BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. — The most-played rivalry in major college football will stage its 128th act Saturday at 2:30 p.m. when Wisconsin hosts Minnesota in a Big Ten Conference game at Camp Randall Stadium. The duel for Paul Bunyan's Axe has roots back to 1890 and, for a while there, was pretty one-sided in favor of the Gophers, who were 19-8-3 from 1920 to '50. But the Badgers (7-4 overall, 5-3 in the Big Ten) are 23-5 in the series since 1990, haven't lost to Minnesota (5-6, 2-6) since 2003 and now have a 60-59-8 edge in the all-time series.
Here are five more things to know:
What It All Means
The Badgers play three trophy games a year, but there's little doubt that the Paul Bunyan Axe duel with Minnesota has the most emotional clout. No one in the Wisconsin locker room has more invested in the rivalry than coach Paul Chryst, who has seen it from four distinct vantage points: He grew up watching his late father, George, serve as Badgers assistant from 1972 to '77; he played quarterback, tight end, linebacker and special teams for Wisconsin from 1985 to '88; he was an assistant coach under Barry Alvarez in 2002 and co-offensive coordinator in '05; and he was the sole offensive coordinator for Bret Bielema from 2006 to '11. Chryst scored two touchdowns in his college career — a run as a quarterback; a reception as a tight end — with the latter coming against the Gophers in 1987. His final college home game for the Badgers was a 14-7 victory over Minnesota on Senior Day in 1988, which represented Wisconsin's lone win that season.
Speaking of Streaks
Most everyone involved with the Border Battle rivalry knows that Wisconsin has won 14 straight meetings in the series dating back to 2003 and 11 straight at Camp Randall going back to 1994. But tucked into the bigger streak is the fact that the Badgers have had at least one 100-yard rusher in every outing. The list: Anthony Davis (124) in 2004; Brian Calhoun (110) in 2005; P.J. Hill (164) in 2006; Zach Brown (250) in 2007; Hill (117) in 2008; John Clay (184) in 2009; Clay (111) and James White (118) in 2010; Montee Ball (166) in 2011; White (175) and Ball (166) in 2012; White (125) in 2013; Melvin Gordon (151) in 2014; Dare Ogunbowale (155) in 2015; Corey Clement (100) in 2016; Jonathan Taylor (149) in 2017.
Speaking of Streaks, Again
Wisconsin will conclude its season in a bowl game for the 17th consecutive season, which is the longest active streak in the Big Ten. But did you know the Badgers also have the longest current run of winning seasons in Big Ten play (eight going back to 2008)?
The Start of Something Big
The Badgers have amassed 47 100-yard rushing performances vs. Minnesota, the most against any Big Ten opponent. The first one took place precisely 67 years ago on Saturday, Nov. 24, 1951, when Hall of Famer and 1954 Heisman Trophy winner Alan Ameche ran for 200 yards to spearhead a 30-6 victory in Minneapolis.
End of an Era
Eleven of the 16 seniors making their final appearance at Camp Randall on Saturday — right guard Beau Benzschawel, free safety Evan Bondoc, inside linebacker Ryan Connelly, tailback Taiwan Deal, left guard Michael Deiter, strong safety D'Cota Dixon, inside linebacker T.J. Edwards, kicker Rafael Gaglianone, offensive lineman Micah Kapoi, tight end Zander Neuville and kicker/holder P.J. Rosowski — were part of Gary Andersen's final recruiting class in 2014.
