Luke Fickell says Gophers have 'as balanced of an offense' they've seen all year

The Badgers coach has high praise for rival Minnesota.

Luke Fickell / Picture via: Wisconsin Athletics (YouTube)

The Wisconsin football team will welcome Minnesota to Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis., on Friday for the 134th playing of their historic rivalry for Paul Bunyan's Axe. Badgers coach Luke Fickell was very complimentary of the arch-rival Gophers at his weekly press conference on Monday.

"They've done a really good job; they've played well all year. It's a really good football team. I think they are solid across the board, man," Fickell said. "They can throw the football. They can run the football really really well. But you can't sleep on the things they can do throwing the football as well."

Under coach P.J. Fleck, Minnesota has become known as one of the most run-heavy offenses in the country, but that has not been the case this season. The Gophers run the ball on 45.7% of their plays, which ranks No. 110 in college football. New Hampshire transfer quarterback Max Brosmer has transformed the Gophers offense into a very balanced attack that relies on a multitude of pass-catchers.

"They got some dynamic guys on the outside, they use their tight ends really well. So, it's as balanced of an offense that we've seen all year," Fickell said.

Minnesota's top two pass-catchers are Daniel Jackson, who leads the team with 802 receiving yards, and Elijah Spencer, who's second on the team with 528 yards. Running back Darius Taylor is heavily involved in the passing attack with 48 catches for 320 yards on the season, while tight end Jameson Geers has added 24 catches for 236 yards.

Wisconsin has faced some of the top offenses in college football such as Alabama, Southern Cal, Penn State and Oregon, so the fact Fickell considers Minnesota as balanced as an offense they've faced should tell you all you need to know.

The Gophers are fresh off a narrow one-point defeat against No. 4 Penn State, and they were a few plays away from beating North Carolina and Michigan, so they've been much more competitive than their 6-5 record suggests. Fickell and the Badgers will need to play their best football on Friday to pick up their sixth win and clinch bowl eligibility.