1918 Michigan Wolverines football team
Encyclopedia
The 1918 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan
in the 1918 college football season
. The team's head football coach was Fielding H. Yost in his 18th season with the program. The 1918 team played in a season shortened by World War I
travel restrictions and the 1918 flu pandemic. They shared the Big Ten Conference
championship with Illinois
and finished with a perfect record of 5–0, outscoring opponents 96 to 6. Although no formal mechanism existed in 1918 to select a national champion, the 1918 Michigan team has been deemed a national championship team by the Billingsley Report and the National Championship Foundation. The Wolverines played their home games at Ferry Field
.
Fullback
Frank Steketee
was selected by Walter Camp
as a first-team All-American and was one of the top kickers in the game during the 1918 season. Center
Ernie Vick
, and left tackle
Angus Goetz
were both selected as first-team All-Big Ten players.
. Many University of Michigan students, including athletes, were serving in the military. Team captain Elton Wieman
did not play during the 1918 season as he had enlisted in the Aviation Corps. Halfback Eddie Usher
was also taken into active military service after the first game of the season.
Three former Michigan football players were killed in the war. One of the casualties was Curtis Redden
, star end of Fielding Yost's "Point-a-Minute" teams. In April 1918, newspapers published a letter from Redden to a friend back home describing his unit's "baptism of fire":
The Michigan Alumnus published a letter from another Michigan athlete, Cecil F. Cross, recalling memories of football in Ann Arbor:
Before the football season began, a rumor spread that football would be abandoned for 1918. The university decided to proceed with the football season, though war-time restrictions limited travel and practice time. To compensate for the players serving in the military, the existing prohibition on freshman players was lifted for the year.
(at Ithaca
), Northwestern
(at Ann Arbor) and Minnesota
(at Ann Arbor). Those games, and planned replacement games against Camp Custer and Mt. Union College, were cancelled. Travel restrictions resulted in cancellation of the Cornell and Minnesota games, and the 1918 flu pandemic forced the cancellation or rescheduling of other games. After Cornell cancelled its game, Syracuse was put on the schedule in its place.
The team finished the season with a 5–0 record and outscored opponents 96 to 6, allowing only a single touchdown all season. Though Illinois had two non-conference losses, it finished with a 4–0 record in Big Ten play, resulting in a shared conference championship between Michigan and Illinois. Although no formal mechanism existed in 1918 to select a national champion, several organizations recognized by the NCAA have developed systems to identify "national champions" for past seasons. Two of those organizations, the Billingsley Report and the National Championship Foundation, selected Michigan as a national championship team for 1918.
Fullback Frank Steketee
, who scored all 15 points in Michigan's victory over Syracuse, was the only Michigan player selected as a first-team All-American. Left tackle Angus Goetz
won All-Big Ten Conference honors after scoring touchdowns off fumble recoveries and a blocked punt against Chicago, Michigan Agricultural and Ohio State. Center Ernie Vick
also won All-Big Ten honors and played so well on defense that Fielding Yost called him "a second [Germany] Schultz
." Quarterback Kenneth Knode
, "though not a brilliant player individually," was credited with piloting the team with "fine judgment."
) from Cleveland. Michigan came into the game with only two players (Angus Goetz
and Abe Cohn
) who had ever played for Michigan previously. Despite facing a Case team that returned seven letterman from 1917, head coach Fielding H. Yost expressed confidence in a pre-game interview: "I haven't had a scrimmage since Monday, but the team looks like it ought to go pretty good. Conditions are fair for a good game, and I expect one."
Michigan won easily by a score of 33–0, but the Detroit Free Press noted that the inexperienced team "played a ragged game," albeit showing "promise of development into a smooth playing machine." Cress, playing at center, was credited with playing "the best defensive game of any man on Ferry Field," and John Perrin
was reported to have made "a splendid showing." The Detroit Free Press called Abe Cohn "an eye opener" as a ground gainer and noted: "He made a gain practically every time he was given the ball and, when he was stopped, it always took two or three men to turn the trick." Edward Usher
tore ligaments in his ankle while running with the ball and had to be taken out of the game. Freshman Frank Steketee
entered the game as a substitute and made an impressive debut; he accounted for 21 points, "making three of the five touchdowns and kicking three out of five attempts at goal."
Michigan's starting line-up against Case, as announced the day before the game, was Fletcher (left end), Clash (left tackle), Goetz (left guard), Cress (center), Freeman (right guard), Lent (right tackle), Dunne (right end), Walker (quarterback), Cohn (right halfback), Perrin (left halfback) and Usher (fullback).
After its season opener against Case, the Michigan team was idle for more than a month as games with Camp Custer and Mt. Union College were cancelled, and the game against Michigan Agricultural College postponed, due to the influenza pandemic. On November 9, 1918, the team resumed play with a game against Amos Alonzo Stagg
's Chicago Maroons
at Stagg Field
in Chicago. The two teams, which had been one another's principal rivals from 1890 to 1905, had not met for 13 years. In the prior meeting, Chicago had defeated Michigan 2-0, breaking a 56-game undefeated streak by the Wolverines. The game was played as negotiations were underway to end World War I
, and the Chicago Daily Tribune
wrote: "While the nations of the world are hoping for an armistice, the resumption of hostilities between forces guided by Gens. Yost and Stagg brought joy to thousands of football fans, and the opening battle attracted approximately 7,000 of them."
