Minnesota vs. Washington: The Elite, The Meh & The Ugly
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The Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-1) picked up their first Big Ten road win since 2024, escaping Seattle with a 27-24 win over the Washington Huskies (3-1) Saturday night.
The Elite
Tom Weston. Punting is winning in the Big Ten. Weston made certain of that Saturday night, when he pinned the Huskies inside their own 10-yard line on four of his six punts. His game-winning punt came with three seconds left on the game clock, downed at the 2-yard line to effectively put the game out of reach for Washington, short of a miraculous 98-yard game-winning touchdown.
Luke Drzewiecki. With the offense unable to find the end zone in the second half, the Gophers turned to their kicker to put points on the board. Drzewiecki was 2-for-2 on field goal attempts, including the 51-yard field goal in the fourth quarter that ultimately provided Minnesota its margin of victory.
Danny Collins and the Gopher defense. What an impressive performance. Things got a little dicey in the fourth quarter, but for most of the game Minnesota’s defense was in control. The Gopher defensive line never let Washington quarterback Demond Williams get comfortable, sacking him seven times and limiting him to 15 yards rushing — his lowest single-game mark since he rushed for -19 yards against Michigan on Oct. 18, 2025. The Minnesota secondary held their own in coverage against the Huskies’ talented wide receivers, giving the defensive line enough time to get home. The Gophers also forced two turnovers, the first of which led to Minnesota’s first points of the game.
Maverick Baranowski. The fifth-year linebacker made the final tackle of the game and was seen celebrating on the field afterward with blood streaming from his bottom lip. It was that kind of game for the Gophers’ leader on defense, as he led the team with seven total tackles and two tackles for loss. Baranowski played fast, hit hard, tackled well, and played a significant role in terrorizing Williams. His interception in the first quarter allowed Minnesota to take a 7-0 lead on the ensuing drive.
Drake Lindsey (in the first half). The Gopher quarterback was lights out in the first half, leading three consecutive scoring drives en route to a 21-10 halftime lead. At halftime, Lindsey went into the locker room 15-of-16 for 125 passing yards and three touchdowns.
Quayd Hendryx. The true freshman wide receiver caught the first touchdown pass of his collegiate career in the first quarter as Minnesota capitalized on an interception to take an early lead.
The Meh
Darius Taylor. The Gopher running back was back in action after missing the Akron game. It was a fairly ho-hum return, as Taylor only picked up 36 rushing yards on 19 carries. Out of the backfield, he caught four passes for 36 receiving yards. Is Taylor back to 100%? I’m not entirely sure. It’s hard to tell when he is getting hit immediately by defenders as soon as he reaches the line of scrimmage.
The Ugly
Drake Lindsey (in the second half). 6-of-13 for 79 passing yards with an interception. That was Lindsey’s stat line in the second half as the offense stalled after halftime. The interception was particularly egregious because it was Lindsey doing one thing he almost never does: Trying to force a play that wasn’t there. After John Nestor’s interception at the Washington 41-yard line near the end of the third quarter, Minnesota had a chance to take a three-score lead and effectively put the game out of reach for the Huskies. But on 3rd & 12, Lindsey was rolling to the sideline and tried to float a pass to Darius Taylor. The ball was snatched out of the air by Washington linebacker Taariq Al-Uqdah, which then became an 8-play scoring drive to reduce the Gophers’ lead to seven points.
The offensive line. Pass protection was exceptional all game long, as the Huskies failed to sack Lindsey. But run blocking was a different story. Minnesota was without starting center Ashton Beers, which meant Greg Johnson got the start at center and Jaden Ball was inserted into the left guard spot. There were signs of life in the first half as the Gophers rolled up 75 rushing yards on 7 carries across a pair of touchdown drives (thanks in large part to a 45-yard run by T.J. Thomas). But any progress ground to a halt after halftime, when Minnesota ran the ball 17 times for 35 rushing yards. There is simply a lack of physicality that is extremely disappointing for a Big Ten offensive line.
Penalties. It was another uncharacteristic game for a P.J. Fleck-coached squad, as Minnesota was flagged eight times for 70 yards. Four of them were false start penalties, and two of them were bone-headed plays on the Huskies’ final scoring drive. Rhyland Kelly was flagged for kick-catch interference on the punt return, and Baranowski cost the Gophers 15 yards for roughing the passer.
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