Minnesota’s defense dominated Wisconsin en route to a commanding 24-7 win over the Badgers at Camp Randall on Friday. 

For the third time in four years, the Gophers beat the Badgers and Paul Bunyan’s Axe returned to Minneapolis. This year, Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck brought the six-foot-tall trophy home on his 44th birthday.

Fleck said his team fought all year and made a lot of plays all day.

“The most physical team out here won and I thought that was the whole message going into the game that we were going to have to out-physical them,” Fleck said.

Fleck said people talked all week about Wisconsin’s records, but his players worried solely about winning their one-game championship against the Badgers.

Gophers senior cornerback Justin Walley said the win meant the world to him having spent all four years in college football at Minnesota.

“This is the game you play for in Minnesota. It’s the most important game on the schedule,” Walley said. “Just to go out with a win like that is the most perfect outcome I could think of.”

The Gophers’ defense had control from the beginning in the frigid elements. The flurry-filled morning in Madison, Wisconsin, saw the Gophers receive the opening kickoff of the 134th meeting.

Although the Big Ten West was dissolved with conference realignment, these two teams did not get the memo as the two rivals combined to punt on each of the first four drives of the game. 

Punting seemed to be never-ending until Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer found his groove. 

Brosmer used his top two targets, Daniel Jackson and Elijah Spencer, to march down the field but punched it in himself for a touchdown at the goal line for the first points of the game. Fleck said Jackson’s 37-yard over-the-shoulder catch was the play that got the team going on the drive.

Minnesota’s defense shut down Wisconsin again, giving the ball right back to the offense. 

Gophers offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr. entered his bag of tricks and found another wrinkle to the tush push. This time Brosmer handed the football to Marcus Major who bounced outside for a 40-yard gain.

Brosmer connected with Jackson, who carved up his defender and caught it on the front pylon for a touchdown. The Gophers jumped out to an early 14-0 lead thanks to stingy defense and a creative offensive game plan.

Defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman brought his innovation by sending cornerback Justin Walley on a blitz who got home for a 10-yard sack. Both teams traded punts as the clock hit zero in the first half. Wisconsin punted six times in the first half, the most they had punted in a game all year.

The Gophers shut out the Badgers’ offense in the first half for the first time since 1993. It was also the first time Wisconsin did not score before halftime this season. 

The Gophers defense only allowed five on Wisconsin’s opening drive of the second half. Wisconsin punted for a season-high seventh time on their seventh drive of the game.

Brosmer stayed dialed in after the half, finding four different receivers and going 6-for-6 for 47 yards and a touchdown mounting a 21-0 Gophers lead.

A late hit personal foul on Gophers linebacker Joey Gerlach gave Wisconsin a free first down on what would have been fourth-and-15. 

Momentum began to shift as the penalty gave life to both the Badgers and the crowd.

Badgers quarterback Braedyn Locke found Vinny Anothy II for a 15-yard touchdown getting Wisconsin on the board.

The Gophers put together another drive deep into Badgers territory, but after making 11 straight kicks, Dragan Kesich’s 49-yard field goal fell short of the goalpost.

Looking to capitalize on their momentum early in the fourth quarter, the Badgers drove in the red zone, but a holding penalty and a missed field goal killed the mood in Camp Randall.

Fleck said his team showed its personality and what they have been all year, always responding to highs and lows.

Darius Taylor led Minnesota on a long, clock-consuming drive taking the life out of the stadium. The Gophers capped it off with a 43-yard field goal drilled by Kesich making it 24-7 Minnesota.

“It was a hard-nosed football game. That game is always going to be run the ball when they know you’re gonna run the ball,” Taylor said.

The Gophers defense wrapped the win up in a bow with a fourth down stop.

Gophers sixth-year offensive lineman Quinn Carroll said a couple of his brothers stormed the field postgame and had to be escorted out, but that it was a special moment.

“Growing up watching the Gophers you see the seniors chop down the goalposts whenever they win and that’s obviously a dream as a young kid from Minnesota,” Carroll said.

The Gophers commanded a victory on Wisconsin’s home field for the second straight time after beating the Badgers in 2022.