Week Eleven Roundup

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Schedule

Sep 3

TBA

Football

vs Eastern Illinois

Sep 12

TBA

Football

vs Mississippi State

Sep 19

TBA

Football

vs Akron

Nov. 15, 2017

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Each week we will be gathering the top notes from the previous Saturday and Tuesday's press conference. Take a look below:

Turkey Drive

The Gophers are all about serving and giving. The players showed that by deciding they wanted to put on a "Row the Boat Turkey Drive."

"It's one of those things we kind of get together and we say: How do we want to serve and give? And the players said: A turkey drive," head coach P.J. Fleck explained. "So all right. It's kind of like putting together a wedding in a week. So no problem. We'll do it. Let's do it. Let's find a way to get it done. We've got incredible people here that make things happen."

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Pat Fitzgerald's Impact on Fleck

Northwestern's head coach Pat Fitzgerald impacted Fleck when he was working his way up the coaching ranks.

"Pat Fitzgerald is a friend, he's a close friend," Fleck said. "One of the first people I've actually talked to about becoming a head football coach years and years ago in terms of meeting me for lunch when I was an assistant coach at Northern Illinois...He taught me so much about becoming a head coach, what does it mean. And the greatest quote he ever taught me was: Just make sure you don't manage anybody. Make sure you lead people. we manage machines. We lead people."

Croft Growing on and off the Field

Demry Croft rushed for 183 yards (most by a Big Ten quarterback this year and tied for the fifth-best rushing performance by a Big Ten player this season) and three touchdowns against Nebraska to set a new single-game rushing record for a Gopher quarterback. He was named Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week and a Manning Star of the Week.

"I'm very proud of him and the progress he has shown since coming back from his suspension," Fleck said. "It's been -- it's been rapid. His academics are up, what he's doing in the community, serving and giving with the Children's Hospital and I think he's starting to find out what his purpose really is. And when you start to watch that in a young man, there's nothing by coincidence of why he's playing at a high level."

Moving the Shelf

Minnesota rushed 45 times for 409 yards (9.1 avg.) versus Nebraska, which was the eighth-most in school history and was the team's first 400-yard rushing game since totaling 411 yards versus Wisconsin in 2005.

"I mean, we call it the shelf and the shelf was moved. I mean, that -- the C and the D gap at times became all the way to the A gap," Fleck said. "And that was a compliment to Sam Schlueter and Donnell Greene at tackle, the guys inside. But also, I tell you, big Woz, man, what a stud. He was moving people. We moved people better than we ever have."

Barber Family Legacy

Minnesota is no stranger to the Barber name. Marion Barber played running back at Minnesota from 1977- 80 and ranks sixth all-time in program history with 3,094 rushing yards. Marion Barber III played running back at Minnesota from 2001-04 and ranks fourth all-time in program history with 3,276 rushing yards. Dom Barber lettered at Minnesota as a defensive back from 2004-07 and notched 187 career tackles. Now, it is Thomas Barber who is making a name for himself.

"It's amazing when a Barber walks in the room, they kind of demand respect immediately: Oh, there's a Barber. You know, everybody kind of straightens up a little bit," Fleck said. "But Thomas is somebody that's very, very important to this culture, and so is his family; his whole family, not just his dad but everybody else that was involved with his family. So very honored to have that legacy part of our program, and I look forward to extending that as we continue to go."

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