28. Wisconsin 31, Minnesota 21 (2015)

The Badgers were having to rebound from a heartbreaking bad call the week before on Senior Day against Northwestern. Their opponent was their biggest rivals, the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Minnesota was primed to win its first game against Wisconsin in 2015. That even looked more true as the Gophers returned an interception for a touchdown to begin the game. However, the Badgers forced five turnovers and rushed for 257 yards as Bucky kept the axe.

Wisconsin began the game well, forcing the Minnesota offense to a 3-and-out. However, the Badgers offense didn’t start off as well. On the first offensive play of the game for Wisconsin, quarterback Joel Stave tried to throw a wide receiver screen, but Minnesota cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun jumped the route and caught the easy interception to give Minnesota the lead. In an odd stat, it was the fourth consecutive meeting in Minneapolis in which the Gophers scored a non-offensive touchdown.

But the Badgers offense put it in high gear the remainder of the half, scoring four touchdowns in the final five drives of the half. Wisconsin had 56 yards rushing in the 67-yard drive to tie the game, finishing with a touchdown run by fullback Alec Ingold.

They had 60 more yards rushing on the next touchdown drive, this one of 73 yards. Taiwan Deal  plowed in from a yard out to give them the lead.

Minnesota tied the score on its next possession, but fumbled it away on the following drive when quarterback Mitch Leidner ran the ball and was stopped and the ball was knocked loose. Joe Schobert fell on the ball for the Badgers.

The fumble set up another rushing drive. Dare Ogunbowale carried the ball three times for 21 yards before Deal finished off the possession by blasting up the middle for a 13-yard touchdown run to give the Badgers the lead they would not relinquish.

Minnesota fumbled once again on its next drive. On 3^rd-and-10 from their own 30, Leidner threw a middle screen to wide receiver KJ Maye. It was beautifully designed, but Michael Caputo tackled Maye at the Gophers 45 and knocked the ball loose. Darius Hillary recovered for the Badgers and it set up another score. Again, six plays and six runs. Ogunbowale ran four times for 41 yards, including 18 yards for a touchdown down the sideline.

The Badgers had the 28-14 lead at halftime.

It ballooned to 31-14 in the third quarter, but it should have been more. Leidner was intercepted by Schobert, who returned it for the score, but it was called back because of a targeting foul on Jack Cichy.

Minnesota scored on a Drew Wolitarsky touchdown reception, but that was the final scoring. The Gophers had chances down the stretch, but Leidner threw an incompletion on fourth down and a Tanner McEvoy interception ended those threats and Bucky brought back home Paul Bunyan’s Axe.

The put the replay review loss against Northwestern even more in the rear view mirror with a 23-21 win over USC in the Holiday Bowl.