The Minnesota Golden Gophers needed a big play to spark the team early if they wanted to win Paul Bunyan’s Axe. Sophomore receiver Rashod Bateman provided it by roasting Wisconsin’s secondary for a 51-yard, go-ahead touchdown.
Bateman utterly fooled the Badgers’ defensive back with a short stutter on his route to pull him in. Once the cornerback jumped towards the initial move, Bateman went deep and hauled in a dime from Tanner Morgan for the game’s opening touchdown.
Bateman has been unstoppable for opposing defenses nearly every week. He entered Saturday with 1,023 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Now, he’s quickly adding to those numbers in Minnesota’s biggest game of the year.