Minnesota Sports Roundup: Gopher football looking for their first win in Madison since 1994

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MADISON - The University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin will play in football for the 122nd time when the two teams clash tomorrow in Madison, Wisconsin.

No two teams in the history of college football have played against each other more. The Golden Gophers hold a 58-55-8 overall series lead, but the Badgers have won 15 of the last 17 matchups. To the winner of the series goes "Paul Bunyan's Axe," which has been in play since 1948. Prior to that, the teams played for the "Slab of Bacon," which was lost in 1943 and later found in 1994. This year, the Gophers enter the game with a 4-2 record, while Wisconsin is 5-2. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPNU.

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Several injured Minnesota football players are expected to be well enough to play in Saturday’s border-battle at Wisconsin. Quarterback MarQueis Gray is considered questionable for the game. He suffered an ankle injury in the third quarter of last week’s Gopher homecoming loss to Northwestern. Receivers Issac Fruechte, Marcus Jones, and Devin Crawford-Tufts are also questionable – along with left offensive tackle Ed Olson, and defensive tackle Roland Johnson. Safety Derrick Wells missed some of the Northwestern game with a laceration on one of his legs. But he’s expected to play on Saturday.

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The Minnesota Timberwolves say all-star forward Kevin Love will not need surgery on his broken hand. Love suffered two fractures in his shooting hand Wednesday while working out. Wolves President David Kahn says the fractured bones on Love's right hand are expected to heal on their own. Kahn says Love broke his left hand at almost the same time during the 2009-2010 preseason. He flew to New York to see the specialist who performed his surgery three years ago for a second opinion. Love is expected to miss six- to eight-weeks of the season. Minnesota is at Chicago tonight for a preseason game.

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The WNBA Minnesota Lynx owned the second-best road record in the league this year and if they are two win a second consecutive WNBA title, they will need to win at least one of the next two road games at Indiana. Minnesota and Indiana split the first two games of the 2012 WNBA Finals in Minnesota and now the next two tilts are in Indianapolis, including tonight's Game Three, which tips at 7 p.m. The Lynx were 11-and-6 in road games during the regular season. Here is the WNBA Finals schedule and results:

Game One: Indiana 76, Minnesota 70 (Ind leads series 1-0)

Game Two: Minnesota 83, Indiana 71 (series tied 1-1)

Game Three: Minnesota at Indiana, Friday, 7pm

Game Four: Minnesota at Indiana, Sunday, 7pm

Game Five: Indiana at Minnesota, Wednesday, 7pm (if necessary)

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A pair of 4-and-2 teams meet up Sunday as the Vikings host the Cardinals Sunday at the Metrodome. After a 4-and-0 start, the Cardinals have lost back-to-back games to the Rams and Bills to fall to 4-and-2. Minnesota dropped its game last week in Washington. Arizona quarterback Kevin Kolb is expected to miss several weeks with cartilage damage in his ribs, leaving John Skelton to start. Kickoff Sunday is noon.

Sunday's game between the Vikings and Cardinals will be the 26th all-time meeting between the two clubs. Minnesota leads the series 14-10 and has won the last nine out of 11. This is the third straight season the Cardinals have visited the Metrodome, with Minnesota winning each of the earlier contests. In fact, the Cardinals have never won a game inside of the Metrodome, with the Vikings being a perfect 7-and-0 under the roof. Last year, the Vikings beat Arizona 34-10 in Minneapolis.

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