1902 Michigan Wolverines football team
Encyclopedia
The 1902 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan
in the 1902 college football season
. In their second year under head coach Fielding H. Yost, Michigan finished the season undefeated with an 11–0 record, outscored their opponents by a combined score of 644 to 12, and became known as the second of Yost's famed "Point-a-Minute" teams. With a conference record of 5–0, Michigan won the Big Nine Conference
championship. The 1902 Michigan Wolverines have also been recognized as national champions
by the Billingsley Report, Helms Athletic Foundation
, Houlgate System, National Championship Foundation and Parke H. Davis
.
Quarterback
Boss Weeks was the team's captain and the leader of the Wolverines' offense that twice scored more than 100 points against opponents and averaged 58.6 points per game. Right halfback
Albert E. Herrnstein
was the team's leading scorer with 135 points on 27 touchdowns (valued at five points under 1902 rules). Fullback
James E. Lawrence
was the second-leading scorer with 113 points on 12 touchdowns and 53 extra point kicks (then known as "goals from touchdown"). Willie Heston
, Joe Maddock
and Paul J. Jones
added 15, 12 and 11 touchdowns, respectively.
team by the Billingsley Report, Helms Athletic Foundation
, Houlgate System, National Championship Foundation and Parke H. Davis
. The team finished the season undefeated and untied, having prevailed in all eleven of their games by a combined score of 644 to 12. The 1902 squad was the second of five consecutive high-scoring teams that came to be known as Coach Yost's "Point-a-Minute" teams. From 1901 to 1905, Yost's teams compiled a record of 55–1–1 and outscored their opponents by a combined score of 2,821 to 42.
Team captain and quarterback Boss Weeks wrote a review of the 1902 season for the 1903 yearbook, the Michiganensian. Weeks opened his review as follows: "The story of the football season of 1902 is easily told. Champions of the West, with no one to dispute it." In the same publication, Fielding Yost published a 15-point essay entitled, "Why Michigan Is Great." Some of Yost's points included the following:
in November 1902 wrote about the spectators in attendance at Michigan's home game against Minnesota:
. Michigan completed all but one drive with touchdowns. The Wolverines starters scored eight touchdowns and 45 points in the first 20-minute half, and the substitutes added seven touchdowns and a safety in the second half. On defense, Michigan allowed only a single first down by Albion.
The game was played in halves of 20 minutes each. Rinehart of Lafayette was the umpire, and Thomas of Michigan was the referee. Michigan's starting lineup was Redden (left end), Johnson (left tackle), Baker (left guard), Gregory (center), Lawrence (right guard), Maddock (right tackle), Cole (right end), Weeks (quarterback), Heston (left halfback), Herrnstein (right halfback) and Jones (fullback).
) of Cleveland
. The October 4 game was the fifth meeting between the schools. Although Michigan scored eight touchdowns and easily defeated Case by a score of 48 to 6, the big story of the game was a 30-yard touchdown run by Case's left halfback, Davidson. Michigan had not allowed any points to be scored in the first 12 games under Fielding Yost. The headline in the Detroit Free Press
referred not to Michigan's victory but instead read, "MICHIGAN'S GOAL LINE CROSSED." The Michigan Alumnus wrote that the touchdown by Case "caused consternation among coach, team, and students" as "it had been their fondest hope that the goal line should remain uncrossed another year."
The game was played in halves of 20 minutes each. Rinehart of Lafayette was the umpire, and Gaston of Cleveland was the referee. Michigan's starting lineup was Redden (left end), Lawrence (left tackle), McGugin (left guard), Gregory (center), Carter (right guard), Maddock (right tackle), Cole (right end), Weeks (quarterback), Kidston (left halfback), Herrnstein (right halfback) and Jones (fullback).
(now known as Michigan State University
) on Wednesday, October 8, 1902, four days after the win against Case. Michigan attained its highest point total of the year, defeating the Aggies by a score of 119-0. The Wolverines scored 71 points in the first half of 20 minutes and 48 in the second half of 18 minutes. The Michigan Alumnus called it "the greatest fusillade of touchdowns ever known to the football world," excluding Michigan's 128–0 win over Buffalo in 1901. Michigan was held on downs only once in the game, and the Aggies made only three first downs. Right halfback Albert Herrnstein ran back a kickoff the length of the field and scored seven touchdowns in the game. Willie Heston and Everett Sweeley did not play in the game, and the Detroit Free Press noted: "The opinion is quite general that if Heston and Sweeley had been in the game the Buffalo record would have been beaten, but, as it was, Michigan was simply fagged out running down the field for touchdowns."
The game was played in two halves of 20 minutes and 18 minutes. Demonstrating the understatement of the "Point-a-Minute" name given to the team, the Wolverines scored 119 points in 38 minutes of play, an average of 3.1 points per minute. After the game, The Newark Advocate wrote:
Michigan's starting lineup was Redden (left end), Lawrence (left tackle), McGugin (left guard), Gregory (center), Carter (right guard), Maddock (right tackle), Cole (right end), Weeks (quarterback), Kidston (left halfback), Herrnstein (right halfback) and Jones (fullback). Richardson of Michigan was the umpire, and Thomas of Michigan was the referee.
60-0 in the fourth game of the season. The Indiana team was led by College Football Hall of Famer Zora G. Clevenger
.
James Lawrence was the star of the game for Michigan. In his first game after Fielding Yost moved him to the fullback position, Lawrence scored four touchdowns and kicked nine goals after touchdown, accounting for 29 of Michigan's 60 points. The Michigan Alumnus wrote that Lawrence "was called upon repeatedly to take the ball and would always advance it eight or ten yards" with big holes being opened by guards Carter and McGugin. Michigan's "most spectacular play" of the game was a 75-yard touchdown run by Maddock. The Alumnus gave particular praise to the defense: "Only once was Indiana able to make an impression on her impregnable wall and that on a very short run by Clevenger."
At the invitation of Michigan's graduate manager Charles A. Baird
, more than 2,000 school children accompanied by their teachers attended the game. University of Michigan president James B. Angell also attended the game for the first time of the year. Wisconsin Badgers football
coach Phil King also attended the game with his fullback Earl "Keg" Driver to scout the Michigan team in preparation for the upcoming game between the two teams.
The game was played in halves of 25 and 20 minutes. Through the first four games of the season, Yost's "Point-a-Minute" team had scored 315 points in 163 minutes of play, an average of almost two points per minute.
Michigan's starting lineup was Graver (left end), Baker (left tackle), McGugin (left guard), Gregory (center), Carter (right guard), Maddock (right tackle), Cole (right end), Weeks (quarterback), Heston (left halfback), Herrnstein (right halfback) and Lawrence (fullback).
at a neutral site in Toledo, Ohio
on October 18, 2010. The game was played on a slippery white clay field at Armory Park following a night of rain. Michigan had been heavily favored to win, and betting on the game was 2 to 1 that Notre Dame would not score. Though favored to run up a high score, Michigan scored only one touchdown and led 5-0 at the end of the first half. The Detroit Free Press wrote that the game was "the toughest proposition that the Wolverines have had, either this season or last year."
Michigan tackle Joe Maddock was the leading scorer with three touchdowns. The game also marked the debut of right end Everett Sweeley
, who punted several times for a distance of 60 yards. On the opening kickoff, Sweeley returned the ball with a punt to Notre Dame's 43-yard line.
Although Notre Dame did not score on Michigan, its captain, Louis J. Salmon
, demonstrated why he had earned "the reputation of being the hardest line bucker in the west." On one drive, Salmon took the ball to the Michigan 43-yard line in two attempts. After Notre Dame reached Michigan's 20-yard line, "Salmon went at it in the most vicious and determined manner to score. He took the ball eight times in succession but was finally held for downs on the 5-yard line."
In the second half, Michigan's running game wore down the Notre Dame defense. Michigan scored three touchdown in the second half, and Notre Dame did not move into Michigan territory. Michigan end Curtis Redden
was ejected from the game after an altercation with Lonnegan of Notre Dame, though Redden claimed Lonnegan had been the instigator. After the game, Yost said, "I am satisfied. The score is just about what I though it would be after I had taken a look at the field."
The game was played in halves of 25 minutes. Hinkey of Yale was the umpire, and Jackson of Lake Forest was the referee. Michigan's starting lineup was Redden (left end), Cole (left tackle), McGugin (left guard), Gregory (center), Carter (right guard), Maddock (right tackle), Sweeley (right end), Graver (quarterback), Heston (left halfback), Herrnstein (right halfback) and Jones (fullback).
86-0 in Ann Arbor on October 25, 1902. The game was played in front of a crowd of 6,000 (including 2,000 from Columbus), "the largest crowd ever gathered at Ferry Field." Michigan scored 45 points in the first half and 41 points in the second half.
On offense, the Detroit Free Press wrote that the Wolverines "simply ran the Ohio team off their feet." Willie Heston reportedly returned to "his 1901 form," scoring the game's first points with a 20-yard end run after three minutes of play. Heston scored his second touchdown on a 70-yard run. Albert Herrnstein was credited by the Free Press with the most consistent play for Michigan and with "the star play of the day by cutting inside of end and running 35 yards for a touchdown." The Free Press noted that, despite the coaching of former Yale fullback Perry Hale
, the Ohio State players lacked "the first rudiments of tackling" and "failed to hold a man when they got their arms around him."
Michigan's defense was credited with playing a strong game as "Ohio State never got near enough to Michigan's goal line to see what the cross-bars looked like." Ohio State's longest gain was a 15-yard run around Michigan's right end for a 15-yard gain in the second half. Everett Sweeley made the tackle to stop a touchdown. Herb Graver also blocked a punt for Michigan.
