Some University of Minnesota Gophers football coaches and players held a media event at the Bierman Building today. They discussed their dominating 41-7 home win against Akron and their upcoming Big Ten opener on the road against the University of Washington.

Below are some excerpts from interviews with Gophers’ defensive coordinator Danny Collins, offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh, quarterback Drake Lindsey, defensive end Anthony Smith, and wide receiver Jalen Smith.

Gophers Coaches

Media: Danny, Washington runs a lot of bubble screens, a lot of RPOs (run, pass, option), and they pass in situations where they should run because of injuries. How is it getting ready for an offense like that?

Danny Collins: “It all starts with the quarterback. He’s very well trained. Coach Fish (Washington head coach Jedd) does a great job with that NFL-style offense. Everything pre-snap has options, whether he wants to take the perimeter bubbles or run an RPO.

“He even makes adjustments during the post-snap period. He sees certain things and throws it out to the perimeter. They do a great job at putting you in space at times, and a great job at making you account for the run game, because their quarterback will keep it as well. He’s a dynamic runner. They do a lot to make you stay honest on defense.“

Media: Greg, Washington’s defense plays multiple fronts. They’re strong at every level, and they want to create havoc. Their safety leads them in interceptions and sacks, which is unusual, so tell me a little bit about how your Gophers offense prepares for all of that.

Greg Harbaugh: “They can go in and out of a three-down front; whether you look at it as a three-down front or a five-down front, they can go in and out of that. They can also play different things behind it and put you in different pressure packages that you’ve got to be able to protect on first, second, and third down. Then with their four-down stuff, they do a nice job of adding in a three-safety type defense as well as a single high and a two high.

“They can play all three, and they can do different things out of them. Ryan (Huskies defensive coordinator Walters) puts those guys in a good spot to be able to play fast. They have the answer to the question regardless of what we’re attempting to do. I think that’s the sign of a good defense and a really, really well-coached defense.“

Gophers Quarterback Talks About Their Offense

Media: Drake, do you think instituting the RPO into the offense opened up the Gophers’ run game?

Drake Lindsey: “I think so. In the first half we had the RPOs, and we were throwing them a lot. In the second half we ran the ball more successfully, so they were definitely thinking about the RPOs, so it helped it out for sure.”

Media: I saw you change a play at the line. Tell me about your comfort level at making pre-snap changes.

Drake Lindsey: “Last year, Coach Harbaugh tempted me to do that, but I don’t think I was there yet. It’s Coach Harbaugh having the trust in me and preparing me so well throughout the week. Because I see all the looks on film and in practice. He gives me every look that they could possibly do throughout the week.

“So, when I get to game time, it’s remembering those looks and really studying them with coach. And when we get to game day, it all slows down. Coach Harbaugh does a great job preparing me and getting me for the event, and when game day arrives, it’s time for the players to execute.”

Anthony Smith Talks Huskies Offense

Media: Anthony, what’s caught your eye, big picture, about Washington’s offense?

Anthony Smith: “Their offensive line plays a very NFL-style scheme where they climb up really quick. They’re fast guys, and they set deep. So, we have to stick to our rush plan. Follow our amazing game plan that our Gophers coaches drew up, and then it’s our job to go execute.”

Jalen Smith on Mentoring the Younger Gophers Players

Media: Jalen, being a leader, what did you tell the younger Gophers players after bouncing back from Mississippi State and then preparing to play their first Big Ten road game?

Jalen Smith: “You have to have extreme confidence in yourself. I think that’s the number one thing some younger guys may not understand. You have a loss, and a lot of guys can dwell on that. But I think not only just me, but guys like Drake and all the Gophers leaders in general did a really good job at making sure that everybody understands that the game’s over. You can’t do anything about it.

“You can learn from it, but you can’t go and change the score or change the plays that you had. So, you just have to learn from it and apply the things that you learned for the next week so that you can play better. I think a lot of guys were hungry after that loss. Even though we beat Akron, I think there’s still a mentality of everybody wanting to go prove that we can play with really good teams. So, just play with confidence. That’s the number one thing. You have to believe that you can do it before you actually go do it.”