In 2003, kicker Rhys Lloyd hit a last-second field goal to lift Minnesota over Wisconsin. As soon as the ball went through the uprights, Lloyd high-tailed it to the Wisconsin sideline. He was looking to get his hands on Paul Bunyan's Axe, the trophy that goes to the winner of the Wisconsin-Minnesota game each year. Lloyd was the first one there, with his teammates closely behind.The next year, Wisconsin beat Minnesota to reclaim the trophy. The Gophers haven't touched it since.
Saturday, the two teams met for the first time at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. As it usually is when the two get together, it was a wild game. Wisconsin got three touchdowns from running back John Clay in a 31-28 win, and they had to desperately hang on at the end.
Each team made some huge plays in the game, with Minnesota answering immediately after Wisconsin scored on its opening possession. A Nate Triplett interception led to an Eric Decker touchdown pass that gave the Gophers the lead at 10-7. They led 13-10 at halftime, and were on the verge of scoring again in the third quarter after a fumble by Wisconsin quarterback Scott Tolzien.
Instead of scoring, however, the Gophers coughed up the ball deep in Wisconsin territory, as an Adam Weber screen pass attempt was tipped and intercepted. That was when Clay took over.
Even though Tolzien has been throwing well since taking over as the starter, the Badgers' bread-and-butter is still the power running game. Clay was a machine in the third quarter, as the Badgers ran for nearly 100 yards as a team.
Only when the Wisconsin coaches chose to take Clay out of the game did things get interesting. Wisconsin was driving deep in Minnesota territory, facing a third down. They decided to call a draw play for backup running back Zach Brown. He fumbled, and the ensuing runback by Gopher Marcus Sherels went 88 yards for a score. A two-point play pulled Minnesota within 24-21, instead of being behind 27-13 or even 31-13.
The Badgers rallied immediately. Tolzien went 47 yards on a bootleg to set up Clay's third touchdown. Clay finished with 184 yards rushing on 32 carries, while Tolzien threw for 159 and ran for 65 more.
Wisconsin moves to 5-0, while Minnesota drops to 3-2, and it still hasn't won the Axe since Lloyd grabbed it six years ago.
Maybe it's karma.
