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Gophers get 27-24 upset win at Washington in Big Ten opener
The University of Minnesota football team opened Big Ten play late Saturday night with a 27-24 upset win at No. 23-ranked Washington. After the win, P.J. Fleck, Maverick Baranowski, John Nestor, Drake Lindsey and Javon Tracy met the media.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The University of Minnesota football team is coming home from No. 23-ranked Washington with a stunning 27-24 upset win to start the Big Ten season 1-0.
P.J. Fleck loves to celebrate wins with his team, and at around 1:30 a.m. Sunday local time, it went to an entirely new level.
P.J. Fleck, Maverick Baranowski share bloody celebration
The backstory:
The Gophers had just beaten the Huskies, and Fleck was parading around the field congratulating his players. He found linebacker Maverick Baranowski, who had seven tackles, two tackles for loss and an interception. The two shared a big hug, and Baranowski had a face full of blood. Fleck took a swipe of it with his hand, and put it across his face like an old-school warrior.
The battle was over, the Gophers had won that war.
"That’s my blood brother," Fleck said. "When NFL scouts ask me about Mav, I say if you could take Blake Cashman, Robert Spillane and have a baby, you’d produce Maverick. The kid loves the game, plays the game the right way. He is the heartbeat of our defense. Back in the day I’m sure that’s what they did, frontiersmen out west, just throw a little blood on there I guess."
"It’s a great moment. Winning is hard in the Big Ten. When you get to win at a place like this, it’s just so exciting. My head coach having my back for the last five years, I love that guy. Such an awesome opportunity to share that moment, he’s a crazy man."
Defense dominates
By the numbers:
The Gophers’ defense sacked Washington quarterback Demond Williams seven times and had him under pressure the entire game. They forced him into two interceptions. The Huskies had just 279 total yards, and were 1-of-10 on third down.
Drake Lindsey had 204 yards and three first-half touchdowns as the Gophers built a 21-10 halftime lead.
Special teams shine
Why you should care:
The Gophers’ special teams unit, often a thorn in the side of the team, has been a catalyst in their 3-1 start so far. Saturday night, Tom Weston had four punts downed inside the 10-yard line, including his last at the 1-yard line with three seconds to play to preserve a Minnesota victory.
Kicker Luke Drzewiecki was perfect on the night with three extra points and two field goals. He nailed a 51-yarder, a career-long, with 7:28 to play that gave the Gophers a 27-17 lead.
Battle for the Little Brown Jug
What's next:
The Gophers host Michigan at 11 a.m. Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium, a game you can watch on FOX 9. It’s the battle for the Little Brown Jug, and FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff pregame show will be on campus. The Wolverines are coming off a walk-off loss to Iowa.