Smallest Crowds, Paul Bunyan Trophy, Playing on Halloween | This Week in Michigan Football History

This Week In Michigan Football History, as played during the WTKA 1050AM 'Countdown to Kickoff' held October 31, 2020 before the Michigan-Michigan State game. Topics: Opponents on Halloween, the Lowest attendance in Michigan stadium history, Rivalry Trophies (The Paul Bunyan Trophy and The Little Brown Jug). For more:

Full script:
Good morning and Happy Halloween!    Did you know this is the 21st time your beloved Meechigan has played on October 31st, but we've NEVER faced the Spartans on this day - in any of the forms our farming friends have taken over the years - not M.A.C., MSC, or MSU.

Due to the circumstances around the corona-virus, today will likely prove to be the lowest attended game in Michigan Stadium history.  The 1931 Wisconsin game holds that distinction (with just over 9,000 fans) but - that was not a planned game on the original schedule - it was a special event to benefit charity, though it did count in the B1G standings.  Next lowest are two "double-headers" to start the 1930 and 1931 seasons that not even 14,000 bothered to attend.  After that you have to go to 1943 to the Western Michigan and Wisconsin games for the next lowest attendance - when football took a backstage to Word War II.

Back to today, beyond the IN-STATE bragging rights we have the matter of the Paul Bunyan Trophy.  Michigan fans traditionally haven't had a ton of love for the strangely gigantic wood sculpture of the bearded fellow  - and there are many reasons for that.    And that probably has to do with THIS WEEK IN MICHIGAN FOOTBALL HISTORY exactly 117 years ago today.

It was Halloween 1903 when entire concept of the college football rivalry trophy tradition was hatched.  It happened when Fielding H. Yost bought a $.30 water jug on a trip to Minnesota.  After the game the Gophers found it, kept it as a trophy, and we played for it in 1909.  Thanks to last weekend's 49-24 BEAT DOWN, today the Jug rests safely inside Schembecher Hall.   Those events on this day 117 years ago spawned over 100 trophies between other schools, including Axes, Spittoons, Buckets, and Cups.

Given Michigan helped start this entire tradition, it's no wonder Wolverine fans don't get excited about the "new" Paul Bunyan Trophy, which didn't get it start for 5 decades after the jug.  Rest assured your beloved Wolverines lead the all-time series 38–27–2 and fully intend to KEEP PAUL HOME!

[ralphmelvin]

Does anybody know if they're going to allow tailgating outside the stadium?