The day before the Ohio State game, a reserve player for Michigan, Max Fleischer, died of injuries sustained while participating in a football practice session.
The game was played in halves of 35 and 25 minutes. Hinkey of Yale was the umpire, and Hoagland of Princeton was the referee. Michigan's starting lineup was Redden (left end), Palmer (left tackle), McGugin (left guard), Gregory (center), Carter (right guard), Maddock (right tackle), Sweeley (right end), Weeks (quarterback), Heston (left halfback), Herrnstein (right halfback) and Lawrence (fullback).
. The game matched the two western teams that had finished the 1901 season with undefeated records and was played at Marshall Field in Chicago in front of a crowd estimated variously at between 20,000 and 22,000, the largest number ever to watch a college football game in the west.
The game began at 2:40 p.m., and Michigan scored the game's only points at the end of a 65-yard drive seven minutes into the first half. Willie Heston had the longest run (20 yards) on the drive, and Joe Maddock scored the touchdown on a run through the tackle from the two-yard line. Despite the close score, Wisconsin only once had the ball in Michigan's territory. The Michigan Alumnus wrote:
The Detroit Free Press opened its coverage of the game as follows: "In what is conceded to be the greatest football game ever played on a western gridiron, Michigan decisively defeated Wisconsin on Marshall field this afternoon and undoubtedly won at the same time the championship of the west, though a later game must be won before that honor can be claimed." Four times Michigan moved the ball deep into Wisconsin territory, and all four times Michigan's field goal attempts by Lawrence and Sweeley were unsuccessful.
In the middle of the first half, a temporary bleacher at the northeast corner of the field collapsed, "carrying with it a mass of struggling people." Several hundred people were thrown to the ground in the accident. The Detroit Free Press described the scene following the collapse: "A shudder went through the grand stands, and the game was stopped. A score of men were injured, but no one were killed. The immense crowd about the gridiron took advantage of the confusion to break down the wire fence surrounding it, and hundreds swarmed onto the field. The few police were powerless to force them out, but the scrubs from both teams lined up against the crowd and shoved them away from the side lines so the game could be played." The game was resumed after a 15-minute delay.
The inadequate seating capacity of Marshall Field was blamed for the accident. The bleacher was designed to hold 400 but was crowded beyond its capacity. The facilities were insufficient for the crowd that showed for the game, and there were reports of spectators offering $20 for a ticket.
The game was played in equal halves of 35 minutes. Michigan's starting lineup was Redden (left end), Palmer (left tackle), McGugin (left guard), Gregory (center), Carter (right guard), Maddock (right tackle), Sweeley (right end), Weeks (quarterback), Heston (left halfback), Herrnstein (right halfback) and Jones (fullback).
Approximately 2,000 students accompanied the team to Chicago, and an account from Chicago was relayed to Ann Arbor's Athens theater which was "packed with students and citizens." When the final score was announced, the crowd of 1,500 voices sung, "Oh! What have we done? Oh! What have we done? We have put Wisconsin on the bum. That's what we have done." When the Michigan team returned to Ann Arbor late in the evening, they were met by a big delegation that marched behind the bus singing."
. Michigan scored 17 touchdowns in the game, and its point total was the largest score ever registered against a Big Ten Conference team, and "the largest number ever chalked up by one big university against another." Fielding Yost was absent from the game, choosing to travel to Minnesota to watch the Golden Gophers play in preparation for the upcoming game between the two schools. The Detroit Free Press wrote after the game that "Yost's smile can be seen all the way from Minneapolis."
Michigan scored 65 points in the first half, and its offense dominated the game. The Michigan Alumnus reported:
The Detroit Free Press also noted the innovative nature of Michigan's offensive game plan:
Everett Sweeley was singled out as the star of the Iowa game for Michigan. He converted 10 goals from touchdown, punted for an average of 50 yards, kicked a field goal from the 35-yard line, and returned a punt 90 yards for a touchdown.
After the game, the umpire, Hoagland of Princeton, praised Michigan's blocking (then known as interference): "If you can tell me how you are going to break such a perfect interference, four men running ahead of the man with the ball on end runs without allowing Michigan to make a score, I would like to know how it is done." Michigan's trainer, Keene Fitzpatrick, filled in for Yost as the on-field coach against Iowa. After the game, Fitzpatrick noted:
One of the Iowa team members reported receiving a message from Iowa City: "Oh, My. Isn't it awful. Box the remains and send them home."
In the first eight games of the season, Michigan had scored 537 points (67.1 points per game), more than the 506 points Michigan's 1901 team had scored in the entire regular season.
The game was played in halves of 35 and 30 minutes. Michigan's starting lineup was Graver (left end), Palmer (left tackle), McGugin (left guard), Gregory (center), Carter (right guard), Maddock (right tackle), Sweeley (right end), Weeks (quarterback), Heston (left halfback), Herrnstein (right halfback) and Jones (fullback).
's Chicago Maroons
on November 15, 1902. Michigan won the game 21–0 in front of a crowd of 14,000. The game began at 2:15 p.m. Before the game started, the Michigan fans in attendance released toy red balloons marked "Chicago" into the "somewhat murky and frosty atmosphere." One Michigan fan, described as "a long-haired collegian wearing a yellow and blue streamer, told a reporter, "That is the way we will toss Chicago up in the air."
Everett Sweeley gave Michigan a 5–0 lead with a field goal from a difficult angle at the 25-yard line. Later in the first half, Heston took the ball on a delayed pass and ran 71 yards for a touchdown. Michigan led 10–0 at halftime. In the second half, Sweeley extended Michigan's lead to 15-0 with a field goal from the 17-yard line. With approximately 10 minutes remaining in the game, left tackle William Palmer ran for a touchdown, and Sweeley converted the goal from touchdown to give Michigan its final total of 21 points.
The game was the second match between the two legendary coaches, Yost and Stagg. Michigan had defeated Chicago 22–0 in 1901. Despite the successive defeats, Stagg was credited with developing a "magnificent defense to hold Yost's 'hurry up' offense to 21 points in 70 minutes of play."
The game was played in halves of 35 minutes. Joseph Beacham
of Cornell was the referee, and Raymond Starbuck
of Cornell the umpire. Michigan's starting lineup was Redden (left end), Palmer (left tackle), McGugin (left guard), Gregory (center), Carter (right guard), Maddock (right tackle), Sweeley (right end), Weeks (quarterback), Heston (left halfback), Herrnstein (right halfback) and Jones (fullback).
Early in the second half, Herb Graver fumbled the ball at Michigan's 10-yard line, and the ball was recovered by Oberlin. On a fake field goal, Oberlin took the ball to the four-yard line but was unable to advance the ball further and missed a field goal attempt. Michigan's Herrnstein and Sweeley were both taken out of the game with injuries to their knees.
With Minnesota's head coach Henry L. Williams
and five of his players attending the game to scout the Wolverines, Michigan's quarterback Boss Weeks did not open up the great variety of Michigan's plays and "did not pull much down out of his sleeve for their edification." Only once did Michigan run one of its renowned trick plays, a double pass to Everett Sweeley that was good for 15 yards.
After the game, the umpire, Allen of Chicago, was asked what he thought of the Michigan team and responded: "Why, it goes without saying that Michigan is a wonder. It is the greatest team I ever saw, and I have watched a lot of them."
The game was a benchmark game in which Michigan could be compared to the best teams in the east. Cornell had defeated Oberlin 57–0 earlier in the year, and the Detroit Free Press suggested that Michigan's victory by a greater margin "may give the easterners an eye-opener."
With the popularity of the "Point-a-Minute" tradition at Michigan, the Detroit Free Press reported: "The score is one of particularly gratification to Michigan's enhusiasts as it makes Yost's whirlwinds secure a record that never was equalled before, and probably never will be again. Michigan started out the season with as tough a schedule apparently as any team in the west, and if anybody had made a break that this aggregation would be a 'point to the minute' team the man who made the assertion would have been the guy of the town. Yet now, having played 540 minutes, this scoring machine has piled up 621 points, and even if Michigan is shut out by Minnesota in seventy minutes of play the Wolverines will have obtained an average that is the greatest feat in gridiron history."
The game was played in halves of 30 minutes. Michigan's starting lineup was Redden (left end), Cole (left tackle), McGugin (left guard), Gregory (center), Carter (right guard), Maddock (right tackle), Sweeley (right end), Weeks (quarterback), Heston (left halfback), Herrnstein (right halfback) and Jones (fullback).
In the final game of the 1902 season, Michigan defeated Minnesota 23–6 on Thanksgiving Day. The game got under way at 2:15 p.m. on a brisk afternoon in Ann Arbor. Michigan took the opening kickoff and sustained a 90-yard, seven-minute drive ending with a touchdown by Joe Maddock and a goal after touchdown by Everett Sweeley. The Detroit Free Press reported that, during the opening drive, "the Minnesota line was hurled back, again and again, like that of a minor college eleven." Michigan's second touchdown came on an end run by Heston from the 35-yard line, with Sweeley again kicking the goal to give Michigan a 12–0 lead at halftime. At halftime, South Bend, Indiana
resident Louis Elbel conducted the Michigan band as it played a song Elbel had composed four years earlier which was then known as "The Champions of the West" (now known as "The Victors
").
