Wisconsin 34, Minnesota 24

November 29, 2014 - Camp Randall Stadium - Madison, WI


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NCAAF FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- MINNESOTA (18) 14 3 0 7 24 WISCONSIN (14) 3 10 7 14 34 FINAL

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST QTR: MINN - TD, MITCH LEIDNER 10 YD RUN (RYAN SANTOSO KICK), 12:31 WISC - FG, RAFAEL GAGLIANONE, 24 YD, 6:48 MINN - TD, TD, DAVID COBB 40 YD RUN (RYAN SANTOSO KICK), 1:56 2ND QTR: MINN - FG, RYAN SANTOSO, 37 YD, 10:48 WISC - TD, MELVIN GORDON 4 YD PASS FROM JOEL STAVE (RAFAEL GAGLIANONE KICK), 4:39 WISC - FG, RAFAEL GAGLIANONE, 38 YD, :00 3RD QTR: WISC - TD, COREY CLEMENT 28 YD RUN (RAFAEL GAGLIANONE KICK), 6:20 4TH QTR: WISC - TD, MELVIN GORDON 1 YD RUN (RAFAEL GAGLIANONE KICK), 10:57 MINN - TD, MITCH LEIDNER 2 YD RUN (RYAN SANTOSO KICK), 7:32 WISC - TD, ROBERT WHEELWRIGHT 17 YD PASS FROM JOEL STAVE (RAFAEL GAGLIANONE KICK), 4:41


Extended Box

NCAAF 1 2 3 4 F - - - - -- Minnesota 14 3 0 7 24 Wisconsin 3 10 7 14 34 FINAL

Minnesota-Leidner 10 run (Santoso kick) Wisconsin-FG Gaglianone 24 Minnesota-Cobb 40 run (Santoso kick) Minnesota-FG Santoso 37 Wisconsin-Gordon 4 pass from Stave (Gaglianone kick) Wisconsin-FG Gaglianone 38 Wisconsin-Clement 28 run (Gaglianone kick) Wisconsin-Gordon 1 run (Gaglianone) Minnesota-Leidner 2 run (Santoso kick) Wisconsin-Wheelwright 17 pass from Stave (Gaglianone kick)

Minnesota Wisconsin First downs 12 20 Rushed-yards 44-177 46-233 Passing yards 95 215 Sacked-yards lost 1-11 1-10 Return yards 10 20 Passes 5-18-0 11-18-0 Punts 7-51.0 6-39.7 Fumbles-lost 2-1 3-1 Penalties-yards 7-72 7-69 Time of possession 27:17 32:43

Individual Statistics RUSHING: Minnesota-Cobb 25-118, Leidner 14-54, Kirkwood 3-6, D Jones 1-1, Fruechte 1-(-2). Wisconsin-Gordon 29-151, Clement 7-89, McEvoy 5-12, Erickson 1-0, Doe 1-(-6), Stave 1-(-10).

PASSING: Minnesota-Leidner 5-18-0-95. Wisconsin-Stave 11-18-0-215.

RECEIVING: Minnesota-M Williams 1-53, Maye 3-33, Fruechte 1-9. Wisconsin- Erickson 5-160, Arneson 2-28, Wheelwright 1-17, Clement 1-6, Gordon 2-4.

Att: 80,341


Game Story

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- With Paul Bunyan's Axe back in his team's possession for another year, Melvin Gordon jumped for joy in the locker room after a victory over a bitter Big Ten rival. A Wisconsin win Saturday night to claim a berth in next week's league championship game sure made it easier for Gordon to withstand any pain from a sore right ankle. Gordon ran for 151 yards and accounted for two scores, Joel Stave threw for 215 yards and two touchdown passes and the 14th-ranked Badgers rallied from a two-touchdown deficit to beat Minnesota (No. 18 CFP, No. 22 AP) 34-24 to take the West Division title. "Melvin, he looked great. He was jumping around pretty good there in the locker room," coach Gary Andersen said. "He should be just fine." Next stop: Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis next week to play Ohio State (No. 6 CFP, No. 7 AP) for the Big Ten title. It was not easy. Physical Minnesota (8-4, 5-3) let a 17-3 lead early in the second quarter slip away. David Cobb ran for 118 yards on 25 carries, including a 40-yard score. Stave's 17-yard touchdown pass to Robert Wheelwright with 4:41 left in the game gave the Badgers (10-2, 7-1) a 10-point lead, and Wisconsin's defense held from there. "We'll bounce back but there aren't any of (us) happy about the axe," Minnesota coach Jerry Kill said. Wisconsin (10-2, 7-1) completed another rally from an early hole. Just two weeks ago, the Badgers fell behind early to Nebraska before storming back for a big victory. "Wow, so proud of the kids when adversity strikes just like they have all year long," Andersen said. This one was even more important. The Midwest neighbors have a not-so- friendly rivalry, and a few Badgers hobbled off to the sideline on a chippy night. Gordon limped off the field with 3:12 left in the game, favoring his right ankle. "Mel-vin Gor-don! Mel-vin Gor-don!" adoring fans at Camp Randall Stadium chanted for their Heisman contender. He had his right ankle taped up and took the field for the end-of-game kneel-down after Minnesota tossed four incompletions on its final desperate drive. "If you saw me, I was in the student section, I was everywhere. I threw my helmet. I was so excited. I grabbed the axe ... It was supposed to be for seniors only, but I didn't care," Gordon said. "I tried to soak it all in." Gordon set a Big Ten single-season rushing record on his first attempt after coming in tied with former Wisconsin running back Ron Dayne at 2,109 yards. Gordon had lots of help on Saturday night. Alex Erickson had a career-high 160 yards on five catches, including a career- long 70-yarder from Stave. Backup running back Corey Clement, playing with a right shoulder injury, scored on a 28-yard run on his first carry with 6:20 left in the third quarter to give the Badgers their first lead of the night at 20-17. Clement finished with 89 yards on seven carries. Safety Michael Caputo had 12 tackles and recovered a fumble by Cobb at the Wisconsin 31 with 18 seconds left in the second quarter. The Badgers needed just two completions to Erickson to drive 49 yards to set up Rafael Gaglianone's 38-yard field goal just before halftime to draw within 17-13. Cobb was held to 23 yards on nine carries in the second half, though just having him on the field was a plus for Minnesota given he was coming off a hamstring injury. "It was unbelievable for the situation he was in," Kill said. "What he did today you haven't seen very often." Minnesota's milestone regular season ended in disappointment. They were hoping to go 6-2 in the Big Ten for the first time since 1973. Quarterback Mitch Leidner ran for 54 yards and two scores on 14 carries. His 2-yard touchdown run with 7:32 left got the Gophers within 27-24, but Wisconsin answered right back with Wheelwright's touchdown catch. Minnesota lost for the first time in Kill's four-year tenure after leading at the half, after going 20-0.