Gophers Beat Badgers in the Snow, 17-7
Saturday, November 29, 2025
Minnesota handled the snow and wind, got three turnovers, and had excellent field position in beating Wisconsin 17-7 in Minneapolis to move ahead in the all-time series record over the Badgers, 63-63-8.
“That’ our North,” Minnesota coach P. J. Fleck said in his first remark at the post-game press conference. “Tha’s Gopher football.”
The game completed the regular season for the Gophers, who have won all seven of their home games and lost all five of their road games.
As was the case with some of their other Big Ten wins at home, the Minnesota was outgained, the Badgers getting 268 yards from scrimmage to 218 for the Gophers. The difference was turnovers with cornerback John Nestor getting all three—once by covering a loose ball after a Badger snap hit the man in motion—and twice on second-half interceptions.
Tom Weston was a big part of the field position, twice punting out of bounds inside the Wisconsin 10 (one of them on the 1). His counterpart, Sean West, punted for distance rather than coffin corners, and he was dreadful, averaging 27 yards in the first half, including a shanked 11-yarder.
Minnesota came away empty after Nestor’s fumble recovery on the Wisconsin 22. Brady Denaburg had his 38-yard field goal attempt partially blocked by Ben Barten.
On its next drive, Minnesota got to the Wisconsin 37 and Weston’s punt put the Badgers at their own 1. With the ball on the 5, West punted only 20 yards, Koi Perich falling on the ball at the Wisconsin 35. The Gophers barely advanced the ball, but Denaburg this time was successful with a 33-yard field goal midway through the second quarter.
After an even shorter punt by West, Minnesota got the ball at its own 45. Three plays later, Darius Taylor burst through the line and ran for a 49-yard touchdown to make the score 10-0.
Wisconsin finally got a big play on its next drive, with Hunter Simmons—in for Carter Smith—connecting with Vinny Anthony down the right sideline, for a 67-yard gain to the Minnesota 5. On fourth and goal from the 1, Simmons rolled right and threw to Charlie Jarvis on the right edge of the end zone. Jarvis was ruled to be out of bounds, but the call, after a review, was changed to a touchdown.
Down 10-7, Wisconsin had the ball first in the second half. The Badgers drove to the Minnesota 37 and had time to set up on the next play, but his pass to Tucker Ashcroft was deflected by linebacker Maverick Baronowski and intercepted by Nestor, who returned it eight yards to the Wisconsin 44.
Later in the third quarter, Wisconsin got to the Minnesota 20, but Nestor stepped in front of a pass to Krech Kekahuna, intercepted at the 16, and returned it 68 yards to the Wisconsin 16. On a third-and-seven from the 13, Lindsey found tight end Jameson Geers in the end zone for a touchdown, completing the scoring in the game.
Lindsey completed 18 of 24 passes for 90 yards. He didn’t fire long, but he fired accurately and found his receivers.
“Good quarterbacks win games,” said Fleck. “Elite quarterbacks beat rivals.”
Smith, who started the game, was 5 for 8 for 20 yards. Hunter Simmons was 12 for 19 with two interceptions for 162 yards.
Taylor was the leading rusher in the game, getting 100 yards on 19 carries. For Wisconsin, Darrion Dupree had 51 yards on 12 carries.
For the receivers, Geers was targeted four times, caught all four, for 27 yards. Anthony was the leading Wisconsin receiver with four receptions for 92 yards, including 67 on his big run that set up the Badgers’ only touchdown.
Fleck expounded on the rivalry with Wisconsin, which Minnesota has dominated in recent years after a long dry spell, finding a way to use one of his favorite words again: “Elite teams find a way to beat your rivals.”