Washington is getting set for a loud one in Seattle on Saturday night, and Jedd Fisch is already leaning into the scene. The Huskies open Big Ten play against Minnesota at Husky Stadium, with school back in session and the annual Black Out night set to turn the place into a wall of black.
"I expect it to be sold-out, packed, loud, party atmosphere, hopefully that our guys, our fans, will embrace the moment Saturday night and have a great evening," Fisch said.
Washington enters at 3-0 after shaking off two uneven offensive showings that pushed the Huskies from 16th in the preseason rankings and out of the Top 25. Last Saturday, they looked far more like themselves in a 48-16 win over Eastern Washington.
Demond Wiliams Jr. was the engine, going 27 of 33 for 373 yards and matching his career best with four touchdown passes, including two to Rashid Williams. Freshman Brian Bonner also made a splash, rushing six times for 81 yards after climbing from No. 3 on the depth chart when injuries hit the top two backs.
Minnesota arrives at 2-1 with a much cleaner stat line than its record suggests. The Golden Gophers opened with a 59-7 win over Eastern Illinois and a 41-7 win over Akron before falling 38-13 to Mississippi State.
Drake Lindsey has thrown for 747 yards and four touchdowns on 67 completions in 103 attempts, while TJ Thomas leads the ground game with 173 yards on 23 carries. Darius Taylor has scored three rushing touchdowns.
Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck had plenty of praise for Williams and what Washington can do offensively.
"Demond is one of the best players in the Big Ten. It's not just his arm; he can throw hash to sideline," Fleck said.
"He's a great runner; he's not just looking to run, he's throwing the football. And then if you break down in coverage and give him a lane, he's going to run for a long time."
Fleck said his team is ready for the jump into league play, and he framed every conference game as its own high-stakes battle.
"But when you're a player and you get a chance to play in the Big Ten ... every game is a one-game championship season and they all matter," Fleck said. "They all count.
And you play at the biggest and highest level out of 18 teams in the conference for a reason because it's the biggest stage. It's big time.
"It's the Big Ten. It's the big stage, and you choose to play at that level.
And we're in it. And now we're in conference play, and how exciting."
In Other News...
Gophers Get An Early Read On A Lineup That Could Shift Fast
The Big Tens first availability report for Minnesota football ahead of Saturdays conference game against Washington offered an early snapshot of a roster still taking shape. Five Gophers were listed as out and are expected to miss the season because of injuries, while other Minnesota players landed in the questionable or probable categories for the upcoming matchup.
More reports are coming before game day under the leagues new protocol, so this picture figures to change several times before kickoff. For a team trying to settle its lineup in the middle of a Big Ten stretch, the next update may matter as much as the first one. [Read more 🡒]
Kyan Evans Arrives At Minnesota With Something To Prove
Kyan Evans comes to Minnesota for his senior season with a familiar face waiting on the other end of the move. The point guard transferred in to reunite with coach Niko Medved after a difficult year at North Carolina, and he said the chance to play for a coach he knows, in a program he already understands, played a major role in his decision to make the jump.
For the Gophers, the addition gives the backcourt a veteran piece as they get ready for the season ahead. For Evans, it is a chance to reset his career in a setting that feels more comfortable, while also carrying the motivation of a player intent on showing more than he was able to last year. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Waiting On Cade Tyson Decision As Season Plans Hang In Balance
The Gophers are still waiting to find out whether Cade Tyson will get another year of eligibility, and the timeline now has a firmer marker. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals has set a special session hearing for Oct. 13 in Tysons case, keeping Minnesota in a holding pattern as it maps out the season ahead. Tyson has already enrolled in classes and is practicing with the team while pursuing the extra year under a new NCAA rule.
Minnesotas roster can absorb the uncertainty for now. The Gophers currently have 15 players on the roster, and Tyson could be added as a Designated Student-Athlete without counting against the cap, which gives the staff some flexibility while the legal process plays out. But until the court makes its move, Tysons status remains one of the bigger variables in how the Gophers finalize their plans. [Read more 🡒]