The Washington Huskies are 3-0 and staring down their Big Ten opener against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, but if they want to hit 4-0 and reclaim a spot in the Top 25, head coach Jedd Fisch’s squad has some serious work to do. They need a win at home against Minnesota to kick off conference play right.
The O-Line Has to Assert Itself, STAT
Here’s the brutal truth, Seattle: our Huskies are dead last in the Big Ten when it comes to running the ball. They’re only clocking 129.6 yards per game on the ground, which is good for a dismal No. 15 in the conference. That’s just not gonna cut it against Big Ten defenses. The Gophers’ defense, led by edge rusher Anthony Smith, is no joke. They’ve racked up 24 tackles for loss this season, ranking No. 11 nationally, which shows they can absolutely wreak havoc in the backfield. But here’s the kicker: Minnesota has been surprisingly soft against the run in non-conference play, giving up 117 yards per game, good for only No. 14 in their own conference. The opportunity is there! If our offensive line can finally figure things out, especially with center Landen Hatchett a game-time decision, they have to build on their best offensive outing of the year from the last game against Eastern Washington. We need to see that dominance up front, no excuses.
Get After Drake Lindsey, Before He Pulls a “Drew Lock”
Minnesota’s quarterback, Drake Lindsey, is a 6-foot-5, 230-pound problem. This dude is super effective in the pocket and can make throws to all three levels of the field. What’s different about him, though, is he’s not a scrambler. The Huskies faced mobile QBs all non-conference, but Lindsey isn’t the type to extend plays with his legs. Our defensive coordinator, Ryan Walters, totally called it, saying Lindsey reminds him “a little bit of now Seattle Seahawks QB Drew Lock when I was at Missouri.” Walters added, “Big arm, can make all the throws, comfortable in the pocket, knows where his reads are, and who to spread the ball out to if his reads aren’t there. Doesn’t take a lot of sacks, and he’s not afraid to check it down and get positive yards. He’s a good quarterback.” That means Washington’s pass rush HAS to move him off his spot and mess up his timing. If they can, Lindsey might get forced into some errant throws or just chuck it away. We need that pressure.
Discipline or the Bench, Walters Isn’t Playing Around
The Huskies’ defense has the talent to be one of the best in the nation, but they are absolutely shooting themselves in the foot. They’ve given up 12 first downs by penalty through just three games, and against Eastern Washington, they got flagged for eight penalties totaling 101 yards. That’s just unacceptable. Coach Walters laid it out clear: if his unit doesn’t start playing with more discipline, he’s considering taking playing time away from repeat offenders. “It’s not acceptable,” he said. “There’s got to be ramifications for undisciplined play and undisciplined choices. You can’t let your emotions get the best of you on the field…We preach being physical, being violent, and being disciplined.” He’s right, you can be all three! If players don’t hit all those criteria, they aren’t doing their job. Our defense needs to clean it up for Big Ten play, or there will be changes.
This is it, Huskies fans. The Gophers are in town and this is our shot to go 4-0 and get back into the Top 25. The season starts now, and we need our Dawgs playing smart, tough, and disciplined to get the W.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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