Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck will face off against one of his mentors on Saturday morning when Minnesota takes on Greg Schiano-led Rutgers in New Jersey.
Fleck’s first full-time job on a staff at a power conference school was as the wide receivers coach under Schiano at Rutgers during the 2010-11 season. A year later, the pair moved to the NFL for a brief tenure in Tampa Bay, but it has come back around full circle as their teams now go head-to-head where it all began in Piscataway.
Fleck bested his mentor in the pair’s first meeting as head coaches when the Gophers walloped the Scarlet Knights 31-0 at Huntington Bank Stadium in 2022, as Schiano’s team had trouble with a Minnesota team that had lost three straight games before routing Rutgers.
Two years later, Schiano said the Gophers may be “one of the hottest teams in the country,” heading into Saturday’s game on a four-game win streak.
“[They’re] really playing complementary football when you watch the way their defense, offense and special teams are performing,” Schiano said.
The Gophers are currently on their longest Big Ten winning streak since 2021 when Minnesota beat Purdue, Nebraska, Maryland and Northwestern.
Former Minnesota quarterback and now Rutgers starter Athan Kaliakmanis is tasked with halting that run and exacting some revenge on his previous team.
After losing to Wisconsin to close out the regular season last year, Fleck would not commit to Kaliakmanis being the starter for 2024. and would look for competition through the transfer portal. Kaliakmanis decided to leave, and Minnesota brought in New Hampshire transfer Max Brosmer.
The two teams started the season very differently: Rutgers went 4-0 to kick off the year, while Minnesota struggled to a 2-3 record (0-2 in the Big Ten).
Since that point, the teams have flip-flopped. Now the Gophers sit sixth in the conference with a 6-3 overall record, and the Scarlet Knights are 17th at 4-4. Brosmer has gone four straight games without an interception. Kaliakmanis has thrown four of his five interceptions this season in the last four games.
On top of Kaliakmanis’ return to Minneapolis and the head-coach connection, first-year Gophers defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman came over from the Scarlet Knights, where he spent time as the linebackers coach.
“Very similar beliefs in both programs; It’s all about the ball,” Hetherman said. “The ball is the program. Our job is to affect the football—we want the second guy in to go get the football out.”
The Gophers are sixth in the nation in turnover margin at 1.33, having turned the ball over just seven times in nine games. They also have 19 takeaways, which is third in the nation. Meanwhile, Rutgers has lost just six turnovers all season but ranks near the bottom of the country in turnovers gained, giving them a middling margin of 0.38.
Schiano said Hetherman, knowing the Scarlet Knights’ personnel, will look to take away what Rutgers does well, so it will come down to which individuals rise to the occasion.
Gophers offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr. also has the inside track on the Rutgers offense after growing a close relationship with Kaliakmanis during his two years at Minnesota. Harbaugh took over play-calling duties last season, which was also the first year Kaliakmanis became the full-time starter.
Harbaugh did not respond to questions regarding Kaliakmanis, rather focusing on his quarterback this season.
“I’m just excited to continue to coach Max,” Harbaugh said. “I love coaching our players every single day. I had the opportunity to coach him last year, but I’m really excited to continue to coach Max.”
Gophers players and coaches avoided all questions about their former teammate throughout the press conference, stating they were focused on going 1-0 against the Scarlet Knights.
Schiano said he hopes Kaliakmanis will handle his emotions going up against his former team.
“I don’t think he has anything to prove,” Schiano said. “It’s worked out for both teams. I can’t speak for Athan, but this is a game that we need to play our very best to win.”
How to watch Minnesota vs. Rutgers
- Date: Saturday, November 9
- Time: 12 p.m. ET
- Venue: SHI Stadium (Piscataway, NJ)
- Watch: NBC, Peacock
About the Author
Andrew Cornelius is a junior at the University of Minnesota and has been on the staff of The Minnesota Daily, the university’s student newspaper, since his freshman year. With The Minnesota Daily, Andrew has covered women’s basketball, baseball and other sports. He has been on the football beat since the summer of 2023. Check out his story on the Gophers’ rivalry with Michigan.
