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The Little Brown Jug game

Michigan vs. Minnesota

Michigan and Minnesota first met in 1892 and have played 107 times; Michigan leads the series 78–⁠26–⁠3. Over the last 10 meetings it’s Michigan 8–⁠2. The winner takes home the Little Brown Jug, played for since 1909. Minnesota has held it since the 2026 game. The jug dates to 1903, when Michigan left its water jug behind after a 6–⁠6 tie in Minneapolis. Minnesota kept it, and the teams have played for it since 1909.

Michigan wins
78
Minnesota wins
26
Ties
3
First meeting
1892
Longest streak
16 Michigan
Current streak
1 Minnesota
Last 10 meetings
Michigan 8–⁠2
Most recent
2026

The series at a glance

’0’1’2’3’4’5’6’7’8’9W–L
1890s3–⁠2
1900s2–⁠0–⁠1
1910s1–⁠1
1920s9–⁠1
1930s3–⁠6–⁠1
1940s7–⁠3
1950s7–⁠2–⁠1
1960s4–⁠6
1970s9–⁠1
1980s9–⁠1
1990s9–⁠0
2000s7–⁠1
2010s5–⁠1
2020s3–⁠1
Both ranked
11 meetings: Michigan 8, Minnesota 3; 2 both in the top 10
Average margin
18.6 points; 33 decided by one score (8 or fewer)
At Michigan
42–⁠13–⁠2 Michigan’s record at home
At Minnesota
13–⁠36–⁠1 Minnesota’s record at home
Shutouts
30

Every meeting on file, as played. Ranks are the AP poll’s going in.

Little Brown Jug

Played for since
1909
Held by
Minnesota since the 2026 game
Games for it on file
100 Michigan 74, Minnesota 24, 2 tied

Who holds it comes from the games on file: the winner of the latest regular-season meeting since 1909 (bowl rematches aren’t played for it); a tie leaves it with the holder (the usual rule; the article doesn’t say). The rivalry’s article counts the games for it: Michigan leads, 74–⁠24–⁠2. From Wikipedia’s list of rivalry games and the rivalry’s article (CC BY-SA). More on the Little Brown Jug.

The Little Brown Jug
Replica of the Little Brown Jug on display in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 2007. The real jug is kept in storage.Photo: Russell42, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Games that tell the story

  1. The first Little Brown Jug game1903: Michigan 6, Minnesota 6 (tie)Michigan and Minnesota tied 6–⁠6 at Northrop Field in Minneapolis; Michigan left its water jug behind, Minnesota kept it, and the teams have played for it since 1909.
  2. Michigan’s biggest win2011: Michigan 58, Minnesota 0by 58 points
  3. Minnesota’s biggest win1935: Minnesota 40, Michigan 0by 40 points
  4. Upset1986: Minnesota 20, Michigan 17Minnesota had a 16% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  5. Upset1929: Michigan 7, Minnesota 6Michigan had a 23% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  6. Upset1977: Minnesota 16, Michigan 0Minnesota had a 24% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  7. Ranked showdown1941: Minnesota 7, Michigan 0No. 1 Minnesota at No. 3 Michigan
  8. Ranked showdown1940: Minnesota 7, Michigan 6No. 3 Michigan at No. 2 Minnesota

