A few items about this week’s game that you may not be reading in your local fishwraps:
- The game is being played for the Little Brown Jug, and Michigan has retained the Jug for the last 14 games. Michigan has won 31 of the last 33 meetings.
- These teams met last year, also at Minnesota, where Michigan won 41-24.
- The game is on Friday because the Gophers share the Metrodome with the Twins, who had the possibility of playing in the American League playoffs on Saturday. The Twins lost, but you can’t unring a bell, and all the arrangements have already been made to play the game on Friday.
- Minnesota has to pay all of Michigan’s travel costs associated with the move.
- The last time M played on Friday was against Minnesota in 1991 for the same reason. Michigan won 52-6.
- A loss could send Michigan out of the AP writers poll, where they have appeared in the top 25 during the past 84 polls. The Michigan SID says this is the longest active streak.
