For more than a decade – 14 consecutive seasons -- Wisconsin found just about every way imaginable to defeat rival Minnesota.
Paul Bunyan’s Axe, the symbol of this colorful rivalry, had stayed in the UW trophy case all that time.
That run is over.
A season full of disappointment hit bottom Saturday as Minnesota built a double-digit lead in the first half and then dominated play over the final two quarters en route to a 37-15 victory over UW in front of a crowd of 74,038 at Camp Randall Stadium.
Chop, chop, chop.
The stunning loss for UW (7-5, 5-4 Big Ten) marked another disappointing Saturday for a team favored to win the Big Ten West Division title and that had designs on making a run at the College Football Playoff.
When UW’s seniors left the field Saturday they were part of the first team to lose to Minnesota since 2003.
The last time the Gophers won in Madison? That was in 1994, Barry Alvarez's fifth season as head coach.
The winning streak that filled the locker room with a mix of pride and glee was over at 14 years.
Minnesota (6-6, 3-6) gave second-year coach P.J. Fleck a signature victory and became bowl-eligible.
The Gophers took advantage of UW miscues to build a 17-0 lead with 1 minute 5 seconds left in the first half
UW’s Rafael Gaglianone missed a 31-yard field-goal attempt in a scoreless game, and the Gophers responded with a 65-yard drive and a 34-yard field goal by Emmit Carpenter for a 3-0 lead. Carpenter, a fifth-year senior from Green Bay, added field goals of 23 and 42 yards in the third quarter to help the Gophers to a 23-7 lead.
Alex Hornibrook, making his first start since he suffered a second concussion Nov. 3 against Rutgers, threw an interception in Minnesota territory and the Gophers then drove 59 yards in nine plays. They converted twice on fourth down, with the second a 10-yard touchdown run by tailback Mohamed Ibrahim for a 10-0 lead.
Then one play after UW’s A.J. Taylor dropped a pass that should have been an easy third-down conversion, Minnesota’s Demetrius Douglas returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown.
Just 65 seconds remained in the half and UW trailed, 17-0.
Sophomore tailback Jonathan Taylor entered the day with 1,869 rushing yards, just 31 short of becoming just the fourth player to record consecutive seasons of at least 1,900 rushing yards.
He faced a defense that came in eighth in the Big Ten against the run (170.7 yards per game) but in two games under interim defensive coordinator Joe Rossi allowed a combined 183 yards on 69 carries against Purdue and Northwestern.
Taylor, who rushed for 321 yards one week earlier at Purdue, rushed 19 times for 120 yards...
UW took the second-half kickoff and moved from its 25 to the Minnesota 44. Facing fourth and 4, UW head coach Paul Chryst eschewed the punt and went for a big play.
Hornibrook was pressured and his throw deep down the right sideline toward A.J. Taylor fell incomplete and Minnesota took over.
The Gophers turned that into another field goal, this time from 23 yards by Carpenter for a 20-7 lead with 747 left in the quarter.
UW was running out of time and possessions.
The Badgers’ next possession started at their 12 – after a holding call on Jack Sanborn on the kickoff.
It ended at the Minnesota 45 when Honribrook’s third-down pass bounced off the hands of Kendric Pryor and linebacker Julian Huff made a diving catch for the interception with 5:54 left.
The opportunistic Gophers turned that into another three points, as Carpenter hit from 42 yards with 1:02 left in the third quarter for a 23-7 lead.
UW went three and out and punted from its 31 on the first play of the final quarter.
A 34-yard punt by Allen allowed Minnesota to take over at its 35 with 14:53 left in the game.
The Gophers relied heavily on Ibrahim, but Morgan completed two big third-down throws and Minnesota took more than nine minutes off the clock before Carpenter missed a 28-yard field-goal attempt with 5:37 left.
Despite the miss, UW was finished.
Hornibrook's fumble led to a 23-yard touchdown run by Bryce Williams with 4:56 left. Hornibrook's third interception, with 4:43 left, ended UW's dying hopes.
The streak was over.
The Axe was heading back to Minnesota for the first time since 2003.
A season of disappointment continued.
