It was 14 long seasons, but Minnesota finally brought Paul Bunyan’s Axe back to Minneapolis.

Saturday, the Gophers posted an impressive 37-15 win over Wisconsin in Madison, marking the first time since 2003 Minnesota had defeated the Badgers. It’s also the first time the Gophers have touched the axe in a decade-and-a-half.

But the players and coaches weren’t the only ones thrilled about the victory. There were plenty of fans who were excited to see Paul Bunyan’s Axe back in Minneapolis as well. And several of them showed up on campus to greet the team, as well as the axe.

This is just another reason why college football is the best.

Minnesota’s win also pushed the team to 6-6 on the year, meaning it’ll be bowl eligible for the first time under head coach P.J. Fleck. Last fall, the Gophers finished 5-7.

The Gophers defeated Purdue and Wisconsin in two of their final three games to get to the .500 mark and secure a spot in the postseason.

Considering all the adversity this team has faced — the injuries, blowout losses and change at defensive coordinator — beating Wisconsin and earning bowl eligibility is a pretty tremendous feat. It’s really awesome that so many Gopher fans showed up to share that moment with the team.