Minnesota Stuns Huskies at Home in Conference Opener

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1482"]

The Washington Huskies lost 27-24 to Minnesota Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026 at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. Credit: Washington Athletics [/caption]

SEATTLE, Wash. — Much was expected of the Washington Huskies football team entering the 2026 season.

With the return of $4-plus million quarterback Demond Williams Jr., a stout defense and some highly touted yet inexperienced players around Williams, there was talk of being in the mix for a College Football Playoff.

After three uninspiring wins during a weak non-conference schedule, the Huskies’ thoughts of a strong season suffered a major setback with a 27-24 loss to middling Big Ten team Minnesota Saturday night in the conference opener at Husky Stadium.

The black uniforms looked cool, the band sounded good and the student section showed out. All else was essentially a mess for the Huskies. It was Washington’s first loss at Husky Stadium to an unranked opponent since a disaster of a 2021 season when UW finished 4-8.

“We got to get better,” Washington head coach Jedd Fisch said. “We got to make some plays when the plays present themselves, and we've got to coach in a situation where we can give these guys more opportunities to make those plays.”

Washington managed just 40 yards rushing — including 28 by running backs. Demond Williams Jr. finished with 15 yards rushing on 15 attempts, which included seven sacks. Williams finished 18-for-28 for 239 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions on a night when Washington managed just 279 total yards.

Minnesota topped Washington’s rushing output on one carry, a 45-yard scamper by TJ Thomas that was part of the Golden Gophers’ 125 yards on the ground.”

“Definitely disappointed, obviously,” Williams said of the post-game mood in the UW locker room. “Just trying to figure out ways we could have won the game. For me, I want to take full accountability and try to move forward as a team. Obviously we’ve got USC next week, and we got to make sure we move on.”

Washington trailed by double digits for much of the game, but closed the game to three points late. Needing two quick scores, the Huskies failed to get a play off before the two-minute timeout, which wound up costing the Huskies any non-miracle chance on their final drive.

“We wanted to get a certain red zone play in because we felt how valuable we needed it, and we wound up subbing, and the sub came in way too late,” Washington coach Jedd Fisch said. “And with that, then they got to hold another 10 seconds. So that's my fault. There was a certain personnel group that I wanted in the game for that play, so we wound up having to call it after the two-minute warning.”

As a result, even though the Huskies forced a Minnesota three-and-out on its final drive, UW got the ball back with just three seconds remaining in the game. To make matters worse, Minnesota punter Tom Weston pinned Washington at its own 2-yard line. Dezmen Roebuck was tackled at the UW 34 after catching a lateral from receiver Chris Lawson.

Roebuck (seven catches, 87 yards, TD) and Lawson (four receptions, 77 yards) were the standouts in an otherwise dreary offensive showing.

Surprisingly, it was the defense that struggled early on for the Huskies.

With a Washington offense that has been inconsistent and a strong defense, the game went about as expected early, with both teams going three-and-out on initial drives.

Then, it quickly got worse for the Huskies. After forcing Minnesota’s second punt, Washington started at its own 10. Two players later, it was 7-0 Golden Gophers.

Williams was hit by an unblocked Anthony Smith — the Big Ten leader in sacks last season — as he released a pass, and it floated into the arms of Minnesota linebacker Maverick Baranowski. Quarterback Drake Lindsay then threw a 15-yard TD pass to Quayd Henrdyx for the early edge.

Demonds WIlliams Jr. misfired high to Rashid Williams on UW’s next drive, another three-and-out. Thomas ripped off his 45-yard run, which set up a second Linday TD pass, this time to Jalen Smith for a 14-0 Golden Gophers lead.

Both of the TD passes came against Huskies cornerback Elias Johnson, who started in place of injured Emmanuel Karnley. Washington also missed multiple tackles throughout the game.

“I feel like you know they had way too many guys running the ball [well], but we just got to look back on the film and correct that and keep it as a learning lesson,” Huskies fifth-year linebacker Jacob Manu said. “… As a team, I feel like we just needed to do our job better at a high level and just make the plays that we're supposed to make.

The Huskies finally got moving in the second quarter, putting together an eight-play, 75-yard drive capped by Roebuck’s 15-yard TD reception to cut Minnesota’s advantage to 14-7 with 13:09 to go in the half.

The Golden Gophers used their screen game to take advantage of the Huskies for a 21-7 lead. Javon Tracy crossed the formation, then flipped back to the other side for an easy catch-and-run for Lindsay’s third touchdown of the half.

Lindsay, known for his big arm, didn’t need to throw long in the first half. The screen game appeared to catch Washington off-balance, and the Golden Gophers used it for much of their 125 first-half passing yards.

The second half started about as well as the first. Washington went three-and-out, capped by an intentional grounding call on Williams. Rylon Dillard-Allen then false-started on the punt play. Punter Hunter Green then booted the ball 47 yards, but Minnesota’s Javon Tracy brought it back 26 yards.

The Huskies held, but the offense once again went three-and-out despite trying guard John Mills at left tackle in place of freshman Kodi Greene. The line struggled to get much of a push for most of the game.

The offensive line, a concern in three underwhelming wins against lesser teams to open the season, struggled in its first taste of the 2026 Big Ten season. Much was expected of a line that returned freshman All-American John Mills, and three seniors along with a five-star recruit in Kodi Greene at left tackle.

So far, much like the Huskies’ season, it has not lived up to the high expectations.