College football can be an emotional game. Just ask Minnesota football coach P.J. Fleck.
Moments after Minnesota earned a hard-fought 27-24 road win vs. Washington in Husky Stadium, cameras followed the jubilant Golden Gophers coach embracing linebacker Maverick Baranowski, who was bleeding from his mouth.
That mattered little to Fleck, who simply wiped the blood from his player's mouth — he was bleeding after taking a cleat on the last play of the game — and smeared onto his own face.
Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck is FIRED UP after beating Washington 😭 pic.twitter.com/qBOgZHk39d
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 27, 2026
Jack Kizer, who
was calling the game on Fox alongside Mark Helfrich, summarized the scene pretty well: 'Oh my God.'
"There's no words for this. Oh my God. The definition of blood, sweat and tears. It's 1:30 in the morning in Minnesota. P.J. Fleck has gone insane after his team defeats Washington."
Indeed, many fans from across the college football world didn't see the game due to its 11 p.m. ET kick and its even later finish. Speaking after the game, Baranowski called his embrace with Fleck "a great moment."
"Yeah, I mean, it's just it's a great moment. Winning is hard in the Big Ten, and when you get to win at a place like this, just so exciting. And then get to enjoy that with all my teammates and my head coach always having my back for the last five years," Baranowski said. "I love that guy more than anyone, and it's just such an awesome opportunity to share that moment with him, and he's a crazy man."
Baranowski, who finished with seven tackles (two for loss), one sack and an interception, wasn't the only player whom Fleck celebrated with after the game (though the coach did call Baranowski his "blood brother" after the game).
Video from the Big Ten shows Fleck dapping up several of his players with Baranowski's blood still on his left cheek.
Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck is FIRED UP after beating Washington 😭 pic.twitter.com/qBOgZHk39d
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 27, 2026
All that to say: Fleck was fired up after his team's win — to put it mildly.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: P.J. Fleck wiped his player's blood on his face in wild Minnesota celebration
