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The 1902 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the
University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
in the
1902 Western Conference football season The 1902 Western Conference football season was the seventh season of college football played by the member schools of the Western Conference (later known as the Big Ten Conference) and was a part of the 1902 college football season. The confer ...
. 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 The Big Nine Conference, formerly the Big Eight Conference, was a high school sports conference in Genesee County, Michigan, that ended with four high schools in 2012. History Formed in 1960 as the Big Eight Conference, the conference became th ...
championship. The 1902 Michigan Wolverines have also been recognized as the national champions by the
Billingsley Report The Billingsley Report is a college football rating system developed in the late 1960s to determine a national champion. Billingsley has actively rated college football teams on a current basis since 1970. Beginning in 1999, Billingsley's ratings ...
,
Helms Athletic Foundation The Helms Athletic Foundation, founded in 1936, was a Los Angeles-based organization dedicated to the promotion of athletics and sportsmanship. Paul H. Helms was the organization's founder and benefactor, funding the foundation via his owners ...
, Houlgate System, and National Championship Foundation, and as co-national champions by
Parke H. Davis Parke Hill Davis (July 15, 1871 – June 5, 1934)"PARKE H. DAVIS BURIED.; Many Prominent Men at Funeral of Football Authority", special to ''The New York Times'', June 9, 1934 was an American football player, coach, and historian. Shortly befo ...
.
Quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
Boss Weeks Harrison Samuel "Boss" Weeks Jr. (April 3, 1879 – February 25, 1906) was an American football player and coach. He played quarterback for the University of Michigan from 1900 to 1902 and served as head football coach at the University of Kansas ...
was the team's captain and the leader of the Wolverines' offense that twice scored more than 100 points against opponents and averaged 58.5 points per game. Right halfback
Albert E. Herrnstein Albert Ernest Herrnstein (August 15, 1882 – August 14, 1958) was an American football player and coach. He played at the University of Michigan as a halfback and end from 1899 to 1902 and was the head football coach at the Haskell Indian Sch ...
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 William Martin Heston (September 9, 1878 – September 9, 1963) 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 Universi ...
, Joe Maddock and
Paul J. Jones Paul J. Jones (November 4, 1880 – August 4, 1965) was an American college football player and coach and United States federal judge. He played fullback for the University of Michigan's national championship football team in 1902 and became the ...
added 15, 12 and 11 touchdowns, respectively.


Schedule


Game summaries


Michigan 88, Albion 0

Michigan opened the 1902 season with an 88–0 victory over Albion College. 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).


Michigan 48, Case 6

In its second game of the 1902, Michigan played the Case Scientific School (later
Case Western Reserve University Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) is a private research university in Cleveland, Ohio. Case Western Reserve was established in 1967, when Western Reserve University, founded in 1826 and named for its location in the Connecticut Western Reser ...
) of
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...
. 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 The ''Detroit Free Press'' is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the ''Sunday Free Press''. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primar ...
'' 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).


Michigan 119, Michigan Agricultural 0

Michigan played a mid-week game against
Michigan Agricultural College Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
(now known as
Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It ...
) 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 Kickoff or kick-off may refer to * Kick-off (association football) * Kickoff (gridiron football) * ''Kick Off'' (series), a series of computer association football games * ''Kick Off'' (album), a 1985 album by Onyanko Club * ''Kick Off'' (mag ...
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.


Michigan 60, Indiana 0

Michigan defeated
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...
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 Charles A. Baird (January 17, 1870 – November 30, 1944) 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 athlet ...
, more than 2,000 school children accompanied by their teachers attended the game. University of Michigan president
James B. Angell James Burrill Angell (January 7, 1829 – April 1, 1916) was an American educator and diplomat. He is best known for being the longest-serving president of the University of Michigan, from 1871 to 1909. He represented the transition from sm ...
also attended the game for the first time of the year.
Wisconsin Badgers football The Wisconsin Badgers football program represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the sport of American football. Wisconsin competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the ...
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).


Michigan 23, Notre Dame 0

After four home games to open the season, Michigan played Notre Dame at a neutral site in
Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Ohio, Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnat ...
on October 18, 1902. 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 Curtis Gerald "Cap" Redden (February 8, 1881 – January 16, 1919) was an American football player. He was the starting left end for the University of Michigan's football team from 1901 to 1904. He played for Michigan's "Point-a-Minute" teams a ...
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 thought 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).


Michigan 86, Ohio State 0

In the sixth game of the season, Michigan defeated
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
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 Titus Wells Hale (October 7, 1878 – April 8, 1948) was an American football player and coach. He played college football at Yale University was selected to the 1900 College Football All-America Team as a fullback. Hale also played profe ...
, 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 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).


Michigan 6, Wisconsin 0

In the seventh game of the season, Michigan faced its toughest opponent, the
Wisconsin Badgers The Wisconsin Badgers are the athletic teams representing the University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin). They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level ( Football Bowl Subdivis ...
. 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. 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."


Michigan 107, Iowa 0

The Wolverines improved their record to 8-0 with a 107-0 win over
Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...
. 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:
" e 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. 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:
"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).


Michigan 21, Chicago 0

Michigan returned to Marshall Field in Chicago to play
Amos Alonzo Stagg Amos Alonzo Stagg (August 16, 1862 – March 17, 1965) was an American athlete and college coach in multiple sports, primarily American football. He served as the head football coach at the International YMCA Training School (now called Springfiel ...
's
Chicago Maroons The Chicago Maroons are the intercollegiate sports teams of the University of Chicago. They are named after the color maroon. Team colors are maroon and gray, and the Phoenix is their mascot. They now compete in the NCAA Division III, mostly as ...
on November 15, 1902. Michigan won the game 21–0 in front of a crowd of 14,000. 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.
Raymond Starbuck Raymond D. Starbuck (June 26, 1878 – August 16, 1965) 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 ...
was 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).


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 Lane Williams (July 26, 1869 – June 14, 1931) 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 care ...
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 enthusiasts 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).


Michigan 23, Minnesota 6

In the final game of the 1902 season, Michigan defeated
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...
23–6 on
Thanksgiving Day Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden and ...
. 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 South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...
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 Dennis Keene Fitzpatrick (December 25, 1864 – May 22, 1944) was an American track coach, athletic trainer, professor of physical training and gymnasium director for 42 years at Yale University (1890–1891, 1896–1898), the University of Mic ...
." 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 A perfect season is a sports season, including any requisite playoff portion, in which a team remains and finishes undefeated and untied. The feat is extremely rare at the professional level of any team sport, and has occurred more commonly at the ...
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).


Postseason

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 Wolverines have been recognized as the national championship team by the Billingsley Report,
Helms Athletic Foundation The Helms Athletic Foundation, founded in 1936, was a Los Angeles-based organization dedicated to the promotion of athletics and sportsmanship. Paul H. Helms was the organization's founder and benefactor, funding the foundation via his owners ...
, Houlgate System, National Championship Foundation and
Parke H. Davis Parke Hill Davis (July 15, 1871 – June 5, 1934)"PARKE H. DAVIS BURIED.; Many Prominent Men at Funeral of Football Authority", special to ''The New York Times'', June 9, 1934 was an American football player, coach, and historian. Shortly befo ...
. 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 Harrison Samuel "Boss" Weeks Jr. (April 3, 1879 – February 25, 1906) was an American football player and coach. He played quarterback for the University of Michigan from 1900 to 1902 and served as head football coach at the University of Kansas ...
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."


Awards and honors

Several players received postseason honors: Joseph Maddock,
Willie Heston William Martin Heston (September 9, 1878 – September 9, 1963) 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 Universi ...
, and captain
Boss Weeks Harrison Samuel "Boss" Weeks Jr. (April 3, 1879 – February 25, 1906) was an American football player and coach. He played quarterback for the University of Michigan from 1900 to 1902 and served as head football coach at the University of Kansas ...
were selected ''
All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
'' by the Newark Advocate. Weeks made
Casper Whitney Caspar William Whitney (September 2, 1864 – January 18, 1929) was an American author, editor, explorer, outdoorsman and war correspondent. He originated the concept of the All-American team in college football in 1889 when he worked for ''Harpe ...
's second team. Maddock, Heston, Weeks, Everett Sweeley
Paul J. Jones Paul J. Jones (November 4, 1880 – August 4, 1965) was an American college football player and coach and United States federal judge. He played fullback for the University of Michigan's national championship football team in 1902 and became the ...
,
Curtis Redden Curtis Gerald "Cap" Redden (February 8, 1881 – January 16, 1919) was an American football player. He was the starting left end for the University of Michigan's football team from 1901 to 1904. He played for Michigan's "Point-a-Minute" teams a ...
, and Dan McGugin all made All-Western.


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 Press The ''Detroit Free Press'' is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the ''Sunday Free Press''. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primar ...
'' 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."


