43. Wisconsin 20, Minnesota 7 (2013)

Minnesota was extremely confident that it would end the nine game losing streak to its neighbors directly to the East. The Gophers were 8-2 and had snuck into the top 25. Wisconsin was also coming in at 8-2, with the only losses coming by seven at Ohio State and a controversial loss at Arizona State. The Bucky defense came to play and did not let Minnesota score an offensive touchdown in the 20-7 win.

After a Minnesota punt, James White carried the ball on Wisconsin’s first play from scrimmage and raced 49 yards down to the Gophers 12 for a first down, which would set up a field goal to put the Badgers on the board first. The score remained that way until the second quarter.

That is when Minnesota scored its points. Joel Stave tried to go over the middle on a third down pass, but it was picked off by Aaron Hill and returned for the score to give the Gophers the 7-3 lead.

The tied turned on Minnesota’s next offensive possession. The Gophers were facing a third down inside the Wisconsin 40, threatening to make it a two score game. Enter Chris Borland. Minnesota’s Philip Nelson was looking for a receiver and stepping up into the pocket, but Brendan Kelly caught him from behind and knocked the ball out. Borland pounced on the ball and returned it into Minnesota territory to the 49.

In two plays, the Badgers waltzed their way down to the Minnesota 10. A pass interference on second and goal put the ball at the 2 and White did the rest, putting the ball in the end zone from a yard out and Bucky took a 10-7 lead.

After Wisconsin forced a three and out and a Minnesota punt from deep in its own territory, the Badgers had the ball to start at the Gophers 43 with less than a minute and a half left before halftime.

The Badgers would travel down to the 2, but would have to settle for a field goal and take a 13-7 lead into the half.

Wisconsin started out the second half with inserting a knife into Minnesota’s hearts, marching 83 yards in 12 plays, using up nearly half the quarter. This time, the score was a Stave pass to Jared Abbrederis from two yards out to give the Badgers some breathing room.

Borland would make a tackle and both force and recover a Gophers fumble on the next drive, but Jack Russell would miss a field goal, so the score remained 20-7 and it would remain that way the rest of the game. Minnesota would twice march into Wisconsin territory, but both times were stopped on downs and the Badgers would come out of Minneapolis with a 13-point win.

Minnesota players were upset and would not let Wisconsin do a tradition and “chop” down the goal posts after winning Paul Bunyan’s axe. That would force the axe to be kept in the locker room until the end of the game the following season in Madison.

Unfortunately, this would be Bucky’s last taste of victory on the year as the Badgers would go on to lose 31-24 the following week against Penn State and then 34-24 in the Capital One Bowl against South Carolina.