Saturday's Big Ten battle between Wisconsin and Minnesota will feature two of college football's game-breaking running backs: juniors Brian Calhoun of the Badgers and Laurence Maroney of the Gophers. Both run and catch the ball out of the backfield well, ranking first and second in the nation, respectively, in all-purpose yards.
\They got one of the best backs in the nation, and I know Brian is right up there with him,"" senior offensive lineman Donovan Raiola said. ""It will be a great game with two great running backs.""
To win on Saturday, the Badger defense will have to do a better job stopping Maroney than they did Northwestern freshman running back Tyrell Sutton last weekend. Sutton rushed for 244 yards and three touchdowns, as the Wildcats defeated the Badgers 52-49 in Evanston.
""We need the whole team to tackle Maroney,"" sophomore defensive tackle Nick Hayden said. ""Not one guy trying to tackle. We need to swarm him.""
Adding to the suspense of Saturday's contest is the tradition-rich history between the two schools. Wisconsin against Minnesota is the oldest rivalry in Division 1 football. The two teams have met every year since 1890, aside from a one-year hiatus in 1906. Minnesota leads the all-time series, winning 59, losing 47 and tying eight.
However, the Badgers have won eight of the last 10 meetings against their neighbors to the northwest.
In 1948, The National ""W"" Club upped the ante by awarding Paul Bunyan's Ax to the winner of the game. Winning the ax has become added fuel to the rivalry, particularly in the past few years.
In 2003, the Gophers defeated the Badgers 37-34 when Gopher kicker Rhys Lloyd hit a 35-yard field goal as time expired. Seconds later, the entire Minnesota team ran across the sideline to take back the ax. Last year, the Badgers trounced the Gophers 38-14 and brought the ax back to Madison.
For senior wide receiver Brandon Williams, it is important to ""keep the ax where it belongs: here in Wisconsin.""
After last weekend's loss, this is an important game for a Badger team looking to avoid a losing streak like they had at the conclusion of last year.
""We will just focus on this game,"" Williams said. ""I think having it be the Minnesota game, the keep-the-ax game really helps us forget about that.""
It takes character to respond from a tough loss and Raiola thinks the team has just that.
""I know this team wants to get better every week. The locker room, the way people are talking, you just know that these people want to always win.""
Controlling the tempo will be crucial if the Badgers are to pull out the victory. The Badgers have a much-improved offense, but they are at their best when they run the ball, control the clock and keep Minnesota's offense, which leads the Big Ten in rushing offense and first downs, off the field.
""They do have a very good offense and we want to keep them off the field as much as we can,"" Badger quarterback John Stocco said.
If Stocco, Calhoun and company can keep the Gopher's offesnse off the field, the Badgers have a good chance of keeping the ax close to home.
