Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell focuses on Minnesota, reclaiming the Axe
The Badgers football coach spoke about preparing for the Gophers, among other topics, at his weekly press conference Monday at the McClain Center.
Paul Bunyan’s Axe is back with the Wisconsin Badgers, while PJ Fleck’s boat is sunk in Minnesota.
Braelon Allen pounded his way to 165 yards and two touchdowns while the defense delivered a shutout in the second half to propel the Wisconsin Badgers to a 28-14 win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers to recapture the trophy that means so much to the program.
The victory gives Wisconsin a one-game lead in college football’s oldest rivalry, 63-62-8. The Badgers also snapped a two-game skid in the series and enter their bowl game on a high note.
While fans have often been left frustrated in Luke Fickell’s first season, a win over their biggest rival is removing some of the bad taste people have had about the 2023 campaign.
For many, it doesn’t get any sweeter than defeating Minnesota, something that has been difficult in recent seasons, including for some of its alums.
Several former Badgers took to social media to really let Minnesota have it. If you wondered if this rivalry still matters with the ever-changing landscape of college football, you just had to look at the emotion on the field and from some of its ex-players to get your answer.
A glorious moment for the Wisconsin football team
Wisconsin wide receivers Will Pauling and Chimere Dike troll Minnesota Golden Gophers, PJ Fleck
Pauling had two catches for 19 yards and a touchdown. His 11-yard TD tied the game at 14 with 2:38 left in the second quarter.
Wisconsin Badgers all-time great running back James White is pumped to see the Axe return to Madison
Sojourn Shelton delivers an epic troll to the Minnesota, which dropped to 5-7 and might not make a bowl game
Melvin Gordon’s tweet was short and to the point with Bucky Badger helping him deliver his message
Wisconsin offensive coordinator Phil Longo, defensive line coach Greg Scruggs and outside linebackers, special teams coach Matt Mitchell have reason to celebrate
Twitter had plenty of references to Minnesota coach PJ Fleck’s ‘row the boat’ mantra, how the Badgers kept Gophers from being bowl eligible
Minnesota ended the season with four straight losses.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers predicted a victory
Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen was on a mission to win Paul Bunyan’s Axe
The junior averaged 6.3 yards per carry on his way to a season-high 165 yards in what could be his final game in the rivalry should he declare for the NFL draft. He scored the Badgers’ first touchdown to tie the game at 7 early in the second quarter and then he did it all himself on UW’s second drive of the third quarter. He started with a 50-yard run and then one play later he broke a 14-all tie with his 4-yard TD run. Two plays, 54 yards that spanned 25 seconds for an emphatic touchdown. Just call it the Braelon Allen drive.
Fans were giving Allen all of the flowers he deserved.
REPLAY: Highlights from Wisconsin’s 28-14 win over Minnesota; how the game unfolded
2023-11-26 04:41:15
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