Minnesota's P.J. Fleck and Michigan's Jim Harbaugh are two of the focal points of Saturday night's matchup, but the Little Brown Jug has been at the center of the rivalry for more than a century. (Associated Press photos)

Little Brown Jug at center of Michigan-Minnesota series

Much of the talk entering the Michigan-Minnesota football game Saturday night at the Big House is about the head coaches.

Jim Harbaugh and P.J. Fleck sure do generate a lot of attention.

Chances are, however, neither of them will be carried off the field after the game (7:30 p.m., Fox).

But this thing most certainly will be hoisted and will be the center of attention: A five-gallon, earthenware jug, better known as the “Little Brown Jug.”

Saturday night's Michigan-Minnesota clash marks the 96th meeting in the battle of the iconic Little Brown Jug.

Here are five things to know about the jug, courtesy of info from the University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library as well from this week's game notes supplied by Michigan and Minnesota.

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(Video courtesy of YouTube)

History of the jug

As the legend goes, Fielding Yost brought a juggernaut Michigan team to Minnesota to face an unbeaten Golden Gophers squad on Oct. 31, 1903. Fearing that the opponent might tamper with his team’s water, Yost sent a student manager to a local shop to purchase a water jug.

Student manager Tommy Roberts returned from the store with a 30-cent, five-gallon Red Wing Pottery jug.

The 1903 game, played at Northrop Field, ended in a 6-6 tie. Michigan led 6-0, but Minnesota tied it with two minutes left. Minnesota fans rushed the field on the touchdown, a scene of pandemonium which led to the game being called with time still on the clock.

In the haste of getting out of Minneapolis and catching a train to Chicago following the contest, Michigan left behind the water jug. Minnesota custodian Oscar Munson found the jug, and he and Minnesota athletic director L.J. Cooke decided to decorate it to commemorate the classic game.

The jug’s absence went largely unnoticed until before the teams’ next meeting in 1909. Yost wrote a letter, inquiring about the jug, to which Cooke replied: “If you want it back, you’ll have to win it back.” Yost agreed to it, and thus the legend of the Little Brown Jug was born.

By the way, Michigan did win the jug back in 1909 in a 15-6 victory over Minnesota.

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Minnesota safety Cedric Thompson pretends to drink from the Little Brown Jug after Minnesota beat Michigan, 30-14, at Michigan Stadium on Saturday, September 27, 2014. (Melanie Maxwell | MLive file photo)

Oldest trophy game in Division I FBS

The battle for the Little Brown Jug, which officially got underway in 1909, represents the oldest trophy game in Division I FBS.

The next trophy games – the Illibuck (Illinois vs. Ohio State), Old Oaken Bucket (Indiana vs. Purdue) and Beer Barrel (Kentucky vs. Tennessee) – were not named until 1925. The Beer Barrel actually was created to rival the Little Brown Jug.

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Former Michigan equipment manager Jon Falk was caretaker for the Little Brown Jug for several years. (Alan Warren | MLive file photo)

Jug came up missing in 1930

In 1930, the Little Brown Jug came up missing from the trophy case of the Michigan Athletic Administration. It was not located until four years later.

The jug eventually was found behind a clump of bushes by a gas-station attendant in Ann Arbor. In the meantime, a replica of the Little Brown Jug resided in Michigan’s trophy case.

How did they know that the jug found by the gas-station attendant was authentic? It had a flaw (undisclosed) that could not be duplicated.

Since the trophy came up missing in 1930 and was located in 1934, it has been carefully safeguarded.

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Michigan players, from left, Brandon Graham, Brandon Minor and Adam Patterson celebrate with the Little Brown Jug after their win over Minnesota during the 2006 season. (Leisa Thompson | MLive file photo)

Wolverines dominant in jug series

The Wolverines have dominated the all-time series against the Golden Gophers, 74-25-3. Michigan’s 74 wins vs. Minnesota are the most for the Wolverines against any opponent.

In games where the teams have vied for the Little Brown Jug, Michigan leads the series, 70-23-2.

In fact, Michigan has had a stranglehold on the Little Brown Jug, winning 40 of the last 44 meetings. Minnesota last seized the jug in 2014 at Michigan Stadium, but the only other times the Golden Gophers have walked away from the rivalry game with the jug during that 44-year span was in 2005, 1986 and 1977. Coincidentally, three of those four Minnesota wins happened in Ann Arbor.

Michigan had a 16-game winning streak from 1987 to 2004. Note that the teams did not play each other every season.

Michigan currently maintains possession of the jug by virtue of its 29-26 win at TCF Bank Stadium in 2015, when the Wolverines made a goal-line stand to win it. The Wolverines and Gophers did not play each other last season.

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Michigan players, from left, Rob Renes, James Hall and Sam Sword celebrate with the Little Brown Jug after a win at Minnesota in 1998. (Larry E. Wright | MLive file photo)

Notable jug games

Aside from the 1903 clash, when Michigan and Minnesota technically weren’t playing for the Little Brown Jug, the Wolverines and Golden Gophers have squared off in some big ones.

The 1940 matchup was dubbed “The Battle of Giants.” Unbeaten Minnesota edged undefeated Michigan, 7-6. The Gophers were eventual national champions with an 8-0 record that season.

In 1977, Minnesota upset top-ranked Michigan, 16-0, serving as the Wolverines’ lone regular-season loss.

In 1986, second-ranked Michigan was expected to roll past Minnesota, but the Gophers knocked off the Wolverines, 20-17, on a late field goal. Like in ’77, that also served as Michigan’s lone regular-season loss.

In 2003, on the 100-year anniversary of the 1903 game, No. 20 Michigan rallied from a 28-7 fourth-quarter deficit at the Metrodome and pulled out a 35-28 win over No. 17 Minnesota. That loss proved to be a big setback for the Gophers program as a whole.

In 2004, No. 14 Michigan rallied again, coming back to beat No. 13 Minnesota by a 27-24 score.

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(MLive.com video)

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