UW-Minnesota rivalry will continue on Saturday
MADISON – The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted dozens of college football games in 2020.
In the end, however, it appears it will not derail the nation's longest current rivalry:
Wisconsin vs. Minnesota.
The border rivals are scheduled to meet at 3 p.m. Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium as part of the Big Ten's Champions Week.
UW (2-3) and Minnesota (3-3) were originally scheduled to meet Nov. 28 but the game was called off Nov. 24 because of high coronavirus numbers within the Gophers' program.
Offensive tackle Cole Van Lanen, in his senior season at UW, wants desperately to grab Paul Bunyan's Axe with both hands and imitate chopping down a goalpost or two.
“This is my turn,” Van Lanen said during a Zoom session before the November game was called off. “I really want to be able to chop that axe Saturday night. I've seen seniors not be able to do that. Want to make sure that never happens again.
“It is a fun experience. If you're not a part of it, you don't understand. This is what it's about.”
Tod do so will require UW snapping a three-game losing streak and defeating the Gophers for the second consecutive season and for the 16th time in the last 17 seasons.
The 130th meeting is to be televised by BTN.
Minnesota was missing 33 players because of COVID-19, injuries and opt outs Saturady but still managed to record a 24-17 victory at Nebraska. The Badgers' offensive woes continued in a 28-7 loss at Iowa as they were held to a season-low 225 yards.
The UW-Minnesota rivalry was born in 1890, with the Gophers rolling to a 63-0 victory in Minneapolis. The game has been played every year since, except for 1906, when UW's faculty declined to agree to several rules changes implemented by the league.
The rivalry resumed in 1907 and the teams battled to a 17-17 tie in Madison.
UW has won 22 of the past 25, meetings.