Parents will begin driving and flying into Madison for Parents' Weekend Saturday, meaning a majority of UW-Madison students will ax their alternative weekend plans to spend it with mom and pop. On the agenda for many families is the annual football match between Wisconsin (5-0 Big Ten, 8-0 overall) and Minnesota (3-3, 6-3), in which the team's \Battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe."" Minnesota, the underdog, hopes not to be bullied by the Badgers.
The Gophers began their season with five straight wins, but their 30-21 loss to Indiana in Bloomington last week was the team's third straight road loss. Against the Hoosiers, the Golden Gophers scored touchdowns on their first two possessions, but Indiana scored 23 unanswered points in their win, and the loss left Minnesota with several unanswered questions.
According to Minnesota Head Coach Glen Mason, the Gophers hope to avoid a letdown against No. 5 Wisconsin.
""They have really good football players-some great football players,"" Mason said of the Badgers at a Tuesday press conference. ""They are playing extremely well. They're making plays. That's why they are where they are right now, and why they win football games. Wisconsin-Minnesota, Minnesota-Wisconsin, however you want to put it ... we are playing for the axe. It's going to be a heck of a challenge for us, but one that we are looking forward to playing in Camp Randall.""
Despite its .500 record in the Big Ten, Minnesota has been stellar offensively, averaging 463.1 yards per game, while their opponents average 403.1 yards. Minnesota has scored in double-digits in 26 straight games and has built up more than 300 yards per game in the last 24 games.
On the season, the Gophers have averaged 33.3 points per game, while their opponents ring up 21.1 points per game. Wisconsin averages 21.1 points per game, but holds its opponents to only 8.5 points per game.
A point the Badgers need to make note of is Minnesota has scored 100 points in the first quarter this season and has put points on the board in the first quarter of every game. Wisconsin has scored a total of 10 points in the first quarter through their first eight games.
Much of the Gopher's offensive success has come at the hands (and feet) of the ground game. Sophomore running back Laurence Maroney, who was honored at the end of last season as the 2003 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, has 1,030 yards on the season, averaging 114.4 yards per game. The Gophers are 5-0 this season when Maroney runs for over 100 yards and the sophomore sensation has at least one run of 20 or more yards in 10 straight games. Fellow running back, junior Marion Barber III, also contributes to the team average of 266.6 rushing yards per game. He leads the team with 10 touchdowns and averages 137.2 all-purpose yards per game, 97 of those coming from rushing.
""In Maroney I really see a very strong runner,"" Badger Head Coach Barry Alvarez said. ""He'll run through tackles, has excellent vision and has tremendous speed. I think he was very mature when he came into the league as a true freshman, and has taken another step.
""When I think about Barber, I always see him out on the edge or wherever when he sees a seam, again; tremendous speed where he can accelerate but has the vision to get to those holes and get to the seams,"" Alvarez said. ""They hit a lot of big plays. They get a lot of big plays.""
Sophomore quarterback Bryan Cupito leads the Gopher offense, throwing for 13 of the team's 16 passing touchdowns. He averages 187.9 yards per game, but has had some difficulty in the last few games finding his receivers. Mason said it does not matter whether Cupito is missing receivers because of his timing being off or another reason.
""Well, it's like being a little bit pregnant, what's the difference?"" Mason said. ""I hope I didn't offend anybody by saying that. It's either you are or you're not. It's the way it is. If you throw it out there, what's the difference if it's an inch off being a good pass, or the guy almost caught it? It doesn't matter.""
On the defensive side, the Gophers' strongest aspect is their turnover ability. As a team, Minnesota has recovered six fumbles and intercepted 12 passes for 107 yards. Senior cornerback Ukee Dozier has three interceptions on the season and has 15 pass breakups. Junior linebacker Terrance Campbell has 64 tackles on the season and has helped hold his team's opponents to only 145.9 rushing yards per game.
