The 1903 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1903 college football season. The team's head football coach was Fielding H. Yost. The Wolverines played their home games at Regents Field. The 1903 team compiled a record of 11–0–1 and outscored opponents 565 to 6. The only points allowed came on a touchdown in a 6–6 tie with Minnesota. All eleven wins were shutouts. The 1903 Michigan team was the third of Yost's "Point-a-Minute" teams and has been recognized retrospectively as a co-national champion by the National Championship Foundation.
The team captain was Curtis Redden, and the high scorer was fullback Tom Hammond who scored 163 points. Halfback Willie Heston was the only member of the team selected as a first-team All-American, receiving the honor from both Walter Camp in Collier's Weekly and Caspar Whitney in Outing magazine.
Schedule
Preseason Controversy
Before the start of the 1903 season, Michigan became involved in controversy over amateurism in college football. In April 1903, David Starr Jordan, the president of Stanford University, accused Michigan coach Fielding Yost of sinning against the spirit of amateur athletics. Jordan's accusations focused on two players, George W. Gregory and Willie Heston, both of whom had come to Michigan from California with Coach Yost in 1901. The Detroit Free Press reported in early September 1903 that the two might opt not to return to the University of Michigan when classes resumed.("Two Michigan football stars in whom there is much interest just now. Gregory and Heston, were in Detroit yesterday. This is the pair of players whom Coach Yost may lose, a business chance beckoning rather strongly to both, and it is supposed that they were here in the hope of meeting Yost.")
A report issued by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools in April 1903 advocated stricter regulation to protect the amateur nature of the games. Although the report contained only passing references to the University of Michigan, the Chicago Record-Herald devoted much of its coverage to attacks on amateurism at the University of Michigan. The Michigan Alumnus expressed concern that football posed a danger "to the minds and morals of the players and their fellow-students." It published an open letter to Coach Yost on the evils of recruiting in college football. The open letter advocated the adoption of a one-year residency rule requiring a year of satisfactory scholarship for all players on college teams. Professor Albert Pattengill, chairman of Michigan's Board of Control of Athletics, defended Yost:"In justice to Mr. Yost it must be said that the greatest sin we can lay at his door is that for two seasons he has led Michigan's team to victory. He is a man of good personal habits, and enthusiastic in his work. He exercises a wholesome influence over the young men under him. . . . We have made many inquiries, and have not heard from any sources anything to give cause for uneasiness. . . .
Training camp and pre-season expectations
Although Michigan's football training camp had previously been held at Whitmore Lake, Yost moved the team's pre-season camp to the Epworth Hotel in Epworth Heights, a summer resort located three miles from Ludington, Michigan. Yost hoped that the northern location would allow the team to practice away from the September heat. Training camp opened on September 14, 1903, and was attended by 25 players, Yost, and trainer Keene Fitzpatrick. While in Ludington, the Michigan players played a baseball game against the local team and attended a dance at the Stearns Hotel in downtown Ludington. The locals were surprised when the guests of honor left the dance at 10:05 pm, under orders from Keene Fitzpatrick. The squad returned to Ann Arbor on September 26 and joined a separate body of recruits training under the direction of assistant coach Dan McGugin.
At the start of the 1903 season, there were concerns about the team's lack of experience. Most of the starters from the 1902 team had been lost, including the team's two leading scorers (Albert E. Herrnstein and James E. Lawrence), its starting quarterback (Boss Weeks), and four of the starting linemen (Everett Sweeley, Dan McGugin, "King" Cole, and "Babe" Carter). Adding to the problems, the 1902 team's starting fullback (Paul Jones) suffered a nearly deadly attack of typhoid fever in early 1903 and was unable to return to the team.
The most promising new players on the 1903 squad included Joe Curtis, a 212-pounder from Pueblo, Colorado, Tom Hammond, a fullback from Hyde Park, Illinois, and John Garrels, a speedster from Detroit who went on to win the silver medal in the 110 meter hurdles at the 1908 Summer Olympics. With only eight veterans returning team captain Curtis Redden wrote that "[n]o season in the history of Michigan football has opened with a gloomier outlook" than that of 1903.1904 Michiganensian, p. 138. The Michigan Alumnus opined that a repetition of the extraordinary scores of 1902 was too much to expect, but expressed hope that the 1903 team would be able to "cope honorably" with its "most dreaded rivals," Chicago and Minnesota.
Game summaries
Michigan 31, Case 0
The season opener was played on October 3, 1903, in weather that was described as "excessively warm for football." The game was played in 20-minute halves and matched Michigan against Case Scientific School. Willie Heston scored three touchdowns in the game, including one on a 45-yard run. Tom Hammond also scored two touchdowns, and Hal Weeks scored after substituting for Heston at left halfback in the second half. Michigan converted only one of six point after touchdown attempts, and the team's punting and goal-kicking were described as "sad failures."
Willie HestonLeft halfbackyes30015 Tom HammondFullbackyes20010 Hal WeeksLeft halfbackno1005 Herb GraverRight halfbackno0101
Michigan 76, Albion 0 The second game of the 1903 season was played on Thursday, October 8, against Albion College. In a game that consisted of 27-1/2 minutes (first half of 20 minutes, second half of 7-1/2 minutes), Michigan scored 76 points. The Wolverines failed to score on only one drive, and were stopped inside Albion's five-yard line on that drive. Albion converted only two first downs in the game. Tom Hammond led the scoring with 35 points on five touchdowns and 10 successful point after touchdown kicks. Willie Heston added three touchdowns, and single touchdowns were added by Herb Graver, Roswell Wendell, Fred Norcross, and Rolla Bigelow.
