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A #Gophers notebook for the morning ☕️:

Minnesota’s hot start was an x-factor in Saturday’s 27-24 win over Washington. I wrote about the #Gophers pass rush & coverage working together, maximizing key passing game matchups, notable play designs, Lindsey's command & more. A new notebook: gophersguru.com/2026/09/27/n…

#Gophers win 27-24 at Washington. Getting off to a hot 14-0 start in the first quarter was huge - Baranowski's INT and then converting it into a TD on the next play. Plus, a defensive three-and-out and scoring drive after that. This got Washington climbing early, which was key entering this game. The Huskies aren't a team built to play from a deficit and pass-heavy script right now. Minnesota's rush and coverage played off each other in this game. Pass rushers maintained depth and then effectively re-traced Williams. Also, coverage plastered well downfield in key spots, which led to some disruptions. Those variables helped Minnesota produce seven sacks vs. Washington's OL. I also thought Baranowski and Gerlach were quite effective in some of the pressures that the Gophers deployed. The wide receivers won key 1-on-1 matchups and they had a good plan to create cleaner releases and rubs for pass catchers. Lindsey also did a nice job of seeing the field, putting the ball in play and making some tough back shoulder throws. Those tight back shoulder throws are really key. Punter Tom Weston was also a weapon tonight. Minnesota won the field margin by a significant margin, which is a differentiating factor in games like this. More detailed analysis is coming in a notebook on GophersGuru.com!

Special teams and field position have played a big role in this game for the #Gophers. Three punts inside the 20, a couple timely returns and Drzewiecki's 51-yard field goal in a big spot.

#Gophers halftime thoughts: - I thought Drake Lindsey was seeing the game really well. Making the right moves pre-snap, playing in rhythm, putting the ball in play to the correct spots. OL kept him clean in pass pro too. - The Gophers are really exploiting Washington when they're in off coverage. They've done a good job mixing formations and using stacks to create space for the WRs too. Some man-beating combos got guys open as well, including on the arrow screen design in the RZ and then the intersecting crosser look on the 1st TD. - Two of MN's bigger gash runs were into great looks with Washington rolling into two-high shell with a middle hole player. Good execution on those. - Early takeaway was big to set up the short field and assert control of game flow. Liked that Harbaugh took a shot immediately following the takeaway. He always loves doing that. - This first series out of half is huge for both teams. We'll see what adjustments are made during the break.

#Gophers get the red zone TD. Motion to ID the coverage and then a little arrow screen to Tracy. Great execution for the score. Minnesota leads 21-7.

#Gophers sent zone pressure as Washington ran a bubble screen for Dezmen Roebuck on the perimeter. Roebuck turned upfield, dove for the pylon and scored a 16-yard TD. Minnesota leads 14-7 early in Q2.

#Gophers started the drive with a swing screen that got things flowing. Great second level climb by Greg Johnson on TJ Thomas' 45-yard run. Sequence ends with Jalen Smith winning vs. man coverage for the TD. Minnesota leads 14-0.

Anthony Smith with the pressure/QB hit and Baranowski hauls in the INT. On the next play, the #Gophers took a shot into the end zone. Intersecting crossers vs. man coverage and Lindsey finds Quayd Hendryx for a 15-yard TD. Minnesota leads 7-0.

Zack Harden had a great rep on the tunnel screen, triggering down and making the play. On third down, the #Gophers rolled into Cover 2 invert, Williams slipped out right but was forced out of bounds by Bush and others.

#Gophers RB Darius Taylor, DB Aidan Gousby and LB Matt Kingsbury are not listed on the final game day availability report. Center Landen Hatchett remains out for the Huskies. We'll see if Clark and Karnley go....

UCLA’s running game continues to fire on all cylinders. Excellent concept mix, crisp execution and a deep RB room headlined by Wayne Knight. Love Dean Kennedy’s system!

Welcome to #Gophers game day! Head over to GophersGuru.com for all of the preview content you need ahead of Minnesota vs. Washington:

#Gophers starting center Ashton Beers has been downgraded to out on the latest availability report. Here is the full list:

College games I’ll be watching closely this weekend: Clemson @ Cal Texas @ Tennessee Ole Miss @ Florida Iowa @ Michigan TCU @ UCF Wisconsin @ Penn St. Kennesaw St. @ Arkansas St. Oregon @ USC Missouri @ Mississippi St.

I finally got around to studying Northwestern's win over Colorado. A very impressive performance. Chip Kelly was in his bag. Mixing personnel groupings/formations, great motion usage, some speed option (out of 2-back package) and power read elements dashed in. The offense suits Aidan Chiles' strengths and features his athleticism in creative ways. Hiring Jerry Neuheisel as QBs coach was an excellent move too. Love the RB trio of Himon, Sawchuk and Komolafe. Each of them have different rushing styles and they really unlocked Himon's receiving skills in the route combos last week. OL produced second level movement and WRs blocked their tails off on the perimeter. Also, keep an eye on TE Luke Dehnicke when Big Ten play begins. He's a guy that Kelly will unlock. I'm looking forward to seeing how the offense continues evolving under Chip. On the other side, the secondary looks strong. DBs play with great vision on the quarterback and are executing rolling zones at a high level. They have much better depth in the secondary this year, especially at CB. Also, safety Robert Fitzgerald is a very underrated player that people don't talk enough about. He flys all over. One of my biggest underrated takeaways? How fresh and fast the Wildcats looked in each phase. Start/stop, change of direction, first steps. I'm fascinated to see how this team performs in Big Ten play.

Bijan Robinson is artistic every time he touches the ball. He accelerates and decelerates like nobody else in the league. So fun to watch.

While watching Nebraska tape this week, I came away drawn to DT Jahsear Whittington. Electric first step, very active, and plays with excellent technique. I'll be keeping a close eye on him during Big Ten play. 🏈

A new episode of the #Gophers Guru podcast just went live! - A quick recap of the Akron game ✍️ - What to watch for entering Big Ten play 🏈 - Previewing Washington ☕️ - The evolution of Ryan Walters 🫡 - The impact of Huskies DB Alex McLaughlin 👏 🎙️: gophersguru.com/2026/09/24/g…

Here's the first #Gophers availability report ahead of Saturday's game vs. Washington. RB Darius Taylor is listed as probable and center Ashton Beers is questionable. Full list: