The 1902 Michigan Agricultural Aggies football team represented Michigan Agricultural College (MAC)—now known as
Michigan State University
Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...
—as a member of the
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) is an List of NCAA conferences, intercollegiate athletic conference that competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's Division III (NCAA), Division III. There are nine ...
(MIAA) during the
1902 college football season
The 1902 college football season had no clear-cut champion, with the ''Official NCAA Division I Football Records Book'' listing 1902 Michigan Wolverines football team, Michigan and Yale Bulldogs football, Yale as having been selected NCAA Divisi ...
. In their second and final year under head coach
George Denman
George Denman (23 December 1819 – 21 September 1896) was an English barrister, High Court judge, and Liberal politician.
Early life
Denman was born at 50 Russell Square, London, the fourth son of Thomas Denman, 1st Baron Denman, of Do ...
, the Aggies compiled an overall record of 4–5 record with a mark of 2–2 in conference play, and were outscored by opponents 206 to 93.
Schedule
Game summaries
Michigan
On Wednesday, October 8, 1902, the Aggies played a mid-week game against Michigan. Michigan defeated the Aggies by a score of 119 to 0. The Wolverines scored 71 points in the first half of 20 minutes and 48 in the second half of 18 minutes.
The ''Michigan Alumnus'' called it "the greatest fusillade of touchdowns ever known to the football world," excluding Michigan's 128–0 win over Buffalo in 1901.
Michigan was held on downs only once in the game, and the Aggies made only three first downs.
[ Right halfback Albert Herrnstein ran back a kickoff the length of the field and scored seven touchdowns in the game. Willie Heston and Everett Sweeley did not play in the game, and the ''Detroit Free Press'' noted: "The opinion is quite general that if Heston and Sweeley had been in the game the Buffalo record would have been beaten, but, as it was, Michigan was simply fagged out running down the field for touchdowns."][ 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."
References
Michigan Agricultural
Michigan State Spartans football seasons
Michigan Agricultural Aggies football
{{collegefootball-1902-season-stub