The game began at 2:30 p.m. Despite fumbles by Cohn and Knode early in the game, Michigan held on defense. After Knode's fumble, Chicago's Stegman attempted a dropkick from the 45-yard line, but Goetz broke through the Chicago line and blocked the kick. Goetz picked it up an returned it 55 yards for a touchdown. Steketee kicked the extra point, and Michigan led 7–0. The third quarter ended with Michigan driving deep in Chicago territory at the seven-yard line. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Perrin was stopped at the one-yard line on a run up the middle from a fake punt formation. On the next play, Perrin ran for the touchdown. Steketee missed the extra point, and Michigan led 13–0.
Michigan's starting lineup was Dunne (left end), Goetz (left tackle), Adams (left guard), Vick (center), Freeman (right guard), Morrison (right tackle), Karpus (right end), Knode (quarterback), Perrin (left halfback), Cohn (right halfback) and Steketee (fullback).
16–0. The game was played in pouring rain at Ferry Field. Both teams failed to score in the first quarter, as Michigan fullback Frank Steketee
missed a field goal from the 25-yard line on one drive and Knode fumbled at the Syracuse five-yard line to end another drive. Cohn and Vick both intercepted passes in the second quarter. After Knode made a fair catch on a punt and Syracuse was penalized for offsides, Steketee kicked a field goal from the 36-yard line to give Michigan a 3–0 lead. Michigan's next possession mirrored its last, as the ball was placed on Syracuse's 35-yard line after a roughing penalty was called against Syracuse for interfering with Knode as he attempted a fair catch of a punt at the 40-yard line. Steketee kicked his second field goal from the spot to give Michigan a 6–0 lead at halftime.
In the third quarter, Steketee missed a field goal from the 32-yard line. In the fourth quarter, Vick and Knode both intercepted pass. Vick's interception stopped a Syracuse drive at Michigan's 15-yard line, and Knode's interception gave Michigan the ball at the Syracuse 21-yard line. After advancing the ball to the 14-yard line, Steketee added a third field goal to give Michigan a 9–0 lead. Later in the fourth quarter, Steketee intercepted a pass and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown. Steketee missed the extra point, and Michigan led 15–0.
Steketee scored all 15 points in Michigan's win over Syracuse and received national media attention for his performance. In the Detroit Free Press, Harry Bullion wrote: "One man stood above all the rest in this sparkling triumph of the Wolverines. They'll be singing the praises of Steketee long after he trods the campus for the last time. All of the points assembled by Michigan are attributed to the educated toe and agility of Yost's brilliant fullback." The Syracuse Herald
reported: "One man stood out in the Michigan triumph, Steketee of Grand Rapids. He made the entire 15 points scored by his team and otherwise mussed up perfect good intentions on the part of the visitors."
The victory over Syracuse also enhanced Michigan's reputation, as Syracuse and Pittsburgh had been viewed as the most powerful teams in the East.
The Michiganensian called the Syracuse game "the best contest of the year" against the strongest team in the East and noted: "From the very first moment of play to final blowing of the whistle, the contest was one of the prettiest exhibitions of football ability that has been seen on Ferry Field."
Michigan's starting lineup was Dunne (left end), Goetz (left tackle), Adams (left guard), Vick (center), Freeman (right guard), Young (right tackle), Morrison (right end), Knode (quarterback), Perrin (left halfback), Cohn (right halfback) and Steketee (fullback).
). The game was played at Ferry Field in front of the largest crowd of the season estimated at between 10,000 and 20,000. Followers of both schools attended in large numbers, "the maize and blue of Michigan and the green and white of M.A.C. decorating the stands the length and breadth of them." The Aggies in 1918 had a new head coach, George Gauthier
, and a highly touted African-American running back, Harry Graves. The Aggies had defeated Knute Rockne
's Notre Dame
the previous week in East Lansing
.
After a scoreless first quarter, Michigan scored two touchdowns in the second quarter. Right halfback Abe Cohn scored Michigan's first touchdown on a two-yard run. Left tackle Angus Goetz scored the second touchdown after Graves fumbled a forward pass. Goetz recovered the fumble and ran it back for a touchdown. Quarterback Knode scored Michigan's final touchdown in the third quarter on a 30-yard run after faking a pass. Steketee converted all three extra points.
Michigan's line was given credit for stopping the Aggies' running attack. The Detroit Free Press reported that M.A.C.'s "vaunted stars", including Harry Graves (described as "the colored boy of whom so much was expected"), were unable to assert themselves. "Superiority of the Michigan line was the rock upon which the Aggies split. M.A.C. showed a fast backfield that might have created endless trouble, but it got little support from the forwards, who were cracked open to let the Wolverines surge through and flatten the runner."
The start of the game was delayed by lengthy pre-game ceremonies featuring the French Blue Devils
, performances by the U. of M. army and navy bands and the M.A.C. bands, parades by the Students' Army Training Corps and Naval Units, and a fly-over by former Michigan football captain Pat Smith
in his aeroplane. Because of the delay, the game was concluded in darkness. The Aggies took advantage of the darkness late in the game by unleashing a passing attack. The Aggies scored late in the game, "as the darkness already had begun to enshroud the playing field," on a pass from Archer to Schwei. The Detroit Free Press reported: "But for the review of the service corps and the ceremonies attending there hardly would have been an Aggie score."
After the game, sports writer Harry Bullion wrote in the Detroit Free Press: "M.A.C.'s defeat is nothing for her to be ashamed of. It simply was a case of a better-conditioned and smarter eleven overpowering another that, though it lacked nothing in the way of fight that its enemy possessed, failed to cope with the superior knowledge of the game that was Michigan's by right of judgment and the attending conditions."
Michigan's starting lineup was Dunne (left end), Goetz (left tackle), Adams (left guard), Vick (center), Freeman (right guard), Fortune (right tackle), Boville (right end), Knode (quarterback), Cohn (left halfback), Perrin (right halfback) and Steketee (fullback).
