THE ESSENTIALS
Date/Time: Sept. 28, 2024 / 11 a.m. CT
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich.
Stadium: Michigan Stadium
Surface: FieldTurf
Capacity: 107,601
Series Overall: Minnesota trails 25-77-3
Series Streak: Minnesota lost 4
Series at Michigan: Minnesota trails 13-41-1
Streak at Michigan: Minnesota lost 1
First Meeting: Minnesota won 14-6 in Minneapolis (10/17/1892)
Last Meeting: Minnesota lost 52-10 in Minneapolis (10/7/2023)
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
1. Minnesota (2-2, 0-1 B1G) hits the road Saturday for the first time this season when it travels to No. 12/12 Michigan (3-1, 1-0 B1G) for the battle for the Little Brown Jug. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. with the game airing on FOX and the Gopher Radio Network. Minnesota leaves home after opening the season with four straight home games for the first time since 1987.
2. Saturday marks the 106th all-time matchup between Minnesota and Michigan, and it’s the 99th battle for the Little Brown Jug, an earthenware water jug (a full history of which can be found on Page 44 of the Game Notes). With history dating back to 1903 and the first contest for the Jug taking place in 1909, the advantage in the all-time series belongs to Michigan at 72-23-3. The Gophers are looking to win it for the first time since 2014.
3. As noted above, the trip to Michigan marks the first road game of the season for Minnesota. It is 61-66-9 all-time in road openers, including a 4-3 mark under head coach P.J. Fleck. Minnesota has won two of its last three road openers, winning at Colorado in 2021 and Michigan State in 2022 but falling last season at North Carolina. Saturday is also the first Big Ten road game of the season for Minnesota. It is 45-72-8 all-time in B1G road openers, including a 3-4 mark under Fleck. Like in its road openers, Minnesota has won two of its past three conference road openers, winning at Purdue in 2021 and Michigan State in 2022, but losing at Northwestern a year ago. This will be the 22nd time that Michigan serves as Minnesota’s first league opener away from home with the Wolverines prevailing in 15 of the 21 previous matchups, though Minnesota won in the last such game in 2014.
4. Minnesota is facing a ranked team for the first time this season as they take on the 12th-ranked Wolverines. The Gophers already faced North Carolina and Iowa this year, both of whom were receiving votes in the AP or Coaches Poll at the time of the game, and they account for both Gopher losses. A year ago, Minnesota was 1-3 against AP Top 25 teams, including a win at then-No. 24 Iowa. Saturday will mark the third straight contest, and fourth time in the last five matchups, where the Gophers take on a ranked Michigan team. It will also mark the 51st time that Minnesota has faced a ranked Michigan foe; the Golden Gophers are 8-41-1 in such games. The Gophers are looking for their first win over a ranked Michigan team since beating then-No. 2 in Ann Arbor in 1986. Specifically against the No. 12 AP team, Minnesota is 2-5 all-time. The Gophers’ last road win over a team ranked 12th or better came at then-No. 6 Ohio State in 2000.
5. The 2024 campaign is the eighth for head coach P.J. Fleck at Minnesota, where his record stands at 52-36. He is fifth in program history for overall wins, Big Ten wins (29) and games coached (88). Fleck’s .591 win percentage is third best among Minnesota coaches with at least 45 games under their helm behind only Henry L. Williams (.786, 1900-21) and Bernie Bierman (.716, 1932-41, ’45-50). In his 12th season overall as a college head coach, Fleck is 82-58 (.586).
Pure Perham
MNN sports director spoke with Gopher defensive lineman Logan Richter of Perham:
Logan Richter
(info and photos courtesy of Gopher Sports)
