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The Student News Site of University of Wisconsin-Madison

The Badger Herald

The Student News Site of University of Wisconsin-Madison

The Badger Herald

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Football preview: Wisconsin doesn’t plan on loosening tight grip on Paul Bunyan’s Axe

Badgers have defeated Gophers in 11-straight seasons
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Paul Bunyan’s Axe hasn’t changed hands in more than a decade, and the Wisconsin football team has no intention of relinquishing it.

Wisconsin (8-3, 5-2 Big Ten) has won its last 11 games against Minnesota (5-6, 2-5), the longest winning streak in a series that dates back to 1890. Still, Minnesota leads the all-time series 59-57, with the teams tying eight times along the way.

The 125th matchup between the two teams will kick off at 2:30 p.m. in Minneapolis Saturday.

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When the two teams met last year on the final day of the regular season, the Big Ten West title was at stake. UW bested Minnesota 34-24 behind two touchdowns from Melvin Gordon and by overcoming a 17-3 first-half deficit.

This year, much less is on the line. The Badgers are destined for a mid-level bowl game. The Gophers need a win Saturday to become bowl eligible, making the game even more important for them.

The last time Wisconsin went to Minneapolis, it won 20-7 on a brutally cold day.

“It was so cold I couldn’t even think,” senior safety Michael Caputo said.

The Badgers come into the game with one of the top defenses in the league and even the country, boasting the top scoring defense in the nation (12.4 points per game). That should stack up well against a Gopher offense that ranks 12th in the conference in scoring offense (22.7 points per game). Minnesota ranks in the bottom half of the Big Ten in every major category on both offense and defense.

UW’s offense will hope senior wide receiver Alex Erickson’s performance against Minnesota carries over into 2015. He had a career-high 160 receiving yards, with 70 of them coming on a crucial third down in the second quarter to start the Badgers’ comeback.

“I think Alex did a really good job last year of winning his one-on-ones and then just finding zones, because they do play a good mix of man coverage and zone coverage,” UW quarterback Joel Stave said.

One way Caputo said the defense can help the offense is forcing more turnovers. Defensive coordinator Dave Aranda has placed an emphasis on turnovers all season, but UW’s -.18 turnover margin ranks ninth in the Big Ten.

Turnovers would have really made a difference in Wisconsin’s 13-7 loss to Northwestern, he added.

“We can definitely get more turnovers, squeeze that margin a little,” Caputo said. “We could’ve definitely improved that in the last game.”

Aside from the nuts and bolts of the game, the Minnesota-Wisconsin rivalry means a lot to the fans and the players.

Caputo said the 11-game streak will not make Saturday any more or less meaningful.

“This is a big game because it is a trophy game,” Caputo said. “I don’t think the streak will add any pressure. It’s more like, this is our season. We sculpted it — win, loss, whatever it is. This is next game on the schedule.”

For Badgers head coach Paul Chryst, the Minnesota-Wisconsin rivalry holds a special place in his heart. He attended the game as a spectator with his father, George, when he was a kid. Then, Chryst played in it, and has been an assistant several times during the rivalry.

Now he gets his first taste as head coach in the battle for the axe.

“That trophy symbolizes your success that year,” Chryst said. “When you put it in the context of defining a season, I think that it’s a culmination of all your work.”

In terms of how this affects the season, Caputo said a win can give the Badgers a big boost heading into bowl game preparation.

“We’ve proven time and time again that we’re not going to go down without fighting,” Caputo said.

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