Kalel Mullings rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns as No. 12 Michigan held the Little Brown Jug with a 27-24 victory in the rain against Minnesota on Saturday.
Michigan led 24-3 entering the fourth quarter, but Minnesota scored three touchdowns to pull within 27-24 with 1:37 to go.
The Gophers recovered the onside kick, but were flagged for offside. Mullings grabbed the second kick, allowing the Wolverines to run out the clock.
The Wolverines (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) extended their school-record conference winning streak to 27 games. They haven’t lost a Big Ten game since Michigan State beat them in 2021.
Minnesota (2-3, 0-2) hoped to win the Little Brown Jug for the first time in a decade and only the third time in the 21st century.
Mullings made up for another weak passing game performance. Alex Orji completed 10 of 18 passes for 86 yards. He did throw one touchdown pass, but his interception helped spark Minnesota’s fourth-quarter comeback.
Mullings capped Michigan’s first drive with an untouched 27-yard touchdown run, but both offenses bogged down in the wet conditions.
However, the Wolverines’ defense forced a fumble early in the second quarter, giving them the ball at the Gophers 16. Mullings continued the next three plays, working his way into the end zone from the 1 for a 14-0 lead.
Kechaun Bennett blocked a Minnesota punt later in the quarter. Orji hit Tyler Morris on the next play for an 11-yard touchdown to make it 21-0.
Minnesota got on the board on the final play of the half. Brosmer hit Nick Kallerup 44 yards to the Michigan 1 and the field goal unit got onto the field in time for Dragan Kesich to kick a 20-yarder.
Dominic Zvada’s 53-yard field goal restored Michigan’s 21-point lead midway through the third quarter, but Orji’s interception on the next drive led to a three-yard touchdown run by Darius Taylor.
After the Wolverines went three-and-out, freshman Koi Perich returned a punt 60 yards to the Michigan 17, and Taylor got his second touchdown to make it 24-17 with 11:05 to play.
Michigan ran 6:32 off the clock to set up Zvada’s second field goal and the 27-17 lead with 4:33 to go, but Brosmer hit Daniel Jackson for a 12-yard score to make it a three-point game.
IMPORTANT VISITOR
It’s not unusual for a governor to attend a Big Ten game, but things take a slightly different turn when he runs for vice president. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz had a heavy Secret Service contingent when he visited the field during warmups, and postgame news conferences were delayed 30 minutes to expedite his departure.
ONLY AGAIN
During pre-match warm-ups, a steady rain moved into the area and lingered for most of the first half. Parts of the second half were played in fog and drizzle, but it rained more heavily in the last two minutes.
LOCKED UP
Michigan WR Kendrick Bell limped off the field in the second quarter, but returned and caught two passes for 24 yards.
Minnesota LB Maverick Baranowski, the team’s leading tackler, left in the fourth quarter.
Perich clutched his left hamstring after his long punt return, but was back on the field for Minnesota’s punt return after Michigan’s field goal.
NEXT
Michigan: Visits Washington next Saturday for its first road game.
