P.J. Fleck Goes Crowd-Surfing, Explains Viral Blood Moment On ‘Big Noon Kickoff’

Suffice to say, if you’re crowd-surfing BEFORE the game, you’re ready to go! Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck came on the set of “Big Noon Kickoff” for an interview prior to his team’s Week 5 home matchup against the 3-1 Michigan Wolverines. Sure, Fleck answered questions about where the program stands from a competitive standpoint. More notably, though, when the interview ended, Fleck soared into a crowd surf with the Minnesota faithful, which then sent him back to the set. Minnesota has lost its last five games against Michigan, last claiming the “Little Brown Jug” with a 30-14 win at Ann Arbor in 2014. Furthermore, the Golden Gophers have lost 11 of the last 12 meetings and 35 of the last 38 (that is not a typo). They haven’t beaten the Wolverines at home since 1977. Minnesota opened the 2026 season with a 59-7 win over Eastern Illinois, but the Gophers were then blown out at home by Mississippi State, 38-13. The Bulldogs are now 4-0 and ranked No. 16 in the country. Minnesota bounced back with a 41-7 win over Akron in Week 3 before defeating Washington on the road, 27-24, in its Big Ten season opener. After the win over Washington, Fleck was seen wiping the blood off linebacker Maverick Baranowski’s face and putting it on his own. Why did Fleck feel the urge to do that? “You can’t go out there and bleed with them and play with them,” Fleck explained. “You’re a coach. But the way to show that is, ‘I got your back.’ And, in that moment, that’s what I felt was right.” Baranowski, who Fleck said was originally going to attend Air Force, is a fifth-year senior. Through Minnesota’s first four games this season, Baranowski has totaled one sack, one interception and a team-high 28 combined tackles.