1904 Michigan Wolverines football team

The 1904 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1904 Western Conference football season. In the team's fourth season under head coach Fielding H. Yost, the Wolverines compiled a perfect 10–0 record and outscored opponents 567–22. The 1904 team was the fourth of Yost's legendary "Point-a-Minute" teams. Michigan's games were of varying length from 22½ minutes to 70 minutes. Over the course of ten games, Michigan played 476 minutes of football and averaged a point scored for every 50.3 seconds played. The team included future College Football Hall of Fame inductee Willie Heston, who scored 20 touchdowns for 100 points that season; touchdowns were worth five points under 1904 rules.

1904 Michigan Wolverines football
Co-national champion (NCF)
Western Conference co-champion
ConferenceWestern Conference
Record10–0 (2–0 Western)
Head coach
CaptainWillie Heston
Home stadiumRegents Field
Seasons
← 1903
1905 →
1904 Western Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Minnesota + 3 0 0 13 0 0
Michigan + 2 0 0 10 0 0
Chicago 5 1 1 10 1 1
Illinois 3 1 1 9 2 1
Northwestern 1 2 0 8 2 0
Purdue 1 2 0 9 3 0
Iowa 0 3 0 7 4 0
Wisconsin 0 3 0 5 3 0
Indiana 0 3 0 6 4 0
  • + – Conference co-champions

Schedule

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DateOpponentSiteResultAttendance
October 1Case*W 33–0
October 5Ohio Northern*
  • Regents Field
  • Ann Arbor, MI
W 48–0
October 8Kalamazoo*
  • Regents Field
  • Ann Arbor, MI
W 95–0
October 12Physicians & Surgeons*
  • Regents Field
  • Ann Arbor, MI
W 72–01,500
October 15at Ohio State*W 31–68,000
October 19American Medical*
  • Regents Field
  • Ann Arbor, MI
W 72–0
October 22West Virginia*
  • Regents Field
  • Ann Arbor, MI
W 130–04,000
October 29at WisconsinW 28–011,000
November 5Drake*
  • Regents Field
  • Ann Arbor, MI
W 36–4
November 12Chicago 
  • Regents Field
  • Ann Arbor, MI (rivalry)
W 22–1213,000
  • *Non-conference game
  •  Homecoming

Game summaries

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Michigan 33, Case 0

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1904 Michigan football team

Michigan opened the 1904 college football season on October 1 with a 33–0 win over Cleveland's Case School of Applied Science. The game was played in 20-minute halves, and the Wolverines scored 22 points in the first half. Numerous substitutions were made at half-time, and the backup players added 11 points in the second half. Fullback Frank Longman scored three touchdowns in the game, and Willie Heston, Walter Rheinschild, and Joe Curtis scored one touchdown each. Tom Hammond converted three extra point kicks. Heston's touchdown came on a 75-yard run. Case managed only one first down in the game.

The Michigan players appearing in the game were: John Garrels (left end), Joe Curtis (left tackle), Henry Schulte (left guard), Ted Hammond (starting center), Germany Schulz (right guard), Roy Beechler (starting right tackle and substitute at center), Smull (substitute at right tackle), Tom Hammond (starting right end), Harry Patrick (substitute at right end), Fred Norcross (starting quarterback and substitute at right halfback), Walter Becker (substitute at quarterback), Willie Heston (starting left halfback), William Dennison Clark (substitute at left halfback), Ted Stuart (starting right halfback), James DePree (substitute at right halfback), Frank Longman (starting fullback), and Walter Rheinschild (substitute at fullback).

Player Position Starter Touchdowns Extra points Field goals Points
Longman Fullback Yes 3 0 0 15
Heston Left halfback Yes 1 0 0 5
Curtis Left tackle Yes 1 0 0 5
Rheinschild Fullback No 1 0 0 5
Tom Hammond Right end No 0 3 0 3
Total -- -- 6 3 0 33

Michigan 48, Ohio Northern 0

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In the second game of the 1904 season, Michigan defeated Ohio Northern, 38–0, in a game consisting of halves of 20 and 15 minutes. Willie Heston scored three touchdowns and had runs of 45, 32, 35 and 30 yards.

