The Gophers last won at Michigan in 2005 and hope to get a repeat of this scene on Saturday.
Minnesota (4-1 overall, 0-1 Big Ten) at No. 19 Michigan (4-0 overall, 0-0 Big Ten)
Ann Arbor, Michigan – Michigan Stadium
Saturday 2:30 p.m. CT – ABC
Spread: Michigan -20
PREGAME NOTES
Series History
The Michigan Wolverines have absolutely dominated the Gophers in their all-time series. The Maize and Blue hold a commanding 72-24-3 overall advantage while winning 37 of the last 40 meetings between the two teams. Heading into this week, Jerry Kill has been stressing to his team to not be worried about playing a well-known, ranked opponent like Michigan.
“The big thing we have to do and we have to learn to do…You can’t worry about what it says on the side of the helmet,” said Kill. “You’ve got to learn as a player to control what you can control and that’s play well and play fundamentally sound and then good things happen to you.”
Last Meeting
Minnesota started strong against the Wolverines last November; getting out to a 7-0 lead in the second quarter. The Gophers defense looked sturdy until quarterback Devin Gardner escaped pressure and tossed a 45-yard touchdown to pull even. Gardner went on to complete 12 of his 18 pass attempts for 234 yards and two touchdowns as Michigan downed Minnesota 35-13 to retain the Little Brown Jug.
“[Gardner] made a couple great throws against us a year ago; right on the money,” said Kill of last year’s contest. “We were 7-7; we were playing pretty good then he just made some plays and he’s continued to do that through his career.”
Last Time Out
A week after narrowly escaping with a victory over Akron, Michigan needed 17 unanswered points to top UConn, 24-21. Devin Gardner struggled to pass the ball efficiently, totaling only 111 yards and two interceptions. Fifth-year senior running back Fitzgerald Toussaint, scored two second-half touchdowns and rushed for 121 yards on 24 carries in the victory.
Coaching Preview
Brady Hoke is in his third season as the head coach at Michigan where he has complied a 23-7 record. During his first season in Ann Arbor, Hoke led the Wolverines to an 11-2 record (6-2 Big Ten) and an Allstate Sugar Bowl victory. Hoke is the first Michigan head coach to go undefeated at home in his first two seasons at Michigan since Fielding Yost do so in 1901-02.
Coming Off a Bye
For the second time this season, the Gophers will face a team coming off a bye week. Following their narrow win over Connecticut, the Wolverines have had a productive two weeks of practice in preparation for their Big Ten opener.
“I would say it was a perfect time,” said coach Brady Hoke about the timing of the bye week. “The way we’ve practiced and the intensity that we’ve practiced with and the time and the speed that we’ve practiced with has been pretty good.”
Another Trophy Chance
Although Minnesota failed to capture Floyd of Rosedale last week, the Maroon and Gold will have another chance to fill the trophy case when they travel to Ann Arbor. Playing for a historic trophy like the Little Brown Jug is certainly a motivating factor for Minnesota as they attempt to build the program.
“You’ve got to have one of those defining moments and so if we’re able to [win the Little Brown Jug] that’d be a defining moment,” said Kill. “More importantly, as a program, we want to keep moving forward and we took a step back on Saturday but that happens. Now we need to take two steps forward.”
The Gophers have had a number of lengthy history lessons on the importance of trophy games.
“We’re fortunate that we have Mike Sherels who’s played here and we’ve got people that played in the game, we’ve got historians and we talk about all this, not only now, but we talk through all of camp,” said Kill. “We go through all the trophy games and the importance and the history…Our kids understand that.”
Slowing Down the Wolverines
Minnesota will have their hands full on Saturday as they line up against one of the most athletically talented teams they will play all season.
“They’ve had a week off and I’m sure they’ve worked on what they needed to work on,” said Kill. “They’ve got a very good football team. You can talk to anybody from the Big Ten Network or anybody that’s gone through there; them and Ohio State have as good of athletes as anybody in the country. Athletically, they’re gifted.”
Although the Wolverines have struggled to score at times this season, the athletic offense is still averaging 38 points per contest through four games. In order to stifle Michigan, the Gophers will look to contain the explosive duo of Gardner and running back Fitzgerald Toussaint.
“The offense runs through Gardner and he’s a special athlete,” said Kill. “Last year we played hard and went nose-to-nose for a while then he scrambled around for about 10 minutes then throws the vertical route for the touchdown. He’s done the same thing the first four games. He’s a guy that you’ve got to keep contained as much as you can. Their tailback’s good. He runs the ball and that’s something that they’re doing more and more is getting back to the power running game and a lot of play-action.”
Matchup to Watch
One key matchup to keep an eye will be the battle up front between Michigan’s offensive line and Minnesota’s front four. The Gophers have managed just six sacks through five games, but have been agile; stopping opponents behind the line of scrimmage on running plays. Combined, the duo of Ra’Shede Hageman and Theiren Cockran have an impressive 11 tackles for a loss on the year. The Gophers’ line will need to stay disciplined, not letting Gardner escape the pocket to connect on huge plays.
“Their front, number one defensively, is very attacking and very aggressive,” said Hoke. “They’ve got a ton of tackles for a loss and we’ve given up a lot of tackles for a loss so that’s concerning.”
Players to Watch
#77 Taylor Lewan – The 2012 First-Team All-American is one of the premium offensive linemen in the nation. The 6-foot-8, 315-pound behemoth is a sure-fire, first-round NFL draft pick. Lewan, whose father played football for the Golden Gophers, will pose a tough test for Minnesota’s defensive ends on Saturday.
#18 Blake Countess – The 5-foot-10, 182-pound cornerback has been a playmaker for Michigan this season. Countess has tallied 20 tackles, two tackles for loss and leads the Wolverines with three inceptions—including two against Notre Dame.
Background
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Enrollment: 41,942
Conference: Big Ten
Mascot: Wolverines
Colors: Maize and Blue
Coach: Brady Hoke (3rd Season)