The first game between the University of Wisconsin and Minnesota football teams took place on Nov. 15, 1890 in Minneapolis, while the first game for the Paul Bunyan Axe (though the players didn't know they were playing for it) was on Nov. 20, 1948 in Madison. Following are full accounts or excerpts of those games from the Wisconsin State Journal, The Capital Times and the Milwaukee Sentinel, retyped, punctuated and spelled exactly how these articles originally appeared.

1890: Minnesota 63, Wisconsin 0

Madison Boys Beaten.

The Minnesota Foot Ball Eleven Defeats Them 63 to 0.

[Special Dispatch to The Sunday Sentinel.]

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., Nov. 15.'About 800 people witnessed the foot ball game between the State university and the Wisconsin university. The visitors seemed to lack courage and training. L.K. Hull of Yale, was referee, and A.P. Kletzsch umpire. The score stood 20 to 0 in favor of the Minnesotas, when time was called at the end of the first half the Madison boys couldn't hold back the 'Varsity kickers, who rushed them to the goal lines in short order. Little Sumner was about the only man on the Wisconsin team who seemed to play with any success. He tackled well and made several long runs. Patterson scored the first touch down, from which Minnesota tried to punt out, but failed. Soon after Harding scored another touch down and Belden kick a goal. Patterson followed with another touch down and another attempt was made to punt, which also proved a failure. Patterson had hardly regained his wind, when he was pushed through and scored another touch down. Belden kicked a goal. It was evident at the end of the half that it was a walk-over for the 'Varsity eleven. Madison realized this better than anybody, and the best they hoped for in the second half was to keep Minnesota from shutting them out.

About five minutes after time was called Patterson scored another touch down and Belden kicked a goal. Then Patterson gave way to Leary, who scored three touch downs in succession. Belden kicked a goal twice on Leary's touch downs. Leary's fine work provoked the Wisconsin men to shout 'Look for the man with the bloody nose!' But Patterson wasn't to be held back and equaled Leary by scoring three touch downs in succession also. A goal was kicked with each of these. The score was then 58 to 0 and but one minute was left. This was sufficient, however, as the score was swelled to 63 by Belden kicking a goal from the field, a feat that has never been accomplished before by any of the Northwestern college teams. All though Minnesota blocked well, and Wisconsin could not withstand her beefy rush line. Davidson and Sumner had to retire from the Madison team and were replaced by Miller and Oppenheimer. Guthrie gave way to Harris in the second half. Ann Arbor will likely be the next team to meet Minnesota.

[Appeared in the Nov. 16, 1890 edition of the Milwaukee Sentinel.]

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Couldn't Play Ball

Comments on the Strength of the Uni-Football Team

'Alvin Kletzsch, of the Republican house, ahs returned from Minneapolis,' says The Milwaukee Sentinel, 'where he acted as umpire in the game of football played there Saturday between the teams from the university of Wisconsin and the university of Minnesota, in which the Wisconsin students were gloriously trounced. Speaking of the game yesterday Mr. Kletzsch said: `The Madison boys were not in it. The team that they have got is changed very much from that of last year, and the boys show a lack of practice and familiarity with the game. They went out to Whitewater and defeated the team there by a score of 102 to 0, and this had the effect of making them think that they were invincible. But it is evident that they must have had a very easy team to play against at Whitewater. I think I could have taken six of the members of the Milwaukee Football club and beaten either of the elevens that played at Minneapolis.''

[Appeared in the Nov. 18, 1890 edition of the Wisconsin State Journal.]

1948: Minnesota 16, Wisconsin 0

Gophers Power Over Wisconsin, 16-0, in Mud

Badgers Go Down Fighting in Bruising, Hard-Fought Battle

by Henry J. McCormick, State Journal Sports Editor

Minnesota' big and powerful football team ground Wisconsin into the muddy turf of Camp Randall stadium here Saturday afternoon to score a 16-0 victory before a capacity crowd of 45,000.

This was the 58th renewal of the oldest middle western college football rivalry, and it was the final game of the season for each team unless Minnesota should happen to come up with an invitation to represent the Western Conference in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.

There was nothing flashy about the way the Gophers ground out this victory, but they were a typical Minnesota team in that they were able to move over the ground consistently and in that they had a rock-ribbed defense.

Whether the heavy and slippery footing hurt Wisconsin or Minnesota the more is a question no one can answer, but certainly as this game was played Minnesota was definitely the better team.

Minnesota scored two second quarter touchdowns to take a 13-0 lead at the half, and the Gophers added a field goal in the third quarter to take a lead that looked as safe as it eventually turned out to be.

[The story, which appeared in the Nov. 21, 1948 edition of the Wisconsin State Journal, continues for eight more sections, describing various aspects of the game. Reprinted with permission.]

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Minnesota Spanks Wisconsin in Final Game of Year, 16-0

Gophers Score Twice in Second Quarter, Call 2 Other TDs Back; Badgers Never Seriously Threaten

by Hank Casserly, Capital Times Sport Editor

A deft-handed, nimble footed Minnesota football club with a tremendous defense defeated Wisconsin, 16 to 0, Saturday afternoon at Camp Randall before 45,000 fans on a muddy gridiron, in the final for both teams.

The victory, seventh out of nine games for Minnesota, leaves the Gophers in third place in the final Western Conference standing. For the Badgers it was the seventh defeat in nine starts and it left them cellar champs of the Big Nine with one win and five losses. Minnesota won 5 and lost 2 in conference competition.

It was the third successive season that the Gophers have blanked the Badgers, and the first time Wisconsin was shut out all this season.

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Much has been said and written about the great Minnesota line and considerable had been heard of the slow Minnesota backfield. The visitors line more than lived up to expectations by keeping the Badgers at bay. The farthest Wisconsin penetrated Minnesota territory was the Gopher 49 yard line.

The fable of the slowness of the Minnesota backs was disproved completely. Maybe it was the soggy condition of the field, maybe it was new found speed, but the fact remains that on three distinct and separate occasions, Gopher backs completely outran the Badger speed merchants.

Minnesota in the final game here Saturday was easily the best squad Wisconsin had encountered all season. Besides a hard running attack it had a forward lateral aggregation that handled the slippery ball without a mishap and completed 11 out of 21 forward passes.

[The story, which appeared in the Nov. 21, 1948 edition of The Capital Times, continues for two more sections. Reprinted with permission.]