1900 Michigan Wolverines football team The 1900 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1900 college football season . The team ' s head coach was the four - time All - American from Princeton and future College Football Hall of Fame inductee , Langdon Lea . The team opened the season with six wins , but went 1 – 2 – 1 in the final four games for an overall record of 7 – 2 – 1 . Outscored its opponents by a season total of 117 to 55 , Michigan won its first three games against Western Conference opponents , Purdue ( 11 – 6 ) , Illinois ( 12 – 0 ) , and Indiana ( 12 – 0 ) , but then lost its final two conference games to Iowa ( 28 – 5 ) and Chicago ( 15 – 6 ) . After the 1900 season , Michigan replaced Lea with a new coach from the Stanford University , Fielding H . Yost . Yost took over in 1901 and led the Wolverines to four consecutive undefeated seasons . Schedule . Season summary . Michigan 29 , Hillsdale 0 . Michigan opened the 1900 season with three non - conference games , all played at Regents Field in Ann Arbor . The team won the three games by a combined score of 64 to 6 . The first game was a 29 – 0 win over Hillsdale College . After the game , " The New York Times " reported that " Hillsdale was on the defensive throughout the game , " and Coach Lea " was pleased with the showing made by the team . " Michigan 11 , Kalamazoo 0 . The second game of the season was an 11 – 0 win over Kalamazoo College . On the opening kickoff , Everett Sweeley ran back the kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown behind the blocking of Neil Snow . Michigan ' s second touchdown was scored by Hugh White . Michigan 24 , Case 6 . Michigan ' s third game was a 24 - 6 win over Case Scientific School from Cleveland . Case scored its only touchdown on a blocked kick that was recovered by a Case player in Michigan ' s endzone . Michigan 11 , Purdue 6 . Michigan opened its Western Conference schedule on October 20 , 1900 , with an 11 to 6 win over Purdue in Detroit . Michigan 12 , Illinois 0 . Michigan won its second Western Conference game against Illinois on October 27 , 1900 on Marshall Field in Chicago . Michigan won 12 to 0 on touchdowns by Hugh White and Woodard . " The New York Times " wrote of the game : " In a game replete with kicking and hard line bucking the University of Michigan football eleven defeated Illinois University on Marshall Field this afternoon by a score of 12 to 0 . Both touch - downs were scored in the first half . The first resulted from constant hammering at the Illinois line , which carried the ball from the forty - five - yard line across the goal . The other came soon after , but in this the line bucking was relieved by a brilliant run of twenty - five yards byWoodard , who took Herrnstein ' s place and tore through Illinois left tackle for that distance . " Michigan 12 , Indiana 0 . Michigan won its third consecutive Western Conference game against Indiana at Regents Field on November 3 . The Wolverines won the game by a score of 12 to 0 . " The New York Times " reported that " Indiana kept the score down by repeated punting when she had the ball . " Iowa 28 , Michigan 5 . Michigan faced Iowa on November 11 at Bennett Park in Detroit . Iowa beat the Wolverines 28 to 5 , and " The New York Times " reported that the " men in the old gold sweaters from Iowa completely outplayed and outclassed the Michigan men . " Michigan ' s only points came on a place kick ( field goals were worth five points under 1900 rules ) by Everett Sweeley from the thirty - five yard line just before the end of the second half . Eby and Edson each scored two touchdowns for Iowa . Michigan 7 , Notre Dame 0 . Michigan defeated Notre Dame on November 17 at Regents Field in Ann Arbor by a score of 7 to 0 . The Wolverines scored two points on a safety when Notre Dame ' s kicker missed the ball on an attempted punt from behind the goal line . Michigan scored its only touchdown on a series of " hard line bucks " after two minutes of play . Michigan 0 , Ohio State 0 . Michigan faced Ohio State on November 24 at Regents Field , and the teams played to a scoreless tie . According to a newspaper account of the game , the two teams " struggled for two twenty - five minute halves on a slippery field this afternoon and neither side could score . " In the second half , with the wind in Michigan ' s favor , " Sweeley ' s kicking gave Michigan an advantage , and the play was entirely in Ohio ' s territory . " Michigan twice drove to Ohio State ' s 15 - yard line by tandem plays and line - bucking , but the Ohio State defense rallied each time to stop the Wolverines . Sweeley and Neil Snow were the stars of the game for Michigan . Chicago 15 , Michigan 6 . Michigan concluded the 1900 season with its traditional Thanksgiving Day game in Chicago against the Chicago Maroons . The Wolverines lost by a score of 15 to 6 . The great football player , Pudge Heffelfinger , served as referee at the game . Michigan scored first , recovering a fumble well into Chicago ' s territory and then using the " old Princeton tandem formation " to carry the ball straight down field . Michigan ' s touchdown was scored by tackle Hugh White . However , Perkins of Chicago responded with three touchdowns , and the Maroons won the game . Players . Varsity letter winners . The following 12 players received varsity " M " letters for their participation on the 1900 football team :