No. 17 Wisconsin (8-2 overall, 5-1 Big Ten) at No. 23 Minnesota (8-2 overall, 4-2 Big Ten)
Minneapolis, Minnesota – TCF Bank Stadium (50,805)
Saturday 2:30 p.m. CT – ESPN
Spread: Wisconsin -16
PREGAME NOTES
Series History
Minnesota and Wisconsin first played in 1890, which is the longest-played rivalry in the FBS. The Gophers lead the all-time series 58-56-8, including 37-23-2 in Minneapolis, but they haven’t beaten the Badgers in nine season. During the streak, Wisconsin has averaged 39.1 points while holding Minnesota to just 15.2 points per game. The winner on Saturday will claim Paul Bunyan’s Axe, which has been awarded since its introduction in 1948. The rivalry’s first trophy was the Slab of Bacon, in use from 1930 until 1943.
Historic Rivalry
With the two teams coming into the contest at 8-2, the anticipation for the rivalry matchup is certainly heightened this year. Having lost nine straight meetings, a victory on Saturday would be extra special for the Gophers.
“It would mean a great deal,” said Jerry Kill. “It would mean a great deal to our seniors. They’ve been through a whole lot in the transition of the program. It’d mean a whole lot to our state, I don’t think there’s any question about that. I know it means a lot to Wisconsin. It’s a great rivalry. It’s been played for a long time.”
Kill and the Gophers need no introduction to the significance of playing for Paul Bunyan’s Axe but will need to remain calm in order to win their second traveling trophy in as many games.
“With our players, we pretty much over the last four weeks have tried not to look ahead too much and really take one day at a time and just try to get better,” said Kill. “The kids already know the importance of the game, they understand all that. I think our job is to make sure they take it one day at a time.”
Both sides understand the impact this game can have on the success of their team’s season.
“It’s what’s great about college football, in my opinion,” said Wisconsin head coach Gary Andersen. “I love playing it this late in the year, just makes it that much more special as you continue to move forward through the year. All along we talk about getting into a big game. It’s in our policy manual. It’s something we talked about way back in August, whatever day that was when we started camp, to get to the big game, and you’re here for a reason.”
The Gophers rattling off four straight conference wins has caught the attention of the Badgers heading into Saturday’s battle.
“There’s two good teams playing, and you’ve got yourself in a position to be able to play in the big game,” said Andersen. “And on top of it, you put a rivalry in it. It’s what college football is all about. Trust me, I understand the importance of rivalries. I’m excited to be a part of this rivalry. It’s going to be a great week of preparation and I’m sure both teams are going to prepare very well and both teams will expect to play very well.”
Last Meeting
The Gophers traveled to Camp Randall where true freshman Philip Nelson was thrust into his first collegiate start. Nelson, who accounted for 216 yards and two touchdowns, kept Minnesota in the game during the first half. The Gophers headed into the locker room down just 14-6. But as Wisconsin so often does, it started to wear down the opposing defenders with a physical, pounding rushing attack.
“We played hard [last year],” said Kill. “I think it was in the third quarter and they just wore us down a year ago.”
James White and Monte Ball started shredding the Gophers’ defense late in the contest; including two fourth-quarter touchdowns by Ball. The two backs combined for 341 yards and five touchdowns in the game. Wisconsin cruised to an easy, 38-13, victory.
Season to Date
The Badgers enter the game with an identical 8-2 record as the Gophers but have taken a much different route this season. Wisconsin’s first loss of the year came against a now-ranked Arizona State team in Tempe back on September 14. A questionable call at the end of the loss has haunted Badger fans all season.
Wisconsin’s second loss came to the top-five Ohio State Buckeyes by a score of 31-24. Despite being down 31-14 through three quarters, the Badgers battled back but ultimately fell short to a superior Buckeye squad.
Although Wisconsin has been dominant throughout much of the year, Gopher fans may take solace in looking at the Badgers’ weak schedule of late. Since losing to the Buckeyes, Wisconsin has beat four Big Ten teams (Northwestern, Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana) who have combined for just five conference wins all season. Without questions, the Gophers will pose the Badgers’ biggest road test since Bucky traveled to Columbus in late September.
Last Time Out
The Badgers put on a show last weekend at Camp Randall Stadium, thrashing a high-powered Indiana team 51-3. On Wisconsin’s first play from scrimmage, James White took the handoff and dashed for a 93-yard touchdown and the Badgers never looked back. On the day, Wisconsin totaled 554 yards and six touchdowns on the ground to blowout the Hoosiers.
“Looking back on last week’s game, it was a very solid game all the way across,” said Andersen. “Very proud of the kids after I watched the tape. Very proud of the coaches and the game plan they put together, the execution, everybody was on the same page. It was what we asked for.”
All phases of the game were firing for Wisconsin in the lopsided victory.
“Offense, defense, special teams all contributed,” said Andersen. “They needed to all be able to contribute in that game. The kids were excited, had a lot of juice, a lot of energy, a lot of passion for the game.”
Watching the film of the Indiana game gave the Gophers a look at what not to do against the Badgers.
