Gophers Football: Athan Kaliakmanis’ Return Sparks Heated Exchange Between His Father and P.J. Fleck
When it comes to the Gophers’ fiercest rivals, Wisconsin and Iowa are in a league of their own. However, recent matchups suggest that Rutgers can stake a current claim in that otherwise Midwestern club. The two programs have only played four times, all since 2016, yet Rutgers and Minnesota have a juicy narrative from an intertwined cast of characters.
Fifth-year senior quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, who transferred from the U to Rutgers after the 2023 season, threw three touchdown passes in a 26-19 win over the Gophers in Piscataway, N.J. last November. He achieved this under former Gophers’ and current Rutgers’ offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca. Now, Rutgers comes to Huntington Bank Stadium for the Gophers’ Big Ten opener on Saturday morning, and the focus is on how the Scarlet Knights have returned to defensive coordinator Robb Smith, whom P.J. Fleck fired from that role at the U midway through the 2018 season.
Kaliakmanis’ Father Claps Back at Fleck
On Monday morning, the first question the Gophers head coach faced in his weekly news conference centered on Kaliakmanis’ return. “Listen, this is Rutgers and Minnesota,” Fleck said. “Got a lot of respect for what they do and how they do it. He’s playing really well. This is, I think, his fifth year in that type of same system. You’d expect to see that type of growth that he has shown. … (He’s) playing at a high level.” Fleck’s comment appeared to be a rather innocuous deflection containing a compliment. However, Kaliakmanis’ father, Alex, was clearly watching Fleck’s presser and decided to interject before noon.
Alex Kaliakmanis wrote on X, tagging Fleck’s account, “Correction. Going on 3 years in System, not 5.” He then ticked through how his son played at Minnesota as a true freshman under then-offensive coordinator Mike Sanford in 2021, followed by Ciarrocca in 2022 and Greg Harbaugh in 2023 before transferring to Rutgers and reuniting with Ciarrocca the past two years. This exchange highlights the ongoing narrative between the Kaliakmanis family and the Gophers, particularly with P.J. Fleck.
Rutgers’ Offense and the Upcoming Matchup
Fleck complimented how “efficient” Ciarrocca and Kaliakmanis have been while conducting the Knights’ offense. This includes Ciarrocca’s bread-and-butter RPO (run/pass option) scheme, which led to Kaliakmanis scoring two rushing touchdowns in a 38-28 home loss to Iowa on Friday. Kaliakmanis was on fire early against the Hawkeyes but cooled off in the second half as Iowa ratcheted up the pressure. In the fourth quarter, the Hawkeyes brought five pass rushers and hit Kaliakmanis when he threw a fourth-quarter interception — his first of the season.
Last year, Rutgers and head coach Greg Schiano, a Fleck mentor, had a bye going into the Minnesota game. This year, the Gophers have the extra week to prepare. Making Kaliakmanis uncomfortable figures to be a big part of the game plan. With Kaliakmanis playing his best football right now, ranked 10th in the nation with 1,150 passing yards and a passer rating of 162.9, the Gophers will need to bring their A-game to counter the Rutgers offense.
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