P.J. Fleck answered the question before it could be asked on Saturday night.

On his own accord, the Gophers head coach explained why he let more than 30 seconds run off the clock just before halftime of the U’s 27-12 win over Michigan State.

Trailing 6-3, Minnesota had the ball and two timeouts at the Spartans’ 20-yard line with one minute, 12 seconds remaining in the first half. After Jordan Nubin’s run for 3 yards, the play was whistled over with 54 seconds left, but Fleck didn’t call timeout until only 35 seconds remained.

Some fans at Huntington Bank Stadium booed.

“The crowd wants some urgency” in the Gophers’ offense, Big Ten Network commentator Jake Butt said.

BTN play-by-play man Cory Provus was more direct: “Too much time came off the clock.”

After the stoppage, Gophers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis was sacked on second down before he found receiver Daniel Jackson for a 22-yard touchdown with 19 seconds left. After that, Michigan State ran the ball for 10 yards on its only play before the half.

“Just before you ask me, I’m doing everything I can to see both sides of everything,” Fleck said. “I’d love to educate everybody who buys a ticket. I appreciate everybody buying a ticket.

“I can’t give them the ball back with time (on the clock).”

Fleck did a similar thing just before halftime in the loss to Michigan three weeks ago, and he gave a similar answer afterward. But the second-ranked Wolverines are not the same thing as the struggling Spartans.

“We still had a timeout,” Fleck said Saturday. “I want to bring it down under 30 seconds. That is plenty of time in football with a timeout. That’s like 20 minutes. You could go get a soda and come back and we are probably still there.”

A counter argument is the Gophers offense had struggled for much of the first half against the Spartans. Their first five drives ended this way: fumble, fumble, punt, punt and blocked field goal. The U might have needed every single second to score before halftime.

“As good as your defense has been, you’ve got to tell your team we could score a touchdown,” Butt said. “Got to be thinking touchdown.”

Like the Michigan game, the Gophers were thinking touchdown — and were successful in both instances.

That’s part of the reason this wasn’t a bigger issue Saturday. The Gophers scored a touchdown not only before the half but were in control for most of the second half to secure their second straight Big Ten victory.

With the win, the Gophers (5-3 3-2 Big Ten) moved into a four-way first-place tie in the Big Ten West division with Wisconsin, Iowa and Nebraska. With wins against them earlier in the season, Minnesota holds tiebreakers over the Hawkeyes and Cornhuskers, while the U plays Wisconsin in the regular-season finale two days after Thanksgiving.

The Badgers lost their one-game division lead Saturday with a 24-10 loss to No. 3 Ohio State in Madison, Wis.

With the victory over the Spartans, the U also moved to within one victory for bowl eligibility with four games remaining.

Illinois (3-5, 1-4) is up next in Minneapolis next Saturday. While there might be a difference of opinion with some of the fanbase, Fleck wanted to thank them for coming out to games.

“I just appreciate everybody being here and cheering as loud as they did,” Fleck added. “Our home crowd really means a lot to us. It was a good team win, a good family win. It was an excited locker room in there.”

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LEWISTON, Maine — Church bells rang Sunday as Maine residents gathered at somber and sometimes joyful services to pray and support one another following a traumatic week in which a fellow Mainer gunned down 18 people in the worst mass killing in state history.

The Rev. Daniel Greenleaf began services at the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Lewiston with a moment of silence. Then, he told the congregation that it was good to be able to finally pray together after days of lockdown imposed while police searched for the 40-year-old gunman Robert Card.

The body of Card was found Friday in a trailer at a recycling center in Lisbon Falls. Card died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, but it was unclear when, authorities said. Card is suspected of also injuring 13 people during the shooting rampage on Wednesday night in Lewiston.

Several women wore black veils in the cavernous sanctuary, where a church official said they are raising funds to help shooting victims and others hurt by “the horrible events in our small town.”

“We can see the rays of light in darkness,“ Greenleaf said during his sermon. He told the worshippers that it is times like this that they have “practiced” their faith for.

“We cannot fix this, but then again human beings are not machines to be fixed,” Greenleaf said.

At Lisbon Falls Baptist Church, the mood was upbeat as church members arrived and greeted each other. But the atmosphere became somber when the Rev. Brian Ganong referenced the tragedy. He prayed for the victims fighting for their lives, those who lost family and friends, first responders and medical workers, and others — including the Card family, who he said had ties to some members of the church.

“It did happen. We may never know the reason why,” he said, encouraging the congregation to seek solace through a higher being.

After the service, Ganong said it “took one person” to shatter the community’s “sense of peace and security.”

“They feel violated, right? They feel intruded upon. This has infringed upon their safety,” he said. ”But I understand that we live in a world that is evil. And it was probably a matter of time before it infringed upon us.”

Standing outside the basilica after attending early Mass, Marcel Roy said the last few days have been painful but that he’s hopeful the community can being the long process of healing.

“This feels good,” Roy said as the church bells rang.

