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5 things to watch for Michigan football vs. Minnesota

By Chris Peterson

Sep 23, 2023; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh leads his team off the field after a game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 23, 2023; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh leads his team off the field after a game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Michigan football
Sep 30, 2023; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; The Michigan Wolverines run onto the field before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports /

A similar style of play

Michigan and Minnesota like to run the football and rely heavily on their defense. One strength of each team is having a manageable distance on third downs.

The Gophers and Wolverines rank in the top 10 in terms of the shortest distance needed to convert third downs. Running the ball effectively is a huge key to that and Minnesota has had success on the ground with Darius Taylor, who has 538 yards as a freshman.

Taylor is averaging 6.1 yards per attempt. Sean Tyler, a Western Michigan transfer, is averaging 4.6. Kaliakmanis can run too and has a pair of rushing touchdowns.

The pass offense is better than Nebraska’s. But Minnesota needs to be able to run the ball to win and they want to play in a similar fashion to Michigan, which should lead to a quick, NFL-style game.

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