In the second half, the Golden Gophers scored after Boss Weeks missed the catch on a punt. The ball contacted Weeks and bounded past him. Flynn of Minnesota recovered the ball and ran for a touchdown, only the second touchdown scored against Michigan since Fielding Yost took over as head coach in 1901. Michigan's leading scorer, Albert Herrnstein, was pulled from the game in the second half due to an injury. The Detroit Free Press described Herrnstein's removal from his final game for Michigan as follows: "He had been laid out a number of times, but refused to quit the game until he was unable to stand. Then, crying, he was dragged off the field by trainer Keene Fitzpatrick
." On its next drive, Michigan was stopped at Minnesota's 25-yard line, and Sweeley kicked a field goal for five points to give the Wolverines a 17–6 lead. Sweeley's field goal was converted from a difficult angle, and its success "set the rooters wild." Later in the game, Heston scored the game's final touchdown on a run from the 35-yard line, as he hurdled over a Minnesota tackler. Sweeley added the goal after touchdown to give Michigan the win at 23–6. With the win, Michigan completed its second consecutive perfect season
under Fielding Yost.
The game was played in equal halves of 35 minutes. Michigan's starting lineup was Redden (left end), Cole (left tackle), McGugin (left guard), Gregory (center), Carter (right guard), Maddock (right tackle), Sweeley (right end), Weeks (quarterback), Heston (left halfback), Herrnstein (right halfback) and Graver (fullback).
, who played left guard for the 1902 team, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
for his accomplishments as head coach at Vanderbilt
from 1904 to 1934. And end/tackle William C. "King" Cole led the Nebraska Cornhuskers
to two Missouri Valley Conference
championships. The 1902 Michigan players who went on to head coaching positions are:
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in the 1902 college football season
1902 college football season
The 1902 college football season had no clear-cut champion, with the Official NCAA Division I Football Records Book listing Michigan and Yale as national champions....
. In their second year under head coach Fielding H. Yost, Michigan finished the season undefeated with an 11–0 record, outscored their opponents by a combined score of 644 to 12, and became known as the second of Yost's famed "Point-a-Minute" teams. With a conference record of 5–0, Michigan won the Big Nine Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
championship. The 1902 Michigan Wolverines have also been recognized as national champions
NCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship
A college football national championship in the highest level of collegiate play in the United States, currently the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , is a designation awarded annually by various third-party organizations to their selection of the best...
by the Billingsley Report, Helms Athletic Foundation
Helms Athletic Foundation
The Helms Athletic Foundation was an athletic foundation based in Los Angeles, founded in 1936 by Bill Schroeder and Paul Helms. It put together a panel of experts to select National Champion teams and make All-America team selections in a number of college sports including football and basketball...
, Houlgate System, National Championship Foundation and Parke H. Davis
Parke H. Davis
Parke Hill Davis was an American football player, coach and historian who retroactively named the national championship teams in American college football from the 1869 through the 1932 seasons. He also named co-national champions at the conclusion of the 1933 season...
.
Quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Boss Weeks was the team's captain and the leader of the Wolverines' offense that twice scored more than 100 points against opponents and averaged 58.6 points per game. Right halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
Albert E. Herrnstein
Albert E. Herrnstein
Albert Ernest Herrnstein was an American football player and coach. He played at the University of Michigan as a halfback and end from 1899–1902 and was the head football coach at the Haskell Indian School , Purdue University , and Ohio State University .-University of Michigan:A native of...
was the team's leading scorer with 135 points on 27 touchdowns (valued at five points under 1902 rules). Fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
James E. Lawrence
James E. Lawrence
James Edmund Lawrence was an American football player. He played college football for the 1902 Michigan Wolverines football team that compiled an 11–0 record and outscored opponents 644 to 12...
was the second-leading scorer with 113 points on 12 touchdowns and 53 extra point kicks (then known as "goals from touchdown"). Willie Heston
Willie Heston
William Martin "Willie" Heston was an American football player and coach. He played halfback at San Jose State University and the University of Michigan. Heston was the head football coach for Drake University in 1905 and North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, now North...
, Joe Maddock
Joe Maddock (coach)
Joseph Herbert Maddock was a college football player and coach. He was an All-Western tackle for the University of Michigan's "Point-a-Minute" football teams from 1902–1903. He also set a Western Conference record in the hammer throw...
and Paul J. Jones
Paul J. Jones
-External links:...
added 15, 12 and 11 touchdowns, respectively.
Schedule
Overview
The 1902 Michigan football team won Michigan's second consecutive western football championship. Although there was no mechanism in place at the time for the selection of a national champion, the 1902 Wolveirnes have been recognized as the national championshipNCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship
A college football national championship in the highest level of collegiate play in the United States, currently the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , is a designation awarded annually by various third-party organizations to their selection of the best...
team by the Billingsley Report, Helms Athletic Foundation
Helms Athletic Foundation
The Helms Athletic Foundation was an athletic foundation based in Los Angeles, founded in 1936 by Bill Schroeder and Paul Helms. It put together a panel of experts to select National Champion teams and make All-America team selections in a number of college sports including football and basketball...
, Houlgate System, National Championship Foundation and Parke H. Davis
Parke H. Davis
Parke Hill Davis was an American football player, coach and historian who retroactively named the national championship teams in American college football from the 1869 through the 1932 seasons. He also named co-national champions at the conclusion of the 1933 season...
. The team finished the season undefeated and untied, having prevailed in all eleven of their games by a combined score of 644 to 12. The 1902 squad was the second of five consecutive high-scoring teams that came to be known as Coach Yost's "Point-a-Minute" teams. From 1901 to 1905, Yost's teams compiled a record of 55–1–1 and outscored their opponents by a combined score of 2,821 to 42.
Team captain and quarterback Boss Weeks wrote a review of the 1902 season for the 1903 yearbook, the Michiganensian. Weeks opened his review as follows: "The story of the football season of 1902 is easily told. Champions of the West, with no one to dispute it." In the same publication, Fielding Yost published a 15-point essay entitled, "Why Michigan Is Great." Some of Yost's points included the following:
"First. Speed. Both as a team and in the individual players, Michigan was speedy. ...
Second. Knowledge of the Game. All of the Michigan players were well versed in the fundamental principles of the game in every department. ...
Third. Endurance. the men are of wonderful endurance. This is much due to their fine training ...
Fourth. Spirit. Among the players there is the finest of fellow-feeling. The men's love of the game had helped give them the proper spirit. They have the desire to win -- the spirit of fighters.
Fifth. Team Work. Michigan's team work has been wonderful. ...
Seventh. Weight. Michigan had a well-balanced team. The average was 182 pounds very equally distributed. But one man weighed over 200 pounds (Carter) and but one less than 170 pounds (Weeks at quarterback).
Eighth. Style of Attack. Michigan varied her onslaughts very much, depending largely upon the style of defense used by the team opposing it. Every man on the team was used to carry the ball, thus distributing the work.
Ninth. Generalship. Captain Weeks deserves great credit for Michigan's success. As a leader of forces and strategist I believe he has no equal on the gridiron today. ...
Tenth. Punting. In Sweeley, Michigan has one of the greatest kickers in the country. Never has he had a kick blocked in his four years' play at Michigan. ...
Twelfth. Defense. Michigan's defensive playing has been wonderful. No team was able to cross Michigan's goal on straight football in the last two years ...
Fifteenth. Met All Teams. Michigan's schedule was far harder than that usually arranged for a team. She played five state universities and all the strong Western teams."
Popularity of football on campus
With the success of Yost's football team, football enjoyed a surge of popularity on Michigan's campus in 1902. Even the student literary magazine, The Inlander, which usually filled its pages with poems, short stories, and essays by students, gave its entire December 1902 issue to a celebration of the football team. The special issue featured a photograph of Yost on the cover and included all manner of facts and figures on the popular team. Noting the popularity of the sport with Michigan's female students, Detroit Free PressDetroit Free Press
The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
in November 1902 wrote about the spectators in attendance at Michigan's home game against Minnesota:
"But the dominant note of the gathering was the girl. She was there in every type and style, in every section of the stands and on every row. There was the college girl and the town girl, sweater girl and gown girl. And whatever type of girl she was elsewhere, she was always the Michigan girl."
Michigan 88, Albion 0
Michigan opened the 1902 season with an 88–0 victory over Albion CollegeAlbion College
Albion College is a private liberal arts college located in Albion, Michigan. Related to the United Methodist Church, it was founded in 1835 and was the first private college in Michigan to have a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. It has a student population of about 1500.The school's sports teams are...
. Michigan completed all but one drive with touchdowns. The Wolverines starters scored eight touchdowns and 45 points in the first 20-minute half, and the substitutes added seven touchdowns and a safety in the second half. On defense, Michigan allowed only a single first down by Albion.
