Eric Burrell formed his hands around a phantom handle and swung his arms down again and again, aimed at where the goalpost sprouted from the Camp Randall Stadium field.
The Wisconsin safety had just intercepted Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan in the end zone in the second quarter, reading the quarterback's mind before the ball ever left his palm. His chopping pantomime as celebration must have sprung from a similar premonition.
Wisconsin toppled the Gophers, 20-17 in overtime, Saturday in a close game, some semblance of revenge for the 2018 loss on home turf to the bitter border rival. For the Gophers, there was no revenge for last season's defeat at TCF Bank Stadium that took the Gophers out of the Big Ten championship game and Rose Bowl.
This year's final game of the season didn't have as exciting prospects on the other side, with the winner likely only earning a berth to the low-tier Guaranteed Rate Bowl next Saturday. But the win did help Wisconsin to an even 3-3 record while the Gophers will probably exit 2020 with a losing one at 3-4.
For both teams, this year was disappointing and turbulent. The coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc on the offseason, preventing teams from full spring practices and training camps. The Big Ten Conference eliminated nonconference games and started, stopped and restarted the season, eventually settling for a delayed and shortened schedule with no flexibility for rescheduling.
The Gophers and the Badgers were two of several teams to experience COVID-19 outbreaks that canceled two of their games, including the original rivalry match Nov. 28. The Big Ten reinstating it for Saturday's championship week slate was a special exception that allowed the 130-year-old matchup to not miss just its second year since 1890.
Ending this season on a high of beating its archrival was Wisconsin's to enjoy.
The Gophers were able to overcome Nebraska on the road last week despite missing 33 players from COVID-19 positive tests and injuries, after returning from their two-week outbreak where cases peaked at 49. Many players returned for Wisconsin, though, including offensive linemen Axel Ruschmeyer and John Michael Schmitz; tight ends Ko Kieft and Bryce Witham; as well as defensive end Micah Dew-Treadway.
The Badgers were not as lucky, playing without numerous key offensive starters in top-two receivers Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor; top-two running backs Jalen Berger and Nakia Watson; and left tackle Cole Van Lanen
Wisconsin's offense had been on a skid for weeks under quarterback Graham Mertz, and the absences didn't help. The unit opened the game missing a 46-yard field goal while relying heavily on the ground game.
Morgan had a strip-sack call reversed which allowed him to pooch punt to the 1-yard line. Mertz took his own sack from defensive tackles Dew-Treadway and DeAngelo Carter.
The Gophers took the first lead on Morgan's 16-yard pass to running back Cam Wiley late in the first quarter, but Wisconsin struck back early in the second on a 39-yard run from Garrett Groshek
Morgan marched the team up to the 2-yard line only for a holding penalty to call the team back to the 12, inciting the passing play Burrell picked.
The teams stayed deadlocked, with both struggling on third-down conversions. The Gophers broke that halfway through the third quarter on a 38-yard field goal from Anders Gelecinskyj.
But Wisconsin took its first lead soon after, thanks to its third-string quarterback. Mertz took a hard hit to the head on a run from defensive end Boye Mafe and nickleback Justus Harris just short of the end zone. Chase Wolf came in to throw a 4-yard pass to Jack Dunn for his first career touchdown.
Wisconsin's defense, which tops the Big Ten, sacked Morgan again and gave Wolf a chance to orchestrate an entire drive while Mertz returned to the locker room with apparent concussion-like symptoms. Wolf relied on Groshek, who became the first Badgers running back to eclipse 100 yards in a game on that drive, which ended in Collin Larsh's 31-yard field goal.
A 9-yard pass from Morgan to receiver Mike Brown-Stephens, the first of the red-shirt freshman's career, tied the score once again with fewer than five minutes to play.
The Badgers seemed determined to wind down the clock and nab a last-second score, until Coney Durr came around with an interception of his own. The cornerback picked off Wolf's deep pass in the end zone, giving his offense a chance for the win with just more than a minute to play. But Morgan took a strip sack, which the Gophers recovered, but not with enough time for a play before overtime.
Wisconsin held the Gophers to just a field-goal attempt in overtime, with Gelecinskyj missing the 36-yarder just wide. But Larsh didn't miss his 30-yarder, giving the Badgers a second-consecutive victory.
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The Star Tribune reporter did not travel for this game. This article was written using the television broadcast and video interviews after the game.