Chop, chop, chop.
https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2018/11/24/minnesota-37-uw-15-gophers-claim-axe-end-14-years-frustration/2091392002/
Paul Bunyan’s Axe, the symbol of this colorful rivalry, had stayed in the UW trophy case all that time.
That run is over.
A season full of disappointment hit bottom Saturday as Minnesota built a double-digit lead in the first half and then dominated play over the final two quarters en route to a 37-15 victory over UW in front of a crowd of 74,038 at Camp Randall Stadium.
Chop, chop, chop.
The stunning loss for UW (7-5, 5-4 Big Ten) marked another disappointing Saturday for a team favored to win the Big Ten West Division title and that had designs on making a run at the College Football Playoff.
When UW’s seniors left the field Saturday they were part of the first team to lose to Minnesota since 2003.
The last time the Gophers won in Madison? That was in 1994, Barry Alvarez's fifth season as head coach.
The winning streak that filled the locker room with a mix of pride and glee was over at 14 years.
Minnesota (6-6, 3-6) gave second-year coach P.J. Fleck a signature victory and became bowl-eligible.
The Gophers took advantage of UW miscues to build a 17-0 lead with 1 minute 5 seconds left in the first half
UW’s Rafael Gaglianone missed a 31-yard field-goal attempt in a scoreless game, and the Gophers responded with a 65-yard drive and a 34-yard field goal by Emmit Carpenter for a 3-0 lead. Carpenter, a fifth-year senior from Green Bay, added field goals of 23 and 42 yards in the third quarter to help the Gophers to a 23-7 lead.
Alex Hornibrook, making his first start since he suffered a second concussion Nov. 3 against Rutgers, threw an interception in Minnesota territory and the Gophers then drove 59 yards in nine plays. They converted twice on fourth down, with the second a 10-yard touchdown run by tailback Mohamed Ibrahim for a 10-0 lead.
Then one play after UW’s A.J. Taylor dropped a pass that should have been an easy third-down conversion, Minnesota’s Demetrius Douglas returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown.
Just 65 seconds remained in the half and UW trailed, 17-0.
Sophomore tailback Jonathan Taylor entered the day with 1,869 rushing yards, just 31 short of becoming just the fourth player to record consecutive seasons of at least 1,900 rushing yards.
He faced a defense that came in eighth in the Big Ten against the run (170.7 yards per game) but in two games under interim defensive coordinator Joe Rossi allowed a combined 183 yards on 69 carries against Purdue and Northwestern.
Taylor, who rushed for 321 yards one week earlier at Purdue, rushed 19 times for 120 yards...
UW took the second-half kickoff and moved from its 25 to the Minnesota 44. Facing fourth and 4, UW head coach Paul Chryst eschewed the punt and went for a big play.
Hornibrook was pressured and his throw deep down the right sideline toward A.J. Taylor fell incomplete and Minnesota took over.
The Gophers turned that into another field goal, this time from 23 yards by Carpenter for a 20-7 lead with 747 left in the quarter.
UW was running out of time and possessions.
The Badgers’ next possession started at their 12 – after a holding call on Jack Sanborn on the kickoff.
It ended at the Minnesota 45 when Honribrook’s third-down pass bounced off the hands of Kendric Pryor and linebacker Julian Huff made a diving catch for the interception with 5:54 left.
The opportunistic Gophers turned that into another three points, as Carpenter hit from 42 yards with 1:02 left in the third quarter for a 23-7 lead.
UW went three and out and punted from its 31 on the first play of the final quarter.
A 34-yard punt by Allen allowed Minnesota to take over at its 35 with 14:53 left in the game.
The Gophers relied heavily on Ibrahim, but Morgan completed two big third-down throws and Minnesota took more than nine minutes off the clock before Carpenter missed a 28-yard field-goal attempt with 5:37 left.
Despite the miss, UW was finished.
Hornibrook's fumble led to a 23-yard touchdown run by Bryce Williams with 4:56 left. Hornibrook's third interception, with 4:43 left, ended UW's dying hopes.
The streak was over.
The Axe was heading back to Minnesota for the first time since 2003.
A season of disappointment continued.
Chop, chop, chop.
https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2018/11/24/minnesota-37-uw-15-gophers-claim-axe-end-14-years-frustration/2091392002/