The game was played in halves of 20 minutes each. Rinehart of Lafayette was the umpire, and Thomas of Michigan was the referee. Michigan's starting lineup was Redden (left end), Johnson (left tackle), Baker (left guard), Gregory (center), Lawrence (right guard), Maddock (right tackle), Cole (right end), Weeks (quarterback), Heston (left halfback), Herrnstein (right halfback) and Jones (fullback).
| Player | Position | Starter | Touchdowns | Extra points | Field goals | Safeties | Points |
| Albert Herrnstein | Halfback | Yes | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Willie Heston | Halfback | Yes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Ross Kidston | Halfback | No | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Paul Jones | Fullfback | Yes | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| James E. Lawrence James E. Lawrence James Edmund Lawrence was an American football player. He played college football for the 1902 Michigan Wolverines football team that compiled an 11–0 record and outscored opponents 644 to 12... |
Guard | Yes | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Harold Baker | Guard | Yes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| James Forrest | Tackle | No | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Joe Maddock | Tackle | Yes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| William Cole | End | Yes | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| No player credit | |||||||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |||
| Total | -- | ||||||
| 15 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 88 | |||
Michigan 48, Case 6
In its second game of the 1902, Michigan played the Case Scientific School (later Case Western Reserve UniversityCase Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
) of Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. The October 4 game was the fifth meeting between the schools. Although Michigan scored eight touchdowns and easily defeated Case by a score of 48 to 6, the big story of the game was a 30-yard touchdown run by Case's left halfback, Davidson. Michigan had not allowed any points to be scored in the first 12 games under Fielding Yost. The headline in the Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press
The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
referred not to Michigan's victory but instead read, "MICHIGAN'S GOAL LINE CROSSED." The Michigan Alumnus wrote that the touchdown by Case "caused consternation among coach, team, and students" as "it had been their fondest hope that the goal line should remain uncrossed another year."
The game was played in halves of 20 minutes each. Rinehart of Lafayette was the umpire, and Gaston of Cleveland was the referee. Michigan's starting lineup was Redden (left end), Lawrence (left tackle), McGugin (left guard), Gregory (center), Carter (right guard), Maddock (right tackle), Cole (right end), Weeks (quarterback), Kidston (left halfback), Herrnstein (right halfback) and Jones (fullback).
| Player | Position | Starter | Touchdowns | Extra points | Field goals | Points |
| Albert Herrnstein | Halfback | Yes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| James Lawrence | Tackle | Yes | 1 | 8 | 0 | 13 |
| Paul Jones | Fullback | Yes | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| William Palmer | Tackle | No | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Total | -- | |||||
| 8 | 8 | 0 | 48 | |||
Michigan 119, Michigan Agricultural 0
Michigan played a mid-week game against Michigan Agricultural CollegeMichigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
(now known as Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
) on Wednesday, October 8, 1902, four days after the win against Case. Michigan attained its highest point total of the year, defeating the Aggies by a score of 119-0. The Wolverines scored 71 points in the first half of 20 minutes and 48 in the second half of 18 minutes. The Michigan Alumnus called it "the greatest fusillade of touchdowns ever known to the football world," excluding Michigan's 128–0 win over Buffalo in 1901. Michigan was held on downs only once in the game, and the Aggies made only three first downs. Right halfback Albert Herrnstein ran back a kickoff the length of the field and scored seven touchdowns in the game. Willie Heston and Everett Sweeley did not play in the game, and the Detroit Free Press noted: "The opinion is quite general that if Heston and Sweeley had been in the game the Buffalo record would have been beaten, but, as it was, Michigan was simply fagged out running down the field for touchdowns."
The game was played in two halves of 20 minutes and 18 minutes. Demonstrating the understatement of the "Point-a-Minute" name given to the team, the Wolverines scored 119 points in 38 minutes of play, an average of 3.1 points per minute. After the game, The Newark Advocate wrote:
"Michigan has undoubtedly the fastest scoring team in the world, and the Ann Arbor boys play Yosts' 'hurry up' formations like clock work. It requires a fast team to take the ball, line up and score 119 points, even if they have no opponents in two 20 minute halves."
Michigan's starting lineup was Redden (left end), Lawrence (left tackle), McGugin (left guard), Gregory (center), Carter (right guard), Maddock (right tackle), Cole (right end), Weeks (quarterback), Kidston (left halfback), Herrnstein (right halfback) and Jones (fullback). Richardson of Michigan was the umpire, and Thomas of Michigan was the referee.
| Player | Position | Starter | Touchdowns | Extra points | Field goals | Points |
| Albert Herrnstein | Halfback | Yes | 7 | 0 | 0 | 35 |
| James Lawrence | Tackle | Yes | 0 | 19 | 0 | 19 |
| Herb Graver | Halfback | Yes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Paul Dickey | Halfback | No | 3 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Curtis Redden | End | Yes | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| William Cole | End | Yes | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Paul Jones | Fullback | Yes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Charles Carter | Guard | Yes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Ross Kidston | Halfback | Yes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Total | -- | |||||
| 20 | 19 | 0 | 119 | |||
Michigan 60, Indiana 0
Michigan defeated IndianaIndiana Hoosiers football
The Indiana Hoosiers football program represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and in the Big Ten Conference.-Bowl games:...
60-0 in the fourth game of the season. The Indiana team was led by College Football Hall of Famer Zora G. Clevenger
Zora G. Clevenger
Zora G. Clevenger was an American football, basketball, and baseball player, coach, and pioneering athletic director. He served as the head football coach at Nebraska Wesleyan University , the University of Tennessee , and Kansas State University , compiling a record of 47–32–7...
.
James Lawrence was the star of the game for Michigan. In his first game after Fielding Yost moved him to the fullback position, Lawrence scored four touchdowns and kicked nine goals after touchdown, accounting for 29 of Michigan's 60 points. The Michigan Alumnus wrote that Lawrence "was called upon repeatedly to take the ball and would always advance it eight or ten yards" with big holes being opened by guards Carter and McGugin. Michigan's "most spectacular play" of the game was a 75-yard touchdown run by Maddock. The Alumnus gave particular praise to the defense: "Only once was Indiana able to make an impression on her impregnable wall and that on a very short run by Clevenger."
At the invitation of Michigan's graduate manager Charles A. Baird
Charles A. Baird
Charles A. Baird was an American football manager, university athletic director, and banker.He was the manager of the University of Michigan football team from 1893 to 1895 and the school's first athletic director from 1898 to 1909. During his time as Michigan's athletic director, he was...
, more than 2,000 school children accompanied by their teachers attended the game. University of Michigan president James B. Angell also attended the game for the first time of the year. Wisconsin Badgers football
Wisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
coach Phil King also attended the game with his fullback Earl "Keg" Driver to scout the Michigan team in preparation for the upcoming game between the two teams.
The game was played in halves of 25 and 20 minutes. Through the first four games of the season, Yost's "Point-a-Minute" team had scored 315 points in 163 minutes of play, an average of almost two points per minute.
Michigan's starting lineup was Graver (left end), Baker (left tackle), McGugin (left guard), Gregory (center), Carter (right guard), Maddock (right tackle), Cole (right end), Weeks (quarterback), Heston (left halfback), Herrnstein (right halfback) and Lawrence (fullback).
| Player | Position | Starter | Touchdowns | Extra points | Field goals | Points |
| James Lawrence | Fullback | Yes | 4 | 9 | 0 | 29 |
| Willie Heston | Halfback | Yes | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Joe Maddock | Tackle | Yes | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Herb Graver | End | Yes | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Albert Herrnstein | Halfback | Yes | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | -- | |||||
| 10 | 10 | 0 | 60 | |||
Michigan 23, Notre Dame 0
After four home games to open the season, Michigan played Notre DameNotre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
at a neutral site in Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
on October 18, 2010. The game was played on a slippery white clay field at Armory Park following a night of rain. Michigan had been heavily favored to win, and betting on the game was 2 to 1 that Notre Dame would not score. Though favored to run up a high score, Michigan scored only one touchdown and led 5-0 at the end of the first half. The Detroit Free Press wrote that the game was "the toughest proposition that the Wolverines have had, either this season or last year."
Michigan tackle Joe Maddock was the leading scorer with three touchdowns. The game also marked the debut of right end Everett Sweeley
Everett Sweeley
Everett Marlin Sweeley was an American football player and coach. He played fullback, halfback and end for the University of Michigan from 1899 to 1902 and was a member of Fielding H. Yost's 1901 and 1902 "Point-a-Minute" teams...
, who punted several times for a distance of 60 yards. On the opening kickoff, Sweeley returned the ball with a punt to Notre Dame's 43-yard line.
Although Notre Dame did not score on Michigan, its captain, Louis J. Salmon
Louis J. Salmon
Louis J. "Red" Salmon is considered to be the first outstanding fullback for the University of Notre Dame football team. He was the first "Fighting Irish" player to win an All-American mention, and some sports historians argue that he served as the team's de facto coach during the 1902–1903...
, demonstrated why he had earned "the reputation of being the hardest line bucker in the west." On one drive, Salmon took the ball to the Michigan 43-yard line in two attempts. After Notre Dame reached Michigan's 20-yard line, "Salmon went at it in the most vicious and determined manner to score. He took the ball eight times in succession but was finally held for downs on the 5-yard line."
In the second half, Michigan's running game wore down the Notre Dame defense. Michigan scored three touchdown in the second half, and Notre Dame did not move into Michigan territory. Michigan end Curtis Redden
Curtis Redden
Curtis Gerald "Cap" Redden was an American football player. He was the starting left end for the University of Michigan's football team from 1901–1904. He played for Michigan's "Point-a-Minute" teams and was unanimously selected as an All-Western player in 1903. Redden died of pneumonia...
was ejected from the game after an altercation with Lonnegan of Notre Dame, though Redden claimed Lonnegan had been the instigator. After the game, Yost said, "I am satisfied. The score is just about what I though it would be after I had taken a look at the field."
