8 October 2023
The Gophers’ long Saturday night started early.
On the second play of the game, Minnesota quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis overthrew receiver Daniel Jackson on an out route; Michigan star cornerback Will Johnson intercepted it and returned it 36 yards for a touchdown.
After only 12 seconds, No. 2 Michigan had jumped to a 7-0 lead and cruised to a 52-10 win in front of a sellout crowd of 52,179 at Huntington Bank Stadium.
Few fans remained after Kaliakmanis threw another pick-six late in the third quarter. His pass went straight to Keon Sabb, who returned it 28 yards to make it 45-10.
As Michigan fans made their way to behind the Wolverines bench to celebrate, Gophers athletic director Mark Coyle made a rare appearance in the press box. His face was red and maybe he needed a breather from some other place in the venue.
The Gophers (3-3, 1-2 Big Ten) were an 18-point underdog, and the Wolverines (6-0, 3-0) would have double-covered that spread.
The vaunted Wolverines made quick work of the U after winning two straight Big Ten championships and two appearances in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has added a “Beat Georgia” period to practices, an effort to get over the hump against the two-time defending champion. The Wolverines don’t need to bother with a “Beat Minnesota” segment; they got that in the bag.
The Gophers have lost four straight in the series and 43 out of 47 since 1968. Minnesota hasn’t beat Michigan at home since 1977. The Wolverines’ celebration with the Little Brown Jug was fittingly brief.
After holding Minnesota to seven total yards and zero completed passes in the third quarter, Michigan brought in substitutes and scored another touchdown.
Michigan outgained Minnesota 432-169, including 241 to 52 through the air.
The Wolverines’ defensive front beat up the Gophers O-line. The U averaged less than 3 yards per carry, Kaliakmanis was sacked twice, had a few passes batted down and the U was flagged twice for holding.
The Gophers fell behind 24-3 in the second quarter but ended the half with their best offensive play — a 35-yard touchdown pass from Kaliakmanis to a diving Jackson.
The play seemed to shock the Wolverines because P.J. Fleck was bleeding the clock from the Michigan 40-yard line before calling his final timeout with 22 seconds left.
The Gophers’ 10 first-half points were more than any of Michigan’s previous five opponents had scored over the course of a game. Michigan came into the game No. 1 in the nation in defense, allowing only six points per game.
Besides the first interception, the Gophers had two other first-half drives get off schedule by penalties, an illegal shift and a holding call. Both drives ended in punts.
Outside of the U’s one touchdown, the only other highlight was Dragan Kesich’s career-long 54-yard field goal in the first quarter.
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