• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Michigan may sit Hart, Henne for Minnesota game

Oct 27, 2007 - 11:34 AM Minnesota (1-7) at No. 19 Michigan (6-2) 3:30 pm EDT

ANN ARBOR, Michigan (Ticker) -- Michigan and Minnesota both have lost to Football Championship Subdivision teams this season. Even with injuries to key players, the Wolverines are in much better shape than the Golden Gophers.

Both Mike Hart and Chad Henne may sit out Saturday when the 19th-ranked Wolverines host the woeful Gophers in a Big Ten Conference contest for the Little Brown Jug trophy.

Then the nation's leading rusher at 154 yards per game, Hart missed Michigan's 27-17 victory at Illinois last weekend - the team's sixth in a row - with a high right ankle sprain suffered the previous week vs. Purdue.

Henne suffered apparent right shoulder and wrist injuries against the Fighting Illini. But after sitting out the third quarter, he replaced mistake-prone freshman backup Ryan Mallett to lead the Wolverines (6-2, 4-0 Big Ten) to victory.

Henne, who has thrown the most touchdowns in school history, had his right arm in a sling after the game.

Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, whose squad was stunned by FCS squad Appalachian State to begin the season, may rest his star duo because the Wolverines are facing a struggling team in Minnesota (1-7, 0-4), which is coming off a 27-21 loss to lower-division North Dakota State.

Adam Weber completed just 10-of-22 passes for 162 yards, a TD and an interception for the Gophers, who surrendered 394 rushing yards - including 263 to Tyler Roehl.

Minnesota stunned Michigan here two years ago, 23-20, to claim the Little Brown Jug.

But the Wolverines returned the favor with a 28-14 road triumph last year for its 17th win in the series' last 18 meetings.