The Washington Huskies got a rude awakening in their 2026 Big Ten opener, falling 27-24 to the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Jedd Fisch's team appeared out of sorts (as it has all season) and overmatched in a lot of ways, including in the trenches, as quarterback Drake Lindsey had complete control over his offense and mitigated Washington's pass rush by getting the ball out as fast as possible. Combined with arguably the best offensive lineman the Huskies will see all year in Greg Johnson, it made for a difficult day up front.
In his first start at center in Ashton Beers' absence, Johnson was a key reason Washington's defense allowed a season-high 3.79 yards per carry in the loss. According to defensive tackle Elinneus Davis, the Huskies learned a lot
about what they will need to do to succeed in the trenches after facing the projected first-round pick.
First start at center for Minnesota IOL Greg Johnson (6-6 1/2, 327) since 2024 and he was exceptional.
— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) September 28, 2026
Round 1 player. pic.twitter.com/Yzip2rtrVO
"Obviously, he's from Minnesota, and me and him knew each other, being in the same class, so it was an awesome matchup, but honestly, it was a great test for us, especially in our first game in the Big Ten to know how the standard is for the Big Ten is and how the physicality is," Davis said on Tuesday. "It was great competition."
Washington saw an infusion of talent along the defensive line over the offseason, and has placed an emphasis on developing a pair of freshmen in defensive tackle Derek Colman-Brusa and edge rusher Ramzak Fruean, who both got their first taste of Big Ten competition against Johnson and the Golden Gophers.
"I think we played good," Davis said when asked about the pair of freshman starters. "There's always stuff to improve on, but I honestly think that we made a leap a little bit and obviously, keep on climbing, keep on taking steps."
The Huskies' defensive line has another tough challenge ahead, as it will face one of the Big Ten's most experienced offensive lines as Jedd Fisch's team heads south to take on the USC Trojans.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Greg Johnson gave Washington tough competition to open Big Ten play
