The Gophers carried a two-game losing streak into Saturday’s game, but they’re leaving with a 17-7 win over their biggest rival, and they will have Paul Bunyan’s Axe for the fourth time in five years.
The 135th meeting between Minnesota and Wisconsin was played exactly how it was intended to. It was below freezing, and swirling snow created a tricky weather environment for both teams.
The first big play of the game happened when John Nestor recovered a Wisconsin fumble at the 22-yard line, which set the Gophers up in prime scoring position. Their offense gained only two yards before attempting a 38-yard field goal with Brady Denaburg, which was blocked. It was his fourth miss in his previous seven attempts.
Denaburg quickly got redemption with a 33-yard field goal in the second quarter, which broke a streak of three straight misses. A 49-yard touchdown run on Minnesota’s next offensive drive from Darius Taylor flipped the game on its head. The oft-injured running back looked explosive, despite the snowy conditions, and delivered the Gophers a 10-0 lead with just under three minutes to go in the half.
The Badgers had only one offensive play of more than 10 yards in the first half before true freshman QB Carter Smith found Vinny Anthony II for a 67-yard touchdown. It eventually set up a one-yard touchdown on fourth and one, which didn’t come without a fair share of drama.
It looked like Wisconsin receiver Jackson Acker could’ve been flagged for illegal touching, but the Badgers cut Minnesota’s lead to 10-7 heading into halftime.
You make this call…
Was Jackson Acker in-bounds here?? 🤔
— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) November 29, 2025
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Wisconsin had a chance to continue some momentum with the ball to start the second half, until Nestor reeled in his fourth interception of the season. Minnesota didn’t do anything with its second forced turnover, gaining zero yards. They gained two total yards and scored zero points on their first two turnovers of the game.
Nestor’s legendary performance added another chapter when he picked off Hunter Simmons for his second interception of the game, and he returned it 68 yards.
John Nestor might never pay for a drink in Dinkytown again after this game.
— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) November 29, 2025
This time, Minnesota found the endzone on a 13-yard touchdown to Jameson Geers, and took a 17-7 lead. In classic Minnesota-Wisconsin fashion, a plethora of punts were exchanged, and the Gophers did a great job of burning the clock and cruised to their seventh win of the season.
The Gophers finish the regular season 7-5. They will play in their fourth straight bowl game, and we’ll now wait until Dec. 7, when the selections are announced after the College Football Playoff field.
