On the way to winning 14 straight games against mega-rival Minnesota, a stretch of Big Ten Conference dominance that ran from 2004 to 2017, the Wisconsin football team did a lot of things consistently well.
Most notably UW had at least one 100-yard rushing performance 13 times (by 11 different backs), lost the turnover battle once (plus-15 overall) and outscored the Gophers in the second half 10 times (seven by double figures).
But in losing three of the last five meetings, including consecutive setbacks for the first time since 1984 to ’87, the Badgers were their own worst enemy. They turned the ball over four times in 2018 and fell 37-15. They led at the half only to be outscored 17-3 over the last two quarters in 2021 and lost 23-13. They led entering the fourth quarter in 2022 only to be held pointless the rest of the way and endured a 23-16 setback. The last two losses saw UW fail to produce a 100-yard rushing performance.
It remains to be seen what kind of qualities Wisconsin (6-6 overall, 4-4 in the Big Ten) will bring to the table Saturday at 2:30 p.m. when it faces the Gophers (5-6, 3-5) at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
Will the Badgers build on their emotional 24-17 overtime victory over Nebraska, which clinched bowl eligibility for the 22nd consecutive season?
Or will Minnesota rise up, become bowl eligible and retain possession of Paul Bunyan’s Axe for another year in a series that began in 1890?
Based on the fact the teams are 62-62-8 in the longest-played rivalry in Football Bowl Subdivision history, not to mention injury issues on both sidelines, another taut affair is expected.
Here are five more things to know:
