Gophers-Wisconsin preview: Players to know, pivotal matchups and a prediction

Minnesota has one final opportunity to rewrite its 2025 regular-season story on Saturday afternoon.

Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell is shown during the third quarter of their game against Maryland Saturday, September 20, 2025 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It's rivalry week. Minnesota will host Wisconsin at Huntington Bank Stadium on Saturday afternoon for the 135th edition of their historic rivalry. The Badgers are fresh off an impressive 27-10 win at home over No. 21 Illinois, and they're performing much better than their 4-7 record would indicate. Can the Gophers make it 4 out of 5 wins against their most bitter rival?

Two teams trending in different directions

When Wisconsin started its season 2-6, there was a serious question about head coach Luke Fickell's future with the program. The administration announced that he would be returning for his fourth season on Nov. 6, and his team has turned a corner. They're 2-1 over the last three weeks with a pair of ranked wins over Washington and Illinois at home. With the hardest schedule in the country, according to ESPN's FPI, it's clear Wisconsin is playing its best football of the season.

Wisconsin football fans storm the field after their team beat #23 Washington Saturday, November 8, 2025 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. Wisconsin beat Washington 13-10. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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It has been a different story for Minnesota. The Gophers needed overtime to beat Michigan State at home, which is one of the Big Ten's two winless teams in conference play. They proceeded to get blown out by Oregon on the road and give up 38 points to Northwestern the following week. Recent trends would give the Badgers an advantage on Saturday.

Keys to the game

Despite the recent success, Wisconsin's quarterback play has still been among the worst in the country. They haven't had a signal caller throw for more than 100 yards since October 4 against Michigan. True freshman Carter Smith has become the team's starter, but he has completed 53.3% of his passes for 181 yards, two total touchdowns and one interception in the last three weeks combined.

Nov 22, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Carter Smith (5) warms up before a game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images | Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images

The Badgers have regained some of their past running success with 145.6 yards per game on the ground over the last three weeks. Sophomore Darrion Dupree has a career-high 17 carries for 131 yards and two touchdowns against Illinois. Redshirt freshman Gideon Ituka suffered a scary injury against Indiana, and Dupree has seemingly taken his place as the lead back.

Prediction

Minnesota has severely struggled against the pass in all of its games against Power Conference opponents outside of the Nebraska and Iowa showdowns. Facing a team like Wisconsin could be exactly what this struggling defense needs.

Drake Lindsey looked like he had refound some confidence last week against Northwestern, and I think Minnesota's offense could have some success against the Badgers. These are two evenly matched teams and a huge game for both sides, despite less-than-stellar records. I expect the Gophers to do just enough to finish the 2025 regular-season win over their rival.

Score: Minnesota 18, Wisconsin 15