The 70-year-old Lewiston resident said that he knew four of the shooting victims and is praying for them as well as the shooter.

“I can’t hate the guy,” he said of the gunman. “He wasn’t brought up as a killer.”

Authorities recovered a multitude of weapons during their search for Card and believe he had legally purchased his guns, including those recovered in his car and near his body, said Jim Ferguson, the special agent in charge of the Boston office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He declined to provide specific details about the guns, including their make and model, and wouldn’t say exactly how many were found.

Investigators are still searching for a motive for the massacre, but have increasingly been focused on Card’s mental health history. State Department of Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck said Card had been hearing voices and had paranoia.

Card believed “people were talking about him and there may even have been some voices at play,” Sauschuck said.

Family members of Card told federal investigators that he had recently discussed hearing voices and became more focused on the bowling alley and bar, according to law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity in order to discuss details of the investigation.

On Saturday, street life began returning to Lewiston in the city of 37,000. Police missed two clear opportunities to end the lockdown sooner, after failing to find Card’s body in searches of the recycling center Thursday night and early Friday.

For many residents it was a day to reflect, mourn and, for some, take the first tentative steps toward normalcy. Some went hunting on the opening day of firearm season for deer, and one family handed out buckets of flowers in downtown. Others gathered at a makeshift memorial to the victims down the street from the bar targeted by Card.

William Brackett, whose namesake son was among those killed, visited the memorial Saturday and said he could feel pent up tension leave his body when he learned Card was dead.

“I’m telling you, if I had a bottle of champagne, I would’ve popped it and celebrated,” he said.

Billy Brackett was shot multiple times and died on the way to the hospital, his father said. He said his son didn’t let his deafness stop him from doing anything in life, including playing multiple sports.

“He was just a gentle person. He was big and rugged, and I guess maybe that’s why all the little kids loved him. They swarmed to a bigger person,” Brackett said. “Maybe they thought, ‘He’ll be our protector.’”

The deadliest shootings in Maine history stunned a state of 1.3 million people that has relatively little violent crime and had only 29 killings in all of 2022.

Three patients remained in critical condition at Central Maine Medical Center, and a fourth was stable, hospital officials said. Another patient was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital, and the rest were discharged.

A stay-at-home order in place during the massive search was lifted Friday afternoon, hours before authorities announced they had found Card’s body at the Maine Recycling Corp.

The Lewiston shootings were the 36th mass killing in the United States this year, according to a database maintained by AP and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. The database includes every mass killing since 2006 from all weapons in which four or more people, excluding the offender, were killed within a 24-hour time frame.

OF NOTE

The Greater MSP Partnership, a consortium of businesses, universities, cities, counties and philanthropic organizations focused on boosting the Twin Cities economy, announced its headquarters relocation to the Osborn370 Building, downtown St. Paul, effective in January.

ARCHITECTURE/ENGINEERING

Golden Valley-based design and consulting firm WSB announced the hires of Waymon Votaw as vice president of oil and gas operations and Gordon McPhee as vice president of digital solutions. …  Westwood Professional Services, a Minnetonka-based civil engineering firm, announced the retirement of CEO Paul Greenhagen and the appointment of his successor Bryan Powell. Powell has served as the firm’s chief operations officer since 2021. Greenhagen joined the company as survey crew chief in 1986; he will continue to serve as a director on the board.

CO-WORKING

The Coven, a Minneapolis-based network of co-working spaces focused on historically underserved communities, announced the launch of locations in St. Louis Park and Eau Claire, Wis., bring its total number of locations to five.

EDUCATION

Capella University, a Minneapolis-based private accredited institution offering undergraduate and graduate degrees, announced Constance St. Germain as president. St. Germain joined Capella in 2017 as chief academic officer and has served as its provost and senior vice president of academic affairs since 2019.

ENTERTAINMENT

Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre, Minneapolis, announced the hire of Megan West as producing artistic director. West was the company’s tour manager in 2017-18, and has held production roles at Park Square Theatre, Guthrie Theater, Mixed Blood Theatre and Illusion Theater.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

LoCorr Funds, an Excelsior-based investment company, announced Brad Ross has joined its sales leadership team, Darren Griffiths and Michael Stabile hired as external wholesalers and Vitaly Brown, Tim Guagliardo and Colin Pulkrabek as internal wholesalers. … Piper Sandler Cos., a Minneapolis-based investment bank, announced the promotions of Dustin Avey and Jeremy Gerber as co-heads of public finance. Avey has been with the firm since 2007, Gerber since 2011.

HONORS

The Minnesota chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners announced the following inductees of the 11th annual Women Business Owners Hall of Fame: Nancy Close, CKC Good Food; Dee Thibodeau, Charter Solutions; Gloria Freeman, Olu’s Home; Miquel Purvis McMoore, KP Cos., and Lili Hall, Knock.

