[2][3] Jewett transferred to Northwestern in 1893 and too became that university’s first African American football player.

[5] In 1925, Northwestern halted Michigan's march to a national championship with a 3–2 victory on a muddy Soldier Field.

[9][10] The Wildcats returned to prominence under head coach Ara Parseghian, defeating the Wolverines in consecutive games in 1958 and 1959.

[11][12] Following Parseghian's departure, the series reached its lowest point as Michigan won 19 consecutive games from 1966 to 1992.

The Wildcats won their first Big Ten Conference title that season since 1936, and were invited to play in the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1948.

The trophy honors George Jewett, who was the first African American college football player to play in the Big Ten Conference and at both schools.

This marked the first Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) rivalry game trophy named for an African American player.

Running back Kalel Mullings rushed for three touchdowns as Michigan became bowl eligible with the win.