What's the deal with playing for a jug?

The Gophers and Michigan on Saturday will play for the Little Brown Jug. The trophy originated in 1903, when the mighty Wolverines, owners of a 29-game winning streak, accidentally left their water jug on the sideline in Minneapolis after a 6-6 tie. Gophers equipment manager Oscar Munson found it, and L.J. Cooke, former Minnesota athletic director, sent Michigan coach Fielding Yost a letter, stating, "If you want it, you'll have to win it." The teams met again in 1909 and, sure enough, Michigan won back its jug. A tradition was born then — but not exactly a rivalry, considering Michigan leads the all-time series 73-24-3. The Wolverines once won 16 Little Brown Jugs in a row (1987 to 2004) and are on a six-game winning streak in the series heading into Saturday.