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MINNEAPOLIS - The No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) will look to complete an undefeated regular season and retain Paul Bunyan's Axe on Saturday afternoon when they take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers (5-6, 2-6) at TCF Bank Stadium.
Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CST, and the game is scheduled to air on ABC. Make sure you're up to speed on what you need to know about the game with our Pre-Snap Read below.
FIRST READ: STOP THE RUN
The Golden Gophers have a nice collection of running backs to use, and have had most of their success this year when they have been able to run the ball behind the likes of Rodney Smith, Kobe McCrary, Shannon Brooks and quarterback Demry Croft. The Badgers have done a great job of stopping the run this year: they're allowing just 79.3 yards on the ground per game - the lowest amount in the FBS, and they'll need to turn in another great effort on the ground to keep the Gophers from running their usual offense and moving the chains. They'll need to keep an eye out of gadget plays, too. The Gophers are playing for a bowl bid, and it wouldn't surprise me if they did deep in to their playbook to see if they can get something to stick.
SECOND READ: RUN THE BALL
Wisconsin's offense has a similar dynamic going on - they're at their best when they can run the ball behind Jonathan Taylor and the rest of their running backs, either moving the chains or setting up short third downs. If they can do that then they'll be able to throw the ball when they want to and try and catch the Gophers off guard. The Gophers, meanwhile, are allowing 4.6 rushing yards per attempt this year (86th in the country) - and 5.0 in conference play (12th in the Big Ten). If the Badgers can run their own offense and move the chains it will make their life much easier on Saturday.
THIRD READ: WIN THE TURNOVER BATTLE
The Badgers have a lot of strengths that match up well against Minnesota's weaknesses, but to avoid the upset the Badgers can't afford to turn the ball over much more often than the Gophers do during the game. The Badgers haven't done a great job of protecting the football this year, and they could use an interception-free game from quarterback Alex Hornibrook. But Minnesota quarterback Demry Croft will give Wisconsin opportunities to force turnovers of their own, and the team that wins the turnover battle - and makes the most of them when they happen will set themselves up for success.
WEEKLY PODCAST
BADGERBLITZ.COM STAFF PREDICTIONS
John Veldhuis: Wisconsin 31, Minnesota 14
(11-0 this season)
Balls can bounce in funny ways during rivalry games, but the strengths of this Wisconsin team really do seem to line up well with the areas where Minnesota has struggled this year.
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John Veldhuis covers Wisconsin football, basketball and recruiting for BadgerBlitz.com on the Rivals.com network. Follow him on Twitter at @JohnVeldhuis.
