ALLEN PARK, MICH. ‑ It remains unclear how many players and which players from the Gophers' football team will be suspended for the upcoming Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit.
Speaking to reporters after the team's first full practice at the Detroit Lions practice facility on Sunday morning, Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck was mum about any specifics regarding possible suspensions.
"I already answered all the questions about that," Fleck said.
Last Wednesday, Fleck said "a player or players" would miss the bowl game, believed to be stemming from a team rules violation following a 37-15 win at Wisconsin on Nov. 24.
Minnesota starting quarterback Tanner Morgan said the talk surrounding any possible suspensions hasn't been a distraction in the days leading up to Wednesday's bowl game against Georgia Tech.
"Our guys have been really focused on this event and this opportunity we have," Morgan said. "We are really excited to play."
A whole new defense
In preparing for Georgia Tech's unusual triple-option attack, the Gophers' defense has essentially had to scrap every concept Fleck and his staff have tried to instill over the past two seasons and start over.
"We changed our complete defense," Fleck said. "We have DB's playing linebacker and D-lineman playing linebackers. Who are the best tacklers and the smartest players that you have? It rearranges positions. You can't have your normal defenses out there. The whole slogan in the secondary has been 'boring is good.' If you are bored, you are doing a great job."
