The Wisconsin Badgers (5-6, 3-5 Big Ten) will welcome the Minnesota Golden Gophers (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten) to Camp Randall Stadium on Friday at noon ET, 11:00 a.m. CT. It will be the 134th all-time meeting between the two border rivals.
The Badgers have the slightest of advantages in the all-time series, boasting a 63-62-8 overall record against the Gophers. Wisconsin won the latest matchup in 2023, snapping a two-game losing streak with a 28-14 road win. Minnesota’s back-to-back wins in 2021 and 2022 marked the first time it won consecutive matchups against Wisconsin since 1993 and 1994.
Wisconsin leaned on their run game in 2023 to recapture Paul Bunyan’s Axe. Braelon Allen led the way with 165 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. Additionally, quarterback Tanner Mordecai completed 14 of 22 passes for 145 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
The Badgers enter this weekend’s Black Friday battle with Minnesota having lost four games in a row, most recently falling Nebraska 44-25 in Lincoln on Saturday.
The loss dropped Wisconsin to 0-2 in trophy games this season — the team also fell to Iowa 42-10 on Nov. 2. The Badgers have yet to go 0-3 against Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota since the establishment of the Freedom Trophy in 2014.
Minnesota enters Friday’s matchup following a 26-25 loss to Penn State at home in Week 13, narrowly missing another win over a ranked opponent in 2024. They will look to take advantage of a unique chance to end Wisconsin’s season and record bowl streak.