P.J. Fleck goes viral after smearing Minnesota player’s blood on his face

P.J. Fleck goes viral after smearing Minnesota player’s blood on his face

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P.J. Fleck goes viral after smearing Minnesota player’s blood on his face

A lot of blood, sweat and tears flowed during head coach P.J. Fleck and the Minnesota Golden Gophers‘ 27-24 win over the Washington Huskies on Saturday, Sept. 26. It even trickled over to Fleck smearing blood on a player’s face after the game.

Fleck has been the Golden Gophers’ head coach since 2017, going through his 10th year with the program. He has achieved a considerable amount of success in Minnesota, giving the team many seasons with eight or more wins. The best was in 2019 when they finished 11-2 on the season, winning the Big Ten’s West Division title.

Fleck looks to get Minnesota back on those heights, starting the 2026 campaign with a 3-1 record. They are coming off their Week 4 win over Washington, fending off a late rally to secure the road victory.

Following the victory at Husky Stadium, Fleck embraced linebacker Maverick Baranowski, who was bleeding from his mouth after taking a cleat to the face on the final play. Fleck then wiped the blood from Baranowski’s mouth and smeared it across his own cheeks. The video clip went viral on social media following the pair’s interaction amid the team’s celebrations.

How P.J. Fleck and Minnesota performed against Washington

NCAA Football: Rate Bowl-Minnesota vs New Mexico

Dec 26, 2025; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Minnesota Gophers wide receiver Jalen Smith (8) celebrates with teammate Logan Loya (17) after catching the game winning touchdown pass against the New Mexico Lobos during overtime of the Rate Bowl at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

The clip will be a hilarious one for P.J. Fleck and the linebacker to watch. Nonetheless, Minnesota is riding on solid momentum after earning a quality road win over Washington.

Drake Lindsey enjoyed a strong offensive performance at quarterback, completing 21 out of 29 passes for 204 yards and three touchdowns and one interception. TJ Thomas led the run game with 11 carries for 78 yards, while Darius Taylor rushed 19 times for 36 yards while catching four passes for 36 yards.

Noah Jennings led receivers in yardage with 58 yards on four catches. Javon Tracy caught seven passes for 41 yards and a touchdown, while Jalen Smith and Quayd Hendryx caught touchdown passes.

The Golden Gophers will look forward to their next matchup, being at home. They host the No. 18 Michigan Wolverines in Week 5 as kickoff is set for Oct. 3 at 12 p.m. ET.

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