1947 Michigan Wolverines football team

The 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1947 Big Nine Conference football season. In its tenth year under head coach Fritz Crisler, Michigan compiled a perfect 10–0 record, won the Big Ten Conference championship, and defeated the USC Trojans by a score of 49–0 in the 1948 Rose Bowl game. Although ranked second in the AP Poll at the end of the regular season, the Wolverines were selected as the nation's No. 1 team by a 226–119 margin over Notre Dame in an unprecedented AP Poll taken after the bowl games. The 1947 team outscored its opponents, 394–53, and has been selected as the best team in the history of Michigan football.

The 1947 Michigan Wolverines included five players who have been inducted into the College or Pro Football Halls of Fame: left halfback Bob Chappuis (who finished second in the 1947 Heisman Trophy voting), right halfback Bump Elliott (who received the Chicago Tribune trophy as the Big Ten MVP), defensive quarterback Pete Elliott, defensive end Len Ford, and tackle Al Wistert. Offensive tackle Bruce Hilkene was the team captain, and quarterback Howard Yerges was the field general who became known as "Crisler's 'second brain.'" Jack Weisenburger was the "spinning fullback" and the 1947 Big Ten rushing leader.

The 1947 Wolverines were the first team fully to embrace the concept of defensive and offensive specialization. Previously, most players had played their positions on both offense and defense. In 1947, Fritz Crisler established separate offensive and defensive squads. Only Bump Elliott and Jack Weisenberger played on both squads. In November 1947, Time magazine ran a feature article about the 1947 Wolverines focusing on the new era of specialization marked by Crisler's decision to field separate offensive and defensive units. The Time article noted: "Michigan's sleight-of-hand repertory is a baffling assortment of double reverses, buck-reverse laterals, crisscrosses, quick-hits and spins from seven different formations. Sometimes, watching from the side lines, even Coach Crisler isn't sure which Michigan man has the ball. Michigan plays one team on offense, one on defense...Whenever Michigan's defensive team regains the ball, Crisler orders: 'Offense unit, up and out,' and nine men pour onto the field at once." Crisler's single-wing formation in action was "so dazzling in its deception" that the media nicknamed the 1947 team the "Mad Magicians".

Schedule

Rankings

Season summary Pre-season

The 1946 Michigan football team compiled a record of 6–2–1 and closed the season with four consecutive wins over ranked opponents by a combined score of 162 to 19. In December 1946, lineman Bruce Hilkene was selected as the captain of the 1947 team. Hilkene had previously been selected as the captain of the 1945 team, but he was transferred as a Navy trainee and did not play for Michigan in 1945. Coming off a strong finish, the 1947 team featured a number of veterans from the 1946 squad. The returning veterans included halfback Bob Chappuis who set a Big Ten Conference record for total offense in 1946 and finished second in the voting for the Chicago Tribune Trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the Big Ten. Other returning starters included quarterback Howard Yerges, halfbacks Bump Elliott and Gene Derricotte, fullback Jack Weisenburger, ends Len Ford and Bob Mann, and linemen Hilkene, Bill Pritula, Quentin Sickels, Dominic Tomasi, and J. T. White. With a solid veteran core, the 1947 Wolverines were expected to be one of the best teams in the country.

Week 1: Michigan State

On September 27, 1947, Michigan opened the season with a non-conference game against Michigan State College. Playing in Ann Arbor in front of 73,115 spectators, the Wolverines defeated the Spartans, 55–0. The game was the first as head coach of the Spartans for Biggie Munn, who had been an assistant coach at Michigan from 1938 to 1945. Michigan dominated the game, outgaining Michigan State 504 yards to 56. Michigan head coach Fritz Crisler played second, third, and fourth string players later in the game, using 37 players in all. Bob Chappuis ran for three touchdowns and threw a touchdown pass for another. Jim Brieske made seven of eight point after touchdown (PAT) attempts in the game.

Michigan scored twice in the first quarter on touchdown runs by Jack Weisenburger and Chappuis. The second touchdown was set up by a 53-yard run by Bump Elliott. The Wolverines added two more touchdowns in the second quarter on short runs by Chappuis and Bump Elliott. Three more touchdowns followed in the third quarter, including a long touchdown pass from Chappuis to Len Ford with Ford running the last 35 yards after the catch. Center Dan Dworsky also scored on a 36-yard fumble return.1948 Michiganensian, Michigan State game summary, p. 92.

Michigan's starting lineup against Michigan State was Ford (left end), Hilkene (left tackle), Soboleski (right guard), Dworsky (center), Wilkins (right guard), Pritula (right tackle), McNeill (right end), Weisenburger (quarterback), Derricotte (left halfback), Bump Elliott (right halfback), and Kempthorn (fullback).

Week 2: Stanford

In the second week of the season, Michigan hosted Stanford. The game was the first between the two schools since the 1902 Rose Bowl which Michigan won by a 49–0 margin. In the 1947 rematch, Michigan scored 28 points in the first quarter and won the game 49–13.

