Five takeaways from Gophers coach P.J. Fleck’s news conference: A high-five for No. 5

With Minnesota trailing Rutgers by 14 points early in the second quarter Saturday, Gophers coach P.J. Fleck and offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr. decided it was time to try something different.

“Put the ball in Five’s hands and let Five go win the game,” Fleck said, referring to quarterback Drake Lindsey’s jersey number.

“Five” led the largest home comeback in 33 years as the Gophers defeated the Scarlet Knights 31-28 at Huntington Bank Stadium. Lindsey, a redshirt freshman from Fayetteville, Ark., completed 31 of 41 passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns, including a 6-for-7, 72-yard effort on the go-ahead drive capped by a 4-yard TD pass to wide receiver Javon Tracy with 3:19 left in the fourth quarter. On Monday, Lindsey was named Big Ten freshman of the week.

The 6-foot-5 passer also had a quarterback rating of 166.14, and his 31 completions tied for fifth most in a game in program history.

“You saw the confidence we had in him,” Fleck said during his news conference Monday. “The conversation in the headset was, ‘We’re gonna put this thing in Five’s hands.’ That’s the best shot we had to win this football game.’ And I thought he came through. But he’s used to that.”

Here are four other takeaways from Fleck’s news conference:

Fleck credited his coaching staff for its adjustments after Rutgers took the two-touchdown lead. Minnesota originally had planned to use an even balance of rushing and passing, but the game’s circumstances required a rethinking.

Washington went into Saturday’s home game against No. 1 Ohio State averaging 55.7 points. The Buckeyes beat the Huskies 24-6.

“Well, they’re holding opponents to five points, so Washington did a good job scoring one more point than what they’re averaging,” Fleck jokingly said of the Buckeyes defense, which is allowing 5.5 points, the fewest in the nation. “So, that’s an above-average performance [for Washington].”

Joking aside, Fleck is aware of the quality of Ohio State’s defense. The Buckeyes are allowing 229.3 yards per game, which ranks eighth among FBS teams and is just ahead of Minnesota’s average of 230.0. On Saturday, senior defensive end Caden Curry led the Buckeyes with 11 tackles, nine solo tackles, five tackles for loss and three quarterback sacks. That earned him Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors.

On of the biggest challenges the Gophers will face Saturday night at Ohio State is sophomore wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who has 28 receptions for 396 yards and four TDs.

“He’s a phenomenal football player,” Fleck said. “He can stretch the field vertically. He can work in the screen game. He can work underneath. … Fifty-fifty balls are really not 50-50. They’re 90-10 balls."

“I really, really love our student body,” he said. “Our student section has improved so much since Day One, and I can’t thank them enough. I mean, this is what college football is all about. It’s what the student experience is all about. It’s about coming to football games in the fall. It’s tailgating. We drive right through Greek Row as we get into the stadium, and they are letting it rip, that’s for sure.”