Gopher Fans Revved Up For Bunyan Axe Battle
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Saturday's game at TCF Bank Stadium will be a renewed rivalry.
"I can't wait, I seriously cannot wait," said Gopher fan Corbett Bjerk. "I've been itching about this for the last week or so."
The Gophers and Badgers have played each other 122 times. They first faced off in 1890, making their rivalry the longest running in Big Ten football.
The Badgers have won the last nine games against the Gophers.
"I hate it," Bjerk said. "I can't stand Wisconsin."
The University of Minnesota is playing with an 8-2 record this season. Fans and the team see a shot at victory.
"We've got a chance," said Gopher fan Laura Adams. "We've got four wins in a row and I'm looking forward to a great game."
"I told our kids you're living the dream right now, just don't wake up you know," Gophers head coach Jerry Kill joked.
With kickoff temps expected to be in the teens, Kill encouraged fans to keep Gopher pride high during the game.
"You defend our house, and I mean you bring your A game, because we cannot win without you, we haven't done it without you," he said.
Gopher fans want to see the underdog team take home a win, so they can take back the Paul Bunyan Axe.
"[It's going] to Dinkytown, Minneapolis, Minnesota," Gopher fan Joseph Haynes said.
"We're playing for a whole lot more," Kill said. "The axe, we need to beat Wisconsin, and every week is important."
