Michigan is favored to beat Minnesota this week, but the number doesn’t feel especially comforting after what happened against Iowa.
Last week, the Wolverines entered as a 5.5-point favorite and still ended up on the wrong side of the result. Michigan controlled the box score, but its mistakes handed Iowa the win.
Now the Wolverines head on the road for the first time, and Minnesota is coming in with real momentum after a 27-24 win at Washington. That leaves the Golden Gophers ahead of Michigan in the Big Ten standings, and it sets up a game Michigan badly needs to get right.
There are a few reasons this matchup has upset potential.
The first is the penalty problem. Michigan has been flagged eight times or more in three of its four games this season, and that kind of sloppiness has a way of snowballing.
Some of the calls have been questionable, but the Wolverines also keep creating their own issues with pre-snap mistakes and personal fouls. That’s not a recipe for a clean performance, especially in a road environment where communication and discipline get tested quickly.
Then there’s Bryce Underwood, who looked sharp against Iowa. He piled up 312 total yards and two touchdowns, and the interception he threw was more on Andrew Marsh running the wrong route than on Underwood himself.
Even so, his road numbers this season are a concern. In 2025 away from home, he has completed less than 60 percent of his passes and has six touchdowns against six interceptions.
Michigan fans have every reason to hope the progress he’s shown over the last three games carries over, but that still has to happen outside the Big House.
And Minnesota has a quarterback who can make that task tougher. Drake Lindsey is averaging 237 passing yards per game, completing 66 percent of his throws and already has seven touchdown passes.
He also carved up Washington with some sharp throws last week. Michigan’s defense just watched Iowa throw for 236 yards and drive 90 yards in two minutes to win the game, so the Wolverines know what happens if the pass rush doesn’t get home.
If the defensive line can’t pressure Lindsey, Minnesota has a real chance to make this one uncomfortable.
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P.J. Fleck has had plenty of respect for Michigans defense, and the matchup also puts a spotlight on two young quarterbacks who have helped shape their offenses, Bryce Underwood for the Wolverines and Drake Lindsey for the Gophers. For a Michigan team trying to steady itself before the Big Ten race tightens, this one offers an early chance to look like a contender rather than a work in progress. [Read more 🡒]