Wisconsin vs. Minnesota score: Badgers suffer first losing season in 22 years as Gophers roll to rivalry win

The Golden Gophers held the Badgers to just 166 total yards in a dominant rivalry victory

Minnesota reclaimed Paul Bunyan's Axe Saturday afternoon with a 24-7 win against rival Wisconsin, earning its third victory in Madison since 2018 in the process. The Gophers also improved to an impressive 3-1 in their past four games against Wisconsin and secured seven wins for the third time in four years under coach P.J. Fleck. 

Saturday's result also likely snapped Wisconsin's streak of 22 consecutive seasons with a bowl appearance. The 5-7 Badgers could still make it in to the selection process if enough teams don't reach six wins, but that's leaving things entirely up to chance. 

Wisconsin has arguably its worst offensive performance of the entire season to thank for the loss. The Badgers didn't cross midfield until their second drive in the third quarter after punting on each of their first seven possessions. Just two of Wisconsin's 12 drives ended in Minnesota territory. 

The Badgers had 166 total yards, a season low, and rushed for 36 yards on 24 attempts for a paltry 1.5 yards per carry. By comparison, Minnesota quarterback Max Brosmer had 191 yards and two touchdowns passing -- both more than Wisconsin's team totals. 

Minnesota's defense, obviously, deserves a tip of the cap. The Gophers had two sacks, four tackles for loss and 10 pass breakups, several of which were due to Minnesota players getting a hand on the pass at the line of scrimmage. 

While Wisconsin will likely spend the holiday season at home, Minnesota now awaits its bowl fate for a fourth straight season. 

• Wisconsin has now lost five games in a row, its longest such streak since 1991 in its second season under former coach Barry Alvarez. 
• The Badgers were outscored 184-68 in their five-game losing streak to close the season. 
• Wisconsin's 166 total yards are its fewest in a single game since 2016 against Michigan.

[Nov 29, 2024 at 3:24 pm ET · Will Backus]

Minnesota wins Paul Bunyan's Axe 

Final: Minnesota 24, Wisconsin 7

Minnesota reclaimed Paul Bunyan's Axe Saturday afternoon with a 24-7 win against rival Wisconsin, earning its third victory in Madison since 2018 in the process. The Gophers also improved to an impressive 3-1 in their past four games against Wisconsin and secured seven wins for the third time in four years under coach P.J. Fleck. 

Saturday's result also likely snapped Wisconsin's streak of 22 consecutive seasons with a bowl appearance. The 5-7 Badgers could still make it in to the selection process if enough teams don't reach six wins, but that's leaving things entirely up to chance. 

Wisconsin has arguably its worst offensive performance of the entire season to thank for the loss. The Badgers didn't cross midfield until their second drive in the third quarter after punting on each of their first seven possessions. Just two of Wisconsin's 12 drives ended in Minnesota territory. 

The Badgers had 166 total yards, a season low, and rushed for 36 yards on 24 attempts for a paltry 1.5 yards per carry. By comparison, Minnesota quarterback Max Brosmer had 191 yards and two touchdowns passing -- both more than Wisconsin's team totals. 

Minnesota's defense, obviously, deserves a tip of the cap. The Gophers had two sacks, four tackles for loss and 10 pass breakups, several of which were due to Minnesota players getting a hand on the pass at the line of scrimmage. 

While Wisconsin will likely spend the holiday season at home, Minnesota now awaits its bowl fate for a fourth straight season. 

• Wisconsin has now lost five games in a row, its longest such streak since 1991 in its second season under former coach Barry Alvarez. 
• The Badgers were outscored 184-68 in their five-game losing streak to close the season. 
• Wisconsin's 166 total yards are its fewest in a single game since 2016 against Michigan.

[Nov 29, 2024 at 2:56 pm ET · Will Backus]

Another crucial Minnesota mistake

Minnesota just refuses to put this game away. Be it penalties extending Wisconsin's drives or missed field goals, the Gophers are letting the Badgers hang around through a series of entirely self-inflicted errors. On its latest drive, Minnesota tried to convert on third-and-6 near midfield. Quarterback Max Brosmer delivered a perfect ball to wide receiver Elijah Spencer, who had a big catch for a first down earlier in the driver, but Spencer dropped the ball. He had a step on the defensive back and would have put the Gophers deep into Wisconsin territory with less than 10 minutes to play. Instead, Minnesota had to punt again, while holding on to a 21-7 lead. 

