Michigan v. Minnesota Open Thread

I'm not expecting Tim Brewster's first win today, but I do think that the Gophers can keep the game close. The fact is, Michigan has struggled mightily against spread offenses. And while the Gophers' offense isn't in the same league as Oregon's, or probably Appy State's for that matter, I expect the Gophers offense to trouble the Wolverines.

And while the Wolverines are certainly more talented at virtually every position, the Gophers' defense is more capable of stopping (think slowing down a little) a team that doesn't spread the field and try to attack our porous secondary. This isn't to say I think the Gophers are going to claim the Little Brown Jug today, but I like our chances here more than I do against a team that throws 70 percent of the time.

I might miss the first portion of the game (freaking in laws in town), but I'll try and get back for updates this afternoon.

Prediction: Michigan 38, Minnesota 24.

** Excellent start for the maroon and gold. The defense has put some pressure on Ryan Mallet, tipped a few balls at the line of scrimage and made tackle on the inital contact. The Gophers have also benefited by the clear ineptitude of Michigan quarterback Ryan Mallet. The defense has come through with a touchdown to give Minnesota a 10-3 lead, but the offense needs to pick up the slack here a little bit. A solid drive right now can really put a scare into the Wolverines heading into halftime.

** As the offense continued to sputter, the Wolverines slowly took advantage. Ryan Mallet hit Mario Manningham a couple times for nice gains in Minnesota territory. The result is a 13-10 Michigan lead heading into halftime. The good: Ryan Mallet looks completely overwhelemed and not ready for the Gophers, not to mention prime time. But for the Gophers to get it done, our freshman quarterback, Adam Weber, is going to have to make some plays. He's made some very poor reads, in my opinion, and is lucky not to have two or three interceptions at this point. The Michigan secondary is far more experienced than anything we put out there, and Weber needs to make his reads and make sound decisions the rest of the way if Brewster's squad is to pull an upset.