Gophers down Badgers 24-7 to reclaim Paul Bunyan’s Ax – Twin Cities

MADISON, Wis. — Not a single Gophers football player touched Paul Bunyan’s ax from 2004-17, so there was no chance of starting, or even reviving, a tradition of when they got their hands on the seven-foot trophy.

With a dominating 24-7 win over the Badgers on Friday, Minnesota has now been able to celebrate with the Ax in four of the previous seven rivalry games. They’ve done it so often that seniors are known to be the ones to parade around the field imitating chopped down goalposts.

Those seniors included Nick Kallerup of Wayzata, Danny Striggow of Orono and Quinn Carroll of Edina on Friday at Camp Randall Stadium. They were the ones who saw how predecessors did it on the same field in 2022.

“It was obviously a dream as a young kid from Minnesota, and to be able to do it was so surreal,” Carroll said. Carroll’s brothers – die-hard Gopher fans and all sons of former tight end Jay Carroll – wanted to join the party and stormed the field, but the revelers were escorted off.

During the game, the Gophers allowed the Badgers only short interlopers in their dominant victory.

Minnesota built a 21-0 lead and only allowed the Badgers to score after a late-hit penalty on linebacker Joey Gerlach turned what would have been fourth-and-15 into a Wisconsin first down. The Badgers scored a touchdown two plays later to make it 21-7, and coach PJ Fleck walked the sideline knowing his team could have opened the door for its rivals.

Then Gophers kicker Dragan Kesich missed a 49-yard field-goal attempt to open it up a little further. But the Badgers followed with their own missed field-goal attempt from 37 yards out, and the Gophers defense tensed. Kesich made a 43-yarder with three minutes left to slam the door.

The Gophers outgained the Badgers by 208 yards to win back-to-back games in Madison for the first time since 1984 and ’86.

The win gave the Gophers a winning record (7-5, 5-4 Big Ten), snapped a two-game losing streak, gave them a four-game sweep of the trophy game and improved their bowl berth. Meanwhile, Wisconsin (5-7, 3-6) lost its fifth straight game for the first time since 1991, snapping a streak of 22 straight seasons with a winning record and bowl eligibility.

Quarterback Max Brosmer produced a total of three touchdowns, two passing and one rushing. Running back Darius Taylor rushed for 126 yards and receiver Daniel Jackson had six receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown.

After the first two offensive drives went nowhere, Minnesota put together a touchdown drive with four plays over 10 yards, including a 37-yard connection from Brosmer to Jackson. Brosmer finished the drive on a QB sneak out of the tush-push formation from 1 yard out for a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

Facing a third-and-1 on the next drive, the Gophers lined up in the same tush-push formation, but countered with a pass to Marcus Major, who burst around left end for a 40-yard gain. That drive was capped by a seven-yard touchdown pass from Brosmer to Jackson to make it 14-0.

Minnesota extended its 14-point halftime deficit to 21 with a 15-yard touchdown toss from Brosmer to tight end Jameson Geers in the third quarter.

Badgers fans booed their team during the first half and left shortly after their brief rally attempt was halted early in the fourth. That’s when Gophers fans gathered in the first few rows to ensure the festivities and deepen the tradition.

“It’s a great feeling,” Striggow said of holding the axe. “A couple of years ago, watching … the older guys chop down the goal posts and feeling that in our last regular season game as guys leaving is super special. To have the ability to look up and see only Gopher- fans that are back there, go crazy and see my family.”