. The game presented an opportunity for Michigan to lay claim to the Big Ten Conference
championship. Illinois had previously beaten Ohio State by a 13–0 margin, and Michigan supporters hoped that a greater margin of victory would allow the Wolverines to prove themselves superior to the Illini. Michigan did not achieve the large margin it had hoped for, but won the game 14–0, scoring one point more than Illinois.
The game was played on a wet and slippery field that handicapped the offensive players. The Detroit Free Press reported that players had difficulty untracking themselves in "the mire that lay over the gridiron like custard." The teams played to a scoreless tie in a first half that featured a punting duel between Steketee and Rife. Michigan's first touchdown was set up by a 73-yard punt from Steketee that "stuck fast in the mud" at Ohio State's two- or three-yard line. Michigan's defense held, and Rife was forced to punt from his end zone. In the outstanding play of the game, Goetz blocked the punt and recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown. The Detroit Free Press described the key play as follows:
Later in the quarter, with the ball at Ohio State's 28-yard line, Steketee faked a run around the end and passed to Dunne who was "camped near the uprights." Steketee kicked both extra points to give Michigan a 14–0 margin. Michigan had an earlier touchdown called back in the third quarter when the head linesman ruled that Knode had stepped out of bounds on a long run.
Michigan's starting lineup was Dunne (left end), Goetz (left tackle), Fortune (left guard), Vick (center), Freeman (right guard), Czysz (right tackle), Bovill (right end), Knode (quarterback), Perrin (left halfback), Cohn (right halfback) and Steketee (fullback).
following its withdrawal in 1906. Due to the cancellation of games against Minnesota and Northwestern, Michigan played only two games against Big Ten opponents, Chicago and Ohio State. Illinois, which had lost a non-conference game, but finished 4–0 against Big Ten opponents, declined Michigan's invitation to meet in a post-season game to decide the championship. The Detroit Free Press chided Illinois for refusing the match:
Some sources refer to Illinois and Michigan as co-champions in 1918. However, at the time, the question of conference supremacy was contested. The following excerpt from Michigan's 1903 yearbook outlines the opposing arguments: "Eastern critics were of the opinion that the Maize and Blue team was rightfully entitled to claim the honors, but western writers held that since Illinois played four Conference games, all of which went to them, they should hold the honors. Despite the fact that they were beaten once by the Municipal Pier Service team of Chicago, and although Michigan had lost no games, the opinion of the western critics could not be changed."
The following 18 players from Michigan's 1918 football team won varsity letter M's. Names of players who started at least three games are in bold.
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 1918 college football season
1918 college football season
The 1918 college football season had no clear-cut champion, with the Official NCAA Division I Football Records Book listing Michigan and Pittsburgh as national champions.-Conference standings:The following is an incomplete list of conference standings:...
. The team's head football coach was Fielding H. Yost in his 18th season with the program. The 1918 team played in a season shortened by World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
travel restrictions and the 1918 flu pandemic. They shared the Big Ten 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 with Illinois
Illinois Fighting Illini football
The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
and finished with a perfect record of 5–0, outscoring opponents 96 to 6. Although no formal mechanism existed in 1918 to select a national champion, the 1918 Michigan team has been deemed a national championship team by the Billingsley Report and the National Championship Foundation. The Wolverines played their home games at Ferry Field
Ferry Field
Ferry Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It opened in 1906 and was home to the Michigan Wolverines football team prior to the Michigan Stadium opening in 1927. It had a capacity of 46,000....
.
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...
Frank Steketee
Frank Steketee
Frank W. Steketee was an All American football halfback and fullback who played with the University of Michigan Wolverines in 1918, 1920, and 1921...
was selected by Walter Camp
Walter Camp
Walter Chauncey Camp was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". With John Heisman, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Pop Warner, Fielding H. Yost, and George Halas, Camp was one of the most accomplished persons in the early history of American football...
as a first-team All-American and was one of the top kickers in the game during the 1918 season. Center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
Ernie Vick
Ernie Vick
Henry Arthur "Ernie" Vick was an American football and baseball player. He was selected as an All-American center in 1921, played on the 1926 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals, and was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983.-University of Michigan:Born in Toledo, Ohio, Vick...
, and left tackle
Tackle (American football)
Tackle is a playing position in American and Canadian football. Historically, in the one-platoon system a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, offensive tackle and defensive tackle are separate positions....
Angus Goetz
Angus Goetz
Angus Gerald "Gus" Goetz was an American football player who played four years with the Michigan Wolverines from 1917 to 1920. He also played professional football for the Buffalo All-Americans and the Columbus Tigers .-University of Michigan:A native of Sault Ste...
were both selected as first-team All-Big Ten players.
Schedule
Impact of World War I
In 1918, the United States was embroiled in World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Many University of Michigan students, including athletes, were serving in the military. Team captain Elton Wieman
Elton Wieman
Elton Ewart "Tad" Wieman was an American football player and coach and college athletic director. He played football for the University of Michigan from 1915 to 1917 and 1920 under head coach Fielding H. Yost. He was a coach and administrator at Michigan from 1921 to 1929, including two years as...
did not play during the 1918 season as he had enlisted in the Aviation Corps. Halfback Eddie Usher
Eddie Usher
Edward "Eddie" Usher was an American football fullback and halfback.He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines football team in 1918, 1920 and 1921...
was also taken into active military service after the first game of the season.
Three former Michigan football players were killed in the war. One of the casualties was 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...
