The 1906 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1906 college football season. The team's head coach was Fielding H. Yost in his sixth year at Michigan. The team compiled a record of 4–1 and outscored opponents, 72 to 30.
The 1906 season was played under two sets of new rules. First, the rules governing intercollegiate football were changed to promote a more "open" and less dangerous style of play. The changes included the legalization of the forward pass and allowing the punting team to recover an "on-side" kick as a live ball. Second, the Big Nine Conference enacted new rules, including a rule limiting teams to five games (a drastic reduction from the 13 games played by Michigan in 1905) and prohibitions on the "training table" and pre-season training before the start of the academic year.
Also before the season began, university officials ruled that two of the stars from the 1905 team, Germany Schulz and Walter Rheinschild, were academically ineligible to compete in football. Despite the setbacks, Michigan won its first four games by a combined score of 72 to 13. The season opener against Case Scientific School was the first game played on the new Ferry Field. During the bye week before the final game of the season, Michigan's captain Joe Curtis sustained a severely broken leg in a practice game against the "scrub" team. The Wolverines lost their final game to the Penn Quakers, 17–0, at Philadelphia's Franklin Field.
Two Michigan players, Joe Curtis and fullback John Garrels, were selected as first-team All-Western players. Garrels, who had broken world records in the discus throw and the high hurdles, was also selected as a second-team All-American by Walter Camp.
Schedule
Season summary
Case
On October 6, 1906, Michigan opened its season with a 28–0 victory over the team from Cleveland's . The game was the first played at the newly completed Ferry Field and attracted a crowd estimated at 2,000 persons. The Detroit Free Press called the field "a beauty." The game was the 10th meeting between the two programs. Michigan had won all nine of the prior games by a combined score of 298 to 31.
Fullback John Garrels scored the first touchdown on the new Ferry Field. The score was set up when Case's fullback, Wagar, attempted a punt from deep in Case's territory. After a bad snap, Jack Loell broke through the line and tackled Wagar at Case's five-yard line. Garrels then scored on "two straight line bucks."100 Years of Ferry Field (1996–2006), by Leah Howard. Joe Curtis missed the extra point kick, and Michigan was unable to score again in the first half. Case threatened once in the first half, when Case's quarterback, Reimenschneider, returned an on-side kick to Michigan's 20-yard line. Wagar's attempt at a field goal for Case was unsuccessful, and Michigan led, 5–0, at halftime. In addition to scoring the first touchdown, Garrels handled punting responsibilities; one of his punts carried 60 yards. He also kicked an extra point and had the longest end run of the game for a 28-yard gain.
Michigan scored four additional touchdowns in the second half. Reimenschneider fumbled the opening kickoff to start the second half, and Michigan recovered the ball at Case's 20-yard line. After the turnover, Michigan quarterback Harry Workman ran for a touchdown. Michigan's third touchdown was set up by a poor punt by Case from behind its own goal line. A penalty was tacked on, and Michigan got the ball at the Case 10-yard line. Workman again ran for the touchdown.There is a discrepancy in press reports as to whether Workman or Garrels had two touchdowns. The Detroit Free Press and The Michigan Alumnus reported that Workman had two touchdowns and Garrels one. The Chicago Daily Tribune reported that Garrels had two and Workman one. Clarence Schenk scored Michigan's fourth touchdown on a "cross buck" from the five-yard line. The final touchdown was scored by Arthur "Waukegan" Wright, a substitute right tackle who was described as "the 'pompadour' haired medic from Illinois," on a 35-yard run following an on-side kick. A rule change enacted in 1906 allowed the punting team to recover a punt as a live ball. The Detroit Free Press described Wright's touchdown as follows:"Garrels made an on-side punt to the Case thirty-five yard line. Wright brought the ball to his breast after the bound as if it was his long-lost child, and was saving it from the kidnappers. Three Case men tried to stop him as he was making the run for his fireside home, but he seemed to have a through ticket without a punch, and scored the first touchdown of the year on the new rules."
Joe Curtis kicked two extra points, and Garrels kicked one. On defense, Michigan did not allow a first down on the ground, Case's only first downs coming on an on-side kick and off-side penalties against Michigan. Michigan did not attempt a single forward pass against Case, leading the Detroit Free Press to write, "Michigan did not uncan it because it is not fermented enough in this climate to make it look good."
After the game, Case's coach, Wentworth, opined that Michigan's 1906 team was "30 per cent weaker than any other team that Yost has coached here." Yost said, "I am satisfied. My men did as well as I expected. The only star in the game for Michigan was Johnnie Garrels. . . . Not once during the game did Case make its distance on regular football. They tried the forward pass twice, but both times were thrown back for big losses."
Michigan's lineup against Case was Davis (left end), Curtis (left tackle), Patrick (left guard), Loell, (center), Graham (right guard), Ruby and Wright (right tackle), Embs and Newton (right end), Bishop and Lewis (quarterback), Workman (left halfback), Schenk (right halfback), and Garrels (fullback). Chase of Michigan served as referee. Raymond Starbuck of Cornell was the umpire. The game was played in 20-minute halves.
