P.J. Fleck's Gophers dominate after bye weeks, but mostly against bad teams
Well, the latest bye week has arrived. Waiting on the other side is a really good Iowa team.
P.J. Fleck's Minnesota Gophers have a pattern of strong performances following bye weeks. However, their victories have often come against lesser opponents. Since 2017, under Fleck, the Gophers have claimed six wins in the past nine years following a break, with five of those triumphs against relatively weak competition. The 2019 victory over No. 4 Penn State stands out as the most significant, as the Boilermakers entered the game undefeated.
In 2023, the Gophers faced Iowa in a close game, but an asterisk is attached to the win due to a controversial fair catch ruling that negated Cooper DeJean's game-winning punt-return touchdown. While the Gophers seem to thrive post-bye, the 2022 loss to Illinois, a strong team that year, suggests that not all post-bye wins are created equal.
Heading into the upcoming matchup against No. 17 Iowa, the Gophers face a more formidable opponent in a crucial six-game stretch of their season.
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