This Football Team Was So Excited to Beat Their Rival They Broke the 'Victory Bell' Trophy

The University of Minnesota's football team beat Penn State for the first time in nearly a decade Saturday. But the streak wasn't the only thing that was broken.

An exuberant celebration ended up breaking the winner's trophy.

Minnesota players rush to claim the trophy they haven't possessed as a team since 2004. (AP/Ann Heisenfelt)

The Governor's Victory Bell trophy, which is played for only between these two teams, hasn't been in the Golden Gophers' possession since 2004, so suffice it to say they were eager to get their hands on it.

Watch ESPN's footage of the "celebration gone wrong":

The Gophers earned the trophy with a final score of 24-10 over the Nittany Lions. The previous four meetings were won by Penn State.

But does the trophy even really matter?

"This trophy shouldn't exist because Minnesota and Penn State are, like, 800 miles apart from each other, and now it barely exists because the two teams are in different divisions," Roger Sherman for SB Nation wrote.

With the division split, starting in 2011, the teams only suit up against each other four times every 10 years. This will change in 2014 when two other universities join the Big 10, resulting in a Minnesota-Penn State match-up only every six years or so.

(H/T: NPR)

--

[related]