UW football: Badgers get the last word -- and Axe -- at Metrodome (with photos)

Jim Polzin  —  11/18/2007 10:28 am

MINNEAPOLIS -- University of Wisconsin football coach Bret Bielema has a message for the Metrodome:

Good-bye, dear friend.

Minnesota fans, players and coaches can't wait to get out of this place and into their new on-campus stadium in time for the 2009 season, but Bielema doesn't share that sentiment.

"I like it here,'' he said Saturday evening after the Badgers held on for a 41-34 victory over the Gophers before a crowd of 59,116. "The last two games, it's treated us very well.''

This one may not have matched the 2005 UW-Minnesota game here in terms of sheer drama, but there was plenty of action -- during and after the game -- as No. 24 UW (9-3, 5-3 Big Ten) enhanced its bowl profile and put an end to the Gophers' miserable season.

The Badgers' fourth consecutive victory over Minnesota (1-11, 0-8) wasn't sealed until UW senior defensive back Ben Strickland picked off a pass by Minnesota quarterback Adam Weber with 56 seconds remaining in the game.

After the final seconds had ticked off the clock, Bielema sprinted across the field to shake hands with Minnesota first-year coach Tim Brewster. Their postgame exchange lasted only a few seconds because Bielema turned right around and headed back to celebrate with his players, who were parading with Paul Bunyan's Axe after retaining the rivalry's trophy.

Meanwhile, UW senior kicker Taylor Mehlhaff was heading over to congratulate Minnesota counterpart Joel Monroe on a great game when he was approached by Clint Brewster, the son of the Gophers coach and a freshman quarterback on the team.

According to Mehlhaff, Clint Brewster said: "You guys are terrible. … We're 1-10 and we should have beat you.''

"I just couldn't believe he said that,'' added Mehlhaff, who made two field goals Saturday but missed as many (two) as he had all season. "I was giving their guys high-fives … and telling them good game. I just couldn't believe anyone would come up and be like that.

"And then he said, 'How many kicks did you miss today?' That's pretty bold. I just said, 'I've got to go celebrate (with) the axe.' ''

Bielema revealed the Mehlhaff/Clint Brewster exchange during his postgame news conference and also said he was bothered by an incident between Minnesota wide receiver Eric Decker and UW cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu during the game. In the second quarter, Decker appeared to punch Ikegwuonu in the groin area while blocking him, causing Ikegwuonu to leave the game for a play.

"You want a rivalry,'' Bielema said, "you've got one.''

It's unclear whether Bielema was directing that comment toward Brewster. It's also unclear whether Bielema's postgame sprint over to Brewster was in response to something the Gophers coach reportedly said during a pep rally involving Minnesota students last month.

According to a post on a fan message board by a student who claimed to be at the event, Brewster told the students he'd be the first one across the field to collect Paul Bunyan's Axe when the Gophers beat the Badgers. Brewster later dismissed the report as an embellished Internet rumor.

The action on the field was just as exciting. The Badgers trailed by as many as 10 points in the first half but avoided what would have been an embarrassing upset thanks to several key players.

Zach Brown rushed for 250 yards and two touchdowns, the most yards by a UW true freshman since Ron Dayne's 339 against Hawaii in 1996.

Brown had long runs of 64 and 60 yards to help the Badgers produce 325 rushing yards against a Minnesota defense which ranked last in the Big Ten and 112th nationally in rushing defense entering the game.

Brown's four-yard touchdown run with 5:11 left turned out to be the game-winning touchdown. It gave the Badgers a 41-27 lead and some breathing room it would later need after Minnesota answered 34 seconds later with a 71-yard touchdown reception by Ralph Spry.

"Every week he's just gotten better,'' senior quarterback Tyler Donovan said of Brown, who has rushed for a total of 421 yards and four touchdowns in his three starts. "I think his confidence has gone up and today showed it. We put the ball in his hands in some very critical situations and he came up big for us.''

So did Donovan, who injured his right (throwing) hand last week against Michigan, was limited in practice this week, then missed a series late in the first half Saturday after injuring his left hand.

Donovan didn't have his best day passing (6-of-14 for 114 yards), but he had a touchdown pass to Beckum early in the fourth quarter and rushed for 61 yards and a score.

Donovan also came through with a key two-yard run late in the game after Bielema made a gutsy call by electing to go for it on fourth-and-1 at his team's own 42-yard line.

"Every inch counts, especially in these kind of rivalry games,'' Donovan said. "There's been some weird games fighting for that Axe. Anything can happen, so every little inch counts.''

Finally, there was Strickland, who was a hero in both of his trips to the Metrodome as a player. He scored the game-winning touchdown with 30 seconds remaining in UW's miraculous 38-34 victory 2005 after teammate Jonathan Casillas had blocked a punt by Minnesota's Justin Kucek, who had dropped the snap.

On Saturday, with the Badgers clinging to a seven-point lead, a Minnesota offense that generated 501 total yards -- including 352 through the air -- took over at its own 8-yard line with 1:25 remaining after a beautiful punt by UW's Ken DeBauche.

Gophers quarterback Adam Weber completed a short pass before trying to connect with tight end Jack Simmons downfield. Weber's pass sailed, was deflected and ended up in the hands of Strickland at the Minnesota 34.

Strickland ended his career 2-0 as a player at the Metrodome and Bielema went 2-0 as a UW coach, including his first trip in 2005 when he was still Barry Alvarez's defensive coordinator.

It's no wonder the Badgers aren't ready to say farewell on this place.

"The last couple of years have been good for us here,'' Strickland said. "It's just a way to go out.''

Jim Polzin  —  11/18/2007 10:28 am