Here is the news rewritten in English:
Date/Time:
Oct. 7, 2023 / 6:30 p.m. CTSite: Minneapolis
Stadium: Huntington Bank Stadium
Surface: FieldTurf
Capacity: 50,805
Series Overall: Minnesota Trails 25-76-3
Streak Overall: Minnesota Lost 3
Series in MN: Minnesota Trails 12-35-2
Streak in MN: Minnesota Lost 17
First Meeting: Minnesota Won 14-6 in Minneapolis (10/17/1892)
Last Meeting: Minnesota Lost 49-24 in Minneapolis (10/24/2020)
Television: NBC // Noah Eagle (PXP), Todd Blackledge (Analyst), Kathryn Tappen (Reporter)
National Radio: ESPN // Mark Kestecher (PXP), Kelly Stouffer (Analyst), Ian Fitzsimmons (Reporter)
Gopher Radio: KFAN FM 100.3 | SiriusXM: 137 or 195; SXM App // Mike Grimm (PXP), Darrell Thompson (Analyst), Justin Gaard (Reporter), Tanner Hoops (Host), Dan Rowbotham (Engineer)
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
1. After closing out the non-conference portion of its schedule last week with a 35-24 win over Louisiana, Minnesota (3-2, 1-1 B1G) jumps back into Big Ten action this week with a visit from No. 2/2 Michigan (5-0, 2-0 B1G). The contest kicks off at 6:30 p.m. on NBC, the Gophers’ first game on the conference’s new broadcast partner in 2023. It’ll be the third game on NBC in Minnesota history, joining the 1961 Rose Bowl against Washington and the 1962 Rose Bowl victory over UCLA.
2. Saturday marks the 105th all-time matchup between Minnesota and Michigan, and it’s the 98th battle for the Little Brown Jug, an earthenware water jug (a full history of which can be found on Page 43 of the game notes). With history dating back to 1903 and the first contest for the Jug taking place in 1909, the advantage in the all-time series belongs to Michigan at 71-23-3. The Gophers are looking to win it for the first time since 2014 and the first time at home since 1977.
3. Minnesota is 3-0 at home this season and has won five of its past six at Huntington Bank Stadium. The Gophers are looking to win their first four home contests of the year for the second time in seven seasons under P.J. Fleck, also doing so in 2019. Since Huntington Bank Stadium opened in 2009, the only other season that Minnesota opened the season 4-0 at home came in 2014. In both 2019 and 2014, the Golden Gophers won their first six home games of the season.
4. Freshman running back Zach Evans has been named Big Ten Freshman of the Week after rushing 15 times for 85 yards and one touchdown in Minnesota’s Homecoming win against Louisiana. Evans saw his first action of the season Saturday and averaged 5.7 yards per carry with his longest rush of the day being an 18-yard touchdown run. Saturday was the second career game for Evans, who made his Minnesota debut last season against Northwestern where he rushed six times for 29 yards and one score. This is the fourth straight week that a Gopher has earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors as Evans follows true freshman running back Darius Taylor, who received the honor the previous three weeks. The last Big Ten team to accomplish the feat was Ohio State in 2021 when it won the honor six times in a row. This is the first time that Minnesota has ever had two different running backs named Big Ten Freshman of the Week in the same season, it’s the first season that Minnesota has had two different Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors since 2021 (Justin Walley and Bucky Irving) and it is the first time that Minnesota has had multiple offensive student-athletes earn the honor since 2018 (Rashod Bateman, Mohamed Ibrahim and Tanner Morgan).
5. The 2023 campaign is the seventh for head coach P.J. Fleck at Minnesota, where his record is 47-29. He is fifth in program history for overall wins and Big Ten wins (27) and sixth in games coached (76). Fleck’s .618 win percentage is third best among the Minnesota coaches with at least 45 games under their helm behind only Henry L. Williams (.786, 1900-21) and Bernie Bierman (.716, 1932-41, ’45-50). In his 11th season overall as a college head coach, Fleck is 77-51 (.602).
You can read Minnesota’s complete game notes here.
