Michigan Adds Little Brown Jug to Halloween Basket

Saturday, October 31

Minneapolis, Minn.

6:00 PM CT

Michigan

6-2 , 3-1

Minnesota

4-4 , 1-3

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Michigan

Minnesota

Amara Darboh

10/31/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football

Box Score Postgame Notes Player Participation PDF Boxscore Photo Gallery

By: Dave Ablauf, Chad Shepard

» Michigan stuffed a QB-sneak attempt at the goal line as time expired after Minnesota elected not to try a potential game-tying field goal.
» Wilton Speight came on for an injured Jake Rudock and connected on a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jehu Chesson with 4:57 remaining. His two-point conversion pass to Amara Darboh gave the Wolverines a 29-26 lead.
» Sophomore Jabrill Peppers played 92 total plays, including seven offensive snaps. His six-yard touchdown run is the first offensive score of his career.

Site: Minneapolis, Minn. (TCF Bank Stadium)
Score: #15 Michigan 29, Minnesota 26
Records: U-M (6-2, 3-1 Big Ten), MINN (4-4, 1-3 Big Ten)
Attendance: 50,709
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Nov. 7 -- vs. Rutgers (Michigan Stadium), 3:30 p.m. (TV: BTN)

• Kornacki Postgame Feature: Wolverines Pull Game Out of the Fire at Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- The University of Michigan football team (No. 15 AP, No. 17 Coaches) held at the goal line as time expired to pull out a gutsy 29-26 victory at Minnesota and reclaim the Little Brown Jug on Saturday (Oct. 31) at TCF Bank Stadium.

After Michigan claimed a late lead, Minnesota drove 74 yards down to Michigan's one-yard line. Following an incomplete pass, and with two seconds remaining, Minnesota elected to go for the victory instead of a potential game-tying field goal to send things into overtime. On an emotional evening at TCF Bank Stadium following head coach Jerry Kill's retirement due to medical issues, the Gophers were unable to ride the emotion as Michigan stuffed a quarterback-sneak into the heart of its defense.

The final two plays of the game came after a potential go-ahead Minnesota touchdown pass was ruled down at the one-yard line following official review.

Minnesota led, 26-21, midway through the fourth quarter, before the Wolverines mounted a seven-play, 40-yard drive behind sophomore quarterback Wilton Speight, who came on for fifth-year senior Jake Rudock, who went out injured, to complete 3-of-4 attempts, including a pivotal 12-yard score to senior Jehu Chesson. Speight found senior Amara Darboh on a two-point conversion for a 29-26 lead.

The drive was set up thanks, in part, to senior James Ross, who delivered an important sack on third down deep in Minnesota territory.

On the ultimate drive, Minnesota converted a third-and-17 with a screen pass and a fourth-and-4 wide receiver slant, before Minnesota QB Mitch Leidner found Dre Woltitarsky on a 22-yard reception down to Michigan's one-yard line with 19 seconds remaining. He was ruled down at the one-yard line on video review after the on-field officials called touchdown. Following an incompletion, the Gophers attempted a sneak up the middle but never got close as Michigan's penetration, including senior Joe Bolden and senior Ryan Glasgow, sent the Wolverines home victorious.

Michigan's defensive stand could not have come at a better time as Minnesota's offense dictated play throughout the night to the tune of 461 yards.

Aside from Speight's late-game heroics, Chesson was in the spotlight with his first two receiving touchdowns of the season, finishing with three receptions for 33 yards.

It was a back-and-forth battle, with Michigan trailing 16-14 at the break. Minnesota used a 32-yard field goal off the foot of Ryan Santoso in the closing seconds of the half to claim the lead.

Coming out of the locker room, U-M wasted little time piecing together a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, capped by sophomore Jabrill Peppers' first career rushing touchdown, a six-yard direct snap to the left from the Wildcat formation. That score created a five-point edge for the Maize and Blue at 11:22 in the third quarter.

Minnesota punched back quickly, scoring on a 24-yard zone-read keeper from Leidner. After the point-after attempt, Minnesota reclaimed a two-point edge at 23-21. Not long after, Rudock was taken to the locker room to be evaluated for injury when he was hit hard at the end of a six-yards scramble. Rudock did not return, finishing the game 13-of-21 for 140 yards and a touchdown.

Speight took over under center for the Maize and Blue and completed his final three pass attempts, finishing 3-of-6 for 29 yards in addition to the two-point conversion.

Santoso's fourth field goal of the game, this time from 47 yards out, gave the Golden Gophers their largest lead of the game -- a five-point cushion -- with 11:43 remaining in the contest.

Senior Drake Johnson led the ground game with 55 yards on 10 carries, while Darboh had six receptions for 73 yards. Ross and Bolden each had nine tackles to pace the defense.

After Minnesota won the toss and elected to receive, U-M stifled the Gophers' opening possession. Upon taking over, Michigan picked up a pair of first downs, before Rudock's attempt to save a broken play with a forward flick was tipped by the Minnesota defense and picked off, leading to a 23-yard field goal by Santoso.

Michigan responded with an eight-play, 57-yard drive, capped off by fifth-year senior captain Joe Kerridge's one-yard touchdown run -- the first of his career. The key play of the drive was Rudock connecting with junior Jake Butt on an 18-yard reception to move the chains.

Another strong series of Michigan defense forced Minnesota to punt, but Peppers' career-long 41-yard return set up a 13-yard strike through the air from Rudock to Chesson. For Chesson, the catch was his first receiving touchdown this year, and the score put Michigan up 14-3 with 12:14 remaining in the opening half.

Santoso booted home a 30-yard try on Minnesota's next possession, and the Golden Gophers added a 52-yard pitch and catch from Leidner to running back Rashad Still to make it a cut the deficit to one.

Michigan returns home next weekend against Rutgers on Saturday (Nov. 7) at 3:30 p.m. in the program's Military Appreciation Day. Big Ten Network will televise the contest.