Minnesota Coach P.J. Fleck has high praise for Hawkeyes, Cooper DeJean

If Iowa’s football team is looking for bulletin board material for its Saturday game against Minnesota, it may have to manufacture it.

Gophers Coach P.J. Fleck was full of praise for the Hawkeyes Monday in his weekly press conference in Minneapolis. Some excerpts:

“I think when we're talking about complementary football, I think a lot of people just think, OK, you’re really good on offense, really good at defense, really good on special teams. It's not about being good at one or the other. It's about how do you go through a game and go win games based on your formula to win games?

“I don't think there's a team that does it better than Iowa, that they understand who they are. (The Hawkeyes) will stick to who they are more than most teams, and then they beat you in every area. And that was a prime example last weekend against Wisconsin, of exactly who Iowa is.

“And they're very efficient. They don't turn the ball over. Their special teams are a huge factor in how they win. I mean, a huge factor. It doesn't get enough credit. And their defense is one of the best defenses in the country consistently. So they have a formula and they do it really well.

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“They can punt from their 25 yard line, and they could have gone three-and-out. It’s third-and-10. And they've burned two minutes off the clock. But their punter punts 65 yards, and completely flips the field. Now you're inside your own 20 when you think you’re going to get pretty good field position.

“So that's a credit to them and what they do and how they, the players they have and the philosophy that they have. … Every (opponent’s) drive seems to be an 80-, 90-yard drive, or it has to be.

“I don't want to say (it’s a) typical Iowa defense because that's like it's redundant over the course of time. But it's a compliment when I say it, it's typical Iowa defense. They keep everything in front of them. They limit explosive plays. They're great tacklers. They swarm to the ball. They have a knack to get the ball out. They have a knack to be able to pick balls off.

“They've taken care of the football they've made their opponents make mistakes.”

On Iowa cornerback/punt-returner Cooper DeJean:

“He’s one of the best return men because he's fearless. You know, he'll catch any ball. He rarely fair catches if ever. He's going to make you tackle him in space. His thing is make the first guy miss. And then from there, I mean, it's game on.

“There are plenty of times it probably called for a fair catch and he didn’t fair catch it. He's a true football player. He's tough. He's smooth. He's smart. And that carries over to when he plays corner. He doesn't let many people get behind him.

“He takes the game very seriously. You can tell he's a student of the game. He's not only studying obviously the scheme stuff, but he studies his opponents. You can tell by the way he plays everybody just a little bit different.

“He's got great ball skills. He's smart, he's tough, physical. He can make it flat out fly. I think one of the best players in the conference, overall football players because he can play any position. You can put him in a position and play him, offense, defense, special teams. That's what makes him really special.

“He's a true football player. … He loves the game. You can tell by how he plays. You can tell by how he plays. That jumps out on the field.”

Comments: mike.hlas@thegazette.com