Paul Bunyan Trophy
Michigan-MSU Winner Takes Governor's Trophy Home

The battle for the Paul Bunyan - Governor of Michigan Trophy between intrastate football rivals Michigan and Michigan State will take place for the 48th time Saturday, Oct. 21, 2000, in Ann Arbor.

Presented for the first time in the 1953 meeting between the Wolverines and the Spartans, the Paul Bunyan Trophy is the lesser-known of Michigan's two annual trophy games, shadowed by the nationally recognized Little Brown Jug Game between Michigan and Minnesota.

The Bunyan Trophy was put into circulation by then Michigan Governor G. Mennen Williams. The prize consists of a four-foot wooden statue of the legendary Paul Bunyan astride an axe with feet planted on a map of the state of Michigan. Two flags -- one with the Michigan "M" and the other with the Michigan State "S" -- are planted on either side of Bunyan. A five-foot stand supports the statue.

Michigan State won the first of the Bunyan Trophy games with a 14-6 victory in East Lansing. Since that first game, Michigan has won 27 times, MSU 18 with two ties. The Spartans currently hold the Bunyan Trophy, courtesy of a 34-31 win over the Wolverines a year ago in Spartan Stadium. In the 1970s to mid-1980s, U-M beat the Spartans in 13 of the 14 annual meetings, including a Bunyan Trophy-record streak of eight straight from 1970 to 1977.

Paul Bunyan Governor of Michigan Trophy, Year-by-Year:

1953 MSU 14, U-M 6 1954 U-M 33, MSU 7 1955 U-M 14, MSU 7 1956 MSU 9, U-M 0 1957 MSU 35, U-M 6 1958 MSU 12, U-M 12 1959 MSU 34, U-M 8 1960 MSU 24, U-M 17 1961 MSU 28, U-M 0 1962 MSU 28, U-M 0 1963 MSU 7, U-M 7 1964 U-M 17, MSU 10 1965 MSU 24, U-M 7 1966 MSU 20, U-M 7 1967 MSU 34, U-M 0 1968 U-M 28, MSU 14 1969 MSU 23, U-M 12 1970 U-M 34, MSU 20 1971 U-M 24, MSU 13 1972 U-M 10, MSU 0 1973 U-M 31, MSU 0 1974 U-M 21, MSU 7 1975 U-M 16, MSU 6 1976 U-M 42, MSU 10

1977 U-M 24, MSU 14 1978 MSU 24, U-M 15 1979 U-M 21, MSU 7 1980 U-M 27, MSU 23 1981 U-M 38, MSU 20 1982 U-M 31, MSU 17 1983 U-M 42, MSU 0 1984 MSU 19, U-M 7 1985 U-M 31, MSU 0 1986 U-M 27, MSU 6 1987 MSU 17, U-M 11 1988 U-M 17, MSU 3 1989 U-M 10, MSU 7 1990 MSU 28, U-M 27 1991 U-M 45, MSU 28 1992 U-M 35, MSU 10 1993 MSU 17, U-M 7 1994 U-M 40, MSU 20 1995 MSU 28, U-M 25 1996 U-M 45, MSU 29 1997 U-M 32, MSU 7 1998 U-M 29, MSU 17 1999 MSU 34, U-M 31