Minnesota gets a trophy game at home this Saturday, and the matchup brings a familiar opponent with it. The Golden Gophers host Michigan at Huntington Bank Stadium in a Big Ten meeting for the Little Brown Jug, with kickoff set for 11 a.m. and TV coverage on FOX 9.
The Gophers are coming in after an emotional 27-24 win at Washington to open conference play, and they’ll try to keep that momentum going against a Michigan team that arrives at 3-1 overall and 0-1 in the Big Ten after a walk-off loss to Iowa. Minnesota is 3-1 and 1-0 in league play.
This rivalry goes all the way back to 1903, and the Gophers are chasing a result they haven’t found in a while. Minnesota last beat Michigan in 2014, hasn’t beaten the Wolverines at home since 1977, and coach P.J.
Fleck is 0-2 against Michigan. Fleck also wasn’t born yet the last time Minnesota won in Minneapolis.
Saturday’s coverage starts well before kickoff. FOX 9 will air the Gopher Pregame Show at 8 a.m. with Pierre Noujaim, KFAN sideline reporter Justin Gaard and Gophers analyst Ron Johnson. That show can also be watched on smart TV through the free FOX LOCAL app.
FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff crew is also headed to Minneapolis for the game, and they’ll be set up outside the front of 3M Arena at Mariucci. Coverage runs from the FOX 9 Gopher Pregame at 8 a.m. to Big Noon Kickoff at 9 a.m., then into the 11 a.m. kickoff on FOX 9.
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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 🡒]
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Little Brown Jug Test Gets Bigger With Michigan Questions
The Little Brown Jug game brings a little extra weight every year, but this weeks matchup carries the feel of a milestone and a measuring stick at the same time. Michigan and Minnesota are set to meet for the 100th time, and the focus naturally turns to the Wolverines latest crop of talent, from quarterback Bryce Underwood to defensive back Jyaire Hill, along with a handful of preseason All-Big Ten honorees on both sides of the ball.
For Minnesota, that means a familiar rivalry suddenly comes with a lot of fresh film to sort through. Michigans recent performances and the latest injury updates only add another layer for the Gophers as they prepare for a program that still has plenty of established playmakers, even while some pieces are being watched closely in the leadup to kickoff. [Read more 🡒]