Gophers' bowl win pleases P.J. Fleck but doesn't leave him satisfied

PHOENIX — P.J. Fleck had just watched his Gophers put the finishing touches on an 18-6 victory over West Virginia in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, completing a 9-4 season, just the third time the program has won nine games in the past 18 seasons.

The Gophers drained all but 4 seconds of the final 7:54 off the clock with 10 consecutive running plays behind a veteran offensive line.

It's a formula that demoralizes an opponent's defense, and it's worked well for the Gophers. Two years ago, when the Gophers finished 11-2 under Fleck, they kept the ball away from Auburn for the final 7:47 to secure a 31-24 triumph in the Outback Bowl, and Tuesday's finish was nearly a carbon copy.

Yet Fleck was left wanting and expecting more from his offense. When asked about the performance of his offensive line on that last, game-securing march, he pointed to a shifting of strategy after lost opportunities on the Gophers' first two possessions. Twice they surged inside the Mountaineers 6-yard line but left with a missed 25-yard field-goal attempt and a lost fumble.

"We're going to do what we have to do to win a football game,'' Fleck said.

That Fleck wasn't completely satisfied with a bowl win should be viewed as a positive. He knows that, yes, his 2021 Gophers had the ability to bludgeon opponents into submission behind the massive offensive line and a deep, talented group of running backs. That doesn't always work, though, as the Gophers learned in losses to Bowling Green and Illinois. He wants, expects and will demand more from the passing game in 2022.

"I know we didn't throw the ball particularly a lot this year. I'm very aware of that,'' Fleck said. "That does not mean we're not going to throw the ball next year.''

Indeed, the Gophers ran the ball 601 times this season and passed it 257 times for a run-pass split of 70% to 30%. Their passes attempted were the fewest among FBS programs, aside from the run-heavy triple-option attacks of Air Force, Army and Navy.

Remember, Fleck is former standout college wide receiver who made it to the NFL, and naturally he takes pride in the passing game. He and receivers coach Matt Simon have built a reputation for developing wideouts — see Johnson, Tyler; and Bateman, Rashod — and that is a key recruiting pitch. Problem is, though, if the wideouts aren't getting the ball, developing them becomes more difficult.

Fleck's first big step toward fixing the passing game was firing offensive coordinator Mike Sanford Jr. and bringing back Kirk Ciarrocca, who worked wonders with returning quarterback Tanner Morgan. In 2019, Morgan passed for single-season school records of 3,253 yards and 30 touchdowns. In the past two seasons without Ciarrocca, Morgan passed for a total of 17 TDs over 20 games.

Ciarrocca didn't coach in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, but he'll have the offensive reins going forward.

"We're going to have incredible balance, and wideouts are another year experienced,'' Fleck said. Chris Autman-Bell, who had career highs of 36 catches, 506 yards and six TDs this year despite a nagging ankle injury, returns for a sixth season, but he'll need to be featured more than he was Tuesday, when he had one catch. Texas A&M transfer Dylan Wright (18-365-2) is a big-play threat.

The Gophers finished with a 9-4 record and a win over a .500 team in a Dec. 28 bowl — solid results, but they don't match the ambition that Fleck has for this program or what fans got a taste of two years ago in the Outback Bowl.

Fleck has raised expectations, which is a good thing. Contending for Big Ten championships and New Year's Day bowls, including the Rose Bowl, are pretty lofty goals, but isn't that why you pursue them?