Redshirt freshman Athan Kaliakmanis hit Le’Meke Brockington with a 45-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter as visiting Minnesota rallied for a 23-16 victory over Wisconsin on Saturday, retaining Paul Bunyan’s Axe in college football’s longest rivalry.
The Badgers had a final drive from their own 30 after Matthew Trickett hit the right upright on a 48-yard field goal attempt with 1:48 left. Chase Wolf replaced injured quarterback Graham Mertz midway through the drive. A pass interference call in the end zone gave Wisconsin a first-and-goal at the five, but the Badgers committed four penalties, moving them back to the 30.
Wolf’s pass on fourth-and-goal from the 25 with 5 seconds left was incomplete in the end zone.
Minnesota (8-4, 5-4 Big Ten) defeated Wisconsin two years in a row for the first time since 1994. The series is tied, 62-62-8.
The Badgers (6-6, 4-5 Big Ten) dropped to 4-3 under interim coach Jim Leonhard, promoted from defensive coordinator when Paul Chryst was fired the day after a 34-10 loss at home to Illinois.
Chimere Dike scored on a 9-yard reverse to put Wisconsin in front 16-13 late in the third quarter. Minnesota tied it 16-16 on Trickett’s 27-yard field with 7:58 remaining.
The Gophers forced a three-and-out to set up the winning 71-yard drive. Kaliakmanis, making his third consecutive start in place of injured Tanner Morgan, hit Brockington across the middle at the 33 and he outran the secondary.
Justin Walley picked off Mertz on Wisconsin’s next possession, but Trickett’s miss gave the Badgers one last shot.
Kaliakmanis completed 19 of 29 passes for 319 yards and two touchdowns. Mohamed Ibrahim, first in the nation with 152.4 yards per game, finished with 70 yards on 27 carries, ending his streak of 100-yard rushing games at 19.
Trickett connected on a 50-yard field goal that grazed the crossbar on the Gophers’ opening possession of the third quarter to make it 13-6. Nate Van Zelst responded with his third field goal, a 36-yarder, to cut the lead to 13-9.
Trickett’s 25-yard field goal on the final play of the first half put Minnesota up 10-6.
The Gophers answered an opening field goal with a 10-play, 81-yard drive capped by Kaliakmanis’ 6-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Jackson.
Wisconsin was without leading rusher Braelon Allen, out with a right leg injury. Chez Mellusi rushed 19 times for 75 yards. Mertz completed 16 of 27 passes for 170 yards.
-Field Level Media