At Ohio State
For its second game, Michigan defeated Ohio State, 6–0, before a crowd of 6,000 spectators at University Park in Columbus. A special train carried eleven coaches full of Michigan fans to Columbus, arriving one hour before the game started. The game was the eighth meeting in the Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry, with Michigan having won six of the prior meetings and tied once.
The game began shortly after 2:40 p.m., on a cool, but not uncomfortable Saturday afternoon. The game was scoreless for the first 56 minutes of play, as Michigan's offense struggled. The Chicago Daily Tribune attributed the sluggish offensive performance to the fact that Michigan's halfbacks, Ivan Steckle and Paul Magoffin, "were not in the best of shape," having arrived in Columbus on an excursion train a few minutes before the game began. They were rushed to the football field in an automobile and arrived in poor condition. Neither Magoffin nor Steckle had played in the season opener against Case.
With four minutes remaining in the game, John Garrels kicked a field goal from a difficult angle at the Ohio State 25-yard line to give Michigan a 4-0 lead. Garrels had attempted four earlier field goals in the game, all unsuccessful. The Chicago Daily Tribune noted, "Evidently the Wolverines placed all their reliance on Garrels, for the big fellow was constantly trying goal shots." With two minutes remaining, Ohio State's fullback, Gibson, attempted a punt from behind his goal line. Gibson dropped the ball on a poor snap from the sub center, Claggett, and fell on it, resulting in a safety that accounted for Michigan's final two points. On defense, Michigan held Ohio State to four first downs in the game. The Chicago Daily Tribune praised Jack Loell as "a whirlwind at center" who "sustained the heaviest attack of the Ohio backs and drove two of his opponents to the side lines and a third to making the poor pass which gave Michigan the last two points."
Michigan's lineup against Ohio State was Newton (left end), Curtis (left tackle), Eyke (left guard), Loell, (center), Graham (right guard), Patrick (right tackle), Embs (right end), Bishop (quarterback), Magoffin (left halfback), Steckle and Kanaga (right halfback), and Garrels (fullback). Wrenn of Harvard served as referee, and Hoagland of Princeton was the umpire. The game was played in 30-minute halves.
Illinois
On October 27, 1906, Michigan defeated Illinois, 28–9, before a crowd estimated at close to 5,000 persons at Ferry Field. The game was the fifth between the two schools. Michigan had won all four of the prior games by a combined score of 62 to 5. The game was also Michigan's only contest in 1906 with a member of the Big Nine Conference.
The game began at 2:37 p.m., and was played on a soggy field resulting from "a constant rain of fourteen hours." The rain continued throughout the game, resulting in a slippery ball and numerous fumbles. Illinois turned the ball over four times on fumbles, and Michigan did so three times. In the Detroit Free Press, Joe S. Jackson wrote: "All during the game there was a heavy rainfall. . . . With a strong west wind driving this on a slant into the faces of one set of players, and down the necks of all the spectators the joy of the day was not extreme." On the first play of the game, John Garrels ran 90 yards for a touchdown. Joe S. Jackson wrote: "Seldom does one see a run of ninety yards to a touchdown. . . . On the first kick-off, . . . Garrels got the ball on his own twenty-yard line. For twenty yards he went through the weaving mass of players, practically alone. Then interference began to form. Once or twice he was grabbed at, but shook off the tackler. How he got through is a marvel, unless the rain, beating directly into the faces of the Illini, partially blinded them. . . . He had gone by twenty-one men, friends and foes, when he touched the ball down behind the Illinois goal posts."
Joe Curtis kicked the extra point, and Michigan led, 6–0. Illinois scored a touchdown after a poor punt from deep in Michigan territory gave Illinois the ball at Michigan's 20-yard line. The umpire, Wren of Harvard, then called a 15-yard penalty against Michigan for "sideline coaching," moving the ball within two or three yards of the goal line. From there, Pinckney ran for the touchdown, but Green missed the extra point, and Michigan led, 6-5. The touchdown was the first allowed by Michigan since 1904. Before the half had ended, Joe Curtis scored a second touchdown for Michigan. The extra point failed, and Michigan led, 11–5, at halftime.
In the second half, Moynihan kicked a field goal for Illinois from the 40-yard line, narrowing Michigan's lead to 11–9. Michigan responded with three additional touchdowns. Curtis scored on a 20-yard run and then kicked the extra point to give Michigan a 17-9 lead. A short time later, Brooks of Illinois fumbled an on-side kick by Garrels, and Fred Newton fell on the loose ball behind Illinois' goal line. Michigan's final touchdown was set up by a 60-yard punt by Garrels that rolled almost to the goal line. Brooks was tackled at the five-yard line, and Illinois immediately sought to punt the ball out of danger. Joe Curtis leaped into the air at the 10-yard line, blocked the kick, and recovered the ball for Michigan's final touchdown. The extra point failed, and Michigan led, 28–9. According to Joe Jackson's account, the final ten minutes "was all punting, and enthusiasm began to ooze out as the rain oozed in."