“You can’t turn it over against Wisconsin,” said Kill. “That’s not a good thing. When you no-huddle and you’re snapping that ball and you got three-and-out, and they get the ball back, that’s not a good combination either.”
Coaching Preview
Gary Andersen is in his first year as the head coach at Wisconsin. Prior to taking over the helm in Madison, Andersen spent four seasons as the head coach at Utah State. Last season, he guided the Aggies to their best season in school history. USU notched 11 wins and captured the WAC league title for the first time since 1936. Andersen was named the WAC Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award.
Andersen also spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Utah, his alma mater. He was the Utes’ defensive coordinator in 2008 when they went 13-0 and defeated Alabama, 31-17, in the Sugar Bowl. Andersen is widely respected by his coaching peers, including Jerry Kill.
“My respect for him is tremendous,” said Kill. “I think Coach Alvarez did a great job hiring him… He does things the right way. I’ve got a great deal of respect for what he’s done and stepped in there. We’ve played [Wisconsin] over the last two years and I made the comment the other day, I think this is a team that may be better than the team’s the last two years and they played in the Rose Bowl.”
Recipe for an Upset
With an extra week to prepare for Wisconsin, the Gophers know they will need their best effort in order to top their hated rivals.
“Offensively, defensively, kicking game-wise, Wisconsin has no weakness,” said Kill. “Their defense, I feel like, is playing at a very high level. Their offense always has and continues to be impressive. Their defense is very good and led by (Chris) Borland who’s a great linebacker. We’ve got our work cut out for us. We’ve been working hard in preparation and trying to get ready to play.”
One of the keys for Minnesota will be limiting the Badgers’ potent rushing attack. On the year, Wisconsin is averaging over 307 yards on the ground per game. The two-headed monster of Melvin Gordon and James White has combined for over 2400 yards and 24 touchdowns this season. Big, strong offensive lineman and effective running backs have been staples of Wisconsin’s offense for years.
“Offensively, they’ve been doing the same thing since Ron Dayne and Barry Alvarez was there,” said Kill. “That’s who they are and they haven’t changed that identity. They may have changed coaches but I think Coach Alvarez is a very smart guy in who he hires and what he does. I can remember watching them way back so they haven’t changed offensively and they’re not going to. Why would you change something that’s like that?”
In order to win the game, the Gophers will look to hold onto the ball in order to limit the Badgers’ offensive potential. During Minnesota’s current four-game winning streak, the Gophers have not had less than 35 minutes of possession in a game. Controlling the ball with long, sustained drives will be essential to keep Wisconsin’s offense off the field.
“Third down’s going to be a big down,” said Kill. “We can’t go three-and-out. If you go three-and-out, that’s what happened to Indiana and then [Wisconsin’s] on the field again. We have to sustain drives…For us, trying to possess time and be able to run the ball, that’s a critical piece.”
Matchup to Watch
As the Gophers will attempt to establish a physical rushing attack, the battle to watch will be Minnesota’s offensive line against the stout front-seven of Wisconsin. With a number of talented linebackers, the Badgers are able to run a 3-4 defense, something that is not utilized much in the Big Ten.
“They’re good on offense but they’re also in the top-10 in the country on defense,” said Kill. “They’ve gone to a 3-4 look and that’s unique in the conference and it makes it very difficult to prepare for. There’s not a lot of people, really, that have moved the football really well [against Wisconsin].”
Leading the Badgers’ front-seven is senior linebacker Chris Borland. Through nine games, Borland has racked up 80 tackles and four sacks while leading a defense that allows just 14 points per contest.
“What makes them go is Borland,” said Kill on his weekly radio show. “In my opinion, he’s the best linebacker in the country play-by-play…He’s a physical player. He runs well. He’s in a good scheme that fits what he does.”
Players to Watch
#6 Corey Clement – With Melvin Gordon and James White garnering all the attention this season, Clement has quietly had a very impressive freshman campaign. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound running back from New Jersey has 515 yards and seven touchdowns on just 66 carries. After rushing for 108 yards and two touchdowns against Indiana last week, Clement was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week—for the second time this season. Clement may get only a few carries against the Gophers, but he has the talent to make an impact despite limited action.
#8 Sojourn Shelton – Broward County, Florida has a rich tradition of producing talented college football players and Sojourn Shelton is continuing that trend. Despite being only a true freshman, Shelton has started nine games for the Badgers and has been one of Wisconsin’s most consistent playmakers on defense. The 5-foot-9, 172-pound cornerback leads the Badgers with four interceptions, eight passes defended and is tied for second with four pass break-ups. While Shelton wasn’t familiar with the battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe prior to attending Wisconsin, he quickly learned about the intense rivalry.
“[I’ve] learned about the great moments in the rivalry and the hatred between the teams,” Shelton explained. “I’m ready to see the excitement firsthand, especially going on the road. Going to Minnesota, with both of us 8-2, I’m ready to be in that hostile environment.”
Background
Location: Madison, Wisc.
Enrollment: 29,118
Conference: Big Ten
Mascot: Badgers
Colors: Cardinal and White
Coach: Gary Andersen (1st Season)