, star end of Fielding Yost's "Point-a-Minute" teams. In April 1918, newspapers published a letter from Redden to a friend back home describing his unit's "baptism of fire":
"And so it went from day to day, but oftimes the nights were very bad. At night, when the infantry launched its raids, or the enemy his, or the infantry became nervous and called for help, the guns stamped like stallions and snorted their breaths of fire. The blackness of the night became a series of dots and dashes, until the world resembled a vast radio station, spelling hell, hell, and hell again. To this must be added the shriek of shells, the whistle of fragments, the automatic hammer effect of the machine gun, the rattle of the rifle fire, the rockets and star shells out over No Man's land—all combined to make the night weird, hideous, fascinating, sublime."
The Michigan Alumnus published a letter from another Michigan athlete, Cecil F. Cross, recalling memories of football in Ann Arbor:
"The autumn is approaching here. The days are getting shorter and there is a chill in the air ... It seems to bring back the old feeling which is experienced where the smell of football is in the air, the first cold days of autumn and it makes me homesick, though only slightly. Ralph Henning, of Bay CityBay City, MichiganBay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...
, is here, and though we come from different parts of Michigan and attended different schools, he being the captain of the Michigan Aggies' football team in 1916, we quite frequently talk over the old scenes with which we are both familiar. He, too, has mentioned the feeling of football in the air. If they were to train an army of football players and throw them into the lines, the last weeks of October, with Coach Yost to address them just before the battle, we would score a touchdown the first half, and before Thanksgiving we would have pushed the Germans under their own goal posts and eat dinner in Berlin."
Before the football season began, a rumor spread that football would be abandoned for 1918. The university decided to proceed with the football season, though war-time restrictions limited travel and practice time. To compensate for the players serving in the military, the existing prohibition on freshman players was lifted for the year.
Season overview
As originally adopted, Michigan's 1918 schedule included games against CornellCornell Big Red football
The Cornell Big Red football team represents Cornell University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Championship Subdivision college football competition as a member of the Ivy League. It is one of the oldest and most storied football programs in the nation...
(at Ithaca
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
), Northwestern
Northwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
(at Ann Arbor) and Minnesota
Minnesota Golden Gophers football
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are one of the oldest programs in college football history. They compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. The Golden Gophers have claimed six national championships and have an all time record of 646–481–44 as...
(at Ann Arbor). Those games, and planned replacement games against Camp Custer and Mt. Union College, were cancelled. Travel restrictions resulted in cancellation of the Cornell and Minnesota games, and the 1918 flu pandemic forced the cancellation or rescheduling of other games. After Cornell cancelled its game, Syracuse was put on the schedule in its place.
The team finished the season with a 5–0 record and outscored opponents 96 to 6, allowing only a single touchdown all season. Though Illinois had two non-conference losses, it finished with a 4–0 record in Big Ten play, resulting in a shared conference championship between Michigan and Illinois. Although no formal mechanism existed in 1918 to select a national champion, several organizations recognized by the NCAA have developed systems to identify "national champions" for past seasons. Two of those organizations, the Billingsley Report and the National Championship Foundation, selected Michigan as a national championship team for 1918.
Fullback Frank Steketee
Frank Steketee
Frank W. Steketee was an All American football halfback and fullback who played with the University of Michigan Wolverines in 1918, 1920, and 1921...
, who scored all 15 points in Michigan's victory over Syracuse, was the only Michigan player selected as a first-team All-American. Left tackle Angus Goetz
Angus Goetz
Angus Gerald "Gus" Goetz was an American football player who played four years with the Michigan Wolverines from 1917 to 1920. He also played professional football for the Buffalo All-Americans and the Columbus Tigers .-University of Michigan:A native of Sault Ste...
won All-Big Ten Conference honors after scoring touchdowns off fumble recoveries and a blocked punt against Chicago, Michigan Agricultural and Ohio State. Center Ernie Vick
Ernie Vick
Henry Arthur "Ernie" Vick was an American football and baseball player. He was selected as an All-American center in 1921, played on the 1926 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals, and was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983.-University of Michigan:Born in Toledo, Ohio, Vick...
also won All-Big Ten honors and played so well on defense that Fielding Yost called him "a second [Germany] Schultz
Germany Schulz
Adolph George "Germany" Schulz was an All-American American football center for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1904 to 1905 and from 1907 to 1908. While playing at Michigan, Schulz is credited with having invented the spiral snap and with developing the practice of standing behind the...
." Quarterback Kenneth Knode
Mike Knode
Kenneth Thomson "Mike" Knode was an American football and baseball player.Knode was born in Westminster, Maryland in 1895. He attended both the University of Maryland and University of Michigan, playing football and baseball at both institutions...
, "though not a brilliant player individually," was credited with piloting the team with "fine judgment."
Michigan 33, Case Scientific School 0
Michigan opened its season on October 7, 1918, with a home game against the Case Scientific School (now Case Western Reserve UniversityCase Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
) from Cleveland. Michigan came into the game with only two players (Angus Goetz
Angus Goetz
Angus Gerald "Gus" Goetz was an American football player who played four years with the Michigan Wolverines from 1917 to 1920. He also played professional football for the Buffalo All-Americans and the Columbus Tigers .-University of Michigan:A native of Sault Ste...
and Abe Cohn
Abe Cohn
Abraham Jerome "Abe" Cohn was an American football and basketball player, coach and official. He played football and basketball at the University of Michigan from 1917 to 1920. He coached football and basketball at Whitworth College from 1921 to 1922 and at Spokane University from 1923 to 1924...
) who had ever played for Michigan previously. Despite facing a Case team that returned seven letterman from 1917, head coach Fielding H. Yost expressed confidence in a pre-game interview: "I haven't had a scrimmage since Monday, but the team looks like it ought to go pretty good. Conditions are fair for a good game, and I expect one."
