Michigan players ready to reclaim Paul Bunyan Trophy: 'It's time to have him back in Ann Arbor'
Michigan Wolverines football head coach Jim Harbaugh walked up the tunnel after his team’s 41-17 win over No. 10 Penn State on Saturday, and saw his star running back, junior Blake Corum. Harbaugh congratulated him on rushing for 166 yards and 2 scores in the victory.
Corum’s response: “It’s on to Michigan State.”
Harbaugh found his offensive linemen postgame, a group that paved the way for 418 rushing yards against the Nittany Lions.
“Heck of a performance,” Harbaugh told them.
“On to Michigan State, coach,” they responded.
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Michigan has a bye this week before taking on the in-state rival in primetime at The Big House. The focus quickly shifted to the Spartans, who are also off this coming weekend, even after a marquee victory over an undefeated Nittany Lions squad.
“We have more time to prepare, more time to game plan and scheme against the team,” Michigan senior EDGE Mike Morris said. “So I like it a lot. But the drive to beat them isn’t going to stop on this bye week.”
“We want Paul back. We want him back,” Michigan sophomore quarterback J.J. McCarthy said of the Paul Bunyan Trophy after the Wolverines’ win over Penn State. “They’re coming to our house. … We’re ready for that one. We’re going to be turning the page pretty quick.”
“We have the 24-hour rule — everybody knows the 24-hour rule — but we gotta get Paul back,” Michigan senior offensive lineman Karsen Barnhart, a Paw Paw, Mich., native, said. “Especially for me, being a Michigan guy, I’ve only beaten them once, my freshman year. Now, it’s time to have him back in Ann Arbor.”
Michigan has dropped its last two games to the Spartans, including a 37-33 setback in East Lansing a year ago. While the Maize and Blue still went on to win the Big Ten and earn a College Football Playoff bid, the loss has stayed in the back of their minds.
The defense, especially, took that game to heart. The unit allowed Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III to rush for 5 touchdowns and was out of sorts on a number of the Spartans’ quick-tempo snaps.
“A lot,” Michigan junior safety R.J. Moten said after being asked how much the game eats at the defense. “Especially because me personally, I’m hard on myself, and I feel like if I would’ve caught that second pick in the second quarter, the game could’ve ended differently, or if I could’ve made that tackle when Kenneth scored, the game could’ve ended differently.
“We made some mistakes as a defense last year playing them.”
The Wolverines feel Oct. 29 is an opportunity to right those wrongs. Michigan placed more emphasis on beating Michigan State during the offseason, and head coach Jim Harbaugh even added a win over them on the team’s list of goals along with taking down Ohio State, winning the Big Ten and being crowned national champions.
“Like Mike Mo’ said after practice, there’s dust growing where he is [stored outside the Michigan locker room after the Wolverines beat the Spartans], so we’re hungry and eager and ready to play.”
The Maize and Blue would love nothing more than to be able to snatch Paul Bunyan back, bring him up the Lloyd Carr tunnel and set him outside the team’s locker room, where they feel is his rightful place.