Player Position Starter Touchdowns Extra points Field goals Points
Heston Left halfback Yes 3 0 0 15
Tom Hammond Right end Yes 0 5 2 13
H. Hammond Fullback Yes 2 0 0 10
Clark Fullback No 1 0 0 5
Hal Weeks Right halfback No 1 0 0 5
Total -- -- 7 5 2 48

Michigan 95, Kalamazoo 0

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In the third game of the season, Michigan defeated Kalamazoo College, 95–0, in a game consisting of two 20-minute halves. Heston scored six touchdowns and had long touchdown runs of 65, 70, 85 and 65 yards.

Player Position Starter Touchdowns Extra points Field goals Points
Heston Left halfback Yes 6 0 0 30
H. Hammond Fullback Yes 5 0 0 25
Tom Hammond Right tackle Yes 0 15 0 15
Patrick Left tackle No 2 0 0 10
Hal Weeks Right halfback No 1 0 0 5
Clark Right end No 1 0 0 5
Schulte Center Yes 1 0 0 5
Total -- -- 16 15 0 95

Michigan 72, Physicians & Surgeons 0

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In the fourth game of the season, Michigan defeated the Physicians & Surgeons team 72–0 in a short mid-week game lasting only 22½ minutes, a 15-minute first half and a 7½ minute second half. Quarterback Fred Norcross scored four touchdowns, and Heston scored three. Norcross had touchdown runs of 67, 35 and 90 yards.

Player Position Starter Touchdowns Extra points Field goals Points
Tom Hammond Right tackle Yes 2 12 0 22
Norcross Quarterback Yes 4 0 0 20
Heston Left halfback Yes 3 0 0 15
Curtis Left tackle Yes 1 0 0 5
Clark Right end Yes 1 0 0 5
H. Hammond Right halfback Yes 1 0 0 5
Total -- -- 12 12 0 72

Michigan 31, Ohio State 6

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Michigan defeated Ohio State, 31–6, in a game consisting of 30-minute halves in Columbus, Ohio. Heston scored three touchdowns, bringing his season total to 16.

Player Position Starter Touchdowns Extra points Field goals Points
Heston Left halfback Yes 3 0 0 15
Tom Hammond Right tackle Yes 0 3 2 11
H. Hammond Right halfback Yes 1 0 0 5
Total -- -- 4 3 2 31

Michigan 72, American Medical School 0

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For its sixth game of the season, Michigan played a short mid-week game against the American Medical School. The game consisted of a 20-minute first half and a 3½ minute second half. Right halfback Clark led the scoring with four touchdowns. Weeks scored three touchdowns. Heston was limited to a single touchdown.

Player Position Starter Touchdowns Extra points Field goals Points
Clark Right halfback Yes 4 0 0 20
Hal Weeks Fullback Yes 3 0 0 15
Curtis Left tackle Yes 1 5 0 10
Magoffin Left halfback No 1 2 0 7
Carter Right guard Yes 1 0 0 5
Heston Left halfback Yes 1 0 0 5
Rheinschild Left end No 1 0 0 5
Patrick Left tackle No 1 0 0 5
Total -- -- 13 7 0 72

Michigan 130, West Virginia 0

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The most lopsided score in Michigan football history. In a game consisting of 25 and 20-minute halves, the Wolverines scored 22 touchdowns and 20 extra points (which would have resulted in a margin of 152-0 under modern scoring rules). Joe Curtis alone accounted for 49 points with six touchdowns and 19 extra points. The undefeated 1904 team won Michigan's fourth national championship and scored 567 points in 476 minutes of football, averaging a point every 50.3 seconds. For the first time in the 1904 season, Heston did not score.

Player Position Starter Touchdowns Extra points Field goals Points
Curtis Left tackle Yes 6 19 0 49
Norcross Quarterback Yes 5 0 0 25
Clark Fullback Yes 3 0 0 15
Magoffin Right halfback Yes 2 1 0 11
Graham Right tackle Yes 1 0 0 5
Patrick Right tackle No 1 0 0 5
H. Hammond Right end Yes 1 0 0 5
Schulte Left guard Yes 1 0 0 5
Carter Right guard Yes 1 0 0 5
Becker Quarterback No 1 0 0 5
Total -- -- 22 20 0 130

Michigan 28, Wisconsin 0

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Michigan played its first full-length game (two 35-minute halves) of the season against Wisconsin. Michigan won the game, 28–0. Heston and Carter each scored two touchdowns, and Norcross added another.