[Nov 29, 2024 at 2:50 pm ET · Will Backus]

Sad field goals don't win games

Early 4Q: Minnesota 21, Wisconsin 7 

Wisconsin just provided a textbook example of how not to battle back in a rivalry game. The Badgers moved the ball all the way to Minnesota's 10-yard line with an efficient 9-play drive, but a holding call on third-and-7 put them back to the edge of the red zone. After an incomplete pass, the Badgers decided to try a field goal -- which would have cut Minnesota's two-possession lead to... two possessions -- on fourth-and-17 and it went wide right. 

[Nov 29, 2024 at 2:40 pm ET · Will Backus]

Minnesota leaving the door open 

End 3Q: Minnesota 21, Wisconsin 7 

Wisconsin still has a lot of work to do to come back, but the Gophers, who took a 21-0 lead early in the third quarter, are leaving the door open. Minnesota gave Wisconsin a free third-and-15 conversion via a personal foul, which Wisconsin turned into a 15-yard touchdown pass between quarterback Braedyn Locke and wide receiver Vinny Anthony II. 

On the ensuing drive, Minnesota quickly worked its way into Wisconsin territory but the drive stalled around the 31-yard line. There, the Gophers attempted a 49-yard field goal that never had a chance. Near the end of the third quarter, Wisconsin got a free 10 yards on a defensive holding penalty and, when the fourth quarter begins, it will have the ball on first-and-10 on Minnesota's side of the field. 

[Nov 29, 2024 at 2:35 pm ET · Will Backus]

Wisconsin building momentum 

Wisconsin is slowly crawling back into this game, and it could have been a personal foul call on Minnesota that turned things around. After the Badgers' first touchdown drive of the game, which was aided by that free conversion on third-and-15, Minnesota took just one play to get back into Wisconsin territory. But the Golden Gophers failed to make the line to gain on third-and-5 and lined up to try a 49-yard field goal. Dragan Kesich's kick into the wind went (very far) to the left of the goal post, which means that Minnesota's lead holds at 21-7. Wisconsin takes over with decent field position at its own 31-yard line.

[Nov 29, 2024 at 2:27 pm ET · Will Backus]

Wisconsin's not going quietly

Late 3Q: Minnesota 21, Wisconsin 7

Turns out that when you move the ball past midfield, good things happen. Wisconsin made it past the 50-yard line for the first time today on its latest drive and then got gifted an automatic first down on third-and-15 when Minnesota was called for a personal foul penalty. The Badgers took full advantage of the opportunity to keep this one from getting completely out of hand, as quarterback Braedyn Locke hit wide receiver Vinny Anthony II for a 15-yard touchdown pass. It's tied for the longest scoring play from either team today. Wisconsin is still struggling to run the ball, but Locke's play on this latest possession was encouraging for a team trying to mount a comeback. 

[Nov 29, 2024 at 2:14 pm ET · Will Backus]

Minnesota blows it open 

Mid 3Q: Minnesota 21, Wisconsin 0 

That could be a backbreaker for Wisconsin. The Badgers had an opportunity to flip momentum by starting the second half with the ball, but they went three-and-out and punted for the seventh time today instead. Minnesota didn't fumble its chance to blow this game open. The Gophers embarked on a very efficient 11-play, 83-yard drive that ended in a nice 15-yard touchdown connection between quarterback Max Brosmer and tight end Jameson Geers. Brosmer is up to 168 yards and two touchdowns with over eight minutes left in the third quarter. He's completed passes to six different players. 

[Nov 29, 2024 at 2:00 pm ET · Will Backus]

More of the same for Wisconsin 

Well, definitely not the start the Badgers needed. It took them just 48 seconds to go three and out. Badgers quarterback Braedyn Locke had a shot play to wide receiver Vinny Anthony II on third-and-5, but Minnesota defensive back Ethan Robinson made a nice play to break the pass up from behind and force Wisconsin into its seventh punt of the game, which is a single-game season high. 

[Nov 29, 2024 at 1:57 pm ET · Will Backus]

A reminder of what's on the line

No, it's not just Paul Bunyan's Axe, although that is very important for both teams (and it's also one of the coolest rivalry trophies in football). Wisconsin is playing for its sixth win, which would extend its streak of consecutive seasons with bowl appearances to 23. That's the third-most at the FBS level. In order to do so, Wisconsin's offense needs to find another gear. The Badgers can set the tone with their first possession in the second half. 

