competitive and build an identity around consistency, something Fleck said was missing last season. His team ran the ball 62% of the time on offense having called over 500 rushing attempts.
Fleck said the Gophers did not have much of a passing game, which is “well-documented” across the state.
“When you’re going through a season, you’re listening to what your players can do,” Fleck said. “If you’re not adapting to what they’re showing you then you’re just going to continue to do the same thing and you’re not going to be very successful.”
Fleck said connections between players and coaches play into successful teams. He added relationships between players help the group compete with each other rather than against each other.
Redshirt senior Linebacker Cody Lindenberg said connections with teammates help in late-game situations and allow the Gophers to win.
“It’s looking around at each other understanding that all my brothers have put all this work in,” Lindenberg said for Spartan Media Network. “I’m not gonna be the one that’s gonna take a play off because I’m going to do it for my teammates.”
Lindenberg missed nine games last year due to a leg injury, but in the four games he played, he accumulated 31 tackles and forced a fumble. Lindenberg said he learned how to coach the younger linebackers and his injury allowed them to get gameday reps.
The Gophers looked to find a leader on the offensive side of the ball this offseason by adding a new quarterback from the transfer portal. New Hampshire transfer Max Brosmer ended up being the right fit.
Fleck said Brosmer is a “curious leader” who can be a proverbial coach on the field.
On the Go Gopher Podcast hosted by Mike Grimm on July 25, Brosmer said college athletes will improve their game from their freshman to senior year through experience, but what should improve for a quarterback is their leadership.
“I started my second game as a freshman and it was very, very challenging,” Brosmer said. “I was talented enough to play as a freshman, but leadership-wise I had no idea how to lead seniors in a room.”
Brosmer said football is like a “melting pot” with people from different backgrounds. Learning how to lead those people on a daily basis is a new challenge each day heading into the upcoming season.
The Gophers’ first game of the 2024 season is just over a month away on Aug. 29 against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Huntington Bank Stadium.