Fleck points to communication breakdowns, penalties in Monday review of loss to Mississippi State

Two days after Minnesota’s 38-13 loss to Mississippi State, Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said the film review confirmed what he suspected immediately after the game: too many self-inflicted mistakes against a talented opponent left Minnesota with little margin for error.

***Click the video box above to watch Fleck’s Monday Sept. 14 news conference***

While repeatedly crediting Mississippi State for its performance, Fleck identified communication issues on defense, poor tackling in space and a season-high 12 penalties as primary factors in the defeat. He said the Gophers’ game plan centered on forcing the Bulldogs into difficult third-down situations, but Minnesota rarely succeeded in doing so and frequently erased positive plays with penalties.

“We didn’t communicate very well,” Fleck said. “The penalties absolutely killed us.” He added that Minn...