The Little Brown Jug is headed back to Minneapolis, and Minnesota made sure of it in dramatic fashion.
For the first time since 1977, the Golden Gophers beat Michigan at home, knocking off the Wolverines 20-14 on Saturday and ending an 18-game home skid against their Big Ten foe. When it was over, Gophers fans stormed the field at Huntington Bank Stadium to celebrate a win that had been nearly half a century in the making.
Minnesota coach PJ Fleck didn’t hold back afterward.
“This team’s heart, their how, their spirit,” Minnesota coach PJ Fleck said. “Our community and state, they never stop believing in anything.
This team is resilient. There’s pandemonium in Minneapolis right now.”
The Gophers improved to 4-1 by shutting Michigan out in the second half, while the Wolverines dropped to 3-2 and fell to 0-2 in the Big Ten. Michigan also came in off last week’s 20-19 loss to Iowa on the final play, and Saturday’s game followed a similar rough script once the second half began.
Michigan led 14-7 at halftime, but the third quarter quickly unraveled. The Wolverines had the ball for just 47 seconds in the period because of three straight turnovers, starting with a muffed punt by Andrew Marsh and then two interceptions by quarterback Bryce Underwood.
Underwood opened the fourth quarter with yet another interception. He finished 10 of 21 for 101 yards and a QB rating of 69.
Minnesota, meanwhile, found the play it needed to take control for good. Drake Lindsey connected with Darius Taylor on a 3-yard touchdown pass, giving the Gophers the lead they never gave back. Lindsey went 17 of 25 for 136 yards.
The win also snapped a long drought in this rivalry beyond just the home field. Minnesota’s last victory over Michigan in the Little Brown Jug series came 12 years ago in Ann Arbor, and the Gophers had dropped 35 of the previous 38 meetings before this breakthrough. Fleck, savoring the moment, said, “Besides my marriage, my kids being born, this might be the best day in my life.”
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