Coach against coach

YearsMichiganSeriesMinnesota
1902–⁠1921Fielding Yost5–⁠1–⁠1Henry Williams
1925–⁠1926Fielding Yost3–⁠0Clarence Spears
1932–⁠1937Harry Kipke1–⁠4–⁠1Bernie Bierman
1938–⁠1947Fritz Crisler3–⁠4Bernie Bierman
1942–⁠1944Fritz Crisler2–⁠1George Hauser
1948–⁠1950Bennie Oosterbaan2–⁠0–⁠1Bernie Bierman
1951–⁠1953Bennie Oosterbaan2–⁠1Wesley Fesler
1954–⁠1958Bennie Oosterbaan4–⁠1Murray Warmath
1959–⁠1968Bump Elliott4–⁠6Murray Warmath
1969–⁠1971Bo Schembechler3–⁠0Murray Warmath
1972–⁠1978Bo Schembechler6–⁠1Cal Stoll
1979–⁠1983Bo Schembechler5–⁠0Joe Salem
1986–⁠1989Bo Schembechler3–⁠1John Gutekunst
1992–⁠1994Gary Moeller3–⁠0Jim Wacker
1997–⁠2006Lloyd Carr7–⁠1Glen Mason
2011–⁠2014Brady Hoke3–⁠1Jerry Kill
2017–⁠2023Jim Harbaugh3–⁠0P.J. Fleck

Head-coach pairings with three or more meetings on file, the series read from Michigan’s side (Yost 5–⁠1–⁠1 against Williams). A season split between coaches goes to the one credited with the game.

Both programs through the years

End-of-season Elo ratings of Michigan and Minnesota, 1892 on13001500170019001900192019401960198020002020

Our Elo rating at the end of each season, a measure of how strong a team was, not a forecast; 1500 is an average FBS team.

Stars of the series

Biggest days

Khaleke Hudson Michigan13 tackles, 2 sacks, 6.5 for loss2017 Defense

Biggest days: the week’s best individual games by our big-days rule, from box scores (2004 on).

From the newspapers

  • The The Wichita daily eagle's story of the 1895 game

    1895 · The Wichita daily eagle, Wichita, Kan., Nov 24, 1895

  • The The Saint Paul globe's story of the 1896 game: NO DISGRACE In IT @# sr% MINNESOTA ELEVEN DEFEATED IN THE CONTEST WITH THE WOLVERINES. THE GAME OF THE SEASON.. sSKI-U-MAH E<ICl<ERS HAVE REASON TO BE PROUD OF THE RECORD MADE. EACH MADE ONE ToucHDowN. Wolverines Mere Lucky i'm Being Able to Kick Goal, Hence the score 6 to 4.

    1896 · The Saint Paul globe, St. Paul, Minn., Nov 8, 1896

  • The Omaha daily bee's story of the 1902 game: MICHIGAN WINS WITH EASE Beats Minnesota By Twenty Three Points to Sir. LEAVES NEBRASKA TOP or F~oorsALLERs Fig Game Attracts Large Crowd and Keeps Excitement High by stern and Mastery Play from = start 90 Finnish.

    1902 · Omaha daily bee, Nebraska, Nov 28, 1902

  • The Bismarck daily tribune's story of the 1903 game: THE CITY

    1903 · Bismarck daily tribune, Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.], Nov 2, 1903

  • The Evening star's story of the 1909 game: MICHIGAN WESTERN GR|D|RON CHAMPIONS In Fierce Game the WoIver. ines 0utpIay and Defeat Minnesota, IS to s.

    1909 · Evening star, Washington, D.C., Nov 21, 1909

Public-domain newspapers from the Library of Congress’s Chronicling America, found through the American Stories dataset (Dell and Harvard, CC BY 4.0). The earliest meetings with a story on file; each game’s page has the full text.

On television

ESPN’s College GameDay has broadcast from this game once: 2020.

2026FOX4.1 million viewers

College GameDay’s sites from Wikipedia’s list of its locations (CC BY-SA). Viewers: Nielsen, as compiled by nschultz7’s ratings tracker.

Photos

From the rivalry’s and its games’ categories on Wikimedia Commons (free licenses only, each credited).