[Nov 29, 2024 at 1:36 pm ET · Will Backus]

Minnesota with big halftime lead 

Half: Minnesota 14, Wisconsin 0 

Normally, 14 points does not feel like an insurmountable lead in college football, especially when there's an entire half left to play. But with how Wisconsin's offense has performed thus far, the Badgers have an improbably deep hole to dig out of over the last 30 minutes. No need to mince words: Wisconsin's offense has been offensively bad. 

The Badgers finished the first half with 44 total yards, which is their fewest yards in any half since 2015 against Northwestern. They also averaged a meager 1.7 yards per play and rushed for just six yards on 14 carries, which explains why all six of their first-half drives ended in a punt. 

Half of those possessions resulted in a three-and-out. Wisconsin matched its season-high in punts for a single game in the first half. 

Minnesota, meanwhile, did not play perfectly but it did take advantage of Wisconsin's struggles. Both of the Golden Gophers' touchdown drives covered at least 75 yards and they also had two plays of 30-plus yards, which matches their total from each of their last five games combined. 

Wisconsin does get the ball to start the second half, so the Badgers can change the feeling around this one with an effective scripted drive. 

[Nov 29, 2024 at 1:20 pm ET · Will Backus]

Wisconsin setting the game of football back 

Wisconsin can't get anything going on offense, which is really quite the understatement. All five of its first-half drives have ended in a punt, which is bad enough as is. But the Badgers haven't had a possession exceed 3:30 minutes. They also haven't managed 20 total yards on a single drive yet. Wisconsin has a paltry 39 total yards of offense with around four minutes left in the first half. It's also averaging 1.7 yards per play. 

[Nov 29, 2024 at 1:04 pm ET · Will Backus]

Minnesota strikes again 

Early 2Q: Minnesota 14, Wisconsin 0 

Wisconsin is very close to entering the danger zone, especially with how the Badgers have played offensively thus far. Minnesota just extended its lead to 14-0 with a 7-yard touchdown strike between quarterback Max Brosmer and Daniel Jackson. The Golden Gophers got into scoring distance with a nifty trick play that saw them lineup in a quarterback sneak formation before handing the ball to running back Marcus Major on a sweep. Major came close to scoring a long touchdown, but he was pushed out of bounds at Wisconsin's 26-yard line after a gain of 40. Minnesota gained over half of its total yards rushing (79) on that one play.

Brosmer has been very efficient thus far, with eight completions on 11 attempts for 100 yards and one touchdown. He also has a rushing touchdown. 

[Nov 29, 2024 at 12:50 pm ET · Will Backus]

Minnesota up after one

End 1Q: Minnesota 7, Wisconsin 0 

Minnesota leads after one quarter of play in Madison. After a very slow start, which saw the Gophers go three-and-out after gaining 15 total yards on their first two drives, Minnesota embarked on an impressive nine-play, 89-yard drive to score the first touchdown of the game. Quarterback Max Brosmer was particularly effective, as he completed two passes for 58 yards to both move the ball into Wisconsin territory for the first time and set up the first first-and-goal situation of the game. Brosmer turned that into a touchdown with a tush-push style play. 

Wisconsin is winning the field position battle -- the Badgers have had drives start on their own 32 and 44-yard lines -- but they have yet to take advantage. In fact, Wisconsin hasn't even passed the 50-yard line yet. 

[Nov 29, 2024 at 12:40 pm ET · Will Backus]

Minnesota strikes first 

Late 1Q: Minnesota 7, Wisconsin 0 

We've got some tush-push action in Madison. Minnesota marched all the way down to Wisconsin's goal line, where quarterback Max Brosmer -- with some significant backfield help -- plunged into the end zone after taking a snap under center. Brosmer was big for the Golden Gophers on that drive, which started at Minnesota's 11-yard line. He had a huge 37-yard completion to star wide receiver Daniel Jackson, who made a nice over-the-shoulder catch, to move the ball into Wisconsin territory for the first time all game. He also found Elijah Spencer for a gain of 21 yards to set up first-and-goal. 

