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1st Quarter Report
Fortunes may be turning around for Minnesota after losing three in a row. They have jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead against Wisconsin. Minnesota took a big hit to their ego last Saturday, so a win here would be a pleasant pick-me-up.
If Minnesota keeps playing like this, they'll bump their record up to 6-6 in no time. On the other hand, Wisconsin will have to make due with a 6-6 record unless they turn things around.
Preview
Wisconsin has enjoyed the comforts of home their last two games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will face off against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium. Wisconsin will be strutting in after a victory while Minnesota will be stumbling in from a loss.
Wisconsin gave up the first points last Saturday, but they didn't let that get them down. They walked away with a 24-17 win over Nebraska. The win came about thanks to a strong surge starting at the 6:00 mark of the first quarter, when they were facing a 14-0 deficit.
Wisconsin's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Tanner Mordecai, who threw for 160 yards and a touchdown. Braelon Allen was in the mix as well, providing Wisconsin with two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Minnesota's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Saturday after their third straight loss. They were dealt a punishing 37-3 loss at the hands of Ohio State. Minnesota has not had much luck with Ohio State recently, as the team's come up short the last three times they've met.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, the Golden Gophers had trouble moving the ball and finished the game with only 159 total yards. They were smoked by their opponents in that department as Ohio State gained 434.
Wisconsin now has a winning record of 6-5. As for Minnesota, they now have a losing record at 5-6.
Looking ahead, Wisconsin is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by two points. For those looking to play the spread, keep Wisconsin's opponent in mind: they have a subpar 1-4 record against the spread vs Minnesota over their last five matchups.
Wisconsin came up short against Minnesota in their previous meeting back in November of 2022, falling 23-16. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Minnesota's Athan Kaliakmanis, who threw for 319 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 11.0 yards per attempt. Now that Wisconsin knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
