Drake Lindsey came out firing and Minnesota made it hold up.
The Gophers went into Seattle and beat No. 23 Washington 27-24 on Saturday night, riding a first half in which Lindsey threw three touchdown passes to three different receivers. Minnesota led from the opening quarter and then withstood a late push from the Huskies to leave with a Big Ten road win.
Lindsey was sharp from the start, completing his first eight passes and finishing 21 of 29 for 204 yards. He spread the ball around to seven different targets, with Javon Tracy leading the way on seven catches for 41 yards and a touchdown.
His first-half work set the tone. Lindsey hit Quayd Hendryx in the back corner of the end zone for a 15-yard score to put Minnesota ahead 7-0, then followed that with a precise 9-yard touchdown to Jalen Smith, dropping the ball just beyond a Washington defender to make it 14-0. It was the first time in Lindsey’s career that he threw three first-half touchdowns.
Washington had a rough start of its own, and Minnesota’s defense helped create the opening blow. Anthony Smith’s hit on Demond Williams Jr. forced an errant throw, and Maverick Baranowski came down with the interception. The Gophers scored on the next play.
The game marked the first Big Ten matchup this season for both teams, and it was the first meeting between Minnesota and Washington in 49 years.
Williams finished 17 for 27 for 207 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, both coming in Huskies territory. He also ran for a 13-yard touchdown that closed the scoring with 1:53 left.
Before that, he sparked a fourth-quarter rally after Minnesota picked him off. Williams connected on two 26-yard passes, then slipped away from a blitz on fourth down and delivered a back-foot 15-yard touchdown to Baron Naone to trim the deficit to 24-17 with 11:03 remaining.
Minnesota answered that surge with Luke Drzewiecki’s 51-yard field goal, stretching the lead back to 10.
Dezmen Roebuck was Washington’s top receiver, finishing with seven catches for 87 yards and a touchdown. TJ Thomas led Minnesota on the ground with 78 yards on 11 carries.
The Gophers’ defense was the other major story. Outside of the loss to No.
24 Mississippi State, Minnesota has been dominant in its three wins, and that showed again in Seattle. The Gophers sacked Williams seven times and held Washington to 1-for-10 on third down.
Washington’s run game never really got going. Four games into the season, the backfield remains unsettled with Jordan Washington (neck), Quaid Carr (hand) and Jayden Limar (elbow) out long-term. Brian Bronner and Trey Cooley handled the carries against Minnesota and combined for just 28 yards on 11 attempts.
In Other News...
Two Gophers Just Turned Breakout Games Into Major Recognition
Minnesotas win over Washington produced more than a good result on the scoreboard. It also gave the Gophers a pair of firsts, as linebacker Maverick Baranowski was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and kicker Luke Drzewiecki picked up Special Teams Player of the Week honors after standout performances that helped swing the game.
Baranowski filled the stat sheet with seven tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack and the first interception of his career, while Drzewiecki stayed perfect on his field goal tries and drilled a career-long 51-yarder. For both players, the conference recognition is their first weekly Big Ten award, a sign that one strong afternoon can still carry real weight well beyond the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Minnesota Just Earned A Real Big Ten Chance To Climb
Week 4 gave the Big Ten the kind of shakeup that can change a race in a hurry, and Minnesota benefited from it in a major way. Iowa knocked off Michigan, Wisconsin rallied past Penn State, and the Gophers went on the road and beat Washington, a result that helped them gain real ground in the league picture while the conferences top tier kept jostling for position.
Minnesotas win now looks even better in the context of the updated rankings, because the Gophers are no longer just hanging around the discussion. With upsets piling up around them and Ohio State still showing its usual firepower behind Jeremiah Smiths four-touchdown day, Minnesota suddenly has a clearer path to climb if it keeps taking care of business from here. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Get A Rare Chance To Change This Michigan Rivalry
The Little Brown Jug is back on the line Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium, and this one comes with a little extra weight for Minnesota. Michigan has controlled the rivalry for years, with the Gophers last win over the Wolverines coming in 2014 and their last home victory in the series all the way back in 1977, which is why hosting this game feels like more than just another Big Ten date on the schedule.
FOXs Big Noon Kickoff will be in Minneapolis for the occasion, giving the matchup a national stage as P.J. Flecks team tries to make the most of a rare chance to shift the tone of an old rivalry. Fleck had praise this week for linebacker Maverick Baranowski after Minnesotas win over Washington, and the Gophers would love for that momentum to carry into a game that has been waiting a long time for a different kind of ending in Minneapolis. [Read more 🡒]