Blake Corum Shares How Important It Is To 'Go Out With A Bang' Against MSU This Weekend

Blake Corum came to Michigan in the class of 2020 and he saw immediate playing time. During his freshman season, the COVID-19 year, Corum suffered the only losing season of his Michigan career and one of those losses came to Michigan State in Ann Arbor. The following season, in 2021, Michigan blew a 30-14 lead halfway through the third quarter in East Lansing to suffer back-to-back losses against the Spartans.

But last season, at home, Corum and the Wolverines got the job done. Michigan defeated Mel Tucker and Michigan State, 29-7.

Going back to that 2021 loss in East Lansing, the Wolverines haven't lost a Big Ten game since that baffling loss. Michigan has won 19 straight conference games in a row. The Wolverines have won two Big Ten titles and defeated Ohio State twice in that span.

Not only do the Wolverines want to keep that streak alive and make it 20 straight conference wins, but beating in-state rival Michigan State this weekend means everything to Ann Arbor, the team, and senior Blake Corum.

Corum is 1-2 against Michigan State in his career and while he won last year, Corum thought last year was going to be the last time he played the Spartans during his Michigan career. But Corum decided to come back to Ann Arbor for his senior season and now the importance of defeating MSU and going out with a bang is bigger than ever.

"Living in this state now, you got the bragging rights for the rest of the year if you win," said Corum. "If you lose, you got to wait a whole another year. Where I'm at -- this is my last year -- it's important that I go out with a bang against them. It's important that I finalize, I thought I finalized it last year, but I didn't."

The winner of the game gets to take home a four-foot wooden statue. You may have heard about it. The Paul Bunyan Trophy came into existence back in 1953 and the Wolverines hold a 39-29-2 record since the Trophy has been in play.

Last season was the first time Corum had a chance to hold the statue and he imagines the feeling would be even sweeter if he gets to hold Paul Bunyan up in East Lansing on Saturday night.

"It feels great," Corum smiled when talking about getting the Paul Bunyan Trophy from MSU. "When I grabbed it last year for the first time in my career, it felt great. Now it's just keeping it here. Grabbing it in their stadium, I bet it's even better grabbing it there. I'm very excited, but we have to prepare this week like any other week."

It's rivalry week and @blake_corum's vision is crystal clear. pic.twitter.com/OQ8bi7QHDc
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) October 18, 2023