P.J. Fleck’s ‘Row the Boat’ Era surging again at Minnesota

Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

P.J. Fleck’s ‘Row the Boat’ Era surging again at Minnesota

By Andrew Wright | Last updated Oct 3, 2026 4:30 PM ET

Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck captivated the college football world in 2019 when he led Minnesota to an 11-2 record and a ranking as high as No. 7 in the country with his "Row The Boat" mantra.

Since then, though, the Golden Gophers have not been able to find that success and they haven't appeared in the AP Top 25 since the 2022 season.

That may change relatively soon, as it appears that Fleck has Minnesota playing some of its best football in some time after back-to-back massive wins.

Minnesota knocks off Michigan at home for first time since 1977

Just seven days removed from going out West and knocking off the Washington Huskies, the Golden Gophers returned home and got a second straight huge win over the Michigan Wolverines.

Minnesota knocked off Michigan, 20-14, in a defensive slugfest. It's the first win for Minnesota over Michigan since 2014 and the first time the Golden Gophers have won at home over the Wolverines since 1977.

The Minnesota defense held Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood under a 50% completion percentage and forced him to throw two costly interceptions.

The Little Brown Jug is back in Minnesota ‼️@GopherFootball beats Michigan in Minneapolis for the first time since 1977 pic.twitter.com/VIhtZLcjkO
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 3, 2026

Minnesota beats Michigan in Minneapolis for first time since 1977. As the fans flood the field around him, PJ Fleck declares: “Other than my marriage and my kids being born, this might be the best day of my life.”
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 3, 2026

Minnesota has a three-week stretch that will define its season

Minnesota will travel to Purdue for what should be a win next week before heading into its bye in Week 7. The three weeks after the bye will determine just how successful of a season it is for Fleck's team.

With the current rankings, Minnesota will have three straight games against ranked opponents (vs. No. 14 Iowa, at No. 6 Indiana, vs. No. 23 UCLA) in Weeks 8-10. That three-game stretch will either put Minnesota dead in the middle of Big 10 Championship conversations or completely put it out of contention.

With the way the previous two weeks have gone, it would certainly be foolish to rule the Golden Gophers out of any of those games, and they'll have full belief in themselves to win at least one if not multiple of those three games.

Andrew Wright

Andrew "Dew" Wright graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in Communication Studies. He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Washington Commanders fan.

More must-reads: