BY ANDY BAGGOT
MADISON, Wis. — When your rivalry is 130 years old, there's a good chance that some important trends developed over time.
Wisconsin and Minnesota have been playing college football games since 1890 — it's the most-played series in history — and both Big Ten Conference schools have put together some dominating stretches of success.
The Gophers went 14-2-3 from 1923 to '41 and won eight of 11 meetings from 1967 to '77. They also finished with a better league record than UW 15 times from 1960 to '80.
The Badgers, meanwhile, have won 22 of the last 25 Border Battle matchups and pulled ahead in the all-time series (61-60-8) for the first time in 2017. They have not finished behind Minnesota in the conference standings since 2003 when one game separated them.
When the teams meet Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at Camp Randall Stadium, the Gophers (3-3) will have a chance to not only reacquire Paul Bunyan's Axe, they will have an opportunity to close out the regular season ahead of UW (2-3) in the Big Ten standings for the first time in 17 years.
The schools are coming off one of their most meaningful encounters in series history. A year after their 14-game victory streak in the series ended with a 37-15 thumping at home in 2018, the Badgers regained the Axe and forged a tie with Minnesota atop the Big Ten West Division standings courtesy of a 38-17 triumph on the road. That decision, which came when both teams were ranked in the top 15, served as the tiebreaker that sent UW to the Big Ten title game and Rose Bowl.
Here are five more things to know:
In Their Defense
The Badgers have ranked among the top 10 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in total defense in seven of the last eight seasons. They currently stand No. 1, allowing 251 yards per outing. If Wisconsin hangs onto that spot, it will mark the second time in program history that it has led the nation in total defense. The other instance was in 1951 when the famed "Hard Rocks" limited opponents to 154.8 yards per game.
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Wisconsin Badgers defensive back Caesar Williams (21) returns an interception during an NCAA Big Ten Conference college football game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019, in Minneapolis. The Badgers won 38-17.
Footing the Bill
Junior punter Andy Vujnovich, from Columbus, Wisconsin, has a chance to crack the top five in program history for single-season punting average. He's sitting on 42.9 yards per attempt, which currently ranks sixth. Ahead are No. 5 Scott Cepicky (43.0 in 1986), Nos. 4, 3 and 2 Kevin Stemke (43.8 in '98, 43.9 in '97 and 44.5 in 2000) and leader Ken DeBauche (44.8 in 2005).
The Third Degree
Wisconsin set a program record last season by limiting opponents to a third-down conversion rate of 27.3 percent (48 for 176). That led the nation. Its current ratio is 23.3 percent (14 for 60). That leads the nation.
Youth Movement
A season after three true freshmen saw extended action — defensive tackle Keeanu Benton played 13 games (six starts), inside linebacker Leo Chenal 11 (no starts) and cornerback Semar Melvin four (two starts) — the Badgers have used eight first-year players in multiple outings. Wide receiver Chimere Dike and outside linebacker Nick Herbig have played all five games; outside linebacker Riley Nowakowski has appeared in four; outside linebacker Aaron Witt and running back Jalen Berger have appeared in three; and wide receiver Devin Chandler, outside linebacker Kaden Johnson and center Tanor Bortolini have seen action in two.
Making Them Pay
The Badgers have forced seven turnovers — a modest total to be sure — but all of them have been converted into points, including five touchdowns.