Michigan won easily by a score of 33–0, but the Detroit Free Press noted that the inexperienced team "played a ragged game," albeit showing "promise of development into a smooth playing machine." Cress, playing at center, was credited with playing "the best defensive game of any man on Ferry Field," and John Perrin
John Perrin
John Stephenson Perrin ] was an utility player in Major League Baseball who played briefly for the Boston Red Sox during the season. Listed at 5' 9" 160 lb., Perrin batted left-handed and threw right-handed. A native of Escanaba, Michigan, he attended University of Michigan...
was reported to have made "a splendid showing." The Detroit Free Press called Abe Cohn "an eye opener" as a ground gainer and noted: "He made a gain practically every time he was given the ball and, when he was stopped, it always took two or three men to turn the trick." Edward Usher
Eddie Usher
Edward "Eddie" Usher was an American football fullback and halfback.He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines football team in 1918, 1920 and 1921...
tore ligaments in his ankle while running with the ball and had to be taken out of the game. Freshman Frank Steketee
Frank Steketee
Frank W. Steketee was an All American football halfback and fullback who played with the University of Michigan Wolverines in 1918, 1920, and 1921...
entered the game as a substitute and made an impressive debut; he accounted for 21 points, "making three of the five touchdowns and kicking three out of five attempts at goal."
Michigan's starting line-up against Case, as announced the day before the game, was Fletcher (left end), Clash (left tackle), Goetz (left guard), Cress (center), Freeman (right guard), Lent (right tackle), Dunne (right end), Walker (quarterback), Cohn (right halfback), Perrin (left halfback) and Usher (fullback).
Michigan 13, Chicago 0
Amos 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...
at Stagg Field
Stagg Field
Amos Alonzo Stagg Field is the name of two different football fields for the University of Chicago. The earliest Stagg Field is probably best remembered for its role in a landmark scientific achievement by Enrico Fermi during the Manhattan Project. The site of the first nuclear reaction received...
in Chicago. The two teams, which had been one another's principal rivals from 1890 to 1905, had not met for 13 years. In the prior meeting, Chicago had defeated Michigan 2-0, breaking a 56-game undefeated streak by the Wolverines. The game was played as negotiations were underway to end World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and the Chicago Daily Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
wrote: "While the nations of the world are hoping for an armistice, the resumption of hostilities between forces guided by Gens. Yost and Stagg brought joy to thousands of football fans, and the opening battle attracted approximately 7,000 of them."
The game began at 2:30 p.m. Despite fumbles by Cohn and Knode early in the game, Michigan held on defense. After Knode's fumble, Chicago's Stegman attempted a dropkick from the 45-yard line, but Goetz broke through the Chicago line and blocked the kick. Goetz picked it up an returned it 55 yards for a touchdown. Steketee kicked the extra point, and Michigan led 7–0. The third quarter ended with Michigan driving deep in Chicago territory at the seven-yard line. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Perrin was stopped at the one-yard line on a run up the middle from a fake punt formation. On the next play, Perrin ran for the touchdown. Steketee missed the extra point, and Michigan led 13–0.
Michigan's starting lineup was Dunne (left end), Goetz (left tackle), Adams (left guard), Vick (center), Freeman (right guard), Morrison (right tackle), Karpus (right end), Knode (quarterback), Perrin (left halfback), Cohn (right halfback) and Steketee (fullback).
Michigan 15, Syracuse 0
On November 16, 1918, five days after the signing of the Armistice marking the end of hostilities in Europe, Michigan defeated SyracuseSyracuse Orange football
The Syracuse Orange football program is a college football team that represents Syracuse University. The team is a member of the Big East Conference, which is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference that is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision...
16–0. The game was played in pouring rain at Ferry Field. Both teams failed to score in the first quarter, as Michigan fullback Frank Steketee
Frank Steketee
Frank W. Steketee was an All American football halfback and fullback who played with the University of Michigan Wolverines in 1918, 1920, and 1921...
missed a field goal from the 25-yard line on one drive and Knode fumbled at the Syracuse five-yard line to end another drive. Cohn and Vick both intercepted passes in the second quarter. After Knode made a fair catch on a punt and Syracuse was penalized for offsides, Steketee kicked a field goal from the 36-yard line to give Michigan a 3–0 lead. Michigan's next possession mirrored its last, as the ball was placed on Syracuse's 35-yard line after a roughing penalty was called against Syracuse for interfering with Knode as he attempted a fair catch of a punt at the 40-yard line. Steketee kicked his second field goal from the spot to give Michigan a 6–0 lead at halftime.
Steketee scored all 15 points in Michigan's win over Syracuse and received national media attention for his performance. In the Detroit Free Press, Harry Bullion wrote: "One man stood above all the rest in this sparkling triumph of the Wolverines. They'll be singing the praises of Steketee long after he trods the campus for the last time. All of the points assembled by Michigan are attributed to the educated toe and agility of Yost's brilliant fullback." The Syracuse Herald
Syracuse Herald-Journal
The Syracuse Herald-Journal was an evening newspaper in Syracuse, New York, with roots going back to 1839 when it was named the Western State Journal. The final issue — volume 124, number 37,500 — was published on September 29, 2001...
reported: "One man stood out in the Michigan triumph, Steketee of Grand Rapids. He made the entire 15 points scored by his team and otherwise mussed up perfect good intentions on the part of the visitors."
The victory over Syracuse also enhanced Michigan's reputation, as Syracuse and Pittsburgh had been viewed as the most powerful teams in the East.
The Michiganensian called the Syracuse game "the best contest of the year" against the strongest team in the East and noted: "From the very first moment of play to final blowing of the whistle, the contest was one of the prettiest exhibitions of football ability that has been seen on Ferry Field."
