Local Teams


College Football
Preview
Wisconsin at Minnesota
When: 3:30 PM ET, Saturday, November 25, 2023
Where: Huntington Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minnesota's final chance to secure bowl eligibility arrives when Wisconsin visits for a Big Ten matchup on Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis.

The Golden Gophers (5-6, 3-5 Big Ten) missed out on three consecutive chances to qualify for a bowl bid, coming off losses against Illinois, Purdue and No. 2 Ohio State.

The finale of the 2023 regular season is the annual border battle against a top rival that would love to ruin Minnesota's hopes.

"We've just got to know as a team that it's on the line right here," Golden Gophers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis said. "This is a really big game for us. We're going to go play our best football."

It's also a big game for Wisconsin (6-5, 4-4). The Badgers, looking to finish with a winning record on the season and in conference play in the first season under coach Luke Fickell, beat Nebraska last week to snap a three-game losing streak.

With the 24-17 win, Wisconsin became bowl eligible for the 22nd consecutive season. The Badgers can bolster their bowl resume with a road win to end the regular season.

Fickell said he asked the team's upperclassmen to explain to their younger teammates how important the rivalry game is against Minnesota.

"The guys that have been here so long are the ones who lead us," Fickell said. "The guys in the locker room who have been in this rivalry are the ones we ask to be in the forefront of it."

The winning team will receive "Paul Bunyan's Axe," a prize that has existed since 1948. The series goes back even further than that, with the programs tied 62-62-8 as they enter their 133rd all-time meeting.

Kaliakmanis will try to finish the regular season on a positive note for Minnesota. He has passed for 1,671 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Badgers quarterback Tanner Mordecai also is looking to end on a high note. During an injury-marred season, he has passed for 1,542 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions.

--Field Level Media

Stats and Records
Team Comparison
  W‑L Strk PF PA Home Away Grass Turf Conf
Wisconsin 6-5 W1 22.4 19.4 4-3 2-2 1-0 0-0 4-4
Minnesota 5-6 L3 20.7 26.8 4-2 1-4 0-3 0-0 3-5
Last Meeting
Wisconsin Minnesota
Date Away Home Tot Rus Pas Tot Rus Pas
11/26/22 MINN 23 WIS 16 334 143 191 416 97 319
Player Stats
Previous Matchup
Passing Player COMP % YDS TD INT
Wisconsin G. Mertz 59.3 170 0 1
Minnesota A. Kaliakmanis 65.5 319 2 0
Rushing Player CAR YDS AVG TD
Wisconsin C. Mellusi 19 75 3.9 0
Minnesota M. Ibrahim 27 70 2.6 0
Receiving Player REC YDS AVG TD
Wisconsin C. Dike 5 52 10.4 0
Minnesota B. Spann-Ford 7 95 13.6 0
Touchdowns Player TD
Wisconsin C. Dike 1
Minnesota L. Brockington 1
Season
Passing Player COMP % YDS TD INT
Wisconsin T. Mordecai 64.7 1543 4 3
Minnesota A. Kaliakmanis 52.6 1671 13 8
Rushing Player CAR YDS AVG TD
Wisconsin B. Allen 155 819 5.3 10
Minnesota D. Taylor 103 591 5.7 4
Receiving Player REC YDS AVG TD
Wisconsin W. Pauling 64 675 10.5 3
Minnesota D. Jackson 48 710 14.8 7
Touchdowns Player TD
Wisconsin B. Allen 10
Minnesota D. Jackson 7
Quickchart Matchup
Wisconsin Wisconsin Off vs  Minnesota Minnesota Def
Wisconsin 366.4 yards
Minnesota 370.4 yards
Wisconsin 4.5 yards/rush
Minnesota 4.6 yards/rush
Wisconsin 5.7 yards/attempt
Minnesota 7.5 yards/attempt
Minnesota Minnesota Off vs  Wisconsin Wisconsin Def
Minnesota 304.1 yards
Wisconsin 335.5 yards
Minnesota 3.9 yards/rush
Wisconsin 3.8 yards/rush
Minnesota 6.2 yards/attempt
Wisconsin 6.3 yards/attempt