Minnesota head coach PJ Fleck wanted his team to be delusional. If Indiana could do it, why not the Gophers? With that underdog mentality, Minnesota entered the 2025 season. But their decent 8-5 record felt somewhat stagnant. However, Coach Fleck couldn’t be prouder of his team.

“What they’ve (players have) done and what they continue to do is very, very difficult to do,” Coach Fleck said in a press conference on Friday. “Again, I think we kind of just look at the CFP, and that’s it.

“But when you look at how they’ve won games, with a lot of things that have happened with us this year, and to finish a year with eight wins, another bowl championship for the seventh time in a row, ninth time as a program, seventh under us, I think that’s a huge feather in their cap.”

On Friday, Minnesota won its ninth straight bowl game in an overtime nail-biting contest with New Mexico, 20-17, all courtesy of star wide receiver Jalen Smith’s game-winning touchdown. Throughout the sixty minutes, Minnesota kept the viewers on edge. QB Drake Lindsey threw for 147 yards, chipping in two touchdowns, while the RB unit sprinted for 105 yards and a score.

Concluding the season, head coach PJ Fleck credited the players for the solid campaign. For some, the 8-5 mark could have been better. But for the Gophers, it’s progress- One step at a time.

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On paper, Minnesota’s 8-5 record comes off as a decent campaign. However, what it fails to show are the iconic moments that defined the Gophers’ season. From a 100-yard kickoff return to a diving 12-yard game-winning touchdown catch by Jalen Smith, college football tested the Gophers’ resilience when it mattered the most. Albeit five losses marred their playoff dream, a 5-4 record in the Big Ten speaks of their toughness.

The Golden Gophers have now posted back-to-back eight-win seasons. Following last year’s impressive win, Minnesota was determined to build on that success and secure a playoff spot. Indiana’s success under Curt Cignetti had shown that it was possible.

“It means no cap on the jar, no limitations, dreaming big. With the College Football Playoff where it is, as Indiana showed last year, anybody can get there,” Fleck had said. “If we’re delusional enough to know we can do that, we can get there.”

Back in March, ESPN’s Bill Connelly projected Minnesota’s 2025 schedule as one of the top 30 toughest in college football. When the season commenced, they faced Purdue, Michigan State, and the Bowl game against New Mexico, and the Gophers came close to tasting defeat. However, they emerged victorious. All of their losses, except Northwestern, came against elite units. Ohio State, Oregon, Iowa, and Cal proved to be a hurdle to their playoff dreams. But despite that, Minnesota recorded a perfect 7-0 home streak and more. Boasting a nine-bowl-winning streak, out of which seven came under PJ Fleck’s leadership, Minnesota is making it big with every step.

PJ Fleck’s Rate Bowl win spoils New Mexico’s 10-win season

With a 20-17 win over the New Mexico Lobos, PJ Fleck advanced to his seventh bowl game win at Minnesota. The Lobos had been waiting for a 10-win season since 1992, but Jalen Smith’s 12-yard touchdown catch denied them that opportunity.

“It’s all about the players. The resolve, the resiliency, the scrap they have,” Fleck said. “I’m proud to be their coach for what they’ve done and what they continue to do.”

However, penalties posed a glaring issue. They entered the game as the No. 3 program nationally in fewest penalties, but headed out of the Chase Field Stadium with nine penalties for 87 yards.