| Offense | David Cobb needs 35 rushing yards to break the single-season school record, but the senior tailback is nursing a hamstring injury. Without him, the Gophers are a less tasty version of the same bread-and-butter attack. QB Mitch Leidner is efficient if not spectacular. He burned Nebraska last week through the air and on the ground. And watch out for tight end Maxx Williams. | Go ahead and try to stop Melvin Gordon, who might just cook Thanksgiving dinner for the Badgers before making a bid on Saturday for his 11th 100-yard rushing game of the season. Gordon, in fact, has topped 200 yards in five games. He leads the nation in almost everything. Safe to say, watch him when Wisconsin gets the football. QB Joel Stave, who minimizes mistakes, serves as a good fit alongside the Heisman contender. |
| Defense | Statistically, nothing jumps off the page, though the Gophers have forced 27 turnovers to rank ninth nationally. They're not exactly dominant against the run or against the pass, but when Minnesota gains momentum defensively, it's among the best groups in the Big Ten. Just ask Iowa, which managed 60 yards in 10 possessions after an opening-drive touchdown. A solid secondary, directed by Cedric Thompson and Eric Murray, leads the way. | The Badgers had some trouble defending downfield, especially in the second half, last week at Iowa. But they've been consistently solid, ranking No. 2 nationally in yards allowed (259.3) and third in scoring defense (16.1 points per game). And no team allows fewer first downs per game. What started as a no-name unit has produced stars in safety Michael Caputo and linebackers Derek Landisch, Vince Biegel and Joe Schobert. |
| Special teams | With the dangerous Marcus Jones out injured, Craig James and Jalen Myrick have filled in nicely on returns. Kicker Ryan Santoso, generally dependable, booted a 52-yard game-winner against Purdue last month. And no surprise, considering their all-around solid play, the Gophers rank in the top 30 nationally in kickoff coverage, kickoff returns and net punting. Minnesota has also blocked two punts. | The punting has been a concern all season. Wisconsin ranks 119th nationally, averaging just 32.8 yards per punt, and has even tried backup QB Bart Houston, with limited success, at the position. But punt coverage has been exceptional of late. Freshman kicker Rafael Gaglianone has connected on 10 consecutive field goals. And Kenzel Doe has eight punt returns of 15 yards or more, seven of which have set up touchdowns. |
| Coaching | Jerry Kill, in his fourth year with the Gophers, has engineered a remarkable rise, guiding Minnesota to two straight eight-win seasons, an accomplishment equaled just once in the past half-century at the school. Kill's secret is continuity. His staff includes six former players, and nine Minnesota assistants have combined to work under Kill for 110 years -- unmatched nationally. | He's not likely to win the award, but there's a case to be made for Gary Andersen as league coach of the year if this game works out well for Wisconsin. Andersen navigated a sticky situation with Stave and kept the Badgers on track after a potentially devastating loss at Northwestern. Wisconsin has played to its strengths as well as any team in the league and has improved consistently in the past six weeks. |
| Intangibles | Minnesota has already proved wrong its many doubters by making it here with a chance to win the West. So why not finish the job? The 10-year losing streak in this series motivates the Gophers, who do all the little things right. For instance, Minnesota's fourth-down conversion rate leads the nation and it ranks sixth in turnover margin. | Wisconsin has been here before. It plays on the big stage regularly and advanced to the league title game in 2011 and 2012. The Badgers' six-game winning streak in conference games trails only Florida State and Ohio State. Camp Randall Stadium provides an important advantage. It's Senior Day. And the best player in the game -- maybe in the country -- wears No. 25 for the Badgers. |
Wisconsin has beaten Minnesota every year for the past decade, but never in that time has the battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe meant so much to both teams. The winner in the 124th game of this series, Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET in Madison, Wisconsin, will represent the West Division in the Big Ten championship game against Ohio State.