The 1904 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1904 Western Conference football season. In the team's fourth season under head coach Fielding H. Yost, the Wolverines compiled a perfect 10–0 record and outscored opponents 567–22. The 1904 team was the fourth of Yost's legendary "Point-a-Minute" teams. Michigan's games were of varying length from 22½ minutes to 70 minutes. Over the course of ten games, Michigan played 476 minutes of football and averaged a point scored for every 50.3 seconds played. The team included future College Football Hall of Fame inductee Willie Heston, who scored 20 touchdowns for 100 points that season; touchdowns were worth five points under 1904 rules.
Schedule
Game summaries
Michigan 33, Case 0
Michigan opened the 1904 college football season on October 1 with a 33–0 win over Cleveland's Case School of Applied Science. The game was played in 20-minute halves, and the Wolverines scored 22 points in the first half. Numerous substitutions were made at half-time, and the backup players added 11 points in the second half. Fullback Frank Longman scored three touchdowns in the game, and Willie Heston, Walter Rheinschild, and Joe Curtis scored one touchdown each. Tom Hammond converted three extra point kicks. Heston's touchdown came on a 75-yard run. Case managed only one first down in the game.
The Michigan players appearing in the game were: John Garrels (left end), Joe Curtis (left tackle), Henry Schulte (left guard), Ted Hammond (starting center), Germany Schulz (right guard), Roy Beechler (starting right tackle and substitute at center), Smull (substitute at right tackle), Tom Hammond (starting right end), Harry Patrick (substitute at right end), Fred Norcross (starting quarterback and substitute at right halfback), Walter Becker (substitute at quarterback), Willie Heston (starting left halfback), William Dennison Clark (substitute at left halfback), Ted Stuart (starting right halfback), James DePree (substitute at right halfback), Frank Longman (starting fullback), and Walter Rheinschild (substitute at fullback).
LongmanFullbackYes30015 Heston Left halfbackYes1005 Curtis Left tackleYes1005 RheinschildFullbackNo1005 Tom HammondRight endNo0303 Total -- --63033
Michigan 48, Ohio Northern 0 In the second game of the 1904 season, Michigan defeated Ohio Northern, 38–0, in a game consisting of halves of 20 and 15 minutes. Willie Heston scored three touchdowns and had runs of 45, 32, 35 and 30 yards.
HestonLeft halfbackYes30015 Tom HammondRight endYes05213 H. Hammond FullbackYes20010 Clark FullbackNo1005 Hal WeeksRight halfbackNo1005 Total -- --75248
Michigan 95, Kalamazoo 0 In the third game of the season, Michigan defeated Kalamazoo College, 95–0, in a game consisting of two 20-minute halves. Heston scored six touchdowns and had long touchdown runs of 65, 70, 85 and 65 yards.
HestonLeft halfbackYes60030 H. Hammond FullbackYes50025 Tom HammondRight tackleYes015015 Patrick Left tackleNo20010 Hal WeeksRight halfbackNo1005 ClarkRight endNo1005 SchulteCenterYes1005 Total -- --1615095
Michigan 72, Physicians & Surgeons 0 In the fourth game of the season, Michigan defeated the Physicians & Surgeons team 72–0 in a short mid-week game lasting only 22½ minutes, a 15-minute first half and a 7½ minute second half. Quarterback Fred Norcross scored four touchdowns, and Heston scored three. Norcross had touchdown runs of 67, 35 and 90 yards.
Tom HammondRight tackleYes212022 NorcrossQuarterbackYes40020 HestonLeft halfbackYes30015 Curtis Left tackleYes1005 ClarkRight endYes1005 H. Hammond Right halfbackYes1005 Total -- --1212072
Michigan 31, Ohio State 6 Michigan defeated Ohio State, 31–6, in a game consisting of 30-minute halves in Columbus, Ohio. Heston scored three touchdowns, bringing his season total to 16.
HestonLeft halfbackYes30015 Tom HammondRight tackleYes03211 H. Hammond Right halfbackYes1005 Total -- --43231
Michigan 72, American Medical 0 For its sixth game of the season, Michigan played a short mid-week game against the American Medical School. The game consisted of a 20-minute first half and a 3½ minute second half. Right halfback Clark led the scoring with four touchdowns. Weeks scored three touchdowns. Heston was limited to a single touchdown.
ClarkRight halfbackYes40020 Hal WeeksFullbackYes30015 Curtis Left tackleYes15010 Magoffin Left halfbackNo1207 Carter Right guardYes1005 Heston Left halfbackYes1005 Rheinschild Left endNo1005 Patrick Left tackleNo1005 Total -- --137072
Michigan 130, West Virginia 0 The most lopsided score in Michigan football history. In a game consisting of 25 and 20-minute halves, the Wolverines scored 22 touchdowns and 20 extra points (which would have resulted in a margin of 152-0 under modern scoring rules). Joe Curtis alone accounted for 49 points with six touchdowns and 19 extra points. The undefeated 1904 team won Michigan's fourth national championship and scored 567 points in 476 minutes of football, averaging a point every 50.3 seconds. For the first time in the 1904 season, Heston did not score.
Curtis Left tackleYes619049 NorcrossQuarterbackYes50025 ClarkFullbackYes30015 Magoffin Right halfbackYes21011 Graham Right tackleYes1005 Patrick Right tackleNo1005 H. Hammond Right endYes1005 Schulte Left guardYes1005 Carter Right guardYes1005 Becker QuarterbackNo1005 Total -- --22200130
Michigan 28, Wisconsin 0 Michigan played its first full-length game (two 35-minute halves) of the season against Wisconsin. Michigan won the game, 28–0. Heston and Carter each scored two touchdowns, and Norcross added another.
