Axe Appeal

The record 116th contest between the two teams. The Badgers practiced with the axe on the field all week. Alvarez was responsible for making it an object of affection, and Bielema has gone out of his way to stress rivalry games.

The battle for recruits between the two programs is also ongoing, and the Gophers will soon even the scales with a new on-campus stadium. Wasn't aware they coveted Smith and even tampered with him after he committed to UW. Issac Anderson was also a steal from their own city. His dad attended UM and he watched last year's game behind the UW bench.