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Paul Bunyan Trophy — Looking Back – 1959

Looking Back is a Special Feature by Jeff Cummins

Many places claim to be the birthplace of Paul Bunyan. As far as the Michigan and Michigan State football programs are concerned, Paul was born in East Lansing.

The football rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State began in 1898, but 1953 marked a new chapter in the rivalry. Michigan State joined the Big Ten conference in 1953, and the rivals agreed that the Paul Bunyan Trophy would be awarded to the winner of the game each season. You could even make the argument the trophy changed the rivalry to some degree. The two schools had always been very different. The University of Michigan had long been regarded as an elite research institution, while Michigan State began its existence as Michigan Agricultural College. Michigan dominated the series for decades, building a resentment among Michigan State students, alumni and fans. Michigan State’s entry into the Big Ten suddenly gave the Spartans a solid platform to confront the Wolverines.

The first installment of this year’s series looking back at the Paul Bunyan rivalry takes us back to that ’53 game, which was played in East Lansing. A pair of midseason defeats tarnished Michigan’s record, but the sight of Michigan State on the opposing sideline should have ignited a fire under the Wolverines. It certainly inspired the Spartans, who always gnashed their teeth at the sight of the maize and blue.

Worse yet, Michigan State coach Clarence “Biggie” Munn had the Spartans well prepared for Michigan. Munn had considerable success recruiting players from Texas to play for Michigan State, and that gave the Spartans a significant advantage.

The rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State has always been marked by the ability to run the ball. The team that runs better usually wins, and Michigan State used a pair of rushing touchdowns and a fierce defensive effort to top Michigan, 14-6, giving the Spartans their fourth consecutive victory over Michigan. Munn retired from coaching after the 1953 season to become the athletic director at Michigan State. Michigan fans and alumni didn’t shed any tears over his departure from the sidelines.

Many thanks to YouTube and YouTube poster College Football Historian for the highlight film of this game. As always, we own nothing, and this blog post is provided strictly for the enjoyment of readers.

About Jeff Cummins

Jeff Cummins has written about football since 1998, including nine years with The Record of Hackensack, N.J. He frequently contributes feature stories to Touchdown Illustrated, an insert in the national college football game program, published by University Sports Publications, and he has also written the official pregame stories for the game programs of the Rose Bowl, the Cotton Bowl, the Sugar Bowl, the Gator Bowl, and the BCS National Championship game. He has written the preview story for the official program for the NHL Winter Classic at MIchigan Stadium, and numerous college basketball feature stories for College Hoops Illustrated, another game program insert published by University Sports Publications. In addition, he has written stories about theater, music, physical therapy, and newsletter marketing. He’s an avid Michigan football fan and long-time New York Jets season ticket holder, and he can be reached at jeffcummins@optonline.net.