The winner of the annual Gopher-Badger football game has also won Paul Bunyan’s Axe since 1948. Wisconsin’s Bret Bielema, at 36 the second youngest Division I-A head coach, said earlier this week rivalries like Saturday’s game with Minnesota provide “an extra incentive to play.”
“I am a very firm believer in focusing week to week. …I know one of the things I brought up to our guys on (last) Saturday was the axe,” Bielema said. “It’s an important thing to our guys and hopefully we will be able to carry that through this weekend.”
The Badgers have won the famed trophy nine of the last 11 games. Wisconsin has momentum going into this game having won five of six games, losing only to No. 4 ranked Michigan. The Gophers, 2-4, lost a self declared must-win game last Saturday to Penn State.
If the Badgers need more incentive this weekend than the axe and staying in the race for the Big Ten championship and a top bowl game, they don’t have to look far to find it. Wisconsin is celebrating homecoming and a statue of former coach Barry Alvarez (grand marshal for the homecoming parade) will be unveiled outside Camp Randall Stadium on Friday.
Sounds like a perfect setting for a Gopher upset.