'It was the right call': P.J. Fleck defends surprise fake punt decision

It sounds like the fake punt was not Fleck's decision.

Nov 2, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck during the second half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

The Minnesota football team's upset win over No. 24 Illinois on Saturday in Champaign, Ill., did not come without its ups and downs. Notably, veteran punter Mark Crawford opted to try and pick up the first down on a fourth-and-12 in Gophers' territory. It ultimately resulted in a turnover on downs, which later led to an Illinois touchdown.

"When we have a safe look, like we did, there are times that we will put a tag on it, and Mark Crawford is 48 years old. The guy can make a decision on his own," P.J. Fleck said after the game. "It's based on him. This isn't blaming him, but it's on him. We had the perfect call for it. We haven't ran that forever, but the one look they gave us is perfect for it."

Illinois' entire team looked to retreat and block for their punt returner, so Crawford opted to go for the first down. But, there was one player who stayed home, and he caught him right before the line to gain.

It's pretty easy to find the reason behind the decision, but the fact that there were 12 yards to gain and Crawford was already 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage made it a puzzling choice in the moment.

"It's a stretch, the fourth and long. But, it was such a great look for him, that he just took off," Fleck said. "He has the green light to do that. That's my call, to put that green light on. I can easily put a red light on that and didn't. ... Obviously, it didn't work. We were a few yards short, but it was the right call, in the right situation, up six, now we get that first down, maybe we score a touchdown or go up nine, and the game is very different at that point."

Video: #Gophers coach PJ Fleck explains what went into the fake punt on fourth and 12 while up 16-10 on No. 24 Illinois in the fourth quarter on Saturday: pic.twitter.com/uzIeel8Jl2

— Andy Greder (@andygreder) November 2, 2024

Fleck is often criticized for his conservative style, but this play was the exact opposite. The Gophers were controlling the game and risked all of their momentum, which Illinois snatched up.

"Is it risky? Yeah, there's a risk involved," Fleck said. "But most of you talk about how I don't do much risk anyway and that was pretty risky. It didn't work. The fourth-and-inches at USC worked, this didn't work. There are times you have to trust your players."

Since the Gophers left Illinois with a win, this is a play that will likely be forgotten very quickly, but if a few balls bounce in a different direction, it could be a very different discussion.