The 1910 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1910 college football season. The team's head coach was Fielding H. Yost in his 10th season at Michigan. While playing a schedule that included some of the best teams in the country, Michigan compiled an undefeated 3–0–3 record and outscored opponents 29 to 9. Early in the season, the Wolverines defeated a Michigan Agricultural Aggies team that compiled a record of 6–0 and outscored opponents other than Michigan 165 to 2 (including a 17–0 victory over Notre Dame). The Wolverines tied a Penn team that compiled a 9–1–1 record in 1910 while outscoring opponents 184 to 19. They also tied an Ohio State team that finished the season with a 6–1–3 record and outscored opponents 182 to 27 and a Case team that handed Ohio State its only defeat. In the final game of the season, Michigan shut out an undefeated Minnesota team that had outscored its previous opponents 179 to 0.
On defense, the 1910 Wolverines did not give up a touchdown all season, shut out the final three opponents, and gave up an average of 1.5 points per game. At the end of the season, the team was recognized as the champions of the west.
Three Michigan players received first-team All-American honors. Left guard and team captain Albert Benbrook was selected as a consensus first-team All-American for the second consecutive year. Stanfield Wells, who played three games at right tackle and three games at right end, was selected as a first-team All-American by Walter Camp. Left halfback Joe Magidsohn was the team's leading scorer and also received first-team All-American honors from some selectors. Six Michigan players received first-team All-Western honors, including Benbrook, Wells, Magidsohn, tackle William P. Edmunds, end Stanley Borleske, and center Arthur Cornwell.
Schedule
Season summary
Pre-season In August 1910, Dave Allerdice, captain of the 1909 Michigan Wolverines football team, was hired as an assistant coach with responsibility for developing a kicker. Allerdice joined Prentiss Douglass, Germany Schulz, and Curtis Redden as Fielding H. Yost's assistant coaches.
Michigan opened its pre-season training camp at Whitmore Lake, Michigan, on September 19, 1910. Coach Yost opined that the 1910 season would see a more open style of play under the new rules with reduced risk of injuries. Training camp began with light conditioning work, then progressed to "more strenuous labors." The squad began with 11 players at Whitmore Lake but grew larger as more players arrived over the two weeks. Halfback Joe Magidsohn arrived at Whitemore Lake ten days later but was in "splendid condition after hard summer's work." In late September, Yost announced that Shorty McMillan of Detroit would take over the quarterback spot held the prior year by Billy Wasmund.
As the work at Whitmore Lake concluded, the Detroit Free Press wrote that the team was "rounding into form rapidly" and looked "like a machine." The Free Press opined that the backfield showed plenty of speed, and the line appeared to be Michigan's strongest in years. Pre-season practice continued at Ferry Field during the first week of October.
On October 5, 1910, Michigan announced that Grover "Dutch" Herrington, regarded by Coach Yost as "one of the most promising backfield men he has found in several seasons", had suffered a broken bone in his right leg and would be unable to play during the 1910 season.
Case
Michigan opened its 1910 season at Ferry Field in a 3–3 tie with the team from Cleveland's Case Scientific School. The game was the 14th meeting between the two programs, and Michigan had won all 13 of the prior games by a combined score of 354 to 37. On the eve of the 1910 season opener against Case, Coach Yost expressed satisfaction with his team: "These boys are playing fine football. They are the best we have sent against Case in the past five years." The game was played in good weather before the largest opening day crowd in Michigan history.
In the first quarter, Michigan received excellent field position after a Case punt from behind the goal line traveled only 31 yards. After advancing to the seven-yard line, right guard George M. Lawton place-kicked a field goal from the 20-yard line. In the second quarter, Case received excellent field position when Lawton punted from behind Michigan's goal line. Case's quarterback Goss made a fair catch at the 33-yard line. Heller kicked a field goal to tie the score.
In the Detroit Free Press, E. A. Batchelor wrote:"For the first time in many years what had come to be regarded as a fixed festival here will be omitted in 1910, for Case, instead of submitting meekly to the annual licking, played Michigan to a standstill . . . This is all very lovely for the Clevelanders who consider the feat of tying the Yost team the event of their lives, but it's tough on Michigan which has become accustomed to whaling Case as an official and auspicious opening for the local football season."
The game was played in 10-minute quarters. Michigan's starting lineup against Case was Daniels (left end), Edmunds (left tackle), Benbrook (left guard), Cole (center), Lawton (right guard), Wells (right tackle), Pattengill (right end), McMillan (quarterback), Magidsohn (left halfback), Green (right halfback), and Wenner (fullback). Branch Rickey served as the head linesman.
Michigan Agricultural
In the second week of the season, Michigan defeated Michigan Agricultural by a 6–3 score at Ferry Field. It was the fifth game in the Michigan–Michigan State football rivalry, and Michigan had a 3–0–1 record in the four prior meetings, outscoring the Aggies by a combined total of 204 to 0. The Aggies came into the 1910 game at Ann Arbor with a 2–0 record, having beaten two prior opponents by a total of 46 to 0. The 1910 Aggies compiled a record of 6–0 and outscored opponents 165 to 2 against teams other than the Wolverines (including a 17–0 victory over Notre Dame. Prior to the Michigan game, the M. A. C. student body adopted the slogan, "On to Michigan."