Tom HammondFullbackyes510035 Willie HestonLeft halfbackyes30015 Herb GraverRight halfbackyes20010 Roswell WendellRight halfbackno1106 Fred NorcrossLeft halfbackno1005 Rolla BigelowFullbackno1005
Michigan 79, Beloit 0
Two days after the Albion game, Michigan faced Beloit. In 45 minutes of football (first half of 25 minutes, second half of 20 minutes), Michigan scored 79 points. The Michigan Alumnus praised the team effort on offense and singled out Gooding who "once carried Heston over the line for a touchdown." Curtis Redden was also praised for his blocking and for his clever play in recovering and returning a Beloit fumble in the second half. Willie Heston and Fred Norcross led the scoring with five and three touchdowns, respectively. The Michigan Alumnus noted, "Time after time Heston and Norcross, aided by good blocking, sprinted long distances for touchdowns."
Through the first three games of the 1903 season, the Wolverines scored 186 points in minutes of play. The Detroit Free Press noted that Yost's team narrowly missed averaging two points per minute against Beloit.
Willie HestonLeft halfbackyes500025 Fred NorcrossRight halfbackyes300015 Rolla Bigelow 300015 Duncan ThompsonRight halfbackno200010 Tom HammondFullbackyes07007 Joe CurtisLeft tackleyes05005 nanana00012
Michigan 65, Ohio Normal 0 On Wednesday, October 14, 1903, Michigan played Ohio Normal from Ada, Ohio. In 34 minutes of football (first half of 20 minutes, second half of 14 minutes), Michigan scored 65 points. Duncan Thompson, starting at the right halfback position, led the scoring with four touchdowns. The "most stirring" play of the game was a 75-yard touchdown run "through the whole Ohio team" by Fred Norcross. Ohio Normal's longest gain was a seven-yard run. The Michigan Alumnus noted that the Wolverines' play was "at times over-zealous and severe penalties for foul interference and off-side resulted."
Through the first four games of the 1903 season, the Wolverines scored 251 points in minutes of play.
Tom HammondFullbackyes210020 Duncan ThompsonRight halfbackyes40020 Fred NorcrossRight halfbackno20010 Willie HestonLeft halfbackyes1005 Joe MaddockRight tackleyes1005 Hal WeeksLeft halfbackno1005
Michigan 51, Indiana 0
Three days after its mid-week contest against Ohio Normal, the Wolverines played Indiana on October 17, 1901. In the season's first full-length game (two halves of 25 minutes), Michigan outscored Indiana 51 to 0. Despite the lopsided score, The Michigan Alumnus complained that certain features of the team's play were "most unsatisfactory," including fumbles and a lack of versatility in the team's offensive play. Curtis Redden was credited with the "prettiest run of the day" for recovering a half-blocked punt and returning it 65 yards for Michigan's third touchdown. Tom Hammond scored 21 points in the game on two touchdowns, 6 point after touchdown kicks, and a field goal.
Through the first five games of the 1903 season, the Wolverines scored 302 points in minutes of play.
Tom HammondFullbackyes26121 Herb GraverRight halfbackyes20010 Curtis ReddenLeft end yes1005 Joe MaddockRight tackleyes1005 Duncan ThompsonRight halfbackno1005 Frank LongmanRighte endyes1005
Michigan 88, Ferris Institute 0 In another mid-week game, Michigan defeated the team from the Ferris Institute in Big Rapids, Michigan, by a score of 88 to 0. The Wolverines added to their "Point-a-Minute" margin by scoring 88 points in only 30 minutes of play (first half of 20 minutes, second half of 10 minutes). The Ferris team was held to an "aggregate of gains" of only eight yards. The Michigan Alumnus described the game as a mismatch: "The visitors were hopelessly outclassed in weight and experience, but under these trying conditions did the best they could." Willie Heston did not play in the game, and Tom Hammond was the leading scorer for the second consecutive week with 23 points on three touchdowns and eight point after touchdown kicks.
Through the first six games of the 1903 season, the Wolverines scored 390 points in minutes of play.
Tom HammondFullbackyes38023 Herb GraverRight halfbackyes30015 Joe MaddockRight tackleyes30015 Duncan ThompsonRight halfbackno20010 Joe CurtisLeft tackleyes15010 Fred NorcrossLeft halfbackyes1005 Rolla BigelowLeft halfbackno1005 Eugene PersonFullbackno1005
Michigan 47, Drake 0 Michigan's game against Drake on October 24, 1903, was described at the time as "the most exciting contest seen on Ferry Field this year." With Willie Heston was on the sidelines, the Wolverines failed to score a point-a-minute for the first time in 1903, scoring 47 points in 55 minutes of play (first half of 30 minutes, second half of 25 minutes). In the first half, Drake held Michigan to only 18 points. Drake came close to scoring the first points of the year against Michigan after its fullback, Kintz, ran for 25 yards, and an off-side penalty (resulting in a 20-yard penalty) brought the ball within reach of Michigan's goal. Drake's left guard, Stewart, attempted a field goal, but missed by "the narrowest of margins." Right tackle Joe Maddock led the scoring with three touchdowns in the game.
Through the first seven games of the 1903 season, the Wolverines scored 437 points in minutes of play.