By Danny Williams Posted on

Minnesota Preview: Gophers’ QB presents different challenge to Huskies’ defense

In their first three games the Washington Huskies (3-0) played three dynamic quarterbacks who made plays with their legs and excelled at getting out of the pocket.

On Saturday, the Washington defense faces a new kind of threat. Minnesota Golden Gophers’ (2-1) junior quarterback, Drake Lindsey, takes the helm as a big and tall drop-back passer who can make any throw on the field. The 6-foot-5 and 230-pound Lindsey possesses arm strength and accuracy yet to be seen by this UW defense.

“[The] quarterback is a big traditional pocket-type passer,” UW defensive coordinator Ryan Walters said. “Big arm, gets the ball out on time.”

Thin secondary

With starting corner Emmanuel Karnley day-to-day and nickel Rahshawn Clark listed as questionable on the injury report, the Huskies enter Saturday with a potentially thin secondary.

Without potentially both Karnley and Clark out, pressure falls on true freshman Jeron Jones. Jones has started all three games this season at either nickel or on the outside filling in for Karnley. Against Eastern Washington Jones started on the outside and experienced some growing pains, committing two pass-interference penalties.

Despite the two penalties, Walters is confident in Jones’ ability to cover the outside:

“Other than the flags and the first third down [of the game], I thought he played well,” Walters said regarding Jones’ performance against EWU. “Even on the flags, he’s in position, so it’s easy to correct. He just has to get his eyes back and play the ball, and I think if he does those things, he’ll make a lot of plays.”

The young Jones will have the toughest assignment of his young career thus far on Saturday. Not only will he have to go against the best thrower of the football he’s seen in his young career, he’ll most likely match up with one of Minnesota’s senior receivers: Javon Tracy or Noah Jennings. Both have over 200 yards this season.

Defensive line has a chance to tee-off

Instead of chasing quarterbacks around the backfield, trying to limit any sort of positive gain, the Washington defensive line has a chance on Saturday to pin its ears back and tee-off on the quarterback for the first time all season.

The Washington defense has mustered eight sacks this season, a respectable number. But peeling back the curtain reveals only 3.5 have come from the defensive line. Safety and linebacker blitzes have taken up much of the real estate in the sack department, in large part due to the threat of the quarterbacking escaping the pocket so far this season.

Now, edge rushers, Ramzak Fruean, Jacob Lane, and Isaiah Ward will have the opportunity to showcase their pass-rushing prowess against a quarterback who is not a threat to run.

Although Lindsey’s mobility is limited, the UW defensive line will match up against the best offensive line unit it has played all season. The strength of the unit forces the Huskies edge rushers to stay disciplined and not flow too-far up field on pass-rush attempts.

“It just comes down to staying disciplined, making sure our rush lanes are proper, and making sure when we know we can pin our ears back and go and rush, and when we can’t” Ward said. “Because [Lindsey is a good quarterback, he’s a great quarterback.”

Overall keys

All eyes on Saturday will be on the young Washington secondary to see how it holds up against a true pocket-passer. However, the secondary could cover for as long as it wants, but if the defensive front doesn’t produce any pressure, Minnesota’s receivers are too experienced not to find themselves open, and Lindsey certainly is experienced enough to find them.

If Washington can apply pressure and cover in space, it should find itself with its first conference win of the season Saturday night.

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