The 1911 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1911 college football season. The team's head coach was Fielding H. Yost in his 11th season at Michigan. The Wolverines compiled a record of 5–1–2 and outscored their opponents 90 to 38.
After beginning the season with four consecutive wins, the team was stricken with multiple injuries and won only one of its final four games, an 11–9 victory over Penn in the annual rivalry game with the Quakers. The team's sole loss was to Cornell in a game in which halfback Jimmy Craig, quarterback Shorty McMillan, and lineman Miller Pontius were all sidelined with injuries. As the injuries mounted, the Detroit Free Press quipped in late November 1911 that Michigan could claim the world championship of injuries, having had more injuries in 1911 than ever before in the program's history.
Only one Michigan player received All-American honors in 1911. Stanfield Wells, who played three games at right end and three at right halfback, was selected as a first-team All-American by The New York Globe and Henry L. Williams. Two other players on the 1911 team, Pontius and Craig, received All-American honors in 1912 or 1913.
Four Michigan players were recognized as first-team All-Western players. They were Wells, team captain Frederick L. Conklin, fullback and punter George "Bottles" Thomson, and Craig. Thomson was also the team's high scorer with seven touchdowns in seven games for a total of 35 points.
Schedule
Season summary
Preseason
The 1911 team featured several players who had been starters on the undefeated 1910 Michigan Wolverines football team, including team captain Frederick L. Conklin, Thomas A. Bogle, Jr., Stanfield Wells, Shorty McMillan, and George C. Thomson. The team also included a promising group of sophomores who had played on the freshman team in 1910, including Jimmy Craig, Miller Pontius, and George C. Paterson. However, with games against Ohio State, Vanderbilt, Cornell, Penn, and Nebraska, the team faced "one of the hardest schedules ever arranged for the Wolverines."
The team conducted its preliminary training camp at Whitmore Lake, Michigan, beginning on August 19, 1911. Letters were sent inviting 23 prospects to Whitmore Lake. Pre-season training resumed at Whitmore Lake on September 19 and continued through September 29.
Before the season began, several press reports noted that, with five veteran players returning from the 1910 championship team, head coach Fielding H. Yost was optimistic. The Michigan Alumnus wrote:"The famous Yost smile is broader this season than ever before. The famous 'Hurry Up,' in all his years of coaching experience, has never been so optimistic over Michigan's chances for a victorious season as he is this year -- at least, not since 1905."
Much of the pre-season had been spent focusing on the development of a quarterback to replace Shorty McMillan, who had announced in late July that he intended to give up college and accept a position in his father's business. However, Coach Yost ultimately persuaded McMillan to return to Michigan, and he joined the team on October 10, 1911—shortly after the first game of the season. The team also lost the services of Arthur Cornwell, who had been selected by Yost as the All-Western center in 1910, due to academic ineligibility.
Case
On October 7, 1911, Michigan opened its season at Ferry Field with a 24–0 victory over the team from Cleveland's Case Scientific School. The game was the 15th meeting between the two programs, and Michigan had won 13 of the 14 prior games. The teams had played to a tie in 1910.
Michigan scored four touchdowns (valued at five points under 1911 rules) and kicked four extra points in the game. Fullback George C. "Bottles" Thomson scored all four touchdowns for Michigan, including two touchdowns in the fourth quarter on runs of three and 25 yards. Team captain and left tackle Frederick L. Conklin kicked all four extra points. On defense, Michigan held Case to one first down. Sophomore Jimmy Craig appeared in his first game and started at the quarterback position. The Detroit Free Press called a 20-yard punt return by Craig "the prettiest play of the game" and opined that Craig "showed real ability at the art of dodging and straight-arming eluding no less than five would-be tacklers before anyone could down him." No serious injuries were sustained in the Case game, and the Free Press noted that the team was showing "remarkable early season speed."
The game was played in 10-minute quarters. Michigan's lineup against Case (starters listed first) was Garrels (left end), Conklin (left tackle), Bogle (left guard), Paterson (center), Allmendinger and Quinn (right guard), Pontius (right tackle), Wells (right end), Craig and Picard (quarterback), Torbet and Herrington (left halfback), Huebel, Wenner and Roblee (right halfback), and Thomson (fullback).
At Michigan Agricultural
In the second week of the season, Michigan defeated Michigan Agricultural College by a 15–3 score in front of 5,000 spectators at College Field in East Lansing, Michigan. It was the sixth game in the Michigan - Michigan State football rivalry, and Michigan had a record of 4-0-1 in the five prior meetings, outscoring the Aggies by a combined total of 210 to 0. The 1911 game was the first loss by M.A.C. on their home field.
Michigan threatened to score in the first quarter, but one drive was stopped when the Aggies' intercepted a pass at their own 10-yard line. On the next drive, Michigan took the ball to the Aggies' 15-yard line, but a field goal attempt by Frederick L. Conklin was unsuccessful. In the second quarter, another Michigan drive took the ball to the M.A.C. three-yard line, but Michigan was unable to score, and the Aggies took over on downs. Walter Eckersall was the umpire and also covered the game for the Chicago Daily Tribune. Eckersall wrote: "That Michigan met a Tartar in a team which held Yost's eleven to a 0 to 0 score in the first two periods and was the first to register a score . . . cannot be questioned. Time after time the Wolverines carried the ball inside the local's fifteen yard line only to be checked by a slow defense."
