.png&width=42&height=42&type=webp)
University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
8-4 , 5-3
Wisconsin
10-2 , 7-1
Minnesota Falls at Wisconsin 34-24
11/29/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
 |
|  | |||||||||||||||||||
| 24 | | 34 |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nov. 29, 2014
Final Stats | Photo Gallery 
MADISON, Wis. -- Melvin Gordon ran for 151 yards and accounted for two scores, and No. 14 Wisconsin rallied from a two-touchdown deficit to beat Minnesota (No. 18 CFP , No. 22 AP) 34-24 on Saturday night to earn a trip to the Big Ten championship game.
Joel Stave threw for 215 yards, including 160 to receiver Alex Erickson. Stave's 17-yard touchdown pass to Robert Wheelwright with 4:41 left in the game gave the Badgers (10-2, 7-1) a 10-point lead, and Wisconsin's defense held from there.
The Badgers will play Ohio State (No. 6 CFP, No. 7 AP) next week for the league title after claiming the West Division crown.
It was not easy. Physical Minnesota (8-4, 5-3) let a 17-3 lead early in the second quarter slip away. David Cobb ran for 118 yards on 25 carries, including a 40-yard score.
Gordon limped off the field with 3:12 left in the game, favoring his right ankle.
"Mel-vin Gor-don! Mel-vin Gor-don!" adoring fans at Camp Randall Stadium chanted for their Heisman contender. He had his right ankle taped up and took the field for the end-of-game kneel-down after Minnesota tossed four incompletions on its final desperate drive.
There was no way that Gordon was going to miss the end of what was likely his final home game. A bright NFL future awaits the junior running back.
Gordon set a Big Ten single-season rushing record on his first carry after coming in tied with former Wisconsin running back Ron Dayne at 2,109 yards.
He had lots of help on Saturday night.
Stave and Erickson combined to torch the Gophers secondary. Backup running back Corey Clement, playing with a right shoulder injury, scored on a 28-yard run on his first carry with 6:20 left in the third quarter to give the Badgers their first lead of the night, 20-17.
Clement, the heir apparent to Gordon in the backfield, finished with 89 yards on seven gritty carries.
Wisconsin celebrated after time expired, having secured Paul Bunyan's Axe for an 11th straight season.
Minnesota's milestone regular season ended sooner than they had hoped.
Quarterback Mitch Leidner ran for 54 yards and two scores on 14 carries. His 2-yard touchdown run with 7:32 left got the Gophers within 27-24, but Wisconsin answered right back with Wheelwright's touchdown catch.
Team Stats
MINN 7, WIS 0
MINN - Leidner, Mitch 10 yd run (Santoso, Ryan kick), 2 plays, 13 yards, TOP 0:43
MINN 7, WIS 3
WIS - Gaglianone, R. 24 yd field goal 12 plays, 69 yards, TOP 5:34
MINN 14, WIS 3
MINN - Cobb, David 40 yd run (Santoso, Ryan kick), 1 plays, 40 yards, TOP 0:09
MINN 17, WIS 3
MINN - Santoso, Ryan 37 yd field goal 10 plays, 30 yards, TOP 4:12
MINN 17, WIS 10
WIS - Gordon, Melvin 4 yd pass from Stave, Joel (Gaglianone, R. kick) 6 plays, 80 yards, TOP 2:52
MINN 17, WIS 13
WIS - Gaglianone, R. 38 yd field goal 3 plays, 49 yards, TOP 0:18
MINN 17, WIS 20
WIS - Clement, Corey 28 yd run (Gaglianone, R. kick), 7 plays, 80 yards, TOP 3:37
MINN 17, WIS 27
WIS - Gordon, Melvin 1 yd run (Gaglianone, R. kick), 6 plays, 69 yards, TOP 2:34
MINN 24, WIS 27
MINN - Leidner, Mitch 2 yd run (Santoso, Ryan kick), 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:25
MINN 24, WIS 34
WIS - Wheelwright, Ro 17 yd pass from Stave, Joel (Gaglianone, R. kick) 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 2:51
