Michigan didn’t win or lose with a miracle finish attached this time.
On Saturday afternoon at Minnesota, the suddenly fading Wolverines simply lost, falling 20-14 to the Golden Gophers in the battle for the Little Brown Jug. Minnesota grabbed bragging rights in the longtime rivalry in 2026, with the jug to go with it, and the Gophers now trail the all-time series by a little less than they did when Saturday started.
Michigan leads that all-time series, 78-26-3, but that gaudy record likely didn’t matter to these Wolverines or struggling quarterback Bryce Underwood, the former 5-star phenom who continues to be underwhelming in his young career.
The Detroit native who was supposed to be the next great Michigan quarterback was far from great on Saturday afternoon, completing just 10 of 21 passes for a measly 101 yards with 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He couldn’t get going with his legs either, rushing 10 times for just 20 yards.
Instead of a huge road win to follow last week’s gut-wrenching home loss to Iowa, it was another disappointment for Underwood and Michigan, which fell to 3-2 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten. If not for that Hail Mary victory over Western Michigan back in Week 1, the Wolverines would find themselves under .500 overall going into a much-needed bye week.
Michigan actually led 14-10 going into the fourth quarter, but it couldn’t put up any points to put the game away and Minnesota (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) took advantage with 10 points early in the period to take a 20-14 lead that became the final score. Underwood’s counterpart, Drake Lindsey, didn’t put up strong numbers either (17 of 25 for 136 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions), but it was good enough for the victory and that Little Brown Jug celebration afterward.
Underwood came into Saturday with a 63.4 QBR for the season, which ranked 58th in college football. That number was destined to drop after his Week 5 performance, and now the high-profile sophomore will have to wait 2 weeks to play again when Penn State comes to Ann Arbor.
In the meantime, there’s likely to be much chatter about Underwood’s status as the 2026 season starts to spiral on the quarterback and his team.
It’s October and the fight is on like never before for those 12 coveted spots in the College Football Playoff. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the best odds to make the CFP field in December:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
