1. Gordon rewriting the record books
Redshirt junior running back Melvin Gordon continues to strengthen his case for the Heisman Trophy with each passing game, rewriting the record books along the way.
Though his single-game rushing record lasted only one week (thanks Kansas), Gordon still became the fastest player in FBS history to reach 2,000 yards in a season, surpassing the total with an 88-yard run on his 241st carry of the year.
Gordon currently sits at 2,109 yards for the season, tied with Ron Dayne for the most in Big Ten and program history. Barring any extremely unforeseen circumstances, he will break that record before the Camp Randall crowd, and try as he may, Samaje Perine won’t be breaking this record the following week.
Gordon even still has a realistic chance of breaking Barry Sanders’ FBS-single season record of 2,628 yards. If the Badgers emerge victorious against the Gophers and clinch a spot in the Big Ten championship game, Gordon’s odds of passing Sanders look pretty good.
2. Stave solid under center
Sure, Gordon ran for 200 yards and Tanner McEvoy added a 45-yard touchdown run against Iowa, but it was redshirt junior Joel Stave’s 12-yard run on Wisconsin’s final possession that iced the game for the Badgers.
While nobody should be expecting Stave to venture outside the pocket again for a first-down scramble anytime soon, Wisconsin fans should be more than content with his play at quarterback this season.
Since Stave reassumed his role as starter, the Badgers have gone 6-0 and he has performed relatively well under center. Over the last six games, Stave has completed 60.6 percent of his passes for 713 yards, five touchdowns and just one interception.
Stave isn’t going to win you many games with his arm, but when you have a player like Melvin Gordon to carry the offense, you don’t need him to. If he continues to be efficient and complete some passes on third down when he needs to, the Wisconsin offense will continue to avoid being one-dimensional.
3. Defense looking to rebound
Dave Aranda’s unit has unquestionably been a driving force behind the Badgers’ recent success, but the defense struggled in the second half against the Hawkeyes.
Wisconsin has averaged 259.3 yards of total offense per game, second lowest in the FBS, but had trouble slowing down junior quarterback Jake Rudock and the Iowa offense. Rudock completed 20 of his 30 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another, helping the Hawkeyes nearly erase a 16-point deficit.
Iowa offensive coordinator Greg Davis called a total of 14 first-down passes against the Badgers, a formula that nearly helped them pull off the comeback at Kinnick Stadium.
The good news for the Wisconsin defense is that Minnesota relies on its passing game even less than the Badgers. The Gophers are averaging 134.7 yards per game through the air this year, the sixth-lowest total in the country.
If the Badgers’ defense is to return to form, they’ll have to do it by stifling Minnesota’s rushing attack.
4. Smash-mouth football
Saturday afternoon’s showdown in Madison will feature two teams that are a deviation from the norm in today’s world of college football, where pass-oriented offenses reign supreme.
These offenses resemble Big Ten offenses of years past, such as the last time the Gophers won a conference title (1967).
The Badgers and Gophers have two of the country’s strongest rushing attacks, ranking third and 25th, respectively.
While Wisconsin, of course, is led by Melvin Gordon, Minnesota has a solid running back of its own in David Cobb.
Cobb, a senior, has rushed for 1,430 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season, which includes a 145-yard, three-touchdown performance two weeks ago against Ohio State. Cobb left last week’s game against Nebraska with a hamstring injury, but is expected to be ready for this weekend.
5. How the Big Ten West (and Paul Bunyan’s Axe) was won
The rivalry between Wisconsin and Minnesota is the oldest in the entire FBS, but these two teams haven’t played a game of any real significance (beyond winning bragging rights and a gigantic axe) since Barry Alvarez was still patrolling the sidelines in Madison.
But this time around, a spot in the Big Ten championship game hangs in the balance.
Though Minnesota holds a 59-56-8 lead all-time, the Badgers have won 10 straight and 17 of the last 19 meetings between these two teams, but the days of this rivalry being completely one-sided seem to be numbered.
Head coach Jerry Kill has completely revived the Gophers, and should probably be named the Big Ten Coach of the Year regardless of Saturday’s outcome.
Both Paul Bunyan’s Axe and Big Ten West supremacy will be on the line when these two teams clash at Camp Randall Stadium, which speaks volumes to just how far Kill has brought the program in less than four years.
