page_title: History of Michigan Wolverines football in the early years
section_title: 1880 game in Toronto
hierarchical_section_title: History of Michigan Wolverines football in the early years / History of the program / 1880 game in Toronto
caption_attribution_description: English: Photograph of 1880 Michigan Wolverines football team
context_page_description: The History of Michigan Wolverines football in the early years covers the history of the University of Michigan Wolverines football program from its formation in the 1870s through the hiring of Fielding H. Yost prior to the 1901 season. Michigan was independent of any conference until 1896 when it became one of the founding members of the Western Conference. The team played its home games at the Washtenaw County Fairgrounds from 1883 to 1892 and then at Regents Field starting in 1893.
  While the first official university football team was not formed until 1879, class football teams were formed as early as 1870. The university team played its first game against Racine College in May 1879, and Irving Kane Pond scored the first touchdown in Michigan football history. In 1881, the Michigan football team traveled to the East and played a series of games that marked the beginning of football as an inter-sectional game. In the mid-1880s, the Wolverines had four consecutive undefeated seasons and allowed opponents to score only two points between November 1884 and April 1888.
context_section_description: On November 6, 1880, the Michigan football team played its only game of the 1880 season against the team from the University of Toronto. The game was played at the Toronto Lacrosse Club and was the first game played by Michigan in a foreign country. The Chronicle described the playing conditions: "[T]hroughout the whole of the first inning, the rain was increasing, and, joined with a cold wind from the north, soon drenched and all but froze both players and spectators. The ground was slippery and muddy, the water stood in pools, the ball was soon heavy, and in short circumstances were decidedly against either good playing or enjoyment of it." The temperature became colder in the later afternoon, and the Toronto team proposed ending the game after the first inning. The teams ultimately agreed to play a shortened second inning of 37 minutes. During the first inning, Michigan was aided by having the wind at its back and running downhill on a slightly sloped field. The game ended with Michigan ahead, 13–6.
caption: 1880 Michigan football team
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