Michigan @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 27, 2014 ) Minnesota 30, Michigan 14

No. 17 Michigan looks to bounce back from a devastating loss in Week 7 when it hits the road to face Minnesota in the battle for the Little Brown Jug on Saturday. The Wolverines lost on the final play when punter Blake O'Neill mishandled a snap and Michigan State returned the fumble for a touchdown to snap Michigan's five-game winning streak and put a major dent in its Big Ten title aspirations.

Michigan also hopes to erase the memories of the 30-14 loss to the Gophers last season as former coach Brady Hoke's mishandling of Shane Morris' concussion made national headlines and set the wheels in motion for Jim Harbaugh to return to Ann Arbor. Minnesota was dealt a big blow with the news that head coach Jerry Kill has retired effective immediately due to health concerns. Kill has battled epilepsy for the past 10 years - suffering some frightening seizures on the sidelines - and has overcome kidney cancer, but retired on Wednesday and leaving defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys as the interim head coach. "This is not the way I wanted to go out but you all know about the struggles," Kill told reporters. "I don't want somebody to have to worry about if I'm going to drop on the field and I don't want to coach from the press box."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Michigan -13.5

ABOUT MICHIGAN (5-2, 2-1 Big Ten): Running back Drake Johnson is expected to see action after not getting a carry in the Michigan State game due to an undisclosed injury and should see some carries behind starter De'Veon Smith. Junior cornerback Jourdan Lewis, who leads the nation with 16 pass breakups, was named a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given to the best defensive back in college football. Jabrill Peppers took a short pass 28 yards to set up a touchdown against the Spartans in his offensive debut and Harbaugh did not rule out the possibility of calling more plays for the dynamic defensive back.

ABOUT MINNESOTA (4-3, 1-2): Senior safety Damarius Travis will be sidelined for the remainder of the season with a hamstring injury and will receive a medical redshirt. Mitch Leidner threw for a career-high 301 yards in the 48-25 loss to Nebraska and added a score on the ground for his 20th career rushing touchdown, which is four shy of Rickie Foggie's school record. Minnesota is currently in possession of the Little Brown Jug, but has lost the last 15 home games in the series and hopes to notch its first victory over the Wolverines in Minneapolis since a 16-0 win on Oct. 22, 1977.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Michigan has won 22 of the last 24 games in the series.

2. Minnesota is averaging a league-worst 20.4 points per game.

3. The Wolverines have lost six of their last nine Big Ten road games since 2013.

PREDICTION: Michigan 23, Minnesota 13