Drake Lindsey 'locked in' to the moment, unfazed by crowd noise in first start

Drake Lindsey recently turned 20 years old, and he never started a college football game before the 2025 season. In last week's season opener, Minnesota's redshirt freshman quarterback showed poise and maturity like a seasoned veteran.

The Gophers' Week 1 home opener against Buffalo will have a different atmopshere than going on the road to face some of the top programs in the Big Ten, but Lindsey looked unfazed in his first significant action at the college level.

"It was obviously a really cool experience once we ran out, but really, the only jittery I really ever get is on the bus," Lindsey told the media on Wednesday. "Leading up to the stadium, you're about to enter — you're entering a different mode in your mind where it's time to just go to war with your brothers. I think that's a mindset you don't really just overthink; it happens. You snap into it really quickly."

Lindsey quickly snapped into the action, completing 19 of his 35 passes for 290 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. It wasn't a mistake-free performance, but his ability to avoid letting a fluke interception faze him showed serious maturity.

"Once you get on the field onto the field, you're really in tunnel vision; that's how I explain it. When I threw the touchdown to [Jameson Geers], I really didn't hear anything. I didn't hear the crowd," Lindsey continued. "You're so locked into the moment, and locked in to being really successful, and winning that situation, and winning that game. I feel like ultimately, I am just really dialed in and attempting to put my team in the best situation to win games."

Minnesota's home crowd in Week 2 against Northwestern State will likely not be a raucous environment, but Lindsey sounds like someone who's prepared for his first road game in Week 3 across the country against California.

If the Gophers want to reach their full potential in 2025, Lindsey will have to be ready for significant road environments at Ohio State, Iowa, Oregon, and Northwestern at Wrigley Field. Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face, and Lindsey sounds like he has the tools to respond when that happens.