Michigan's starting lineup was Dunne (left end), Goetz (left tackle), Adams (left guard), Vick (center), Freeman (right guard), Young (right tackle), Morrison (right end), Knode (quarterback), Perrin (left halfback), Cohn (right halfback) and Steketee (fullback).
Michigan 21, Michigan Agricultural College 6
On November 23, 1918, Michigan played its fourth game against Michigan Agricultural College (now known as Michigan State UniversityMichigan 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,...
). The game was played at Ferry Field in front of the largest crowd of the season estimated at between 10,000 and 20,000. Followers of both schools attended in large numbers, "the maize and blue of Michigan and the green and white of M.A.C. decorating the stands the length and breadth of them." The Aggies in 1918 had a new head coach, George Gauthier
George Gauthier (American football)
George E. "Gooch" Gauthier was an American football and basketball player, athletic coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Michigan Agricultural College, now Michigan State University, in 1918 and at Ohio Wesleyan University from 1921 to 1946,...
, and a highly touted African-American running back, Harry Graves. The Aggies had defeated Knute Rockne
Knute Rockne
Knute Kenneth Rockne was an American football player and coach. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history...
's Notre Dame
Notre 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...
the previous week in East Lansing
East Lansing, Michigan
East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 48,579 at the time of the 2010 census, an increase from...
.
After a scoreless first quarter, Michigan scored two touchdowns in the second quarter. Right halfback Abe Cohn scored Michigan's first touchdown on a two-yard run. Left tackle Angus Goetz scored the second touchdown after Graves fumbled a forward pass. Goetz recovered the fumble and ran it back for a touchdown. Quarterback Knode scored Michigan's final touchdown in the third quarter on a 30-yard run after faking a pass. Steketee converted all three extra points.
Michigan's line was given credit for stopping the Aggies' running attack. The Detroit Free Press reported that M.A.C.'s "vaunted stars", including Harry Graves (described as "the colored boy of whom so much was expected"), were unable to assert themselves. "Superiority of the Michigan line was the rock upon which the Aggies split. M.A.C. showed a fast backfield that might have created endless trouble, but it got little support from the forwards, who were cracked open to let the Wolverines surge through and flatten the runner."
The start of the game was delayed by lengthy pre-game ceremonies featuring the French Blue Devils
Blue Devils
Blue Devils may refer to:In botany:*Eryngium pinnatifidum, a plant from Western AustraliaIn military history:*The Fighting Blue Devils, nickname of the 88th Infantry Division of the United States Army in World War II...
, performances by the U. of M. army and navy bands and the M.A.C. bands, parades by the Students' Army Training Corps and Naval Units, and a fly-over by former Michigan football captain Pat Smith
Cedric C. Smith
Cedric Crawford "Pat" Smith was an American football fullback who played for the University of Michigan , the Great Lakes Naval Training Station, and the Buffalo All-Americans...
in his aeroplane. Because of the delay, the game was concluded in darkness. The Aggies took advantage of the darkness late in the game by unleashing a passing attack. The Aggies scored late in the game, "as the darkness already had begun to enshroud the playing field," on a pass from Archer to Schwei. The Detroit Free Press reported: "But for the review of the service corps and the ceremonies attending there hardly would have been an Aggie score."
After the game, sports writer Harry Bullion wrote in the Detroit Free Press: "M.A.C.'s defeat is nothing for her to be ashamed of. It simply was a case of a better-conditioned and smarter eleven overpowering another that, though it lacked nothing in the way of fight that its enemy possessed, failed to cope with the superior knowledge of the game that was Michigan's by right of judgment and the attending conditions."
Michigan's starting lineup was Dunne (left end), Goetz (left tackle), Adams (left guard), Vick (center), Freeman (right guard), Fortune (right tackle), Boville (right end), Knode (quarterback), Cohn (left halfback), Perrin (right halfback) and Steketee (fullback).
Michigan 14, Ohio State 0
For its fifth game, Michigan traveled to Columbus to play Ohio State1918 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1918 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1918-1919. The Buckeyes compiled a 3–3 record, yet outscored opponents 134-41.-Schedule:-References:Win/Loss statistics*...
. The game presented an opportunity for Michigan to lay claim to the Big Ten 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. Illinois had previously beaten Ohio State by a 13–0 margin, and Michigan supporters hoped that a greater margin of victory would allow the Wolverines to prove themselves superior to the Illini. Michigan did not achieve the large margin it had hoped for, but won the game 14–0, scoring one point more than Illinois.
The game was played on a wet and slippery field that handicapped the offensive players. The Detroit Free Press reported that players had difficulty untracking themselves in "the mire that lay over the gridiron like custard." The teams played to a scoreless tie in a first half that featured a punting duel between Steketee and Rife. Michigan's first touchdown was set up by a 73-yard punt from Steketee that "stuck fast in the mud" at Ohio State's two- or three-yard line. Michigan's defense held, and Rife was forced to punt from his end zone. In the outstanding play of the game, Goetz blocked the punt and recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown. The Detroit Free Press described the key play as follows:
"The pass from center was perfect and there seemed to be no fear that Rife would not get it away. But Goetz, one man who has starred in every game the Maize and Blue played this year, shattered the line and rammed the Buckeye punter. Leather and Goetz collided and the pigskin went bounding away with Goetz in hot pursuit. Three scarlet-robed athletes tried to block Goetz's path to the ball, but he thrust them aside and went to earth with it just as his rivals in the race catapulted themselves at the leather."
Later in the quarter, with the ball at Ohio State's 28-yard line, Steketee faked a run around the end and passed to Dunne who was "camped near the uprights." Steketee kicked both extra points to give Michigan a 14–0 margin. Michigan had an earlier touchdown called back in the third quarter when the head linesman ruled that Knode had stepped out of bounds on a long run.