The game was played in halves of 25 minutes. Hinkey of Yale was the umpire, and Jackson of Lake Forest was the referee. Michigan's starting lineup was Redden (left end), Cole (left tackle), McGugin (left guard), Gregory (center), Carter (right guard), Maddock (right tackle), Sweeley (right end), Graver (quarterback), Heston (left halfback), Herrnstein (right halfback) and Jones (fullback).
| Player | Position | Starter | Touchdowns | Extra points | Field goals | Points |
| Joe Maddock | Tackle | Yes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Paul Jones | Fullback | Yes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| William Cole | Tackle | Yes | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Total | -- | |||||
| 4 | 3 | 0 | 23 | |||
Michigan 86, Ohio State 0
In the sixth game of the season, Michigan defeated Ohio StateOhio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
86-0 in Ann Arbor on October 25, 1902. The game was played in front of a crowd of 6,000 (including 2,000 from Columbus), "the largest crowd ever gathered at Ferry Field." Michigan scored 45 points in the first half and 41 points in the second half.
On offense, the Detroit Free Press wrote that the Wolverines "simply ran the Ohio team off their feet." Willie Heston reportedly returned to "his 1901 form," scoring the game's first points with a 20-yard end run after three minutes of play. Heston scored his second touchdown on a 70-yard run. Albert Herrnstein was credited by the Free Press with the most consistent play for Michigan and with "the star play of the day by cutting inside of end and running 35 yards for a touchdown." The Free Press noted that, despite the coaching of former Yale fullback Perry Hale
Perry Hale
-Bibliography:***-External links:...
, the Ohio State players lacked "the first rudiments of tackling" and "failed to hold a man when they got their arms around him."
Michigan's defense was credited with playing a strong game as "Ohio State never got near enough to Michigan's goal line to see what the cross-bars looked like." Ohio State's longest gain was a 15-yard run around Michigan's right end for a 15-yard gain in the second half. Everett Sweeley made the tackle to stop a touchdown. Herb Graver also blocked a punt for Michigan.
The day before the Ohio State game, a reserve player for Michigan, Max Fleischer, died of injuries sustained while participating in a football practice session.
The game was played in halves of 35 and 25 minutes. Hinkey of Yale was the umpire, and Hoagland of Princeton was the referee. Michigan's starting lineup was Redden (left end), Palmer (left tackle), McGugin (left guard), Gregory (center), Carter (right guard), Maddock (right tackle), Sweeley (right end), Weeks (quarterback), Heston (left halfback), Herrnstein (right halfback) and Lawrence (fullback).
| Player | Position | Starter | Touchdowns | Extra points | Field goals | Points |
| Albert Herrnstein | Halfback | Yes | 5 | 0 | 0 | 25 |
| James Lawrence | Fullback | Yes | 2 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Willie Heston | Halfback | Yes | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Palmer | Tackle | Yes | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Dan McGugin | Guard | Yes | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Paul Jones | Fullback | No | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Joe Maddock | Tackle | Yes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Everett Sweeley | End | Yes | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Total | -- | |||||
| 15 | 11 | 0 | 86 | |||
Michigan 6, Wisconsin 0
In the seventh game of the season, Michigan faced its toughest opponent, the Wisconsin BadgersWisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
. The game matched the two western teams that had finished the 1901 season with undefeated records and was played at Marshall Field in Chicago in front of a crowd estimated variously at between 20,000 and 22,000, the largest number ever to watch a college football game in the west.
The game began at 2:40 p.m., and Michigan scored the game's only points at the end of a 65-yard drive seven minutes into the first half. Willie Heston had the longest run (20 yards) on the drive, and Joe Maddock scored the touchdown on a run through the tackle from the two-yard line. Despite the close score, Wisconsin only once had the ball in Michigan's territory. The Michigan Alumnus wrote:
"The play was in Wisconsin's territory practically the whole time. They never got within striking distance of Michigan's goal, while Michigan was held at one time with the ball less than a yard from Wisconsin's goal line, at another time was held inside the 15-yard line, and still again lost the ball on a fumble on the 7-yard line."
The Detroit Free Press opened its coverage of the game as follows: "In what is conceded to be the greatest football game ever played on a western gridiron, Michigan decisively defeated Wisconsin on Marshall field this afternoon and undoubtedly won at the same time the championship of the west, though a later game must be won before that honor can be claimed." Four times Michigan moved the ball deep into Wisconsin territory, and all four times Michigan's field goal attempts by Lawrence and Sweeley were unsuccessful.
In the middle of the first half, a temporary bleacher at the northeast corner of the field collapsed, "carrying with it a mass of struggling people." Several hundred people were thrown to the ground in the accident. The Detroit Free Press described the scene following the collapse: "A shudder went through the grand stands, and the game was stopped. A score of men were injured, but no one were killed. The immense crowd about the gridiron took advantage of the confusion to break down the wire fence surrounding it, and hundreds swarmed onto the field. The few police were powerless to force them out, but the scrubs from both teams lined up against the crowd and shoved them away from the side lines so the game could be played." The game was resumed after a 15-minute delay.
The inadequate seating capacity of Marshall Field was blamed for the accident. The bleacher was designed to hold 400 but was crowded beyond its capacity. The facilities were insufficient for the crowd that showed for the game, and there were reports of spectators offering $20 for a ticket.
The game was played in equal halves of 35 minutes. Michigan's starting lineup was Redden (left end), Palmer (left tackle), McGugin (left guard), Gregory (center), Carter (right guard), Maddock (right tackle), Sweeley (right end), Weeks (quarterback), Heston (left halfback), Herrnstein (right halfback) and Jones (fullback).
Approximately 2,000 students accompanied the team to Chicago, and an account from Chicago was relayed to Ann Arbor's Athens theater which was "packed with students and citizens." When the final score was announced, the crowd of 1,500 voices sung, "Oh! What have we done? Oh! What have we done? We have put Wisconsin on the bum. That's what we have done." When the Michigan team returned to Ann Arbor late in the evening, they were met by a big delegation that marched behind the bus singing."
| Player | Position | Starter | Touchdowns | Extra points | Field goals | Points |
| Joe Maddock | Tackle | Yes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Everett Sweeley | End | Yes | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | -- | |||||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | |||
Michigan 107, Iowa 0
The Wolverines improved their record to 8-0 with a 107-0 win over IowaIowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
. Michigan scored 17 touchdowns in the game, and its point total was the largest score ever registered against a Big Ten Conference team, and "the largest number ever chalked up by one big university against another." Fielding Yost was absent from the game, choosing to travel to Minnesota to watch the Golden Gophers play in preparation for the upcoming game between the two schools. The Detroit Free Press wrote after the game that "Yost's smile can be seen all the way from Minneapolis."
Michigan scored 65 points in the first half, and its offense dominated the game. The Michigan Alumnus reported:
"[T]he versatility of Michigan's play so disconcerted the Iowa team within the first ten minutes that she seemed wholly bewildered. Delayed passes, fake kicks, double passes, end runs, line-bucks off tackle and into the line followed each other like kaleidoscopic transitions. Gains were made at every point and in every conceivable manner."
The Detroit Free Press also noted the innovative nature of Michigan's offensive game plan:
"Michigan to-day mixed up her plays so completely that Iowa was completely bewildered. Delayed passes, double passes, ends skirting ends, halves dodging in between end and tackle after their opponents had been boxed out and in, tackles and full back hitting the line like trip hammers made the giant Hawkeyes look like a weak scrub team."
Everett Sweeley was singled out as the star of the Iowa game for Michigan. He converted 10 goals from touchdown, punted for an average of 50 yards, kicked a field goal from the 35-yard line, and returned a punt 90 yards for a touchdown.
"I think our team-work today was fine. The men certainly have the right spirit. Coach Yost hated to go away. ... The last thing he said to me was, 'Keene, just before they go into the game, give them a good talk.' Well, I guess they did, and I am proud of them."
One of the Iowa team members reported receiving a message from Iowa City: "Oh, My. Isn't it awful. Box the remains and send them home."
In the first eight games of the season, Michigan had scored 537 points (67.1 points per game), more than the 506 points Michigan's 1901 team had scored in the entire regular season.
The game was played in halves of 35 and 30 minutes. Michigan's starting lineup was Graver (left end), Palmer (left tackle), McGugin (left guard), Gregory (center), Carter (right guard), Maddock (right tackle), Sweeley (right end), Weeks (quarterback), Heston (left halfback), Herrnstein (right halfback) and Jones (fullback).
| Player | Position | Starter | Touchdowns | Extra points | Field goals | Points |
| Albert Herrnstein | Halfback | Yes | 4 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Everett Sweeley | End | Yes | 1 | 10 | 1 | 20 |
| James Lawrence | Fullback | No | 3 | 4 | 0 | 19 |
| Paul Jones | Fullback | Yes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Joe Maddock | Tackle | Yes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Willie Heston | Halfback | Yes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Herb Graver | End | Yes | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Total | -- | |||||
| 17 | 17 | 1 | 107 | |||
Michigan 21, Chicago 0
Michigan returned to Marshall Field in Chicago to play Amos Alonzo StaggAmos Alonzo Stagg
Amos Alonzo Stagg was an American athlete and pioneering college coach in multiple sports, primarily American football...
's Chicago Maroons
Chicago Maroons football
The Chicago Maroons are the college football team representing the University of Chicago. The Maroons play in NCAA Division III as a member of the University Athletic Association. From 1892 to 1939, the Maroons were a major college football power...
on November 15, 1902. Michigan won the game 21–0 in front of a crowd of 14,000. The game began at 2:15 p.m. Before the game started, the Michigan fans in attendance released toy red balloons marked "Chicago" into the "somewhat murky and frosty atmosphere." One Michigan fan, described as "a long-haired collegian wearing a yellow and blue streamer, told a reporter, "That is the way we will toss Chicago up in the air."
