BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. — Two formidable streaks are on the line when the most-played rivalry in major college football is renewed for the 131st time.
Wisconsin has won seven games in a row heading into its Big Ten Conference regular-season finale vs. Minnesota on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
This marks the fourth time in the series history, which dates back to 1890, that UW has faced the Gophers in the midst a winning streak of at least seven games. The Badgers had won 11 in a row in 2017, eight straight in 1998 and seven in a row in 1901 when they lined up against their border rivals.
No. 18 Wisconsin (8-3 overall, 6-2 in league play) not only won all three of those matchups, the victories enabled them to claim Big Ten titles in 1998 and '01 and advance to the conference championship game in 2017.
Another victory over the Gophers (7-4, 5-3) would send UW to the league title game as the West Division representative for the fifth time in the last eight seasons.
Speaking of streaks, the Badgers are 8-0 vs. Minnesota in Minneapolis since 2005. It's currently the second-longest stretch of road success for UW, which has won nine in a row at Purdue dating back in 1999.
Here are five more things to know:
So Stingy
UW has limited opposing ball-carriers to 2.01 yards per rush, the best mark in the Football Bowl Subdivision so far this season. The Badgers have held six of their 11 opponents to 2.0 yards per rush or less. The last FBS team to finish a season with an average that good was Alabama in 2016 (2.01).
Clean Sheet
The Badgers are 7-0 when true freshman running back Braelon Allen rushes for 100 yards or more this season. For some recent perspective, UW was 26-7 when Jonathan Taylor did it, 18-4 when Melvin Gordon did it, 17-1 when James White did it and 29-5 when Ron Dayne did it.
Trophy Case
Wisconsin has won 25 of its last 28 Big Ten games with a traveling trophy on the line. The Badgers are 2-0 this season with wins over Iowa (Heartland) and Nebraska (Freedom). They are trying to secure Paul Bunyan's Axe for the 16th time in the last 17 meetings with Minnesota and sweep the three trophies for the fourth time in the Paul Chryst head coaching era (2019, '17 and '16).
How the West is Won
UW senior wide receiver Danny Davis has 14 career touchdown receptions. Nine have come vs. Big Ten West opponents. Senior tight end Jake Ferguson has 12 career TDs. Ten have come against West Division foes.
Heads Above Water
The Badgers had a minus-11 turnover ratio after the first six games. Now they're sitting at plus-1 for the season thanks to a plus-12 ratio over the last five outings. UW has forced 18 turnovers over its last five games after recording four takeaways during its first six games.
