THE ESSENTIALS
Date: Dec. 19, 2020
Time: 3:00 p.m. CT
Site: Madison, Wis.
Stadium: Camp Randall
Surface: FieldTurf
Capacity: 80,321
Series: Wisconsin 61-60-8
Streak: Wisconsin W1
Last: Wisconsin won 38-17 on Nov. 30, 2019 in Minneapolis
Last Minnesota win: 37-15 on Nov. 24, 2018 at Wisconsin
FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
1. The Big Ten announced Sunday that Minnesota will play at Wisconsin at 3 p.m. on BTN on Saturday as part of Champions Week. The two teams were originally supposed to play on Nov. 28, but the game was canceled as Minnesota responded to elevated COVID-19 cases within the program. Saturday’s game will be the 130th meeting between the two border rivals, which is the longest-running uninterrupted series in Football Bowl Subdivision history (teams have played every year since 1907) and is the most-played rivalry in FBS history. Wisconsin leads the all-time series 61-60-8 and the teams have traded road wins in the last two matchups. Minnesota won 37-15 in 2018 at Wisconsin and the Badgers prevailed 38-17 in Minneapolis last season. Minnesota’s 2018 win was its first in the series since 2003 and first in Madison since 1994. The teams play for Paul Bunyan’s Axe after previously playing for the Slab of Bacon.
2. Minnesota is 9-2 in its last 11 games away from home. That mark is the best for the Gophers during an 11-game span since 1934-37 when Minnesota also went 9-2 (3-0 in 1934 and 1935, 2-1 in 1936 and 1-1 in 1937). Minnesota tied its only two road games in 1933 and went 1-2 on the road in 1938. The Gophers are also 18-7 in their last 25 overall games. That mark is the best 25-game span for Minnesota since it went 19-5-1 from the start of the 1960 season through the first five games of 1962.
3. Tanner Morgan did not throw a touchdown in Minnesota’s 34-31 win against Purdue on Nov. 20 (U rushed for five TDs), ending his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass at 18. Morgan’s 18 straight games with a touchdown pass is a school record and spanned Dec. 26, 2018 (Quick Lane Bowl win vs. Georgia Tech) to Nov. 13, 2020 (Purdue). Morgan threw 36 touchdowns during the streak and Minnesota was 13-5 during that time. Morgan got back on track with a touchdown pass in a win at Nebraska on Dec. 12.
4. Mohamed Ibrahim was named the Big Ten’s Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year earlier this week. He leads the Big Ten in rushing attempts (175), rushing yards (925), rushing touchdowns (15) and scoring (90). Ibrahim’s 15 touchdowns have covered a collective 68 yards (longest is 26 yards and he has eight 1-yard TDs). His 31 career touchdowns ranks sixth in school (Laurence Maroney is fifth with 32 and Darrell Thompson is first with 40). The school single-season record for rushing touchdowns is 18 and was set by Gary Russell in 2005 (12 games played). Ibrahim’s 15 touchdowns ranks fourth in school single-season history. He is averaging a TD every 11.6 rushes. Ibrahim has 12 career 100-yard rushing games, which includes a current streak of seven in a row (2020 Outback Bowl and all six games this season). Ibrahim’s seven-game streak is tied for the longest in program history with Laurence Maroney. The Gopher great rushed for more than 100 yards in seven straight games from 12/31/03 – 10/9/04.
5. Last Saturday was Minnesota’s first game without receiver Rashod Bateman and the receivers stepped up. Chris Autman-Bell tied his career high with five catches and ended the game with a team-high 82 receiving yards. Clay Geary set career highs in catches (4) and receiving yards (32) and so did Daniel Jackson (3 catches for 43 yards). Geary had two career catches (1 in 2018 against New Mexico State and 1 in 2020 at Illinois) prior to the Nebraska game and Jackson had five total catches in the first five games this season.
GEARY GEARING UP
Gopher WR Clay Geary of Lakeville spoke with MNN sports director Mike Grimm about his recent increase in playing time and production, this weekend’s game at Wisconsin, and his career journey as a Gopher:
(info courtesy of Gopher Sports – click here for more)