Minnesota's Jordan Howden picked off Sean Clifford in the end zone with 1:01 left, the third interception thrown by Penn State's quarterback, and the 13th-ranked Gophers held on for a 31-26 victory on Saturday afternoon over the fifth-ranked Nittany Lions for their first win over a top-five team in 20 years.
"That was a huge win for us yesterday, because it was the next one," the Gopher football coach told Dave Mona, Mike Max, and Sid Hartman on Sunday morning.
He wasn't done.
"That's what I love about this football team, they take it one game at a time."
Oh, there was more.
"Doesn't matter who they play, they find a way to get better every week."
And...
"Now, we're back to 0-0, and got to find a way to be 1-0 against Iowa," he said, but not after tagging out his show with the now-familiar mantra.
"Row the boat, Ski-U-Mah, Go Gophers!"
Fleck was complimentary all around for the players, coaches, and the thousands who took in the spectacle at TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
"It's the best college environment I've ever been in. It was real it was authentic. It was the whole state behind you," Fleck said. "That's what we can be. It could be and should be every single week and that's what we're working on."
Among the coaches singled out was offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca, who was with the team making preparations for the Nittany Lions while Fleck was out recruiting during the bye week.
What Cirarrocca came up with helped the Gophers punish a defense that hadn't allowed more than 21 points in a game all season.
The Gophers surpassed that in the first half.
"There's nobody better in the world watching film," Fleck said about Cirarocca. "That's a natural teaching progression. And he's still got to get a lot better."
And the defense, making plays that mattered, and with one of its top players sidelined with an injury.
"You talk about guys stepping in and really playing big," he said, also noting that defensive coordinator Joe Rossi kept working while others were out recruiting.
"They stayed all weekend and continued to be able to dissect Penn State and continue to come up with new ideas," said Fleck.
Next up, the Gophers play at Iowa, a place they haven't won since 1999. But, if P.J. Fleck and the Gophers are teaching us each week, the past isn't going to dictate what happens with this team.