Camp Randall Stadium’s clock struck zero as college football’s oldest trophy rested on the goal post. The stage was set for a celebration 15 years in the making. “Row the Boat” chants filled the air in Camp Randall Stadium as head coach P.J. Fleck braced himself for a full cooler of water. An icy shower poured down on the second-year head coach as players celebrated behind him.
Quarterback Tanner Morgan took a knee with 26 seconds remaining and the moment finally arrived for Minnesota’s football program. With a 37-15 victory over the Badgers, the Gophers ended a streak that lasted 5,495 days and meant Paul Bunyan’s Axe was set for a return to Dinkytown – a place it hasn’t been since 2003.