Luke Fickell wrapped up his first regular season as head coach at Wisconsin in winning fashion. The Badgers took down Minnesota 28-14 behind a dominant performance from Braelon Allen, reclaiming Paul Bunyan’s Axe after a pair of losses in the rivalry.

After the game, Fickell had Wisconsin’s locker room riding high. He said the Axe is headed “right back up” to the Badgers’ trophy case before praising the team for rallying together.

“That’ll go right back up in that trophy case. I’m proud of you guys. I’m not going to take a hell of a lot of time, I want you guys to relax and have a good time,” said Fickell. “But this might be the last time this entire group is together. This brotherhood is fricking strong.”

As for the season-long journey, Fickell said the unit is stronger now after navigating the ups and downs of the season. The Badgers are 7-5 and will get another game in bowl season.

Fickell capped his locker room speech with an emphatic “sink the boat” to a round of cheers.

“We know we’ve been through the ups and downs, but that’s what makes us who we are. That’s what’s going to continue to push us forward as we continue to move,” said Fickell. “Because we got hit in the stomach, because we got punched in the face, because we were challenged. Comfort does not make us who we are… enjoy this night and just remember: Sink the boat!”