In the third quarter, the Aggies took the lead when their left halfback Hill kicked a field goal from the 35-yard line. Shortly thereafter, a 30-yard gain by Otto Carpell helped set the stage for a field goal by Conklin from the 20-yard line. In the fourth quarter, Michigan scored two touchdowns. The first came on a 63-yard drive that included a 30-yard gain on a pass from fullback George C. Thomson to Stanfield Wells. Wells finished the drive with a five-yard touchdown run, and Frederick L. Conklin kicked the extra point. After the touchdown, Thomson returned M.A.C.'s kickoff 55 yards to the Aggies' 48-yard line. Thomson then gained 35 yards on a running play for Michigan's second touchdown. Conklin kicked the extra point. Thomson also handled punting for Michigan, and one of his punts went 70 yards.
After the game, Walter Eckersall concluded: "Michigan has a team which is going to be mighty hard to beat as soon as Yost perfects the team play. The Michigan mentor has the weight, speed, and cleverness for the development of another strong team."
The game was played in ten-minute quarters. Michigan's lineup against the Aggies was Garrels (left end), Conklin (left tackle), Bogle (left guard), Paterson (center), Allmendinger and Quinn (right guard), Pontius (right tackle), Wells (right end), Craig and McMillan (quarterback), Torbet, Herrington and Craig (left halfback), Carpell (right halfback), and Thomson (fullback). Walter Eckersall was the umpire.
Ohio State
In the third week of the 1911 season, Michigan defeated Ohio State by a 19–0 score at Ferry Field. The game was the 13th meeting in the Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry, with Michigan having won 10 of the prior meetings and tied twice.
After a scoreless first quarter, Stanfield Wells scored a touchdown from the six-yard line early in the second quarter. The extra point attempt by Frederick L. Conklin was unsuccessful. As the game wore on, Michigan's conditioning was in evidence. The Detroit Free Press wrote: "The pace that the Wolverines set was too fast for the men from Ohio and Coach Vaughn was forced to send in a substitute back field." Early in the third quarter, Thomas A. Bogle, Jr. kicked a field goal from the 36-yard line. Later in the third quarter, Michigan blocked a punt by Ohio State's Wright from behind his goal line. Conklin recovered the ball for a touchdown and also kicked the extra point. Michigan led 14–0 at the end of the third quarter. Fullback George C. Thomson scored Michigan's final touchdown on a one-yard run in the fourth quarter. Conklin's kick for extra point was unsuccessful. The game ended with Michigan in possession of the ball at Ohio State's six-inch line.
After the game, the Detroit Free Press called Bogle, Wells and Conklin the "brightest stars of the day," though it noted that Conklin was "not up to snuff on kicking goals or at least was not today." The Free Press also praised the work of Thomson: "Thomson seems to have the habit of taking a big share of the limelight and he lived up to his reputation today. He was not punting far but his kicks were hard to handle and the way he hit the line and bumped off tackle for big gains was a feature."
With three impressive victories to open the season, the Free Press opined that the 1911 team had few weaknesses and called the backfield the "speediest Yost ever has had."
The game was played in 15-minute quarters. Michigan's lineup against Ohio State (starters listed first) was Conklin (left end), Bogle and Roblee (left tackle), Quinn and Bogle (left guard), Paterson (center), Allmendinger and Garrels (right guard), Pontius (right tackle), Wells (right end), McMillan and Picard (quarterback), Craig (left halfback), Carpell and Huebel (right halfback), and Thomson (fullback).
Vanderbilt
On October 28, 1911, Michigan defeated Vanderbilt at Ferry Field by a score of 9 to 8. The game matched Michigan head coach Fielding H. Yost against his former player and brother-in-law, Dan McGugin. Because of the relationship between Yost and McGugin, the two teams played nine times between 1905 and 1923, with Michigan winning eight games and tying one.
Before the game, Coach Yost reminded reporters that Vanderbilt's 1911 team included the same veteran line that had held Yale scoreless in 1910. Yost predicted a hard game.
Thomas A. Bogle, Jr. of Michigan attempted two field goals in the first half, but both kicks were blocked. After a scoreless first half, each team kicked a field goal in the third quarter. Vanderbilt kicked its field goal after Shorty McMillan fumbled a punt, and Vanderbilt recovered the ball at Michigan's 27-yard line. Later in the quarter, McMillan carried the ball 33 yards to the Vanderbilt 10-yard line on a quarterback run. Frederick L. Conklin then place-kicked a field goal from the 19-yard line. In the fourth quarter, Stanfield Wells ran five yards for a touchdown, and Conklin kicked the extra point to give Michigan a 9–3 lead. Vanderbilt responded with its own touchdown, but the extra point failed due to a high kickout.
In the Detroit Free Press, E. A. Batchelor wrote: "Vanderbilt's failure to execute properly one of the simplest plays in the football catalogue was all that saved Michigan from the humiliation of a tie score with Dan McGugin's peppery Dixie lads this afternoon." Batchelor opined that, with the exception of halfback Jimmy Craig and center "Bubbles" Paterson, the Wolverines "played their worst game of the season." He described a 75-yard run by Craig in the fourth quarter as "the most spectacular play of the day."