MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Drew Wolitarsky will leave Minnesota without a Big Ten championship or a high-profile bowl victory, with losses by the Gophers in the majority of their trophy games against longstanding rivals.

That’s not where the story of Wolitarsky’s career ends, though. The Gophers seniors, for all the letdowns they’ve had over the last four years, have 30 wins with two games to go starting on Saturday at Wisconsin. The last class with that many victories was 2006. The Gophers have reached eight wins, including five in the Big Ten, which remain notable benchmarks for this program even in a season with a softer schedule.

Then there’s the off-the-field part, the lessons learned that will linger long after the last route is run and the final ball is caught.

“It’s a life-changing experience. It really is. The main thing it taught me is I have the ability to go out into something extremely new, whether I’m nervous or anxious to do it, and excel in it,” said Wolitarsky , who’s third in the conference with 57 receptions and eighth with 711 yards. “If anything, it’s given me the confidence to do it again. Go somewhere new, try something new and be able to acclimate to it and succeed.”