Paul Bunyan Trophy: Michigan vs. Michigan State
Trophy Series (since 1953): Michigan leads 41-29-2
Overall Series: Michigan leads 74-38-5
The annual Michigan-Michigan State game gives the winner state bragging rights, an inside track to a bowl game, and last, but certainly not least, ownership of the Paul Bunyan - Governor of Michigan Trophy.
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. 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.
After Michigan State captured the trophy in back-to-back seasons (2020, 2021), the Wolverines brought it back to Ann Arbor with a 29-7 victory at home on Oct. 29, 2022. U-M has now won three straight in the series, with a 49-0 win on the road on Oct. 21, 2023, and most recently, a 24-17 victory on Oct. 26, 2024, in the Big House.Â
Michigan's results in the Paul Bunyan Governor of Michigan Trophy series (through 2024; the programs are next scheduled to play in 2025):
| Date | W/L | Score | Site | Rank |
| Nov. 14, 1953 | L | 6-14 | A | -/4 |
| Nov. 13, 1954 | W | 33-7 | H | -/- |
| Oct. 1, 1955 | W | 14-7 | H | 2/- |
| Oct. 6, 1956 | L | 0-9 | H | 5/2 |
| Oct. 12, 1957 | L | 6-35 | H | 6/2 |
| Oct. 4, 1958 | T | 12-12 | A | 16/4 |
| Oct. 3, 1959 | L | 8-34 | H | -/- |
| Oct. 1, 1960 | L | 17-24 | A | -/- |
| Oct. 14, 1961 | L | 0-28 | H | 6/5 |
| Oct. 13, 1962 | L | 0-28 | A | -/- |
| Oct. 12, 1963 | T | 7-7 | H | -/- |
| Oct. 10, 1964 | W | 17-10 | A | 7/t9 |
| Oct. 9, 1965 | L | 7-24 | H | -/5 |
| Oct. 8, 1966 | L | 7-20 | A | -/1 |
| Oct. 14, 1967 | L | 0-34 | H | -/- |
| Oct. 12, 1968 | W | 28-14 | H | -/12 |
| Oct. 18, 1969 | L | 12-23 | A | 13/- |
| Oct. 17, 1970 | W | 34-20 | H | 6/- |
| Oct. 9, 1971 | W | 24-13 | A | 2/- |
| Oct. 14, 1972 | W | 10-0 | H | 5/- |
| Oct. 13, 1973 | W | 31-0 | A | 5/- |
| Oct. 12, 1974 | W | 21-7 | H | 4/- |
| Oct. 11, 1975 | W | 16-6 | A | 8/15 |
| Oct. 9, 1976 | W | 42-10 | H | 1/- |
| Oct. 8, 1977 | W | 24-14 | A | 3/- |
| Oct. 14, 1978 | L | 15-24 | H | 5/- |
| Oct. 6, 1979 | W | 21-7 | A | 11/16 |
| Oct. 11, 1980 | W | 27-23 | H | -/- |
| Oct. 10, 1981 | W | 38-20 | A | 6/- |
| Oct. 9, 1982 | W | 31-17 | H | -/- |
| Oct. 8, 1983 | W | 42-0 | A | 14/- |
| Oct. 6, 1984 | L | 7-19 | H | 13/- |
| Oct. 12, 1985 | W | 31-0 | A | 3/- |
| Oct. 11, 1986 | W | 27-6 | H | 4/- |
| Oct. 10, 1987 | L | 11-17 | A | 12/- |
| Oct. 8, 1988 | W | 17-3 | H | 17/- |
| Oct. 14, 1989 | W | 10-7 | A | 5/21 |
| Oct. 13, 1990 | L | 27-28 | H | 1/- |
| Oct. 12, 1991 | W | 45-28 | A | 5/- |
| Oct. 10, 1992 | W | 35-10 | H | 3/- |
| Oct. 9, 1993 | L | 7-17 | A | 9/- |
| Oct. 8, 1994 | W | 40-20 | H | 7/- |
| Nov. 4, 1995 | L | 25-28 | A | 7/- |
| Nov. 2, 1996 | W | 45-29 | H | 9/- |
| Oct. 25, 1997 | W | 23-7 | A | 5/15 |
| Sept. 26, 1998 | W | 29-17 | H | -/- |
| Oct. 9, 1999 | L | 31-34 | A | 3/11 |
| Oct. 21, 2000 | W | 14-0 | H | 16/- |
| Nov. 3, 2001 | L | 24-26 | A | 6/- |
| Nov. 2, 2002 | W | 49-3 | H | 15/- |
| Nov. 1, 2003 | W | 27-20 | A | 11/9 |
| Oct. 30, 2004 | W | 45-37 (3ot) | H | 12/- |
| Oct. 1, 2005 | W | 34-31 (ot) | A | -/11 |
| Oct. 7, 2006 | W | 31-13 | H | 6/- |
| Nov. 3, 2007 | W | 28-24 | A | 15/- |
| Oct. 25, 2008 | L | 21-35 | H | -/- |
| Oct. 3, 2009 | L | 20-26 (ot) | A | 22/- |
| Oct. 9, 2010 | L | 17-34 | H | 18/17 |
| Oct. 15, 2011 | L | 14-28 | A | 11/23 |
| Oct. 20, 2012 | W | 12-10 | H | 23/- |
| Nov. 2, 2013 | L | 6-29 | A | 23/24 |
| Oct. 25, 2014 | L | 11-35 | A | -/8 |
| Oct. 17, 2015 | L | 23-27 | H | 12/7 |
| Oct. 29, 2016 | W | 32-23 | A | 2/- |
| Oct. 7, 2017 | L | 10-14 | H | 7/- |
| Oct. 20, 2018 | W | 21-7 | A | 6/24 |
| Nov. 16, 2019 | W | 44-10 | H | 14/- |
| Oct. 31, 2020 | L | 24-27 | H | 13/- |
| Oct. 30, 2021 | L | 33-37 | A | 6/8 |
| Oct. 29, 2022 | W | 29-7 | H | 4/- |
| Oct. 21, 2023 | W | 49-0 | A | 2/- |
| Oct. 26, 2024 | W | 24-17 | H | -/- |
Rankings (U-M/MSU) from Associated Press poll
