The 1933 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1933 Big Ten Conference football season. Under fifth-year head coach Harry Kipke, Michigan compiled an undefeated 7–0–1 record, outscored opponents 131 to 18, extended the team's unbeaten streak to 22 games, and won both the Big Ten Conference and national football championships. The defense shut out five of its eight opponents and gave up an average of only 2.2 points per game. In December 1933, Michigan was awarded the Knute K. Rockne Trophy as the No. 1 team in the country under the Dickinson System. By winning a share of its fourth consecutive Big Ten football championships, the 1933 Wolverines also tied a record set by Fielding H. Yost's "Point-a-Minute" teams from 1901 to 1904.
In the first half of the season, Michigan outscored its opponents, 101 to 6, including a 13–0 shutout of Ohio State. In the second half, Michigan outscored its opponents 30 to 12 and defeated Illinois, 7–6, with the difference being Willis Ward's block of an extra point kick. In the annual Little Brown Jug game, Michigan and Minnesota played to scoreless tie, breaking Michigan's 16-game winning streak (but still preserving the unbeaten streak). Two of Michigan's adversaries also finished among the top five teams in the post-season Dickinson ratings: Minnesota at No. 3 and Ohio State at No. 5.
Left halfback Herman Everhardus was selected as the team's Most Valuable Player. He was also the leading scorer in the Big Ten Conference with 64 points. Center Chuck Bernard and tackle Francis Wistert were consensus first-team picks for the 1933 College Football All-America Team. Left end Ted Petoskey was also selected as a first-team All-American by several selectors. Michigan players also won four of the eleven spots on the All-Big Ten teams selected by the Associated Press and United Press. Michigan's first-team All-Big Ten honorees were Bernard, Everhardus, Petoskey, and Wistert.
Schedule
Pre-season
Michigan went into its 1933 season with an intact unbeaten streak of 14 games dating back to October 17, 1931. During that span, Michigan had won 13 games and tied one. The 1932 team finished its season with a perfect 8–0 record. The most valuable player on the 1932 team, All-American quarterback Harry Newman, had been lost to graduation. Newman led the 1933 New York Giants to the NFL championship and was selected as the All-Pro quarterback for 1933. Also departed was 1932 team captain Ivy Williamson, who went on to a long career as a coach and athletic director at the University of Wisconsin. However, most of the starters from the unbeaten 1932 team returned for the 1933 season. Key players returning from the 1932 team included halfbacks Herman Everhardus and Stanley Fay, center Chuck Bernard, tackle Whitey Wistert, ends Ted Petoskey and Willis Ward, and fullback John Regeczi.
Bill Renner, who had been a reserve in 1931 but did not play football in 1932, was expected to take over for Newman at quarterback. In early September 1933, Harry Kipke said that Renner was "just as good a passer as Newman – if he can do the other things." Kipke also announced plans to implement a new "rump wheel" formation in which the guards would back away from the line simultaneous with the snap to block for the backs. As Michigan's signal-caller for the 1933 season, Renner was responsible for mastering over 100 plays in the team's playbook – more than triple the 25 to 30 plays used by most teams.
The 1933 pre-season also saw the return of the Little Brown Jug, which had been awarded to the winner of the Michigan-Minnesota game for more than 20 years. The jug had disappeared in 1931. In late August 1933, Al Thomas, the brother of the groundskeeper at Ferry Field, found it in bushes along East University Avenue in Ann Arbor.
Michigan's pre-season training camp began in mid-September. In a letter to a friend, backup center Gerald Ford, who later became President of the United States, wrote about Coach Kipke's pre-season training camp: "You should thank your lucky stars you're not a would be athlete. Between the weather, the coaches and my own wretched condition, the afternoons are long the hours for sleep way too short."
Season summary Week 1: Michigan State
On October 7, 1933, Michigan opened its season against Michigan State College. Michigan won the game, 20–6, on "a misty, soggy field, with occasional misty rain" at Michigan Stadium. Michigan scored all of its points in the first quarter. Early in the game, Whitey Wistert downed the ball at the Spartans' two-yard line after a long punt by John Regeczi. The Spartans punted the ball back to Michigan, and Michigan got the ball at Michigan State's 18-yard line. Herman Everhardus ran for a touchdown, and Ted Petoskey's extra point kick was unsuccessful. Eight minutes into the game, Michigan scored again. A 37-yard punt return by Everhardus gave Michigan the ball at the Spartans' 19-yard line. On second down, Jack Heston ran for the touchdown, and Everhardus kicked the extra point. Later in the quarter, John Kowalik recovered a Michigan State fumble at the Spartans' 23-yard line. Everhardus ran for his second touchdown of the quarter and followed with his second extra point kick.1934 Michiganensian, Michigan State game summary, page 108. Neither team scored in the second or third quarters. Early in the final period, with Michigan leading 20–0, Michigan State completed an 86-yard drive with a touchdown on a short pass from Muth to Kurt Warmbein. The touchdown was the first scored by Michigan State against Michigan in 15 years.
Charlie Bachman, in his first game as Michigan State's head coach, used a passing game to attempt a comeback. The Spartans completed five of 18 passes for 74 yards. The Wolverines completed one of four passes. After the game, Bachman told reporters: "I am pleased with the outcome of the game, despite the loss, because we got rid of that inferiority complex with Michigan. My two sophomore backs . . . played as if they never heard of Michigan. To them, Michigan was just another football team."
