For those of you who live in Michigan, are college footballs fans or are in the know, you can’t escape the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry that has gone on for decades. Tomorrow marks the largest football game in the Mitten State. Ever wonder how this rivalry began? Here’s a little history lesson…..
Fun Facts
- · The University of Michigan and Michigan State University first played in 1898 and have met almost every year since 1910
- · The competition became a conference rivalry with Michigan State’s entrance into the BigTen Conference in 1950
- · The winner of each year’s game receives the Paul Bunyan Trophy, which was added in 1953, when MSU became a full member of the Big Ten
- · In 2013 the series will continue in East Lansing for the 106th time!
- · In 1978 Michigan was ranked No. 5 in the country when the unranked Spartans visited Ann Arbor. U of M had won the eight previous series meetings under Bo Schembechler when MSU, led by QB Eddie Smith and wide receiver (and future MLB star) Kirk Gibson led the Spartans to a 24-15 win. MSU would go on to share the Big Ten title that season with the Wolverines.
- · The 2004 game ended with Michigan defeating Michigan State 45–37 in the first triple overtime game at Michigan Stadium. MSU quarterback Drew Stanton was knocked out of the game late in the first half after accounting for 80 yards rushing and 95 yards passing, and was replaced by backup Damon Dowdell. Michigan was down 27–10 with just 8:43 left in the fourth quarter, but the Wolverines managed to tie the game at 27 by the end of the fourth quarter.
- · On October 20, 2012, the Wolverines defeated the Spartans for the first time since 2007, despite not scoring a touchdown in the game. Michigan won in Ann Arbor 12–10 to earn back the Paul Bunyan Trophy.
- · Jack Conklin, son of our agency’s own Jennifer Jackson and Darren Conklin, No. 74, started off his career as a redshirt freshman in 2012 and can be seen playing in tomorrow’s game!
Be sure to tune into the game tomorrow, Nov. 2 at 3:30pm ET,
on ABC live from Spartan Stadium
Here’s a Spartan sweet treat for tomorrow’s game!
Football Field Fudge!
Ingredients:*
For the Fudge+
· 1 cans sweetened condensed milk
· 3 cups white chocolate chips
· Green food coloring
For the Crust (by Crazy For Crust)
· 12 Oreos
· 3 tbsp. melted butter
For the Footballs
· 9 chocolate covered almonds
· 1/4 c. white melting chocolate, melted
Instructions:
- Crush the Oreos and mix them with the melted butter. Press into the bottom of a lined 9×9 baking dish. Bake for 3-5 minutes, depending on how crunchy you want.
- Over low heat, combine the chocolate chips and the sweetened condensed milk. Stir until melted and smooth, and pulling away from the edges of the pot.
- Mix in the green food coloring. Pour over the oreo crust. Refrigerate for at least two hours or let cool overnight.
- Pipe on the white melting chocolate to look like football seams on the almonds. (If you’re ambitious and have more time– and a more successful batch of fudge– than I did, pipe on the yard lines!)
GOOD LUCK MSU SPARTANS AND JACK!
