Gophers hoping to stick an Axe in their season

It's as if Paul Bunyan himself took the Axe and chopped the Wisconsin Badgers down to size.

The Gophers are 0-11 against Wisconsin since they last defeated the Badgers in 2003, but Saturday will be Minnesota's best chance in years.

The Badgers are 8-3, with the nation's top scoring defense, but they are a shell of themselves offensively. Melvin Gordon is in the NFL, Corey Clement has been hobbled by a sports hernia, and the usually thick offensive line is paper thin.

Northwestern won 13-7 at Camp Randall on Saturday. Clement played, and Wisconsin still rushed for minus-26 yards. That includes six sacks, the last of which knocked Joel Stave from the game.

Of course, it's just the Gophers' luck that this would be the year they have to limp into this rivalry battle, too. They are missing three starters on the offensive line and six key players on defense.

They played better against Wisconsin each year under Jerry Kill, shrinking the losing margin each time: 29, 25, 13 and 10. Last year, the Gophers led 17-3 at Wisconsin, before the Badgers took control in an eventual 34-24 win.

Now, the Gophers (5-6) need a win to become bowl-eligible. It will be Senior Day at TCF Bank Stadium. And Kill will be there for the first time since he retired Oct. 28 for health reasons.

The Gophers had long planned to make this their Epilepsy Awareness Game, so it will have extra meaning for Kill.

"It's the one trophy game that Coach [Kill] wasn't able to be a part of winning while we've been here," coach Tracy Claeys said Sunday. "So I think that has some extra incentive to it, to try and [win that for him].

"He's the one that has coached [the seniors] all those years, so it would be good to see him there at the game. The kids will enjoy it, too."

The Gophers ended a four-game losing streak Saturday with a 32-23 victory over Illinois. True freshman running back Shannon Brooks led the way, rushing for 174 yards and three touchdowns.

But Illinois outgained the Gophers 433-343. Minnesota will need a better defensive effort to slay Wisconsin.

The Badgers' two Big Ten losses have been defensive slugfests in Madison — Iowa (10-6) and then Northwestern. In both games, Wisconsin allowed fewer than 100 passing yards and had a late-game drive sputter on the opponent's 1-yard line.

Stave had disappointing performances in both games. He threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles against Northwestern, and he also took a sack on second-and-goal at the 1 with no timeouts. But with Clement and the offensive line hurting, the passing game has been Wisconsin's best hope all season. It's been a real challenge in the team's first year with Paul Chryst at the helm.

"I think Paul's a good coach because good coaches find out what their teams do best, and that's what they do," Claeys said. "And you may not like it. He may want to turn around and hand the ball off 50 times a game. And he's recognized that that's not their strength, and they've had a great season."

Claeys felt the Gophers matched up pretty well with the Badgers last season, but Wisconsin was a 15-point favorite heading into that game, which decided the Big Ten West title. This time, the Badgers opened as a mere 1 ½-point favorite.

The winner gets Paul Bunyan's Axe. This is the 125th meeting between the schools, making it the longest rivalry at this level of college football.

"There is not a better way to end the season," Claeys said. "Obviously, they are still a very good football team, and it will be a heck of a challenge. But at least we get a chance to get it here at home. And with the bowl possibilities, there is a lot of extra stuff there.

"The main thing is the kids don't get too emotional and so excited that you don't do your job."

The way the past two months have gone, that's a nice season-ending concern to have.

Joe Christensen • jchristensen@startribune.com