MADISON, WIS. – P.J. Fleck's program grew on Saturday. His team played men's football. Hard, physical, confident and opportunistic football.

The Gophers burst into a house of horrors and left with a bowl game ticket and a rivalry trophy that had been missing for so long that it had become a mere rumor.

Gophers 37, Wisconsin 15.

Enjoy it, Gophers fans. It's not a misprint.

No luck, either. The Gophers dominated their rival in a way that left no doubt about the best team at Camp Randall Stadium.

"What a game," said Fleck.

More than a game, it was a turning point for Fleck's program, not just because the Gophers became eligible for the bowl, although it certainly represents a tangible sign of progress in the second year.

This is the kind of declared victory that makes believers skeptical. The kind of victory that should trigger a dismal presence. The kind of victory that gives credibility to Fleck's flawless positivity and the insistence that better days come.

Yes, the Badgers have not achieved the expected result this season, but do not attach an asterisk to the 128th meeting between border rivals. The Gophers ended their 14-game drought because they were better prepared and fought their opponent.

The Gophers did not wait until 00:00 before rushing to take Paul Bunyan's ax. They left the sideline with 30 seconds to go, a thundering herd seeking to claim his precious reward.

"I know it's a moment and I remember that they will remember the rest of their lives," Fleck said.

The Gophers have delivered one of their most impressive and complete performances of Big Ten for a long time. The offense gave the Badgers a taste of their own drug by punishing them on the ground, fueled by Mohamed Ibrahim, who runs with a heart the size of Montana.

The defense produced four turnovers to overcome the loss of its best player, linebacker Blake Cashman, ejected in the second quarter on a targeting penalty. The Gophers kept Wisconsin at its lowest in the series since 1990, when the Badgers scored three points.

Fleck then announced that he was removing the provisional title tag for defensive coordinator Joe Rossi, a promotion that appeared to be a formality given the remarkable transformation of the defense under Rossi's last three games after the reversal. Fleck by Robeck.

And the special teams contributed to the match's biggest game with a 69-yard return from Demetrius Douglas for a touchdown that raised their lead to 17-0.

Attack, defense, special teams … The Gophers could not have better scripted it.

Even when things went wrong, they had a positive reaction to prevent the game from playing for Wisconsin.

The Gophers held Wisconsin in check in the first set of the second half, after the Badgers scored with a second at halftime to reduce the deficit to 17-7. It seemed like a turning point.

Another goal came after Carpenter's referee pushed money to 20-7 in the third quarter. After the kickoff, the Badgers escaped the ball into the deepest part of their territory. Minnesota's Justus Harris attempted to score and score. Instead, he jumped the ball and the Badgers recovered to keep possession of the ball.

A missed opportunity, but the defense extinguished any hope when Julian Huff – Cashman's replacement – intercepted a pass on this series.

The whole game went that way. A punchy piece after the next, methodical and relentless.

"We have been treating all week as a playoff," said Fleck.

The stakes were not so high. The Gophers needed a win to reach 6-6 and extend their season with a bowl game. The meaning goes further than that.

Fleck's program needed a signature victory to establish momentum and legitimacy. This slings them in the off season with a positive mood. The story changes too. People will talk about Gophers football with enthusiasm and optimism now, no derision.

The emotional release was something to see. The Gophers could not contain themselves in the last 30 seconds. Fourteen years of disappointment and heartbreak sent them off their sidelines in a volcanic eruption of joy.

They have well deserved it.