Everett Sweeley gave Michigan a 5–0 lead with a field goal from a difficult angle at the 25-yard line. Later in the first half, Heston took the ball on a delayed pass and ran 71 yards for a touchdown. Michigan led 10–0 at halftime. In the second half, Sweeley extended Michigan's lead to 15-0 with a field goal from the 17-yard line. With approximately 10 minutes remaining in the game, left tackle William Palmer ran for a touchdown, and Sweeley converted the goal from touchdown to give Michigan its final total of 21 points.
The game was the second match between the two legendary coaches, Yost and Stagg. Michigan had defeated Chicago 22–0 in 1901. Despite the successive defeats, Stagg was credited with developing a "magnificent defense to hold Yost's 'hurry up' offense to 21 points in 70 minutes of play."
The game was played in halves of 35 minutes. Joseph Beacham
Joseph Beacham
-External links:...
of Cornell was the referee, and Raymond Starbuck
Raymond Starbuck
Raymond D. Starbuck was an American football player and coach and railroad executive.Born in Fort Ann, New York, and raised in Glen Falls, New York, Starbuck attended Cornell University. He played fullback on the varsity football team in 1899 and 1900. He was captain of the football team in 1899...
of Cornell the umpire. Michigan's starting lineup was Redden (left end), Palmer (left tackle), McGugin (left guard), Gregory (center), Carter (right guard), Maddock (right tackle), Sweeley (right end), Weeks (quarterback), Heston (left halfback), Herrnstein (right halfback) and Jones (fullback).
| Player | Position | Starter | Touchdowns | Extra points | Field goals | Points |
| Everett Sweeley | End | Yes | 0 | 1 | 2 | 11 |
| Willie Heston | Halfback | Yes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Palmer | Tackle | Yes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Total | -- | |||||
| 2 | 1 | 2 | 21 | |||
Michigan 63, Oberlin 0
Michigan defeated Oberlin 63–0 in the ninth game of the season. Michigan scored 28 points in the first half and 33 in the second. The speed of Michigan's "hurry up" offense was demonstrated by a three-play drive in which Herb Graver returned a kickoff 60 yards and Willie Heston ran the remaining 40 yards for a touchdown.Early in the second half, Herb Graver fumbled the ball at Michigan's 10-yard line, and the ball was recovered by Oberlin. On a fake field goal, Oberlin took the ball to the four-yard line but was unable to advance the ball further and missed a field goal attempt. Michigan's Herrnstein and Sweeley were both taken out of the game with injuries to their knees.
With Minnesota's head coach Henry L. Williams
Henry L. Williams
Dr. Henry Lane Williams was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the United States Military Academy in 1891 and the University of Minnesota from 1900 to 1921, compiling a career college football record of 141–34–12...
and five of his players attending the game to scout the Wolverines, Michigan's quarterback Boss Weeks did not open up the great variety of Michigan's plays and "did not pull much down out of his sleeve for their edification." Only once did Michigan run one of its renowned trick plays, a double pass to Everett Sweeley that was good for 15 yards.
After the game, the umpire, Allen of Chicago, was asked what he thought of the Michigan team and responded: "Why, it goes without saying that Michigan is a wonder. It is the greatest team I ever saw, and I have watched a lot of them."
The game was a benchmark game in which Michigan could be compared to the best teams in the east. Cornell had defeated Oberlin 57–0 earlier in the year, and the Detroit Free Press suggested that Michigan's victory by a greater margin "may give the easterners an eye-opener."
With the popularity of the "Point-a-Minute" tradition at Michigan, the Detroit Free Press reported: "The score is one of particularly gratification to Michigan's enhusiasts as it makes Yost's whirlwinds secure a record that never was equalled before, and probably never will be again. Michigan started out the season with as tough a schedule apparently as any team in the west, and if anybody had made a break that this aggregation would be a 'point to the minute' team the man who made the assertion would have been the guy of the town. Yet now, having played 540 minutes, this scoring machine has piled up 621 points, and even if Michigan is shut out by Minnesota in seventy minutes of play the Wolverines will have obtained an average that is the greatest feat in gridiron history."
The game was played in halves of 30 minutes. Michigan's starting lineup was Redden (left end), Cole (left tackle), McGugin (left guard), Gregory (center), Carter (right guard), Maddock (right tackle), Sweeley (right end), Weeks (quarterback), Heston (left halfback), Herrnstein (right halfback) and Jones (fullback).
| Player | Position | Starter | Touchdowns | Extra points | Field goals | Points |
| Albert Herrnstein | Halfback | Yes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| William Cole | Tackle | Yes | 2 | 5 | 0 | 15 |
| Willie Heston | Halfback | Yes | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| James Lawrence | Fullback | No | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Joe Maddock | Tackle | Yes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Everett Sweeley | End | Yes | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Paul Jones | Fullback | Yes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Total | -- | |||||
| 11 | 8 | 1 | 63 | |||
Michigan 23, Minnesota 6
South Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
resident Louis Elbel conducted the Michigan band as it played a song Elbel had composed four years earlier which was then known as "The Champions of the West" (now known as "The Victors
The Victors
"The Victors" is the fight song of the University of Michigan . It was composed by UM student Louis Elbel in 1898 following the last-minute football victory over the University of Chicago that clinched a league championship...
").
In the second half, the Golden Gophers scored after Boss Weeks missed the catch on a punt. The ball contacted Weeks and bounded past him. Flynn of Minnesota recovered the ball and ran for a touchdown, only the second touchdown scored against Michigan since Fielding Yost took over as head coach in 1901. Michigan's leading scorer, Albert Herrnstein, was pulled from the game in the second half due to an injury. The Detroit Free Press described Herrnstein's removal from his final game for Michigan as follows: "He had been laid out a number of times, but refused to quit the game until he was unable to stand. Then, crying, he was dragged off the field by trainer Keene Fitzpatrick
Keene Fitzpatrick
Keene Fitzpatrick was a track coach, athletic trainer, professor of physical training and gymnasium director for 42 years at Yale University , the University of Michigan , and Princeton University...
." On its next drive, Michigan was stopped at Minnesota's 25-yard line, and Sweeley kicked a field goal for five points to give the Wolverines a 17–6 lead. Sweeley's field goal was converted from a difficult angle, and its success "set the rooters wild." Later in the game, Heston scored the game's final touchdown on a run from the 35-yard line, as he hurdled over a Minnesota tackler. Sweeley added the goal after touchdown to give Michigan the win at 23–6. With the win, Michigan completed its second consecutive perfect season
Perfect Season
A perfect season is any sports season, excluding the playoff portion of a season, in which a team remains undefeated and untied. The feat is extremely rare at the professional level of any team sport, and has occurred more commonly at the collegiate level in the United States.A perfect season may...
under Fielding Yost.
The game was played in equal halves of 35 minutes. Michigan's starting lineup was Redden (left end), Cole (left tackle), McGugin (left guard), Gregory (center), Carter (right guard), Maddock (right tackle), Sweeley (right end), Weeks (quarterback), Heston (left halfback), Herrnstein (right halfback) and Graver (fullback).