Michigan's starting lineup was Dunne (left end), Goetz (left tackle), Fortune (left guard), Vick (center), Freeman (right guard), Czysz (right tackle), Bovill (right end), Knode (quarterback), Perrin (left halfback), Cohn (right halfback) and Steketee (fullback).
Dispute over Big Ten Championship
The 1918 season was Michigan's first season in the Big Ten ConferenceBig 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...
following its withdrawal in 1906. Due to the cancellation of games against Minnesota and Northwestern, Michigan played only two games against Big Ten opponents, Chicago and Ohio State. Illinois, which had lost a non-conference game, but finished 4–0 against Big Ten opponents, declined Michigan's invitation to meet in a post-season game to decide the championship. The Detroit Free Press chided Illinois for refusing the match:
"[Illinois athletic director] Huff's explanation was as humorous as it was disappointing. He attempted to excuse Illinois on the grounds that the weather in December would be too cold for a game and for that reason there could be no meeting. ... the fact remains that it couldn't be too cold for Michigan, whose players have the same number of arms and legs and a covering of skin no thicker than the athletes who disport themselves under the colors of the Illini."
Some sources refer to Illinois and Michigan as co-champions in 1918. However, at the time, the question of conference supremacy was contested. The following excerpt from Michigan's 1903 yearbook outlines the opposing arguments: "Eastern critics were of the opinion that the Maize and Blue team was rightfully entitled to claim the honors, but western writers held that since Illinois played four Conference games, all of which went to them, they should hold the honors. Despite the fact that they were beaten once by the Municipal Pier Service team of Chicago, and although Michigan had lost no games, the opinion of the western critics could not be changed."
Letter winners
- Theodore "Theo" Adams: started 3 games at guard, Ann Arbor, MichiganAnn Arbor, MichiganAnn 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...
- Theodore G. "Ted" Boville: started 2 games at end, Detroit, MichiganDetroit, MichiganDetroit 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...
- Abe CohnAbe CohnAbraham Jerome "Abe" Cohn was an American football and basketball player, coach and official. He played football and basketball at the University of Michigan from 1917 to 1920. He coached football and basketball at Whitworth College from 1921 to 1922 and at Spokane University from 1923 to 1924...
: started 5 games at halfback, Spokane, WashingtonSpokane, WashingtonSpokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region... - William R. Cruse: halfback, Detroit, Michigan
- Francis T. "Frank" Czysz (1899–1971): started 1 game at tackle, Dunkirk, New York
- Robert J. DunneRobert J. DunneRobert Jerome "Duke" Dunne was an American football player and coach and state court judge in Illinois. He played for the University of Michigan from 1918 to 1921. After graduating from Michigan in 1922, he attended law school at Northwestern University where he also served as the line coach for...
(1899–1980): started 5 games at end, Chicago, Illinois - William FortuneWilliam FortuneWilliam Peter "Bill" Fortune was an American football player. He played guard and tackle for the Michigan Wolverines football team from 1917 to 1919. He was a member of the 1918 Michigan Wolverines football team that finished the season undefeated and has been recognized as the national...
: started 1 game at guard and 1 game at tackle, Springfield, IllinoisSpringfield, IllinoisSpringfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area... - Paul J. Freeman: started all 5 games at right guard, Great Falls, MontanaGreat Falls, MontanaGreat Falls is a city in and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 58,505 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County...
- Angus GoetzAngus GoetzAngus Gerald "Gus" Goetz was an American football player who played four years with the Michigan Wolverines from 1917 to 1920. He also played professional football for the Buffalo All-Americans and the Columbus Tigers .-University of Michigan:A native of Sault Ste...
(1897–1977): started 4 games at tackle, 1 game at guard, Sault Ste. Marie, MichiganSault Ste. Marie, MichiganSault Ste. Marie is a city in and the county seat of Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the north-eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on the Canadian border, separated from its twin city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, by the St. Marys River... - Fred Hendershot: end, Tecumseh, MichiganTecumseh, MichiganTecumseh is a small city in Lenawee County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated where M-50 crosses the River Raisin, a few miles east of M-52. Tecumseh is about SW of Detroit, south of Ann Arbor and north of Toledo, OH....
- Arthur KarpusArthur KarpusArthur Joe Karpus was an American football, basketball and baseball player. He attended the University of Michigan from 1917 to 1923, winning a total of seven varsity letters, three in basketball, three in baseball and one in football. He played for Big Ten Conference championship teams in...
(1899–1983): started 1 game at end - Kenneth Thomson "Mike" KnodeMike KnodeKenneth Thomson "Mike" Knode was an American football and baseball player.Knode was born in Westminster, Maryland in 1895. He attended both the University of Maryland and University of Michigan, playing football and baseball at both institutions...
(1895 - 1980): started 4 games at quarterback, Martinsburg, West VirginiaMartinsburg, West VirginiaMartinsburg is a city in the Eastern Panhandle region of West Virginia, United States. The city's population was 14,972 at the 2000 census; according to a 2009 Census Bureau estimate, Martinsburg's population was 17,117, making it the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle and the eighth largest... - Chester C. Morrison: started 1 game at tackle and 1 game at end, Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
(Peabody H.S.) - John PerrinJohn PerrinJohn Stephenson Perrin ] was an utility player in Major League Baseball who played briefly for the Boston Red Sox during the season. Listed at 5' 9" 160 lb., Perrin batted left-handed and threw right-handed. A native of Escanaba, Michigan, he attended University of Michigan...
