page_title: 1923 Michigan Wolverines football team
section_title: Week 3: Ohio State
hierarchical_section_title: 1923 Michigan Wolverines football team / Season summary / Week 3: Ohio State
caption_attribution_description: English: Photograph of Irwin Uteritz This work is in the public domain because it was published in the United States between 1923 and 1963 and although there may or may not have been a copyright notice, the copyright was not renewed. Unless its author has been dead for the required period, it is copyrighted in the countries or areas that do not apply the rule of the shorter term for US works, such as Canada (50 pma), Mainland China (50 pma, not Hong Kong or Macao), Germany (70 pma), Mexico (100 pma), Switzerland (70 pma), and other countries with individual treaties. See Commons:Hirtle chart for further explanation. Deutsch&#160;| English&#160;| español&#160;| français&#160;| italiano&#160;| 日本語&#160;| 한국어&#160;| македонски&#160;| português&#160;| português do Brasil&#160;| русский&#160;| українська&#160;| +/− This work is in the public domain because it was published in the United States between 1923 and 1977 and without a copyright notice. Unless its author has been dead for several years, it is copyrighted in jurisdictions that do not apply the rule of the shorter term for US works, such as Canada (50 p.m.a.), Mainland China (50 p.m.a., not Hong Kong or Macao), Germany (70 p.m.a.), Mexico (100 p.m.a.), Switzerland (70 p.m.a.), and other countries with individual treaties. See this page for further explanation. Беларуская&#160;| Čeština&#160;| Deutsch&#160;| English&#160;| Español&#160;| Français&#160;| Italiano&#160;| 日本語&#160;| Македонски&#160;| Nederlands&#160;| Português&#160;| Русский&#160;| Slovenščina&#160;| ไทย&#160;| +/−
context_page_description: The 1923 Michigan football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan during the 1923 Big Ten Conference football season. In their 23rd year under head coach Fielding H. Yost, Michigan compiled an undefeated 8–0 record, tied for the Big Ten Conference football championship, and outscored its opponents by a combined total of 150 to 12. The season was part of a 20-game undefeated streak for Michigan that began on October 29, 1921, and continued until October 18, 1924. During the combined 1922 and 1923 seasons, Yost's teams compiled a 14–0–1 record.
  Although no system was in place during this era to determine a national champion, the NCAA recognizes as official certain selectors who have sought to establish historic national championships. One of the official selectors, the Billingsley Report, recognizes the 1923 Michigan team as the sole national champion. A second official selector, the National Championship Foundation, recognizes Michigan as co-champion with Illinois. Illinois, led by Red Grange, and Michigan both had perfect records and, despite playing in the same conference, did not play each other during the 1923 season.
context_section_description: On October 20, 1923, Michigan defeated Ohio State, 23–0, in the 20th installment of the Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry with Michigan having compiled a 14–3–2 record in the previous games.
  The game attracted between 45,000 and 50,000 spectators, setting a new record as "the greatest throng that ever jammed historic Ferry field."  The crowd included an estimated 15,000 Ohio State fans with thousands having driven to the game by automobile and thousands more in special trains from Columbus.  At least six airplanes were also employed to bring spectators to Ann Arbor, including two brothers flying to Ann Arbor from Denver and several Marines from Quantico, Virginia, flying in four airplanes to scout the Michigan team for the upcoming match against the Quantico Marines.  Tickets sold for prices as high as $50, and 16 persons were jailed for ticket scalping. The Michigan athletic department reported that 55,000 ticket applications had been denied, requiring "the entire time of four men for the past three weeks to return money for which tickets were not available."
  Coach Yost announced on October 18, two days before the game, that he would retire as Michigan's football coach at the end of the year, though he would remain the school's athletic director.  After Yost's announcement, sports columnist Billy Evans called Yost "one of the greatest mentors in the history of the game" and "one of the pioneers in Western Conference football."
  The only points scored in the first half came on a field goal by Jack Blott.  The score followed a drive that started at Ohio State's 49-yard line and featured a 24-yard gain on Michigan's first pass, a ten-yard toss from Irwin Uteritz to Harry Kipke who ran the ball to the Ohio State 23-yard line.  On the next play, Michigan ran a triple pass with Kipke carrying the ball to Ohio State's 11-yard line.  The Buckeyes' defense held, and Blott kicked a field goal from placement from the 17-yard line.
  In the third quarter, Blott missed a field goal on Michigan's first drive, with the ball going right of the crossbar.  Later in the third quarter, Michigan extended its lead after blocking a punt by Hoge Workman in Ohio State territory.  Michigan took the ball to the Ohio State 16-yard line on a pass from Uteritz to Louis Curran.   On the next play, Uteritz completed a pass to Herb Steger who ran the last 15 yards for a touchdown.  Blott place-kicked the extra point.  Early in the fourth quarter, Michigan scored its second touchdown on a pass from Uteritz to Kipke that netted 37 yards.  Blott again place-kicked the extra point.  Michigan's final touchdown followed an interception by Steger that gave the Wolverines the ball at Ohio State's 42-yard line.  On a series of running plays, Michigan drove the ball inside Ohio State's ten-yard line.  Charles Grube, substituting for Jim Miller, ran on fourth down and gained four yards to Ohio State's one-yard line.  On first down from the one-yard line Grube fumbled, but recovered the ball.  On the next play, Steger ran through the right guard for a touchdown.  Michigan tried a pass for the extra point, but the pass from Uteritz was incomplete.  Ohio State never advanced the ball inside Michigan's 40-yard line.
  Michigan's 23-point margin was its largest over the Buckeyes since 1909 and "one of the most startling upsets of the 1923 Western Conference championship season."  Michigan's offense was led by its passing game, completing five of nine passes for long gains and without any interceptions.  Ohio State, on the other hand, completed only three of 12 passes.  As one Ohio newspaper noted, "The Wolverines made almost uncanny use of the aerial attack, their peculiar use of this play turning the battle.  Ohio held Michigan fairly well when the  Wolverines employed straight football but the over-head game seemed to mystify the Buckeyes completely."
  Michigan's starting lineup against Ohio State was Marion (left end), Muirhead (left tackle), Slaughter (left guard), Blott (center), Steele (right guard), Vandervoort (right tackle), Curran (right end), Uteritz (quarterb
caption: Irwin Uteritz
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