LAW

Maslon, Minneapolis, announced that Stephanie Laws and  Katie Maechler, partners and co-chairs of the Tort & Product Liability Group, have joined the International Association of Defense Counsel, an invitation-only global legal organization for attorneys who represent corporate and insurance interests. … Fredrikson, Minneapolis, announced firm attorney Gregory E. Karpenko has become a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

MARKETING

CAMP Digital, an Edina-based marketing agency serving the home services industry, announced Patty Flaherty as vice president, client services. Before joining CAMP Digital, Flaherty led the national accounts division at AutoAlert.

MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

Agiliti, an Eden Prairie-based national supplier of medical equipment to providers, announced the return of Tom Leonard as chief executive officer. Leonard succeeds Tom Boehning, who is no longer with the company. Leonard previously served as CEO of Agiliti from 2015 until his retirement from the company in March 2023.

ORGANIZATIONS

The Minnesota Dental Association announced the following new officers: Rosalie Perpich, president; Alejandro Aguirre, president-elect; Scott Wagnild, first vice-president, and John Noack, second vice-president; Stephen McDonnell was reelected as speaker of the house; continuing as treasurer is Loren Taple.

RETAIL

Rockler Woodworking and Hardware, a Medina-based national retailer of woodworking tools and supplies, announced that CEO Steve Singer will retire effective Oct. 31.

SPONSORSHIPS

The Minnesota Wild National Hockey League franchise announced a multi-year partnership with Cub Foods as the official grocer of the Minnesota Wild.

UTILITIES

Xcel Energy, Minneapolis, announced it has named Chris Church chief nuclear officer, effective Dec. 15. Church succeeds Pete Gardner, who is retiring. Church has served as vice president of nuclear operations since 2020.

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The 2-5 Chicago Bears will play the 2-4 Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium in a Week 8 matchup. Here’s what you need to know before kickoff (7:20 p.m., NBC-5).

‘The main thing I’ve learned is the room for error is a lot smaller’

Every week of Darnell Wright’s rookie season, there has been social media examination of how the Chicago Bears first-round pick is faring — clips of him plowing a path in the run game with his athleticism, holding his own to allow quarterback Justin Fields time and, yes, getting beat by veteran pass rushers.

But the film of Wright’s performance against the Las Vegas Raiders and two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby on Sunday was unusual. For several plays in the Bears’ 30-12 victory, it looked like Wright was keeping Crosby away from backup quarterback Tyson Bagent with the use of only his right arm.

Wright dealt with a left shoulder injury all last week in practice, and coach Matt Eberflus said he pushed through pain to help a Bears offensive line that paved the way for 173 rushing yards and allowed just one sack of Bagent. Eberflus commended Wright “for gutting it through,” even if it didn’t look pretty at times.

Wright’s status this week is worth monitoring closely as the Bears prepare to face the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night at SoFi Stadium. Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa will be trying to get after Bagent, who is expected to make his second start in place of Fields. Read more here.

5 things to watch in the Bears-Chargers game — plus our Week 8 predictions

Stats package

Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent — in his first NFL start last week — completed 21 of 29 passing attempts for 162 yards and a touchdown and posted a 97.2 passer rating. He also had three runs for 24 yards. Bagent averaged 7.7 yards per completion and didn’t attempt a pass that traveled more than 15 yards beyond the line of scrimmage but still guided the Bears to a runaway victory.

Of the last 10 quarterbacks to make their first NFL start with the Bears — Bagent, Justin Fields, Mitch Trubisky, Matt Barkley, Caleb Hanie, Kyle Orton, Craig Krenzel, Rex Grossman, Henry Burris and Shane Matthews — Bagent’s first-start rating ranks second and his passing yardage total fifth. Read more here.

Bears QB Tyson Bagent is confident executing the game plan in his 2nd start: ‘I don’t want to put any limits’
Bears Week 8 storylines: A supercharged Tyson Bagent debate, Tyler Scott’s growth mindset and Jaylon Johnson’s contract desires

Stadium news

Cook County Commissioner Monica Gordon is encouraging the Bears to consider Country Club Hills, throwing what her office described as a “Hail Mary pass” to encourage the team to consider the south suburb.

Gordon said in a news release Tuesday she and Country Club Hills Mayor James Ford “are imploring the team to look at the south suburbs as an opportunity to have a positive economic impact on a part of the Chicagoland area that is ignored all too often.”

“We’re taking our shot in the dark here,” Ford said. Read more here.

What to know about the Bears’ possible move from Soldier Field — and which other suburbs are vying for the stadium

Catch up on all our coverage before kickoff

Column: Matt Eberflus puts his stamp on an improving Bears defense that will face a tough test Sunday night
Bears Q&A: What would Tyson Bagent have to do to keep the starting QB job? Could they get an offer for Jaylon Johnson they couldn’t refuse?
True or false: Tyson Bagent’s performance in the Bears’ Week 7 win complicates the QB conversation
Will the Bears draft a QB in 2024? What to know about top prospects Caleb Williams and Drake Maye.
Bears CB Jaylon Johnson gets 2 interceptions to break 28-game streak without one: ‘I deserve to be paid’
10 key moments in George Halas’ life on the 40th anniversary of his death

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