No. 2 Michigan will face Big Ten rival Minnesota on Saturday in the latest version of one of college football’s oldest rivalries Saturday. The game marks the Wolverines’ third straight conference clash and second consecutive contest against a Big Ten West opponent. The Gophers already have two Big Ten games under their belt, though they were more spread apart on the schedule.
This will be the 105th meeting between Michigan and Minnesota. The two teams have played for the “Little Brown Jug” trophy almost every year since 1929, though the trophy’s history dates back to 1903. That makes it the oldest trophy game in the FBS and the second-oldest rivalry trophy overall. Michigan and Minnesota have only faced off five times since the Big Ten was split into divisions in 2014.
This will actually mark the first meeting between the two since 2020. Michigan holds a 76-25-3 overall advantage against the Gophers. The Wolverines are on a three-game winning streak and have enjoyed an average scoring advantage of 17 points or more over the last three contests. Michigan has also won 30 of the last 33 installments in the series. All three of Minnesota’s wins in that span have come in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Gophers haven’t won at home against Michigan since 1977.
Michigan vs. Minnesota: Need to know
Strength vs. strength: Despite the loss of star running back Mohamed Ibrahim, Minnesota still has one of the best rushing attacks in the Big Ten. The Gophers average 193.2 yards on the ground per game, which ranks fifth in the conference. Freshman running back Darius Taylor has been a revelation. He leads the Big Ten with 532 rushing yards. He has four rushing touchdowns and averages 6.1 yards per carry. But the Gophers face a huge challenge against a Michigan…
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