Player Position Starter Touchdowns Extra points Field goals Points
Heston Left halfback Yes 2 0 0 10
Carter Right guard Yes 2 0 0 10
Norcross Quarterback Yes 1 0 0 5
Tom Hammond Right halfback Yes 0 2 0 2
Curtis Left tackle Yes 0 1 0 1
Total -- -- 5 3 0 28

Michigan 36, Drake 4

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In its ninth game, Michigan defeated the team from Drake by a score of 36–4. The game was played in two 25-minute halves. Curtis led the scoring with 16 points on two touchdowns and six extra point kicks. Willie Heston did not play in the game.

Player Position Starter Touchdowns Extra points Field goals Points
Curtis Left tackle Yes 2 6 0 16
Carter Right guard Yes 2 0 0 10
Stuart Right end Yes 1 0 0 5
Tom Hammond Right halfback Yes 1 0 0 5
Total -- -- 6 6 0 36

Michigan 22, Chicago 12

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Michigan concluded an undefeated season with a 22–12 win over the University of Chicago on November 12. The game, played in 35-minute halves, featured several College Football Hall of Fame inductees, including Walter Eckersall and Hugo Bezdek for Chicago and Willie Heston and Germany Schulz for Michigan. Heston, Eckersall and Bezdek each scored single touchdowns, but the lead scorer was Michigan's Tom Hammond with 17 points on three touchdowns and two extra points. Heston finished the season with 20 touchdowns for 100 points.

Player Position Starter Touchdowns Extra points Field goals Points
Tom Hammond Right halfback Yes 3 2 0 17
Heston Left halfback Yes 1 0 0 5
Total -- -- 4 2 0 22

Players

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Varsity letter winners

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The following 13 players received varsity "M" letters for their participation on the 1904 football team:[1]

Player Position Games
started
Hometown
Charles B. Carter Right guard 8 Lewiston, Maine
William Dennison Clark Left end
Right end
Fullback
Right halfback
2
2
1
1
Detroit, Michigan
Joe Curtis Left tackle 10 Brooklyn, New York
Walter D. Graham Right tackle 6 Chicago, Illinois
Harry S. Hammond Right end
Fullback
Right halfback
4
2
2
Chicago, Illinois
Tom Hammond Right tackle
Right end
Right halfback
3
3
3
Chicago, Illinois
Willie Heston Left halfback 9 Grants Pass, Oregon
Frank Longman Fullback 4 Battle Creek, Michigan
Fred Norcross Quarterback 10 Menominee, Michigan
Henry Schulte Left guard
Center
7
3
Jefferson Barracks, Missouri
Germany Schulz Center
Left guard
Right guard
5
3
2
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Ted Stuart Right end
Right halfback
1
1
Chariton, Iowa
Harold Weeks Fullback
Left end
3
2
Allegan, Michigan

Scoring leaders

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Player Touchdowns Extra points Field goals Points
Willie Heston 20 0 0 100
Tom Hammond 6 42 4 88
Joe Curtis 11 31 0 86
Fred Norcross 10 0 0 50
Harry Hammond 10 0 0 50
Wm. Clark 10 0 0 50
Charles Carter 6 0 0 30
Harold Weeks 5 0 0 25
Harry Patrick 4 0 0 20
Paul Magoffin 3 3 0 18
Frank Longman 3 0 0 15
Walter Rheinschild 2 0 0 10
Henry Schulte 2 0 0 10
Walter Graham 1 0 0 5
Walter Becker 1 0 0 5
Ted Stuart 1 0 0 5

Reserves

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Others

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Awards and honors

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Coaching staff

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References

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  1. ^ "Summary of Football, 1904". The Michigan Alumnus. January 1905. p. 134.
  2. ^ "Camp's Idea Of Football Stars: Yale Coach Puts Two Western Men in His Selection". The Daily Review (Decatur, IL). December 28, 1904.
  3. ^ "In the Sporting World". Oshkosh Daily Northwestern. December 3, 1904.
  4. ^ "Some All-American Football Elevens". The Pittsburgh Press. November 29, 1904.
  5. ^ Albert Horr Montgomery, born September 8, 1882, in Chicago. Graduate of University of Michigan, 1905, AB. Rush Medical College, Chicago, 1907. Professor of surgery at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. Clinical Professor of Surgery at Rushc Medical College. Co-founder of the American Board of Surgery. Retired in 1946 as Chief of Surgical Department at Children's Memorial Hospital. Died January 31, 1948. See obituary.
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