Michigan survives the late scare, pushes past Minnesota and is 4-1

Ann Arbor — For the second straight year, Michigan made things interesting in the fourth quarter but managed to win.

The No. 12 Wolverines repeated their result from the previous game and defeated Minnesota 27-24 in a turbulent game. The Wolverines had a 21-3 halftime lead, but the Gophers scored 21 points in the fourth quarter.

This was the 99th time the teams played for the Little Brown Jug, the oldest trophy game in college football, and Michigan now has a record of 73-23-3. The Wolverines (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten), who started with five straight games at Michigan Stadium, will play their first road game of the season next Saturday in Washington.

BOX score: Michigan 27, Minnesota 24

In his second start as quarterback, Alex Orji was 10 of 18 passes for 86 yards and a touchdown, but was intercepted after throwing too far inside to leave tight end Colston Loveland wide open late in the third quarter. The Gophers (2-3, 0-2) took advantage of the pick and turned the turnover into their first touchdown of the game.

Kalel Mullings rushed for 111 yards with two touchdowns and recovered an onside kick with 1:36 to play. Tyler Morris scored on a pass from Orji and Dominic Zvada added a 53-yard field goal and a 35-yarder with 4:33 left to tie the game at two points. Zvada is now 7-of-7 shooting, including four from 50 yards or more, becoming the first Michigan player to record four from 50 or more yards in a season.

Cornerback Will Johnson, who said Monday he suffered a shoulder injury in last week's USC game, and edge Josaiah Stewart, who had his best game of the season, were listed as questionable but did not play against the Gophers. Without two of their best players, Michigan's defense had five sacks and two turnovers.

However, Minnesota made it a game in the fourth quarter. The Gophers' Darius Taylor, a Detroit native who played at Walled Lake Western, scored two touchdowns in three minutes in the fourth quarter to get within 24-17 with 11:05 to play. The first came after a 12-play, 76-yard drive following the Orji turnover late in the third quarter. A personal foul by defensive tackle Mason Graham gave the Gophers a first down at the Michigan 13-yard line and negated the incomplete pass on third down. Taylor scored on a 3-yard run.

Michigan then went three-and-out and Tommy Doman's punt was returned 60 yards by Koi Perich to the Wolverines' 17-yard line. Taylor scored on a 4-yard run to make it 24:17.

The Wolverines responded with a time-consuming 14-play, 58-yard drive that culminated with a 35-yarder by Zvada for a 27-17 lead.

But Minnesota hasn't disappeared. The Gophers got the ball at their 25-yard line with 4:33 left and drove 75 yards in 14 plays, converting twice on fourth down and scoring with 1:37 left to make the score 27-24. Quarterback Max Brosmer connected with Daniel Jackson on a 12-yard touchdown pass.

The Gophers then attempted an onside kick, which they recovered, but an offside penalty negated the play and forced another kick. This time, Mullings recovered the onside kick with 1:36 left, giving the Wolverines the ball at the Minnesota 40-yard line.

Although Orji recovered his fumble for an 11-yard loss, Michigan managed to run out the clock.

The Wolverines led 21-3 at halftime and saw the defense generate two turnovers after a forced and recovered fumble by Zeke Berry and an interception by Jyaire Hill, and Kechaun Bennett blocked a punt. The Wolverines were able to convert two of the turnovers into touchdowns. They also had four sacks, two by Graham, one by tackle Kenneth Grant and Rayshaun Benny and Derrick Moore combined for the fourth.

They had 107 yards of offense, including 71 rushing, but the Gophers had 130 yards thanks to a late field goal scoring effort that included a 44-yard pass to Nick Keller to the 1-yard line. Minnesota got a 20-yard field goal from Dragan Kesich, who missed a 55-yard attempt early in the game.

Michigan built a 21-0 lead by converting on punt blocking when Morris scored on an 11-yard pass from Orji. Orji, who had 32 yards passing in his debut a week earlier against USC, was 4 of 8 for 36 yards in the first half, including two dropped passes.

Berry forced a fumble from Jackson and recovered it. Three plays later, Mullings scored his second touchdown of the game on a 1-yard run to build a 14-0 lead with 8:59 left.

Michigan mounted a balanced nine-play, 79-yard drive on its first series of the game, with Mullings scoring on a 27-yard run thanks to a hole from center Dom Giudice and left guard Josh Priebe. Orji attempted a throw on the first play of the series that was incomplete, but he went 2-for-3 for 15 yards on the drive. The Wolverines were 3-for-3 on third down and got a big boost from a 15-yard penalty assessed to Minnesota for a horse-collar tackle.

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