Every game

Oct 3, 2026Minnesota 20, Michigan 14at Minnesota
Sep 28, 202412Michigan 27, Minnesota 24at Michigan
Oct 7, 20232Michigan 52, Minnesota 10at Minnesota
Oct 24, 202018Michigan 49, 21Minnesota 24at Minnesota
Nov 4, 2017Michigan 33, Minnesota 10at Michigan
Oct 31, 201515Michigan 29, Minnesota 26at Minnesota
Sep 27, 2014Minnesota 30, Michigan 14at Michigan
Oct 5, 201319Michigan 42, Minnesota 13at Michigan
Nov 3, 2012Michigan 35, Minnesota 13at Minnesota
Oct 1, 201119Michigan 58, Minnesota 0at Michigan
Nov 8, 2008Michigan 29, Minnesota 6at Minnesota
Oct 27, 200719Michigan 34, Minnesota 10at Michigan
Sep 30, 20066Michigan 28, Minnesota 14at Minnesota
Oct 8, 2005Minnesota 23, 21Michigan 20at Michigan
Oct 9, 200414Michigan 27, 13Minnesota 24at Michigan
Oct 10, 200320Michigan 38, 17Minnesota 35at Minnesota
Nov 9, 200213Michigan 41, Minnesota 24at Minnesota
Nov 10, 200112Michigan 31, Minnesota 10at Michigan
Oct 31, 199822Michigan 15, Minnesota 10at Minnesota
Nov 1, 19974Michigan 24, Minnesota 3at Michigan
Oct 26, 199610Michigan 44, Minnesota 10at Minnesota
Oct 28, 19959Michigan 52, Minnesota 17at Michigan
Nov 12, 199419Michigan 38, Minnesota 22at Michigan
Nov 13, 1993Michigan 58, Minnesota 7at Minnesota
Oct 24, 19923Michigan 63, Minnesota 13at Michigan
Oct 25, 19914Michigan 52, Minnesota 6at Minnesota
Nov 17, 199016Michigan 35, Minnesota 18at Michigan
Nov 18, 19893Michigan 49, Minnesota 15at Minnesota
Nov 5, 198814Michigan 22, Minnesota 7at Michigan
Nov 7, 1987Michigan 30, Minnesota 20at Minnesota
Nov 15, 1986Minnesota 20, 2Michigan 17at Michigan
Nov 16, 19858Michigan 48, Minnesota 7at Minnesota
Nov 10, 1984Michigan 31, Minnesota 7at Michigan
Nov 12, 19839Michigan 58, Minnesota 10at Minnesota
Oct 30, 198220Michigan 52, Minnesota 14at Michigan
Oct 31, 198115Michigan 34, Minnesota 13at Minnesota
Oct 18, 1980Michigan 37, Minnesota 14at Minnesota
Oct 13, 197911Michigan 31, Minnesota 21at Michigan
Oct 28, 19788Michigan 42, Minnesota 10at Michigan
Oct 22, 1977Minnesota 16, 1Michigan 0at Minnesota
Oct 30, 19761Michigan 45, Minnesota 0at Michigan
Nov 1, 19757Michigan 28, Minnesota 21at Minnesota
Oct 26, 19743Michigan 49, Minnesota 0at Michigan
Oct 27, 19734Michigan 34, Minnesota 7at Minnesota
Oct 28, 19725Michigan 42, Minnesota 0at Michigan
Oct 23, 19713Michigan 35, Minnesota 7at Minnesota
Oct 24, 19705Michigan 39, Minnesota 13at Michigan
Oct 25, 1969Michigan 35, Minnesota 9at Minnesota
Oct 26, 196812Michigan 33, Minnesota 20at Michigan
Oct 28, 1967Minnesota 20, Michigan 15at Minnesota
Oct 22, 1966Michigan 49, Minnesota 0at Michigan
Oct 23, 1965Minnesota 14, Michigan 13at Minnesota
Oct 24, 1964Michigan 19, Minnesota 12at Michigan