Michigan's starting lineup against Stanford was Mann (left end), Hilkene (left tackle), Soboleski (right guard), White (center), Wilkins (right guard), Pritula (right tackle), Rifenburg (right end), Yerges (quarterback), Chappuis (left halfback), Bump Elliott (right halfback), and Weisenburger (fullback).

Week 3: Pittsburgh

In the third week of the season, Michigan hosted Pittsburgh. Michigan dominated the game, winning by a 69–0 score and outgaining the Panthers 496 yards to 69. One week earlier, Notre Dame had beaten Pitt by a score of 40–6. Pitt converted only one first down in the entire game. After the first quarter in Ann Arbor, the score was 0-0. Michigan's offense began to click in the second quarter with three touchdowns, followed by three more in the third quarter and four in the fourth quarter. The game's highlights included a 70-yard touchdown pass from Bob Chappuis to Bob Mann, a 40-yard interception return by Bump Elliott, an 80-yard punt return by Gene Derricotte. Michigan's ten touchdowns were scored by Mann (2), Derricotte, Jack Weisenburger, Bump Elliott, Don Kuick, Tom Peterson, and Len Ford. Jim Brieske converted 9 of 10 PAT attempts. In The New York Times, Walter W. Ruch wrote: "Angered by the fact that it had not been able to score in the first quarter, it 'poured it on.'"

Michigan's starting lineup against Pitt was Ford (left end), Wistert (left tackle), Soboleski (right guard), Dworsky (center), Sickels (right guard), Dendrinos (right tackle), McNeill (right end), Pete Elliott (quarterback), Derricotte (left halfback), Bump Elliott (right halfback), and Kempthorn (fullback).

Week 4: at Northwestern

On October 18, 1948, Michigan played its first road game against Northwestern at Dyche Stadium in Evanston, Illinois. Michigan jumped out to a 49–7 lead after three quarters. Playing against Michigan's third team, the Wildcats scored 14 points in the fourth quarter for a final score of 49–21. Highlights of the game included a 59-yard punt return by Gene Derricotte and a 52-yard touchdown run on an end around by Bob Mann. Michigan's seven touchdowns were scored by Jack Weisenburger (2), Bob Chappuis, Bump Elliott, Henry Fonde, Tom Peterson, and Mann. Jim Brieske converted all seven PATs for Michigan. After four games, Michigan had scored 222 points in 240 minutes, prompting comparisons to Michigan's "Point-a-Minute" teams of the early 1900s.

Michigan's starting lineup against Northwestern was Ford (left end), Wistert (left tackle), Soboleski (right guard), Dworsky (center), Sickels (right guard), Kohl (right tackle), McNeill (right end), Pete Elliott (quarterback), Derricotte (left halfback), Fonde (right halfback), and Peterson (fullback).

Week 5: Minnesota

In the fifth week of the season, Michigan played its homecoming game against Minnesota. Michigan won a close game by a score of 13–6. Michigan scored first on a long touchdown pass from Bob Chappuis to Bump Elliott. The final touchdown in the fourth quarter followed a 24-yard interception return by Jack Weisenburger to the Minnesota 21-yard line. Gene Derricotte scored after faking to the right and then running through a hole on the left side and into the endzone. Chappuis was held to 26 rushing yards, less than two yards per carry. While Michigan won a close game over Minnesota, No. 2 Notre Dame defeated Iowa in South Bend, 21–0. In the AP Poll released after these games, Notre Dame passed Michigan to take the No. 1 ranking.

Michigan's starting lineup against Minnesota was Mann (left end), Hilkene (left tackle), Tomasi (right guard), White (center), Wilkins (right guard), Pritula (right tackle), Rifenburg (right end), Yerges (quarterback), Chappuis (left halfback), Bump Elliott (right halfback), and Weisenburger (fullback).

Week 6: at Illinois

In the sixth week of the season, Michigan traveled to Champaign, Illinois for Illinois' homecoming game. For the second straight week, Michigan won by a narrow margin 14–7. Late in the first quarter, Michigan took a 7–0 lead on a 74-yard punt return by Bump Elliott and a PAT by Jim Brieske. Illinois tied the game in the second quarter on a run by Russ Steger. Michigan's winning touchdown was set up by a 52-yard passing play from Bob Chappuis to Bump Elliott. Elliott was tackled the four-yard line, and Fonde ran for the touchdown. Brieske again converted the PAT. Neither team scored in the second half.

Week 7: Indiana

In the sixth week of the season, Michigan regained its momentum and defeated Indiana 35–0 in Ann Arbor. In a game played amid intermittent snow flurries, highlights included a 61-yard run by Weisenburger in the second quarter and a 50-yard pass from Bob Chappuis to Dick Rifenburg in the fourth quarter. Michigan's five touchdowns were scored by Bump Elliott (2), Howard Yerges, Dick Rifenburg, and Henry Fonde. Notre Dame defeated Army, 27–7, and retained the No. 1 ranking in the AP Poll.

Week 8: at Wisconsin

1947 Michigan Wolverines football team

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