| Year: | 1892 |
| Team: | Minnesota Golden Gophers |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the Northwest |
| Short Conf: | IAANW |
| Record: | 5–0 |
| Conf Record: | 3–0 |
| Head Coach: | None |
| Captain: | William C. Leary |
| Champion: | IAANW champion |
The 1892 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota in the 1892 college football season. After the departure of Tom Eck, head coach in 1891, the University of Minnesota team played for one season without a coach. This year, an organization was formed called the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the Northwest by representatives of Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin and Northwestern.[1] Minnesota went undefeated this season, including wins over all three other members of the league, so they won the first league championship.[1]
The game against Michigan was Minnesota's first game in the historic rivalry that would spawn the most famous of all rivalry trophies, the Little Brown Jug. The game against Northwestern was also the first meeting with that school.
October 17, 1892, Minnesota faced Michigan in Minneapolis. The game was the first of more than 90 meetings in the Little Brown Jug rivalry. Minnesota won the game, 14–6. The game was played on a Monday afternoon during a hard rain that made the field wet and muddy. The Detroit Free Presss account of the game reported that Michigan was "badly outclassed at center and could not withstand Minnesota's rush."[2] At the end of a 45-minute first half, Minnesota led 10-0. Michigan's only touchdown came on a long run by George Jewett in the second half. Jewett and Ralph Hayes were also praised for making "great tackles."[2]