| Player | Position | Starter | Touchdowns | Extra points | Field goals | Points |
| Willie Heston | Halfback | Yes | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Everett Sweeley | End | Yes | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
| Joe Maddock | Tackle | Yes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Total | -- | |||||
| 3 | 3 | 1 | 23 | |||
Letter winners
| Player | Position | Games started |
Hometown | Height | Weight | Class | Previous experience |
| Charles B. Carter Charles B. Carter Charles Blanchard "Babe" Carter was an American football player, lawyer and politician. He was the starting right guard on the University of Michigan's 1902 and 1904 "Point-a-Minute" football teams that compiled a record of 21–0 and outscored opponents 1,211 to 34... |
Right guard | 10 | Auburn, Maine Auburn, Maine Auburn is a city in and the county seat of Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 23,055 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan... |
6' 0" | 231 | Law '05 | Brown Brown Bears The Brown Bears is a name shared by all sports teams at Brown University, a university located in Providence, Rhode Island in the United States. The Bears are part of the Ivy League conference. Brown's mascot is Bruno. Both the men's and women's teams share the name, competing in 37 National... Varsity (2 years) |
| William C. "King" Cole | Right end Left tackle |
4 3 |
Chicago, Illinois | 5' 10½" | 178 | Law '05 | Marietta College Marietta College Marietta College is a co-educational private college in Marietta, Ohio, USA, which was the first permanent settlement of the Northwest Territory. The school offers 42 majors along with a large number of minors, all of which are grounded in a strong liberal arts foundation... (2 years) |
| Herbert S. Graver Herb Graver Herbert Spencer Graver, Sr. was an American football player and coach and businessman. He played at the end, halfback, fullback, and quarterback positions for Fielding H. Yost's renowned 1901, 1902 and 1903 "Point-a-Minute" football teams... |
Left end Quarterback Fullback Left halfback |
2 1 1 1 |
Chicago, Illinois | 5' 8¼" | 162 | Eng '04 | Varsity (1 year) |
| George W. Gregory George W. Gregory George W. "Dad" Gregory was an American football player, coach and lawyer. He was the starting center for the University of Michigan's "Point-a-Minute" football teams of 1901, 1902 and 1903. He was the only player to start all 22 games for the 1901 and 1902 teams that compiled a record of 22-0... |
Center | 11 | Redding, California Redding, California Redding is a city in far-Northern California. It is the county seat of Shasta County, California, USA. With a population of 89,861, according to the 2010 Census... |
5' 10-8/10" | 190 | Law '04 | Varsity (1 year) |
| Albert E. Herrnstein Albert E. Herrnstein Albert Ernest Herrnstein was an American football player and coach. He played at the University of Michigan as a halfback and end from 1899–1902 and was the head football coach at the Haskell Indian School , Purdue University , and Ohio State University .-University of Michigan:A native of... |
Right halfback | 11 | Chillicothe, Ohio Chillicothe, Ohio Chillicothe is a city in and the county seat of Ross County, Ohio, United States.Chillicothe was the first and third capital of Ohio and is located in southern Ohio along the Scioto River. The name comes from the Shawnee name Chalahgawtha, meaning "principal town", as it was a major settlement of... |
5' 10" | 168 | Lit '03 | Varsity (1 year) |
| Willie Heston Willie Heston William Martin "Willie" Heston was an American football player and coach. He played halfback at San Jose State University and the University of Michigan. Heston was the head football coach for Drake University in 1905 and North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, now North... |
Left halfback | 9 | Grants Pass, Oregon Grants Pass, Oregon -Rogue River:The Rogue River runs through Grants Pass.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,003 people, 9,376 households, and 5,925 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 9,885 housing units at an average density of 1,303.3 per square mile . By 2008,... |
5' 8" | 180 | Law '04 | Varsity (1 year) |
| Paul J. Jones Paul J. Jones -External links:... |
Fullback | 7 | Youngstown, Ohio Youngstown, Ohio Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania... |
6' 0" | 170 | Law '04 | Reserves (1 year) |
| James E. Lawrence James E. Lawrence James Edmund Lawrence was an American football player. He played college football for the 1902 Michigan Wolverines football team that compiled an 11–0 record and outscored opponents 644 to 12... |
Fullback Left tackle Right guard |
3 1 1 |
Ypsilanti, Michigan Ypsilanti, Michigan Ypsilanti is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 22,362. The city is bounded to the north by the Charter Township of Superior and on the west, south, and east by the Charter Township of Ypsilanti... |
6' 1/2" | 187 | Lit '06 | Ypsilanti H.S. Ypsilanti High School Ypsilanti High School is a public school located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and is the second such building to operate under the name. The current facility, built in 1974, was remodeled between 1998 and 1999, as part of a district-wide remodeling effort funded by a bond measure... |
| Joseph Maddock Joe Maddock (coach) Joseph Herbert Maddock was a college football player and coach. He was an All-Western tackle for the University of Michigan's "Point-a-Minute" football teams from 1902–1903. He also set a Western Conference record in the hammer throw... |
Right tackle | 11 | East Jordan, Michigan East Jordan, Michigan East Jordan is a city in Charlevoix County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,507 at the 2000 census.The city is at the end of the south arm of Lake Charlevoix, at the mouth of the Jordan River. M-66 connects with US 31 at Charlevoix about 12 miles to the northwest and with US... |
5' 11" | 187 | Spec. Lit. | Albion Albion College Albion College is a private liberal arts college located in Albion, Michigan. Related to the United Methodist Church, it was founded in 1835 and was the first private college in Michigan to have a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. It has a student population of about 1500.The school's sports teams are... (2 years) |
| Dan McGugin Dan McGugin Daniel Earle McGugin was an American football player, coach, and lawyer. He served as the head football coach at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee from 1904 to 1917 and again from 1919 to 1934, compiling a record of 197–55–19. He played college football at the University... |
Left guard | 10 | Tingley, Iowa Tingley, Iowa Tingley is a city in Ringgold County, Iowa, United States, which was founded in 1883. The population was 171 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Tingley is located at .... |
5' 11" | 184 | Law '04 | Varsity (1 year) |
| William S. Palmer | Left tackle | 4 | Chester, Massachusetts Chester, Massachusetts Chester is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, situated in the western part of the state. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts metropolitan statistical area. The town includes the Chester Factory Village Historic District. The total population was 1,337 in the 2010... |
5' 8" | 189 | Law '05 | Chester H.S. |
| Curtis Redden Curtis Redden Curtis Gerald "Cap" Redden was an American football player. He was the starting left end for the University of Michigan's football team from 1901–1904. He played for Michigan's "Point-a-Minute" teams and was unanimously selected as an All-Western player in 1903. Redden died of pneumonia... |
Left end | 9 | Rossville, Illinois Rossville, Illinois Rossville is a village in Ross Township, Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is part of the 'Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 1,217 at the 2000 census, and 1,147 in 2009.-History:... |
5' 11" | 180 | Law '03 | Varsity (2 years) |
| Everett Sweeley Everett Sweeley Everett Marlin Sweeley was an American football player and coach. He played fullback, halfback and end for the University of Michigan from 1899 to 1902 and was a member of Fielding H. Yost's 1901 and 1902 "Point-a-Minute" teams... |
Right end | 7 | Sioux City, Iowa Sioux City, Iowa Sioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state.... |
5' 10" | 172 | Lit '03 | Varsity (3 years) |
| Harrison "Boss" Weeks | Quarterback | 10 | Allegan, Michigan Allegan, Michigan Allegan is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 4,838. It is the county seat of Allegan County. The city lies within Allegan Township, but is administratively autonomous.... |
5' 7" | 158 | Lit '06 | Varsity (2 years) |
Varsity substitutes and reserves
| Player | Position | Games started |
Hometown | Height | Weight | Class | Previous experience |
| Harold Hill Baker | Left guard Left tackle |
1 1 |
Rochester, New York Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City... |
6' 0" | 185 | Homeop '05 | Rochester Univ. Reserves (1 year) |
| Burt E. Barlow | Tackle | 0 | Coldwater, Michigan Coldwater, Michigan Coldwater is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,945. It is the county seat of Branch County.... |
Med '04 | |||
| Rolla Bigelow Rolla Bigelow Robert Lavante "Rolla" Bigelow was an American banker and football player. A native of Shiawassee County, Michigan, he played college football for Michigan Agricultural College in 1898 and the University of Michigan from 1902 to 1903. He played for Fielding H... |
Tackle | 0 | Owosso, Michigan Owosso, Michigan Owosso is a city in Shiawassee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 15,713 at the 2000 census. The city is located on the eastern side of Owosso Township, but is politically independent... |
Eng '05 | |||
| Earl Cooley | Left halfback | 0 | Trinidad, Colorado Trinidad, Colorado The historic City of Trinidad is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Las Animas County, Colorado, United States... |
Law '03 | |||
| Paul Bert Dickey | Halfback | 0 | Chicago, Illinois | 5' 10" | 156 | Lit '06 | S. Division H.S. (Chicago) |
| Frank Doty | Halfback | 0 | Pontiac, Michigan Pontiac, Michigan Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County... |
Lit '05 | |||
| Ralph Lovejoy Drake | Fullback | 0 | Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010... |
Eng '05 | |||
| David Dunlap | Halfback | 0 | Hopkinton, Iowa Hopkinton, Iowa Hopkinton is a city in Delaware County, Iowa, United States. The population was 681 at the 2000 census.-History:The city is the former home of Lenox College, a small school that closed in 1944. The old campus is still maintained as a museum.-Geography:... |
5' 11¾" | 170 | Med '04 | Reserves (1 year) |
| Robert Ferris | Tackle | 0 | Greenville, Michigan Greenville, Michigan Greenville is a city in Montcalm County of the U.S. state of Michigan. Portions of the county are associated with the Western region while others are more closely associated with the Central Michigan region. The population was 8,481 at the 2010 census... |
Eng '05 | |||
| James Forrest | Left tackle | 1 | Ann Arbor, Michigan | 6' 2½" | 188 | P.G. Law | Reserves (1 year) |
| Cecil Gooding Cecil Gooding Cecil Gooding was an American football player. Gooding attended Ann Arbor High School where he played football. He enrolled as an engineering student at the University of Michigan in the fall of 1901. He played on Michigan's All-Freshman football team in 1901 and became a backup at the guard... |
Center | 0 | Ann Arbor, Michigan | 6' 1½" | 188 | Eng '05 | 1905 All-Freshman |
| John Henry James | Quarterback | 0 | Detroit, Michigan Detroit, Michigan Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River... |
Eng '05 | |||
| Moses M. Johnson | Left tackle | 1 | Wichita, Kansas Wichita, Kansas Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area... |
||||
| Lorin H. Jones | Center | 0 | Union City, Michigan Union City, Michigan Union City is a village in Branch and Calhoun counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located mostly within Union Township in Branch County, it sits at the junction of the Coldwater and St. Joseph rivers; the Calhoun County portion lies within that county's Burlington Township. It is part of the... |
'05 | |||
| Ross Howland Kidston | Left halfback | 1 | LaGrange, Illinois | 5' 10½" | 170 | Lit '05 | 1905 All-Freshman |
| John F. Lewis | Guard | 0 | Covington, Indiana Covington, Indiana Covington is a city located on the western edge of Fountain County, Indiana. The population was 2,645 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Fountain County.-Geography:Covington is located at .... |
'05 | |||
| Kennedy L. Potter | Guard | 0 | Jackson, Michigan Jackson, Michigan Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534... |
Law '04 | |||
| Samuel Jefferson Sackett | Halfback | 0 | Ann Arbor, Michigan | Lit '03 | |||
| Norman Sterry Norman Sterry Norman Sedgwick Sterry was an American lawyer and football player. He represented movie stars and prominent persons as a lawyer in Los Angeles and successfully represented Major League Baseball in the case that resulted in the United States Supreme Court's exemption of baseball from the antitrust... |
Halfback/End | 0 | Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, California Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California... |
5' 9¼" | 160 | Law '03 | Reserves (1 year) |
| James Turner | Left guard | 0 | Lansing, Michigan Lansing, Michigan Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan... |
Law '04 | |||
| William Rawle Weeks | Guard | 0 | Allegan, Michigan Allegan, Michigan Allegan is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 4,838. It is the county seat of Allegan County. The city lies within Allegan Township, but is administratively autonomous.... |
Law '05 | |||
1902 players who became coaches
Fielding Yost earned a reputation as an innovator of the sport. His "Point-a-Minute" teams at Michigan compiled an overall record of 43-0-1 from 1901 to 1905 and outscored their opponents 2,326 to 40. The unprecedented performance of these teams created a demand for Yost's players, known as the "Yost-men", to serve as head coaches at other schools. Ten of the 14 lettermen on Yost's 1902 team became college football head coaches. Dan McGuginDan McGugin
Daniel Earle McGugin was an American football player, coach, and lawyer. He served as the head football coach at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee from 1904 to 1917 and again from 1919 to 1934, compiling a record of 197–55–19. He played college football at the University...