Oct 26, 1963Minnesota 6, Michigan 0at Minnesota
Oct 27, 1962Minnesota 17, Michigan 0at Michigan
Oct 28, 1961Minnesota 23, Michigan 20at Minnesota
Oct 22, 19606Minnesota 10, Michigan 0at Michigan
Oct 24, 1959Michigan 14, Minnesota 6at Minnesota
Oct 25, 1958Michigan 20, Minnesota 19at Michigan
Oct 26, 195720Michigan 24, 14Minnesota 7at Minnesota
Oct 27, 1956Minnesota 20, 5Michigan 7at Michigan
Oct 22, 1955Michigan 14, Minnesota 13at Minnesota
Oct 23, 1954Michigan 34, 8Minnesota 0at Michigan
Oct 24, 1953Minnesota 22, 5Michigan 0at Minnesota
Oct 25, 195219Michigan 21, Minnesota 0at Michigan
Oct 27, 1951Michigan 54, Minnesota 27at Michigan
Oct 28, 1950Minnesota 7, 14Michigan 7at Minnesota
Oct 22, 194912Michigan 14, 3Minnesota 7at Michigan
Oct 23, 19481Michigan 27, 13Minnesota 14at Minnesota
Oct 25, 19471Michigan 13, Minnesota 6at Michigan
Nov 2, 194613Michigan 21, Minnesota 0at Minnesota
Nov 3, 194510Michigan 26, 16Minnesota 0at Michigan
Oct 7, 1944Michigan 28, Minnesota 13at Minnesota
Oct 23, 194310Michigan 49, 11Minnesota 6at Michigan
Oct 24, 194213Minnesota 16, 4Michigan 14at Minnesota
Oct 25, 19411Minnesota 7, 3Michigan 0at Michigan
Nov 9, 19402Minnesota 7, 3Michigan 6at Minnesota
Nov 11, 1939Minnesota 20, 10Michigan 7at Michigan
Oct 15, 1938Minnesota 7, Michigan 6at Minnesota
Oct 16, 1937Minnesota 39, Michigan 6at Michigan
Oct 17, 1936Minnesota 26, Michigan 0at Minnesota
Nov 16, 1935Minnesota 40, Michigan 0at Michigan
Nov 3, 1934Minnesota 34, Michigan 0at Minnesota
Nov 18, 1933Michigan 0, Minnesota 0at Michigan
Nov 19, 1932Michigan 3, Minnesota 0at Minnesota
Nov 21, 1931Michigan 6, Minnesota 0at Michigan
Nov 15, 1930Michigan 7, Minnesota 0at Michigan
Nov 16, 1929Michigan 7, Minnesota 6at Minnesota
Nov 19, 1927Minnesota 13, Michigan 7at Michigan
Nov 20, 1926Michigan 7, Minnesota 6at Minnesota
Oct 16, 1926Michigan 20, Minnesota 0at Michigan
Nov 21, 1925Michigan 35, Minnesota 0at Michigan
Nov 1, 1924Michigan 13, Minnesota 0at Minnesota
Nov 24, 1923Michigan 10, Minnesota 0at Michigan
Nov 25, 1922Michigan 16, Minnesota 7at Minnesota
Nov 19, 1921Michigan 38, Minnesota 0at Michigan
Nov 20, 1920Michigan 3, Minnesota 0at Minnesota
Nov 22, 1919Minnesota 34, Michigan 7at Michigan
Nov 19, 1910Michigan 6, Minnesota 0at Michigan
Nov 20, 1909Michigan 15, Minnesota 6at Minnesota
Oct 31, 1903Michigan 6, Minnesota 6at Michigan
Nov 27, 1902Michigan 23, Minnesota 6at Michigan
Nov 13, 1897Michigan 14, Minnesota 0at Michigan
Nov 7, 1896Michigan 6, Minnesota 4at Minnesota
Nov 23, 1895Michigan 20, Minnesota 0at Michigan
Oct 28, 1893Minnesota 34, Michigan 20at Michigan
Oct 17, 1892Minnesota 14, Michigan 6at Minnesota

Every game is listed as played on the field.