(1898–1969): started 4 games at halfback, Escanaba, MichiganEscanaba, MichiganEscanaba is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, located in the banana belt on the state's Upper Peninsula. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 13,140, making it the third-largest city in the Upper Peninsula after Marquette and Sault Ste. Marie... - Frank SteketeeFrank SteketeeFrank W. Steketee was an All American football halfback and fullback who played with the University of Michigan Wolverines in 1918, 1920, and 1921...
(1900–1951): fullback, Grand Rapids, MichiganGrand Rapids, MichiganGrand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand... - Edward UsherEddie UsherEdward "Eddie" Usher was an American football fullback and halfback.He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines football team in 1918, 1920 and 1921...
: started 1 game at fullback, Toledo, OhioToledo, OhioToledo 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...
(Scott H.S.) - Ernie VickErnie VickHenry Arthur "Ernie" Vick was an American football and baseball player. He was selected as an All-American center in 1921, played on the 1926 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals, and was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983.-University of Michigan:Born in Toledo, Ohio, Vick...
(1900–1980): started 4 games at center, Toledo, Ohio (Scott H.S.) - Harlan N. Walker: quarterback, Highland Park, MichiganHighland Park, Michigan- Geography :According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 16,746 people, 6,199 households, and 3,521 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,622.9 per square mile . There were 7,249...
Non-letter winners
The following individuals from the 1918 team were not awarded M's but instead received "AMA" or "R" designations.- Fred W. Andreas (R): Cleveland, OhioCleveland, OhioCleveland 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...
- John M. Barnes (AMA): guard, Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
- Stanley J. Carter (AMA): started 1 game at quarterback, Pontiac, MichiganPontiac, MichiganPontiac 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...
- Oscar H. Cartwright (AMA): Detroit, Michigan
- C. C. Clash (R): started 1 game at tackle
- Dudley A. Daniels (R): Cleveland, Ohio
- Frederick S. Fletcher (AMA): started 1 game at end, Chicago, Illinois
- Cyrus R. Funk (R) (1898–1965): Cassopolis, MichiganCassopolis, MichiganCassopolis is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 14,275. It is the county seat of Cass County. The village and county are named after statesman Lewis Cass, a New Hampshire native and a prominent U.S...
- Milton S. Geiger (R) (1900–1991): Alliance, OhioAlliance, OhioAlliance is a city in Stark and Mahoning counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 22,322 at the 2010 census. Alliance's nickname is "The Carnation City", and the city is home to the University of Mount Union....
- Lowell B. Genebach (AMA) (1898–1978): halfback, Battle Creek, MichiganBattle Creek, MichiganBattle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek Rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Calhoun county...
- Paul J. Gingrass (R) (1899–1966): Marquette, MichiganMarquette, MichiganMarquette is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Marquette County. The population was 21,355 at the 2010 census, making it the most populated city of the Upper Peninsula. Marquette is a major port on Lake Superior, primarily for shipping iron ore and is the home of Northern...
- Cosimer J. "Cass" Gogulski (R) (1897–1978): Grand Rapids, Michigan
- D. L. Hadden (AMA):
- Edward Hauser (R): Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Paul D. Henderson (AMA): tackle, Detroit, Michigan
- Harold J. Hunt (AMA): Northfield, MinnesotaNorthfield, MinnesotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 17,147 people, 4,909 households, and 3,210 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,452.2 people per square mile . There were 5,119 housing units at an average density of 732.1 per square mile...
- Albert Hyde (R): Grant, MichiganGrant, MichiganGrant is a city in Newaygo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 894 at the 2010 census. The city is on the boundary between Grant Township and Ashland Township, but is politically independent of both...
- Archie F. Jordan (AMA): quarterback, Detroit, Michigan
- F. S. Kerwin (R):
- Albert John Lent (R): started 1 game at tackle, Saginaw, Michigan
- F. H. Lillis:
- L. O. Lindstrom (AMA): right guard, Marquette, Michigan
- Oscar C. Olson (AMA): fullback, Saginaw, Michigan
- Isadore Rosenfield (R): Toledo, Ohio
- Nicholas O. Scheidler (R) (1897–1978): tackle, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- H. B. Smith (R):
- Theodore A. Timchac (AMA): Saginaw, Michigan
- Murray D. Van Wagoner (AMA): center, Pontiac, Michigan
- C. Wilford Wilson (AMA): Ann Arbor, Michigan
Awards and honors
- Captain: Elton WiemanElton WiemanElton Ewart "Tad" Wieman was an American football player and coach and college athletic director. He played football for the University of Michigan from 1915 to 1917 and 1920 under head coach Fielding H. Yost. He was a coach and administrator at Michigan from 1921 to 1929, including two years as...
- All-Americans: Frank SteketeeFrank SteketeeFrank W. Steketee was an All American football halfback and fullback who played with the University of Michigan Wolverines in 1918, 1920, and 1921...
- All-Conference: Frank Steketee, Ernie VickErnie VickHenry Arthur "Ernie" Vick was an American football and baseball player. He was selected as an All-American center in 1921, played on the 1926 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals, and was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983.-University of Michigan:Born in Toledo, Ohio, Vick...
, Angus GoetzAngus GoetzAngus Gerald "Gus" Goetz was an American football player who played four years with the Michigan Wolverines from 1917 to 1920. He also played professional football for the Buffalo All-Americans and the Columbus Tigers .-University of Michigan:A native of Sault Ste...
Coaching staff
- Head coach: Fielding H. Yost
- Assistant coach: Prentiss Douglass
- Freshman coach: Elmer Mitchell
- Trainer: Dr. George May (physical director of the Waterman Gymnasium)
- Manager: Donald M. Springer
- Assistant managers: H. Hart Anderson, C. T. Hogan