, who played left guard for the 1902 team, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
for his accomplishments as head coach at Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt Commodores football
The Vanderbilt Commodores football program is a college football team that represents Vanderbilt University. The team currently competes in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Southeastern Conference...
from 1904 to 1934. And end/tackle William C. "King" Cole led the Nebraska Cornhuskers
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
to two Missouri Valley Conference
Missouri Valley Conference
The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States...
championships. The 1902 Michigan players who went on to head coaching positions are:
- William Cole served as the head coach at Marietta CollegeMarietta CollegeMarietta College is a co-educational private college in Marietta, Ohio, USA, which was the first permanent settlement of the Northwest Territory. The school offers 42 majors along with a large number of minors, all of which are grounded in a strong liberal arts foundation...
(1903), VirginiaVirginia Cavaliers footballVirginia Cavaliers football is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I-FBS and the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
(1905–1906) and NebraskaNebraska Cornhuskers footballThe Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
(1907–1910); - Herb GraverHerb GraverHerbert Spencer Graver, Sr. was an American football player and coach and businessman. He played at the end, halfback, fullback, and quarterback positions for Fielding H. Yost's renowned 1901, 1902 and 1903 "Point-a-Minute" football teams...
served as the head coach at Marietta College in 1904; - Albert E. HerrnsteinAlbert E. HerrnsteinAlbert Ernest Herrnstein was an American football player and coach. He played at the University of Michigan as a halfback and end from 1899–1902 and was the head football coach at the Haskell Indian School , Purdue University , and Ohio State University .-University of Michigan:A native of...
was the head coach for the Haskell Indian SchoolHaskell Indian Nations UniversityHaskell Indian Nations University is a tribal university located in Lawrence, Kansas, for members of federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States...
(1903–1904), PurduePurdue Boilermakers footballThe Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
(1905) and Ohio StateOhio State Buckeyes footballThe Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
(1906–1909); - Willie HestonWillie HestonWilliam Martin "Willie" Heston was an American football player and coach. He played halfback at San Jose State University and the University of Michigan. Heston was the head football coach for Drake University in 1905 and North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, now North...
was the head coach for DrakeDrake BulldogsThe Drake Bulldogs are the athletic teams of Drake University. Athletic scholarships are offered in basketball, cross-country, golf, soccer, softball, track and field, tennis, and volleyball. However, all football players are walk-ons as Drake does not offer athletic scholarships in that sport...
(1905) and North Carolina StateNC State Wolfpack footballThe NC State Wolfpack football team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Wolfpack currently compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference....
(1906); - Paul J. JonesPaul J. Jones-External links:...
spent one year as the head coach at Western ReserveCase Western Reserve UniversityCase Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
; - Joe MaddockJoe Maddock (coach)Joseph Herbert Maddock was a college football player and coach. He was an All-Western tackle for the University of Michigan's "Point-a-Minute" football teams from 1902–1903. He also set a Western Conference record in the hammer throw...
was the head coach at OregonOregon Ducks footballThe Oregon Ducks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Known as the Ducks, the...
(1924) and UtahUtah Utes football under Joe MaddockJoe Maddock was the second paid head coach of the Utah Utes football team. The Utes represent the University of Utah for intercollegiate football games. Maddock compiled a record of 36–9–1 while at Utah from 1904 to 1909. However, several of the games played are not include in the official NCAA...
(1904–1909); - Dan McGugin was the head coach at Vanderbilt (1904–1917, 1919–1934);
- Curtis ReddenCurtis ReddenCurtis Gerald "Cap" Redden was an American football player. He was the starting left end for the University of Michigan's football team from 1901–1904. He played for Michigan's "Point-a-Minute" teams and was unanimously selected as an All-Western player in 1903. Redden died of pneumonia...
was the head coach at KentuckyKentucky Wildcats footballThe Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era...
(1905); - Everett SweeleyEverett SweeleyEverett Marlin Sweeley was an American football player and coach. He played fullback, halfback and end for the University of Michigan from 1899 to 1902 and was a member of Fielding H. Yost's 1901 and 1902 "Point-a-Minute" teams...
was the head coach at Morningside CollegeMorningside CollegeMorningside College is a private, liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church located in Sioux City, Iowa. Founded in 1894 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, Morningside College is a private, four-year, co-educational liberal arts institution. Morningside has 21 buildings on a ...
(1903) and Washington StateWashington State Cougars footballThe Washington State Cougars football team is the intercollegiate football team of Washington State University. The team is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference...
(1904–1905); and - Boss Weeks was the head coach at KansasKansas Jayhawks footballThe Kansas Jayhawks football program is the intercollegiate football program of the University of Kansas Jayhawks. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference....
(1903) and BeloitBeloit CollegeBeloit College is a liberal arts college in Beloit, Wisconsin, USA. It is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest, and has an enrollment of roughly 1,300 undergraduate students. Beloit is the oldest continuously operated college in Wisconsin, and has the oldest building of any college...
(1904).
Scoring summary
The following chart accounts for the 644 points scored by the 1902 football team and is based on the box scores published in 1902 by the Detroit Free Press" and The Michigan Alumnus.| Player | Touchdowns (5 points) |
Extra points 1 point |
Field goals (5 points) |
Safeties (2 points) |
Total Points |
| Albert Herrnstein | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 131 |
| James Lawrence | 12 | 53 | 0 | 0 | 113 |
| Willie Heston | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| Joe Maddock | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 65 |
| Paul Jones | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 55 |
| Everett Sweeley | 1 | 22 | 4 | 0 | 47 |
| William Cole | 4 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 33 |
| William Palmer | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 |
| Herb Graver | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| Ross Kidston | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Paul Dickey | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Dan McGugin | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Curtis Redden | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Harold Baker | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Charles Carter | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| James Forrest | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| na | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Total | 106 | 92 | 4 | 1 | 644 |
Awards and honors
- Captain: Harrison "Boss" Weeks
- All-American1902 College Football All-America TeamThe 1902 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams for the 1902 college football season...
s: Joseph MaddockJoe Maddock (coach)Joseph Herbert Maddock was a college football player and coach. He was an All-Western tackle for the University of Michigan's "Point-a-Minute" football teams from 1902–1903. He also set a Western Conference record in the hammer throw...
(Newark Advocate), Willie HestonWillie HestonWilliam Martin "Willie" Heston was an American football player and coach. He played halfback at San Jose State University and the University of Michigan. Heston was the head football coach for Drake University in 1905 and North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, now North...
(Newark Advocate), Boss Weeks (Newark Advocate; Casper Whitney 2nd team) - All-Western: Joseph Maddock (Chicago Tribune, Chicago Daily News, Chicago Record-Herald), Boss Weeks (Chicago Tribune, Chicago Daily News, Chicago Record-Herald), Willie Heston (Chicago Tribune, Chicago Daily News, Chicago Record-Herald), Everett SweeleyEverett SweeleyEverett Marlin Sweeley was an American football player and coach. He played fullback, halfback and end for the University of Michigan from 1899 to 1902 and was a member of Fielding H. Yost's 1901 and 1902 "Point-a-Minute" teams...
(Chicago Tribune, Chicago Daily News, Chicago Record-Herald), Paul J. JonesPaul J. Jones-External links:...
(Chicago Tribune), Curtis ReddenCurtis ReddenCurtis Gerald "Cap" Redden was an American football player. He was the starting left end for the University of Michigan's football team from 1901–1904. He played for Michigan's "Point-a-Minute" teams and was unanimously selected as an All-Western player in 1903. Redden died of pneumonia...
(Chicago Daily News), Dan McGugin (Chicago Record-Herald)
Coaching staff
- Head coach: Fielding H. Yost
- Freshman coach: Howard Richardson
- Trainer: Keene FitzpatrickKeene FitzpatrickKeene Fitzpatrick was a track coach, athletic trainer, professor of physical training and gymnasium director for 42 years at Yale University , the University of Michigan , and Princeton University...
- Manager: Archibald Smith
- Graduate Director of Athletics: Charles A. BairdCharles A. BairdCharles A. Baird was an American football manager, university athletic director, and banker.He was the manager of the University of Michigan football team from 1893 to 1895 and the school's first athletic director from 1898 to 1909. During his time as Michigan's athletic director, he was...
External links
- 1902 Football Team -- Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History
- Michigan Alumnus, 1902–1903 - includes accounts of each game
- The Inlander, 1902–1903 - student newspaper including coverage of the 1902 football season
- 1903 Michiganensian - University of Michigan yearbook for the 1902–1903 academic year