MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck celebrated his 44th birthday with a win on Friday against a long-time rival and the Gophers singing birthday wishes to their coach in the locker room.
Fleck said that he was also looking forward to the team's ride back to Minneapolis.
Max Brosmer passed for two touchdowns and rushed for another to help Minnesota beat Wisconsin 24-7.
Wide receiver Daniel Jackson had six receptions for 68 yards and a TD catch for the Gophers (7-5, 5-4 Big Ten), who took back possession of Paul Bunyan’s Axe.
“We've got a good four-and-a-half hour bus ride with that axe, right in the aisle,” Fleck said. “We'll pass it around and switch buses. We take the rivalry very seriously. We love that axe. We don't take it for granted.”
Darius Taylor had 32 rushes for 134 yards for Minnesota.
Friday’s game was the 134th meeting between the teams. The rivalry is the oldest rivalry in the nation among Football Bowl Division schools.
Brosmer completed 17 of 26 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. He also rushed for a score.
The Gophers held Wisconsin to 43 first-half yards of offense and 166 total yards of offense overall.
Fleck said he was pleased with the Gophers' effort on defense.
“We tackled in the open space really well,” Fleck said. “We swarm tackled. I thought we created penetration in the back field in the run game. On the outside, I thought our guys stuck to them like glue.
“Their quarterback (Braedyn Locke) can sling it, but he's 6-foot, 6-1. There are a lot of big people up front. Their offensive line is big. We're big. And we felt if we could get really big, he was going to have to be really precise in man coverage.”
Wisconsin (5-7, 3-6) lost five straight games to end the 2024 regular season. Wisconsin’s five-game losing streak is the team’s first five-game losing streak since 1991. The Badgers will wait to learn whether there are any potential bowl spots remaining for 5-7 teams.
The Badgers’ 22-season bowl appearance streak is the third-longest active streak for bowl berths among FBS teams.
Wisconsin finished the regular season with a losing record for the first time in 22 seasons. The mark is the longest active winning streak among Power 4 teams. Oklahoma's streak stands at 18 seasons and Alabama at 17.
The Badgers concluded the 2022 season with a 5-7 record and a 3-4 mark in the Big Ten.
Jackson’s performance on Friday put the receiver in fourth place on Minnesota’s all-time receiving yards list with 2,685 yards. Jackson surpassed the 2,640-yard mark by Tutu Atwell, who played for the Gophers from 1994-97.
Wisconsin got its first score of the game late in the third quarter when Locke threw a 15-yard TD pass to Vinny Anthony with 3:13 remaining.
Locke completed 15 of 32 passes for 130 yards, one TD and no interceptions for Wisconsin.
Wisconsin kicker Nathanial Vakos missed a 37-yard field-goal attempt early in the fourth quarter.
Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell offered a blunt assessment of the Badgers.
“We're not in a good place,” he said. “We're 5-7, and really, we're not playing well. And that's the thing. There's no excuse. Whether it's injuries, whether it's this, that or the other thing. I could sit here and tell you things that have cost us (wins), and put us in position to find our way to climb out of it. ”
Fickell, in his second season at Wisconsin, was asked what his message is to fans who are concerned about the direction of the football program.
“Our job to get them to believe is to put the product on the field," Fickell said. ”Right now, we don't have that opportunity and we haven't done it. I would understand if they're worried. It's their prerogative. And it's our job to prove it.
Minnesota: The Gophers offense looked confident with Brosmer at the helm. Besides rushing for a score, the quarterback executed big plays that put Minnesota in control. Bosmer threw a 37-yard pass to Jackson that led to a TD that pushed the Gophers to a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter. Brosmer’s 15-yard TD pass to Jameson Geers pushed Minnesota’s lead to 21-0 with 8:03 left in the third.
Wisconsin: The Badgers offense was anemic and a bunch of boos rained down at Camp Randall Stadium towards the end of the second quarter. They had 43 total yards of offense (37 passing, 7 rushing) and ran 27 offensive plays in the first half.
MINNESOTA: Minnesota awaits its bowl destination.
WISCONSIN: Wisconsin waits to learn whether there are any potential bowl spots remaining for 5-7 teams.
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