Heston Left halfbackYes20010 Carter Right guardYes20010 Norcross QuarterbackYes1005 Tom HammondRight halfbackYes0202 CurtisLeft tackleYes0101 Total -- --53028
Michigan 36, Drake 4 In its ninth game, Michigan defeated the team from Drake by a score of 36–4. The game was played in two 25-minute halves. Curtis led the scoring with 16 points on two touchdowns and six extra point kicks. Willie Heston did not play in the game.
Curtis Left tackleYes26016 Carter Right guardYes20010 Stuart Right endYes1005 Tom HammondRight halfbackYes1005 Total -- --66036
Michigan 22, Chicago 12 Michigan concluded an undefeated season with a 22–12 win over the University of Chicago on November 12. The game, played in 35-minute halves, featured several College Football Hall of Fame inductees, including Walter Eckersall and Hugo Bezdek for Chicago and Willie Heston and Germany Schulz for Michigan. Heston, Eckersall and Bezdek each scored single touchdowns, but the lead scorer was Michigan's Tom Hammond with 17 points on three touchdowns and two extra points. Heston finished the season with 20 touchdowns for 100 points.
Tom HammondRight halfbackYes32017 Heston Left halfbackYes1005 Total -- --42022
Players
Varsity letter winners The following 13 players received varsity "M" letters for their participation on the 1904 football team: Charles B. Carter Right guard 8Lewiston, Maine William Dennison Clark Left endRight endFullbackRight halfback 2211 Detroit, Michigan Joe Curtis Left tackle 10Brooklyn, New York Walter D. Graham Right tackle 6Chicago, Illinois Harry S. Hammond Right endFullbackRight halfback422Chicago, Illinois Tom Hammond Right tackleRight endRight halfback 333Chicago, Illinois Willie Heston Left halfback 9Grants Pass, Oregon Frank Longman Fullback 4Battle Creek, Michigan Fred Norcross Quarterback 10Menominee, Michigan Henry Schulte Left guardCenter 73Jefferson Barracks, Missouri Germany Schulz CenterLeft guardRight guard532Fort Wayne, Indiana Ted Stuart Right endRight halfback11Chariton, Iowa Harold Weeks FullbackLeft end32Allegan, Michigan
Scoring leaders Willie Heston 2000100 Tom Hammond642488 Joe Curtis1131086 Fred Norcross100050 Harry Hammond100050 Wm. Clark100050 Charles Carter60030 Harold Weeks50025 Harry Patrick40020 Paul Magoffin33018 Frank Longman30015 Walter Rheinschild20010 Henry Schulte20010 Walter Graham1005 Walter Becker1005 Ted Stuart1005
Reserves Charles W. Anderson, Albion, Michigan Harry S. Bartlett, Detroit, Michigan Walter Cooley Becker, Chicago, Illinois Roy Beechler, Ithaca, New York - started 1 game at right tackle James DePree, Holland, Michigan Robert M. Drysdale, Wooster, Ohio George Palmer Edmonds, Wayne, Michigan John Garrels, left end, Detroit, Michigan - started 6 games at left end Edward P. "Ted" Hammond, Detroit, Michigan - started 2 games at center John F. Lewis, Covington, Indiana Jay Mack Love, Arkansas City, Kansas Paul Magoffin, Washington, D.C. - started 3 games at right halfback William Joseph Miller, Escanaba, Michigan Harry E. Patrick, Detroit, Michigan - started 1 game at left halfback Duncan H. Pierce, Buffalo, New York Walter Rheinschild, Los Angeles, California Mason Rumney, Detroit, Michigan Reuben S. Schmidt, Los Angeles, California Charles Smoyer, Wadsworth, Ohio Edward G. Weeks, Allegan, Michigan Harry A. Workman, Chicago, Illinois
Others Charles A. Briggs, Red Oak, Iowa William Cole, Charlottesville, Virginia Roswell Murray Wendell, Detroit, Michigan
Awards and honors Captain: Willie Heston All-Americans: Willie Heston (as selected by Walter Camp, New York Evening Telegram, and Fred Lowenthal); Joe Curtis (as selected by Fred Lowenthal) All-Western: Willie Heston (Chicago Record-Herald, Chicago Tribune, Detroit Free Press, Detroit Tribune), Tom Hammond (Chicago Record-Herald, Chicago Tribune, Detroit Free Press), Frank Longman (Chicago Record-Herald, Detroit Free Press, Detroit Tribune), Joe Curtis (Chicago Record-Herald, Chicago Tribune, Detroit Tribune), Carter (Detroit Tribune)
Coaching staff Head coach: Fielding H. Yost Assistant coach: William C. "King" Cole Trainer: Keene Fitzpatrick Graduate director of athletics: Charles A. Baird Manager: A.H. MontgomeryAlbert Horr Montgomery, born September 8, 1882, in Chicago. Graduate of University of Michigan, 1905, AB. Rush Medical College, Chicago, 1907. Professor of surgery at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. Clinical Professor of Surgery at Rushc Medical College. Co-founder of the American Board of Surgery. Retired in 1946 as Chief of Surgical Department at Children's Memorial Hospital. Died January 31, 1948. See obituary.
References
External links 1904 Football Team -- Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History Michigan Alumnus, 1904–1905 - includes accounts of each game 1905 Michiganensian - University of Michigan yearbook for the 1904–1905 academic year