TAMPA, Fla. – With the clock winding down on a dominating performance in the Outback Bowl, Minnesota fans broke into a chant of “Row The Boat! Row The Boat! Row The Boat!”
The never-give-up mantra coach P.J. Fleck used to help change the culture of Golden Gophers football continues to inspire a program determined to recapture its glory days.
“We challenged every one of our players: You want to be a blue blood, you’ve got to beat the blue bloods,” Fleck said Wednesday after No. 16 Minnesota topped No. 9 Auburn 31-24 in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score.
“We used to be a blue blood back in the 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s,” said Fleck, the former Western Michigan coach who finished his third season leading the Gophers. “We’ve talked about the word of the year is restore. We want to restore that tradition.”
Tyler Johnson had 12 catches for 204 yards and two touchdowns to become the Gophers’ career receiving leader, and Minnesota outrushed the Tigers 215 yards to 56 while dominating time of possession to limit Auburn’s ability to keep pace.