Number-2 Michigan Outclasses Minnesota 52-10
October 7, 2023

Two plays and 12 seconds is all it took for second-ranked Michigan to be on its way to a 52-10 win over Minnesota at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. After being pressured into a badly thrown interception on the first play of the game, Gophers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis showed he could to worse. His pass to the other side of the field, intended for Corey Crooms, was picked off by Will Johnson and returned 36 yards for a touchdown.

After an exchange of field goals—one of 54 yards by Minnesota’s Dragan Kesich—Michigan scored two more touchdowns. Gophers coach P. J. Fleck apparently lost faith in his quarterback as the Gophers settled into a running game, which featured moderate success (more than the passing, at least) with Zach Evans and Bryce Williams.

Even so, there was one shining moment for Kaliakmanis on the Gophers’s final drive of the first half. Getting the ball at its own 25 with 5:50 remaining, Minnesota stayed mostly on the ground, eating up the clock despite being down by 21 points. The Gophers called time out with 22 seconds left, facing a fourth and two at the Michigan 40. A five-yard run by Williams netted a first down, and Kaliakmanis spiked the ball with :13 on the clock. The possibility of another short pass, or even run, loomed if the strategy was to spare Kesich another attempt from beyond 50 yards.

Instead, the Gophers went for the big play—and got it—as Daniel Jackson beat the Wolverines’superb nickelback, Mike Sainsitril, and Kaliakmanis made his best pass of the night, hitting Jackson for a 35-yard touchdown. It was Kaliakmanis’s last completion of the game.

The Gophers passed only five times in the third quarter, one of them being picked off and returned 28 yards for a touchdown by Keon Sabb, and none in the fourth quarter, even after Michigan reached the end zone for the final time and a 42-point lead.

Rather than bring in backup Cole Kramer and trying a few more passes, Fleck was content to grind the clock and the ball on the ground rather than risk any more indignities.

Minnesota had come into the game with a 3-2 record, one that came with wins over two feeble nonconference opponents and a mediocre Nebraska team. Their two losses were to a good North Carolina squad and a bad Northwestern team. Facing their first quality opponent of the year, the Gophers folded quickly and seemed more concerned about not giving up more than 60 points than in getting back into the game.

Kaliakmanis finished with 5 completions in 16 attempts for 52 yards to go with his pair of pick-sixes. Evans ran for 45 yards and Williams for 40.

Michigan’s J. J. McCarthy completed 14 of 20 for 219 yards and a touchdown. The junior quarterback also ran for two scores. Three of his completions were to Cornelius Johnson for 86 yards. Blake Corum, an outstanding running back, rushed for 69 yards on 9 carries and obviously could have done more had the Wolverines needed him.

Michigan also prides itself on avoiding penalties, and the only one it incurred was for holding with its second string on the field in the fourth quarter.

Michigan improved to 5-0, none of its wins over a decent opponent. Minnesota dropped to 3-3 against mostly inferior competition.