Michigan injury report, players to watch: Mason Graham’s status for Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS — It’s going to be a very different atmosphere here Saturday night than the one Michigan football fans might remember from 2020.

That was during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — the very first game of the season, actually — and played in front of virtually no fans in the stands, an eerie way to play football. Nonetheless, the Wolverines came out victorious in one of the only highlights from an otherwise disastrous season.

Some three years later, the Wolverines (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) are in a much different spot. Michigan is the No. 2 team in the country and riding high, of course, following back-to-back Big Ten titles and College Football Playoff appearances.

Jim Harbaugh’s team also put together its most complete performance of the season the week prior, a road game at Nebraska that may have reinforced that No. 2 ranking to some.

Meanwhile, Minnesota (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten) has been a mixed bag through five games, scoring wins over Nebraska, Eastern Michigan and Louisiana, but dropping games to North Carolina and lowly Northwestern (in overtime). The Gophers may be without the the Big Ten’s leading running back, Darius Taylor, putting a wrench in their physical identity.

Speaking of injuries, here’s where we believe things stand on the Michigan side heading into Saturday night’s game (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC), followed by some players to watch.

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INJURY REPORT

DB Ja’Den McBurrows, DOUBTFUL — After appearing in Michigan’s first two games, the reserve defensive back — perhaps best known for his involvement in the tunnel incident with Michigan State last year — has not played for the Wolverines. In fact, McBurrows has been ruled out the last couple of weeks, a designation that could continue at Minnesota.

QB Alex Orji, DOUBTFUL — The reserve quarterback has been ruled out the last two weeks with an undisclosed ailment, and Orji didn’t even travel with the team to Nebraska last week. Michigan typically only brings three quarterbacks with it on the road (they brought four last week, a group that included Jack Tuttle, Davis Warren and Jayden Denegal), so there’s a good chance Orji misses this week, too.

RB C.J. Stokes, DOUBTFUL — After briefly appearing in Michigan’s first two games of the season, Stokes, a sophomore running back, has been inactive since with an undisclosed issue. He was ruled out for the Big Ten opener against Rutgers and didn’t travel with the team last week to Nebraska, and we believe it’s unlikely Stokes makes the trip to Minneapolis. Michigan’s running back group is deep enough with Blake Corum, Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullings anyway; we expect the Wolverines to begin pairing back usage for some of the reserve backs.

DT Mason Graham, QUESTIONABLE — Michigan’s starting defensive tackle has missed the last two games with a hand injury, but there’s growing belief internally that Graham is going to try and play. Head coach Jim Harbaugh said a few weeks ago that he only anticipated Graham missing a week or two, while reserve tackle Rayshaun Benny told reporters that he expects his teammate back this week. Expect Graham to be a game-time decision, but there’s a good chance he suits up.

OL Myles Hinton, QUESTIONABLE — The starting right tackle has been playing banged up in recent weeks, no surprise to anyone paying attention (Jim Harbaugh has admitted as much), and never got into the game last week at Nebraska despite traveling. The move was likely proactive more than anything, and there’s a chance he returns to the starting lineup again on Saturday. If not, look for La’Darius Henderson to get the start at left tackle and for Karsen Barnhart to slide over to right.

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KEYS TO VICTORY

Limit big plays on the ground. Whether Darius Taylor plays or not, this remains the No. 1 X-factor for the Michigan defense. The Gophers have topped 200 yards rushing in three of their five games this year, including a season-high 296 yards against Eastern Michigan. Minnesota wants to flex its muscle up front and, like Michigan, churn out long, clock-draining drives. Even without Taylor last week, Minnesota still ran 51 times for 200 yards, with three different ball carriers handling the load. P.J. Fleck’s team averages 5.7 yards per carry, a big number on its surface, but totaled just 55 yards (2.2 yards per carry) in the season opener against Nebraska.

Avoid interceptions. We write every week about how important limiting the turnovers are, and it’s no different this week at Minnesota. Eight of the Golden Gophers’ 10 turnovers this season have come via interceptions, including two last week against Louisiana and two against North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye last month. Defensive back Tyler Nubin leads the team with three, while senior Jack Henderson has two of his own. It’s a boom-or-bust Minnesota secondary, so avoiding mistakes through the air will go a long way.

Rush for 200+ yards. Let’s see what the Michigan game plan actually entails, but a third straight 200-yard rushing day would be the first Minnesota has allowed all season — and almost certainly signal another Wolverines victory. The run game has picked up in recent weeks, led by Blake Corum and Kalel Mullings, and there’s belief that Donovan Edwards may be close to breaking through. If all three can get it going Saturday night, Michigan won’t have to screw around in the air.

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PLAYERS TO WATCH

RB Blake Corum — Michigan’s No. 1 running back said this week that he prefers running in cold weather, and Saturday night’s forecast calls for a temperature in the upper-40s, ideal conditions for a hungry run game and blossoming offensive line. Look for Corum (and Edwards) to get some opportunities, especially inside the red zone — he’s one rushing touchdown away from tying Mike Hart for No. 4 all-time in rushing touchdowns in program history. Three more and he leapfrogs Denard Robinson for No. 3.

QB J.J. McCarthy — This has the makings for a big game for McCarthy, who has played largely conservative in recent weeks. Minnesota’s passing defense ranks 10th in the Big Ten (78th nationally), and in both of its losses this season opponents have topped 400 yards through the air. Michigan’s offense isn’t necessarily built to throw for 400, but the Gophers’ secondary is struggling and prone to giving up big plays.

EDGE Derrick Moore — He may not be a “starter,” but the sophomore edge rusher has become a force on the outside, both in pass rush and against the run. Moore turned in his most productive game of the season last week at Nebraska: a sack, forced fumble and pass breakup, and remains one of Michigan’s highest-graded defensive players according to Pro Football Focus. Against a Minnesota offense so focused on running the football, Moore could be a pivotal piece to the defensive puzzle on Saturday night.

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