Purdue Coach Barry Odom Complimentary of PJ Fleck's Accomplishments at Minnesota
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If there's one word that is mentioned frequently when talking about PJ Fleck's tenure at Minnesota, it's "culture." Purdue coach Barry Odom didn't use that word specifically when talking about the program Fleck has built in Minneapolis. Still, he did acknowledge the positive things the Golden Gophers have done over the last nine seasons.
In Fleck's first eight seasons at Minnesota, the program has a 61-41 record, which includes a perfect 6-0 record in bowl games and four seasons with at least eight wins. Odom says he has respect for what his counterpart has achieved during his tenure.
"He's done such a great job developing the brand of Minnesota football," Odom said during his Monday press conference. "They've recruited really, really well. I look at every layer on their roster, and it's a strong roster with good players at every position.
"He's had consistency, really, in a world where consistency is hard. A lot of respect for what he's continued to accomplish."
Minnesota is off to a 3-2 start this season, dropping a non-conference game to Cal and falling to No. 1 Ohio State 42-3 last Saturday. The Golden Gophers did pick up a win over Rutgers in their Big Ten opener, though.
Purdue, on the other hand, has suffered three straight losses to USC, Notre Dame, and Illinois. The Boilermakers are searching for their first conference win of the season and their first win against a Big Ten foe since the 2023 season finale, when they defeated Indiana.
Odom knows that, against a Fleck-coached team, it won't be an easy task to leave Huntington Bank Stadium with a victory.
"How hard they play is something that has stood out to me since I've watched his teams play even before I came into this conference," Odom said.
Purdue has had recent success against Minnesota
Saturday will be the first time Odom has coached against Fleck since taking over at Purdue. This might be a new challenge, but the Boilermakers have had recent success against the Golden Gophers.
Purdue has won each of the last two games against Minnesota, winning 20-10 in Minneapolis in 2022 and posting a 49-30 win over the Gophers at Ross-Ade Stadium in 2023. The two teams did not play last season.
Overall, Fleck has a slight edge against Purdue, winning four of the seven matchups.
Odom will be looking for that first Big Ten win on Saturday. As much as he may respect what Fleck has accomplished at Minnesota, he's also hoping to bring his foe's winning percentage down to .500 against the Boilers.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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