Personnel


Depth chart

The following chart provides a visual depiction of Michigan's lineup during the 1902 season with games started at the position reflected in parenthesis. The chart mimics Yost's
short punt formation The short punt formation is an older Formation (American football), formation on both offense and defense in American football, popular when scoring was harder and a good punt was itself an offensive weapon.Retyl, Richard U-M's Shotgun Offense is ...
while on offense, with the quarterback under center.


Varsity letter winners

The following 14 players received varsity "M" letters for their participation on the 1902 football team:


Line


Backfield


Varsity substitutes and reserves


Line


Backfield


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 McGugin Daniel Earle McGugin (July 29, 1879 – January 23, 1936) was an American football player and coach, as well as a lawyer. He served as the head football coach at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee from 1904 to 1917 and again from ...
, who played left guard for the 1902 team, was inducted into the
College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vo ...
for his accomplishments as head coach at Vanderbilt from 1904 to 1934. And end/tackle William C. "King" Cole led the
Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers (often abbreviated to Huskers) are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference, and the Cornhuskers compete in NCAA Divis ...
to two
Missouri Valley Conference The Missouri Valley Conference (also called MVC or simply "The Valley") is the third-oldest collegiate athletic conference in the United States. The conference's members are primarily located in the midwest. History The MVC was established ...
championships. The 1902 Michigan players who went on to head coaching positions are: *William Cole served as the head coach at Marietta College (1903),
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
(1905–1906) and
Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
(1907–1910); * Herb Graver served as the head coach at Marietta College in 1904; *
Albert E. Herrnstein Albert Ernest Herrnstein (August 15, 1882 – August 14, 1958) was an American football player and coach. He played at the University of Michigan as a halfback and end from 1899 to 1902 and was the head football coach at the Haskell Indian Sch ...
was the head coach for the Haskell Indian School (1903–1904),
Purdue Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and mo ...
(1905) and
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
(1906–1909); *
Willie Heston William Martin Heston (September 9, 1878 – September 9, 1963) 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 Universi ...
was the head coach for
Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name ...
(1905) and North Carolina State (1906); *
Paul J. Jones Paul J. Jones (November 4, 1880 – August 4, 1965) was an American college football player and coach and United States federal judge. He played fullback for the University of Michigan's national championship football team in 1902 and became the ...
spent one year as the head coach at
Western Reserve The Connecticut Western Reserve was a portion of land claimed by the Colony of Connecticut and later by the state of Connecticut in what is now mostly the northeastern region of Ohio. The Reserve had been granted to the Colony under the terms o ...
;(after graduating from Michigan, he was hired as the head football coach at Western Reserve University in Cleveland) * Joe Maddock was the head coach at
Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
(1924) and
Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...
(1904–1909); *Dan McGugin was the head coach at Vanderbilt (1904–1917, 1919–1934); *
Curtis Redden Curtis Gerald "Cap" Redden (February 8, 1881 – January 16, 1919) was an American football player. He was the starting left end for the University of Michigan's football team from 1901 to 1904. He played for Michigan's "Point-a-Minute" teams a ...
was the head coach at
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
(1905); * Everett Sweeley was the head coach at Morningside College (1903) and
Washington State Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a U.S. state, state in the Northwestern United States, Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first President of the United States, U.S. p ...
(1904–1905); and *
Boss Weeks Harrison Samuel "Boss" Weeks Jr. (April 3, 1879 – February 25, 1906) was an American football player and coach. He played quarterback for the University of Michigan from 1900 to 1902 and served as head football coach at the University of Kansas ...
was the head coach at
Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...
(1903) and Beloit (1904).


Scoring leaders

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''.


Coaching staff

* Head coach: Fielding H. Yost * Freshman coach: Howard Richardson * Trainer:
Keene Fitzpatrick Dennis Keene Fitzpatrick (December 25, 1864 – May 22, 1944) was an American track coach, athletic trainer, professor of physical training and gymnasium director for 42 years at Yale University (1890–1891, 1896–1898), the University of Mic ...
* Manager: Archibald Smith * Graduate Director of Athletics:
Charles A. Baird Charles A. Baird (January 17, 1870 – November 30, 1944) 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 athlet ...


References


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 {{Big Ten Conference football champions
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...
Michigan Wolverines football seasons College football national champions Big Ten Conference football champion seasons College football undefeated seasons
Michigan Wolverines football The Michigan Wolverines football team represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins in college football history. The team is known for its ...