Michigan's starting lineup against Michigan State was Petoskey (left end), Wistert (left tackle), Borgmann (left guard), Bernard (center), Kowalik (right guard), Austin (right tackle), Ward (right end), Fay (quarterback), Everhardus (left halfback), Heston (right halfback), and Regeczi (fullback). Players appearing in the game as substitutes for Michigan were Savage, Beard, Viergever, Westover, Oliver, Renner, Hildebrand, Singer, Jacobson, Tessmer, Chapman, and Fuog.
Week 2: Cornell
On October 14, 1933, Michigan played Cornell, renewing one of its oldest rivalries. The programs had played 15 games, with Cornell winning the first seven games from 1889 to 1894. The teams had not played since 1917. Cornell's head coach "Gloomy Gil" Dobie led the Big Red to three consecutive undefeated seasons and two national championships in the 1920s. Before the game, Dobie said that his small squad of 27 players "stood absolutely no chance of winning" against Michigan, and Kipke replied that "Michigan hasn't a chance to win from Cornell." The Associated Press referred to the coaches' comments as a battle of the "gloom men."
Michigan extended its unbeaten streak to 16 games by defeating Cornell, 40–0, the Wolverines' largest point total and largest margin of victory in seven years. The Wolverines gained 421 yards of total offense, including 319 rushing yards, 96 passing yards, and six yards on laterals. Left halfback Herman Everhardus led the offense with 21 points on three touchdowns and three extra points. On defense, Michigan held Cornell to 55 yards of total offense. The Wolverines stopped Cornell's highly regarded running game by playing six men at the line of scrimmage throughout the game. Cornell did not complete a pass in the game, and four attempts were intercepted by Michigan.
Michigan scored its first touchdown on a fake punt in the first quarter. Fullback John Regeczi dropped back in punt formation, but instead ran 75 yards around Cornell's right end for the score. Everhardus kicked the extra point. In the second quarter, Everhardus ran 52 yards for Michigan's second touchdown. The extra point attempt failed when Louis Westover fumbled the snap from center. Michigan drove to Cornell's three-yard line shortly before halftime, but the drive ended on a fumble by left end Ted Petoskey.1934 Michiganensian, Cornell Game summary, page 109.
On the kick-off to start the second half, Everhardus returned the ball 85 yards for a touchdown and kicked the extra point. A short time later, Cornell's left halfback Ferraro fumbled at the Cornell 19-yard line, and Michigan recovered. Everhardus scored from the three-yard line on a lateral pass from Stanley Fay. Everhardus again kicked the extra point. Michigan played its reserves through the balance of the game. A total of 31 players appeared in the game for Michigan. Late in the third quarter, Fay scored a touchdown on a lateral pass from Bill Renner, and Carl Savage kicked the extra point. In the fourth quarter, Michael Malashevich scored the final touchdown on a 52-yard pass play from Renner. Harvey Chapman's attempt at the extra point was unsuccessful. Michigan's backup quarterback Estel Tessmer broke his collar bone in the fourth quarter and was unable to play for the remainder of the season.
Michigan's starting lineup against Cornell was Petoskey (left end), Wistert (left tackle), Savage (left guard), Bernard (center), Borgmann (right guard), Austin (right tackle), Ward (right end), Fay (quarterback), Everhardus (left halfback), Heston (right halfback), and Regeczi (fullback). Michigan substitutes appearing in the game were Chapman, Malashevich, Johnson, Hildebrant, Viergever, McGuire, Jacobson, Kowalik, Beard, Singer, Wells, Ponto, Ford, Fuog, Tessmer, Westover, Renner, Triplehorn, Dauksza, Oliver, and Remias.
Week 3: Ohio State
On October 21, 1933, Michigan played Ohio State in Ann Arbor. Michigan's last defeat before the 1933 season had been against Ohio State in 1931, and the 1933 Ohio State team was reputed to be "the most powerful Ohio team since the days of Gaylord Stinchcomb and Chic Harley." With both teams contending for the Big Ten Conference championship, it was the most anticipated meeting in the Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry since 1922. An Associated Press report noted: "Feverish excitement, unequaled since that week 11 years ago when Michigan was getting ready to dedicate Ohio State's new stadium, has taken hold of Maize and Blue followers." Another report noted: "The 'rah-rah' spirit is rampant once more in Ann Arbor to the extent that gang fights between Freshmen and Sophomores are being revived after a lapse of several years."
In a departure from his practice of allowing the press to attend Michigan's workouts, Michigan coach Harry Kipke prepared for the game behind locked gates at Ferry Field. The Associated Press reported that "an air of deepest mystery" surrounded the Michigan camp, with expectations that Kipke intended to "shoot the works" against Ohio State. Michigan athletic director Fielding H. Yost predicted the matchup would be "some game" and added, "It won't be a parade of chocolate soldiers." A pep rally was set for Hill Auditorium the night before the game. The Michigan team spent the night at Barton Hills Country Club while the Ohio State team stayed overnight in Dearborn, Michigan. Though Michigan Stadium's official capacity was 75,000, the demand for tickets prompted Michigan's athletic department to build temporary seating around the edge of the bowl. Newspapers and the University of Michigan yearbook reported that the game ultimately drew a crowd of more than 93,000, including 11,000 Ohio State fans. Up to that time, it was "the largest crowd that ever saw a Maize and Blue team perform."("It was the largest crowd that ever saw a Maize and Blue team perform ...")