Minnesota and Michigan meet Saturday at 11 a.m. with the Little Brown Jug on the line for the 100th time, and the Wolverines arrive at 3-1 after a wild first month. Michigan opened with a 13-12 win over Western Michigan, followed that with a 17-10 victory over Oklahoma, rolled past UTEP 52-17, and then dropped a 20-19 heartbreaker to Iowa on the final play last weekend.
If you’re looking at this Michigan team, the conversation starts with Bryce Underwood. The quarterback has been the engine of the offense, for better or worse, and his production tells the story of the Wolverines’ season.
Through four games, Underwood has completed 57 of 92 passes for 790 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. He has also carried the ball 42 times for 197 yards and two scores, and he has been sacked five times.
Underwood also earned an 85 PFF grade against Iowa.
On the other side of the ball, Jyaire Hill is the name to know. The defensive back entered the season with plenty of recognition, including preseason first team All Big Ten honors and fourth team preseason All American status.
He was also listed among the top ten returning defensive backs in college football by both PFF score and preseason honors overall. So far this year, Hill has been in on 22 tackles, which ranks second on the team, and he has one interception.
Michigan’s offense also leans on Jordan Marshall, the preseason first team All Big Ten running back. Marshall has handled the ball 45 times for 194 yards and two touchdowns across four games, splitting carries with Underwood and Hiter.
In the passing game and return game, Andrew Marsh has been a steady presence. The wide receiver and punt returner has caught 22 passes for 239 yards and one touchdown. He is handling punt returns this season, though not kickoffs.
Up front, Andrew Sprague started the first two games at right tackle but has missed the last two, and his injury situation remains unclear. At center, Jake Guarnera has settled into a new role after moving there this season.
There have been occasional issues, but he still carries a 78.9 run blocking grade and posted a 79.0 pass blocking grade against Iowa. Guarnera is also on the Rimington Watch List.
On defense, John Henry Daley has flashed early. The 6-foot-5, 252-pound Utah transfer has 16 tackles and three sacks, along with a pair of pass deflections.
He posted a 92 PFF grade last season, though his numbers have been lower this year, with his most recent game at 68.7 and his best at 78.1. Daley was hurt on the second to last play against Iowa, and an injury update is expected tomorrow.
Enow Etta, the rightside defensive tackle and second team preseason All Big Ten selection, has 11 tackles and a half sack. He also had one of the lowest defensive grades on the team against Iowa.
Zeke Berry has 11 tackles and two pass breakups at nickelback. The third team preseason All Big Ten pick also drew the personal foul that helped Iowa move into position for the game-tying score, and that play has brought him plenty of criticism.
Smith Snowden, another Utah transfer and preseason fourth team All Big Ten cornerback, has recorded ten tackles and two pass deflections. He’s also taking heat for getting beaten on the final play against Iowa, which resulted in the game-winning touchdown pass.
Among Michigan’s transfers, JJ Buchanan has made the biggest early impact. The Utah transfer has 20 receptions for 396 yards and four touchdowns, and his season highlight is the Hail Mary game-winning catch against Western Michigan. The play should not have counted, but it was still a spectacular grab and a clutch moment.
And then there’s Carter Meadows, the top-ranked recruit Michigan brought in this season and the 11th-ranked player in the nation overall. The defensive end has not played yet this year.
In Other News...
Gophers Turned Game Day Trash Into A Program Fans Can Brag About
Minnesotas football gamedays have quietly become a showcase for something beyond the scoreboard, as the Gopher Athletics waste-reduction effort kept pushing toward a cleaner footprint in 2025. The program reached an 88.6% landfill diversion rate this season, a sharp climb from where it started in 2012, and it has grown into a visible part of the in-stadium experience for fans who are asked to sort their waste into recycling, compost and trash bins.
The work does not stop with the crowd leaving the seats. Stadium crews keep sorting during and after games, which is part of why the effort has drawn national notice, including recognition from the Green Sports Alliance in each of the past two years. For a program looking to give fans something to feel good about on Saturdays, this has become an easy one to point to, even if the bigger challenge is keeping the momentum going. [Read more 🡒]
Greg Johnson Just Put Minnesotas Offensive Line In The Spotlight
Greg Johnsons move from guard to center for the first time this season ended up drawing national attention in a hurry. After Minnesotas win over Washington, the Football Writers Association of America named him the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week, a recognition that came on the back of a strong all-around showing and a high grade from Pro Football Focus.
For a program that has long taken pride in its line play, the honor also put a rare spotlight on a position group that usually works best in the background. It was the first time a Minnesota player has earned the weekly award, and Johnsons performance gave the Gophers another sign that their offensive front can still set the tone even with a new look in the middle. [Read more 🡒]
Minnesota Gets Another Shot To End A Painful Michigan Drought
Saturday brings another familiar but uncomfortable test for the Golden Gophers, who will host Michigan at Huntington Bank Stadium with the Little Brown Jug on the line. FOX 9 will carry the game, with pregame coverage beginning at 8 a.m., and Minnesota will once again get a chance to turn a long-running rivalry into something a little less one-sided.
The Gophers have not beaten Michigan since 2014, and the home-side frustration goes back even further, all the way to 1977. For a program that knows how much the Jug means to this matchup, this is the kind of game that can still define a seasons early tone, even before the final score is written. [Read more 🡒]