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The battle for the Little Brown Jug
The Minnesota Golden Gophers (2-2) hit the road for the first time this season and head to Ann Arbor for a matchup with the No. 12-ranked Michigan Wolverines (3-1). The game will kickoff at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday and will be televised on FOX.
Can Michigan score on offense?
I can promise you one thing: The Wolverines are going to run the ball. And considering the Gophers surrendered 272 rushing yards last week, that could be a problem.
Replacing J.J. McCarthy at quarterback has proved to be a difficult task for Michigan. Senior signal caller Davis Warren got the starting nod to start the season but struggled mightily through the first three games, throwing more interceptions (6) than touchdowns (2). Junior Alex Orji took over in Week 4 against USC and led the Wolverines to a 27-24 upset win over the Trojans, though it wasn’t Orji’s arm that led them to victory. It was Michigan’s ground game, as Orji was only 7-of-12 for 32 passing yards but carried the ball 13 times for 43 rushing yards.
The difference maker for the Wolverines was running back Kalel Mullings, who rushed for 159 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 9.4 yards per carry. In his last two games, he has combined for 312 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Michigan also has senior Donovan Edwards (50 carries, 224 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns) to pair with Mullings.
We’ll see if tight end Colston Loveland, the team’s leading receiver with 19 receptions for 187 receiving yards and one touchdown, plays on Saturday after missing last week’s game due to injury. But I have to believe that the Wolverines have to be chomping at the bit to attack the Minnesota run defense after watching film from the second half of the Iowa game.
Please tell me the Gophers will be able to score
This season, the Wolverines rank 11th nationally in run defense (76.5 rushing yards allowed per game), 101st in pass defense (246.5 passing yards allowed per game), and 55th in scoring defense (20 points allowed per game).
Don’t let the pass defense numbers fool you. Of course, this secondary came into the season needing to reload at three of their five starting spots, but when you have a playmaker like All-American cornerback Will Johnson, that makes up for a lot. He leads the team with two interceptions this season, both of which he returned for touchdowns. Minnesota quarterback Max Brosmer cannot afford to make a mistake with Johnson in coverage.
But the real problem for the Gophers is up front. Minnesota ranks 108th nationally in rushing offense (and 17th in the Big Ten), in large part because of an offensive line that can’t consistently get push up front to open up running lanes for running back Darius Taylor. They’ve got an uphill battle against a Michigan defensive front that has been stout against the run.
Edge rusher Josiah Stewart has been an absolute terror this season, leading the team with 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. The Wolverines also have an All-American at defensive tackle in Graham Mason, leads all Michigan defensive linemen with 15 total tackles to his name. Behind them, linebackers Ernest Hausmann and Maryland transfer Jaishawn Barham clean up.
The Gophers haven’t been able to run the ball all season. If they waste time trying to establish it against this defense, it’s going to be a long day. Hopefully Brosmer is allowed to air it out, because that is their best chance of being competitive in this game.
But who will score more points on Saturday?
This will not go well. Michigan 35, Minnesota 13.