After a scoreless first half, the Aggies blocked two punts by George C. Thomson in the third quarter. On the second occasion, Thomson kicked from his 50-yard line, and the low punt was blocked and rolled to Michigan's 12-yard line where the Aggies' left tackle Campbell recovered the ball. After Michigan stopped two runs, the Aggies' right halfback, Hill, kicked a field goal from the 21-yard line. The Aggies' maintained a 3–0 into the fourth quarter. With less than five minutes left in the game, Shorty McMillan completed a pass to Stanley Borleske who ran 50 yards to the Aggies' 15-yard line. Don Green then carried the ball to the three-yard line. Due to a penalty, the Wolverines had five unsuccessful chances to score the touchdown after advancing to the three-yard line. Michigan then lined up for a field goal, but the play was a fake. Green took the snap from center and ran for the touchdown. Conklin kicked the extra point, and Michigan won by a score of 6 to 3.
After the game, Coach Yost praised the Michigan Agricultural team as "remarkably strong." The referee, Ralph Hoagland, commented on Michigan's use of the news rules: "Yost has certainly taught his men some great things about the forward pass."
The game was played in 15-minute quarters. Michigan's starting lineup against Michigan Agricultural was Borleske (left end), Edmunds (left tackle), Benbrook (left guard), Bogle (center), Conklin (right guard), Wells (right tackle), Pattengill (right end), McMillan (quarterback), Magidsohn (left halfback), Green (right halfback), and Thomson (fullback). Branch Rickey was the head linesman.
At Ohio State
In the third week of the 1910 season, Michigan played Ohio State to a 3–3 tie at Columbus, Ohio. The game was the 12th meeting in the Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry, with Michigan having won ten of the prior meetings and tied once. The 1910 Ohio State team was coached by former Yale coach, Howard Jones, who was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
The only scoring in the game consisted of an exchange of field goals in the second quarter. A forward pass from Shorty McMillan to Stanfield Wells took the ball to the Ohio State five-yard line. After an offside penalty and no gain on a fake kick, Frederick L. Conklin kicked a field goal from the 15-yard line to give Michigan a 3–0 lead. Ohio State tied the score with a field goal by its left halfback, Wells, later in the second quarter. Neither team scored in the second half.
The Detroit Free Press reported on the celebratory atmosphere in Columbus after the game:Seldom has such a demonstration been seen on Ohio field as was carried out by the O. S. U. rooters when the teams left the field after the final whistle. The band played, the rooters swarmed the field, hugged their mule mascot and went daffy in general. The town is in the hands of the celebrators tonight, the State contingent considering a tie score practically a victory for their team.
Michigan's lineup against Ohio State (starters listed first) was Borleske (left end), Edmunds (left tackle), Benbrook (left guard), Bogle and Cole (center), Conklin (right guard), Wells (right tackle), Pattengill (right end), McMillan (quarterback), Magidsohn (left halfback), Green (right halfback), and Thomson (fullback). Ralph Hoagland of Princeton was the umpire. John Esterline of Purdue was the field judge.
At Syracuse
In the fourth week of the 1910 season, Michigan shut out Syracuse, 11 to 0, before a crowd of 11,500 persons at Archbold Stadium in Syracuse, New York. The game was the third played between the schools, with each team having won one game.
Joe Magidsohn scored two touchdowns for Michigan. The New York Times wrote of Magidsohn: "The work of this sturdy warrior was most brilliant from start to finish of the spectacular struggle. Both on the offensive and on the defensive he was a whirlwind . . ."
The Detroit Free Press wrote that "Michigan completely outclassed Syracuse in every department of the game." However, Michigan had several drives deep into Syracuse territory that resulted in no points. Early in the game, Syracuse held at its one-yard line. Michigan also was penalized for 105 yards in the game, and two of the penalties stopped drives that had penetrated close to Syracuse's goal. Michigan's point total was also limited due to its kicking game. Conklin converted one of two extra point attempts and missed five field goal attempts on a muddy field.
Michigan's defense held Syracuse to one first down in the entire game, and Syracuse never moved the ball to within 40 yards of Michigan's goal line. The game ended on an interception of a Syracuse pass by Magidsohn.
Michigan's lineup against Syracuse was Edmunds (left end), Conklin (left tackle), Benbrook (left guard), Cornwell (center), Quinn and Lawton (right guard), Cole (right tackle), Wells (right end), McMillan (quarterback), Magidsohn (left halfback), Pattengill and Green (right halfback), and Thomson (fullback).
Notre Dame (cancelled) Michigan had been scheduled to play Notre Dame on November 5, 1910. Michigan protested Notre Dame's use of two players (George Philbrook and Ralph Dimmick) who had reportedly played more than four years of college football. After Notre Dame refused to bench the players, Michigan's Board of Control of Athletics canceled the game. The New York Times reported: "It is understood here that this ends all athletic relations between Michigan and Notre Dame." The two teams did not play again for more than 30 years, the longest break in the Michigan–Notre Dame football rivalry.
In lieu of the game with Notre Dame, Michigan played a game against the reserves on November 5. The game proved costly, as quarterback Shorty McMillan, who had played every minute of the first four games, sustained torn muscles in his shoulder. As a result of the injury, he was unable to play against Penn.
At Penn