It would be easy for the members of the University of Wisconsin football team to look at Minnesota's 1-10 record and dismiss the Gophers as a nothing more than a speed bump before the finish line of what has been a long journey through the regular season.
But the Badgers are smarter than that. Even if they weren't, coach Bret Bielema provided a reality check Sunday when he met with the team one day after its 37-21 victory over Michigan at Camp Randall Stadium.
While the 117th meeting of the UW-Minnesota rivalry appears to be a mismatch on paper -- the Badgers are 13- point favorites -- Bielema made it clear to his charges that they shouldn't underestimate the Gophers.
"When you play a game like this, you really have to throw the records out the window," said UW senior kicker Taylor Mehlhaff, throwing out a tired clich that nonetheless seems appropriate for this matchup. "It doesn't matter what we are, what they are. Like coach said in the meeting the! y're going to treat this like it's their bowl game. They're going to come ready, that's for sure."
Beating the first-place Wolverines enhanced UW's bowl profile, extended its home winning streak to 14 games and made the seniors the winningest class (39-10) in program history. It also was a signature victory for a team that was lacking in that department prior to last Saturday.
In other words, it was a victory you'd like to savor for a few days -- only the Badgers realize that wouldn't be a wise move.
Because as great as they felt walking off the field Saturday with a victory over a program they've beaten just 12 times in 61 meetings, UW knows it would feel equally miserable to see Minnesota players sprinting across the Metrodome field early Saturday evening to collect Paul Bunyan's Axe.
That's exactly why the Badgers need to ignore Minnesota's record -- which includes an 0-7 mark in Big Ten Conference play -- and place as much importance on this ! game as they did against Big Ten powerhouses Ohio State and Mi! chigan t he previous two weeks.
"It definitely would be an easy thing to do," UW senior wide receiver Paul Hubbard said of being complacent after the big win. "But I feel like our guys, we've got one thing in mind and that's to finish the season strong, and complacent is nowhere in that vocabulary of finishing the season strong -- so we're going to go out there and handle our business."
It should be easy for Hubbard and the other seniors to stay locked in this week because they know what this rivalry is all about. The Axe has been in the Badgers' possession since beating Minnesota 38-14 in 2004 -- the current seniors were freshmen at the time -- so Hubbard and Co. would be devastated if it didn't join them on their plane ride back to Madison Saturday night.
Bielema showed the Axe to the team during Sunday's team meeting. For true freshmen like tailback Zach Brown and cornerback Aaron Henry, it was their introduction to what this rivalry means to the two border ri! vals.
"I see the passion with everybody else," Brown said, "so it's real easy to see the passion that everybody else has for the game and you just want to enjoy it too."
Brown and the rest of UW's offense might be in for another big day against a Minnesota team which is ranked last in the country in total defense. The Gophers are surrendering 525.6 yards per game.
The Badgers, meanwhile, are coming off a game in which they topped the 200-yard mark in both rushing and passing for just the third time this season. UW became just the second team to accomplish that feat against Michigan this season.
Brown rushed for 108 yards and two touchdowns, while Hubbard (134) and tight end Travis Beckum (106) each topped the 100-yard mark in receiving.
Senior quarterback Tyler Donovan passed for 245 yards and a touchdown and ran for 49 yards and a score before leaving in the fourth quarter with an injured right hand. He said after the game that he'll be f! ine for the Minnesota game.
"Everybody was hitting on e! very cyl inder," Hubbard said. "We were making the blocks, we were making plays, the ball was in there, we were coming down with it. It was just a phenomenal game for us and I feel like we set it up to be that way with the way we practiced leading up to the game."
Now, the Badgers must match that effort this week.
jpolzin@madison.com
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