[Nov 29, 2024 at 12:36 pm ET · Will Backus]

Minnesota star OL dealing with injury

Minnesota offensive lineman Aireontae Ersery just left the game with an apparent leg injury. He is in the medical tent for Minnesota's third drive of the game. The broadcast noted that trainers had previously taped one of Ersery's ankles. He would be a huge loss for the Gophers if he were to miss significant time. He starts at left tackle and is viewed as a potential early pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. 

[Nov 29, 2024 at 12:30 pm ET · Will Backus]

We still haven't crossed the 50-yard line

Look, it's the day after Thanksgiving. We're all feeling sluggish. That's the only explanation for the offensive struggles in this game so far. After four total possessions, neither team has passed the 50-yard line. The Badgers just had a prime opportunity to, with a drive that started at their own 44-yard line, but they gained a total of two yards before punting the ball away. At least Wisconsin is winning the field position battle. This will be Minnesota's second drive to start inside its own 20-yard line.

[Nov 29, 2024 at 12:18 pm ET · Will Backus]

Slow start 

Not much doing early on in Madison. Minnesota opened the game with a three-and-out after gaining just six yards in three plays. Wisconsin did at least get a free first down on a late pass interference penalty, but the Badgers were unable to make the most of the gift and got put into a third-and-long situation after an ineligible man downfield penalty. Looks like this one is shaping up to be a defensive battle. 

[Nov 29, 2024 at 12:10 pm ET · Will Backus]

Minnesota set to get things started 

Wisconsin won the toss and deferred to the second half, which means Minnesota's offense will open the game with the ball. It's worth keeping an eye on Golden Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer, who has played solid football for his team this year. It will also be interesting to see how wide receiver Daniel Jackson, one of the most prolific offensive options in Minnesota's history, matches up against Wisconsin's secondary and top cornerback Ricardo Hallman. 

[Nov 29, 2024 at 11:30 am ET · Will Backus]

Wisconsin vs. Minnesota prediction

The Big Ten West lives on, if in spirit only. The projected point total for this game on sports betting apps is absurdly low, and for good reason. Neither Wisconsin nor Minnesota fields what we would typically refer to as an explosive offense. In fact, the Golden Gophers have just seven scrimmage plays of 30-plus yards, which is far and away the fewest in the FBS. Meanwhile, Wisconsin is averaging just 24 points per game, which is in the bottom third of the Big Ten and ranks well below the national average. It'll be a struggle for both teams to consistently find the end zone. --  Pick: Under 43 (-108)

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Will Backus

[Nov 29, 2024 at 11:00 am ET · Will Backus]

Minnesota's defense leads the way 

Minnesota has won a lot of games this season behind one of the strongest defenses in the nation. The Golden Gophers are top-15 in the FBS in scoring defense (18.5 points per game), total defense (302.3 yards per game) and turnovers forced (20) this season. They have also allowed the fifth-fewest plays of at least 25 yards from scrimmage. 

Freshman defensive back Koi Perich has been a huge star for Minnesota. The former top-100 prospect out of Esko, Minnesota immediately became a figurehead for Minnesota's defense. He currently leads the Big Ten with five interceptions, which he has returned for 63 yards. He also has 34 total tackles, 1.5 for a loss, and one forced fumble through 11 games.  

[Nov 29, 2024 at 10:30 am ET · Will Backus]

Fleck and Fickell go way back 

Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck and Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell go way back. Both were on staff at Ohio State in 2006 -- Fleck was a graduate assistant and Fickell was the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach -- under former Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel. Ohio State won a Big Ten title with a 12-0 regular season and went on to the BCS National Championship Game, where it lost to Florida and future Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer. Fleck spent just one season at Ohio State before moving on to become wide receivers coach at Northern Illinois, while Fickell remained on staff through the end of Tressel's tenure and was even interim coach of the Buckeyes in 2011.     

[Nov 29, 2024 at 10:05 am ET · Will Backus]

A lot on the line for Wisconsin 

The Badgers have a lot to play for when they take the field Saturday. They have made it to a bowl game in 22 straight seasons, which is the third-longest active FBS streak behind Georgia (27) and Oklahoma (25). The Bulldogs and Sooners have already qualified for the postseason this year. Wisconsin hasn't suffered a losing season since 2001 under former coach Barry Alvarez. Its 22 straight winning seasons lead the FBS. The Badgers are also trying to avoid losing five straight games for the first time since 1991.