1911 Michigan Wolverines football team The 1911 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1911 college football season . The team ' s head coach was Fielding H . Yost in his 11th season at Michigan . The Wolverines compiled a record of 5 – 1 – 2 and outscored their opponents 90 to 38 . After beginning the season with four consecutive wins , the team was stricken with multiple injuries and won only one of its final four games , an 11 – 9 victory over Penn in the annual rivalry game with the Quakers . The team ' s sole loss was to Cornell in a game in which halfback Jimmy Craig , quarterback Shorty McMillan , and lineman Miller Pontius were all sidelined with injuries . As the injuries mounted , the " Detroit Free Press " quipped in late November 1911 that Michigan could claim the world championship of injuries , having had more injuries in 1911 than ever before in the program ' s history . Only one Michigan player received All - American honors in 1911 . Stanfield Wells , who played three games at right end and three at right halfback , was selected as a first - team All - American by the " The New York Globe " and Henry L . Williams . Two other players on the 1911 team , Pontius and Craig received All - American honors in 1912 or 1913 . Four Michigan players were recognized as first - team All - Western players . They were Wells , team captain Frederick L . Conklin , fullback and punter George " Bottles " Thomson , and Craig . Thomson was also the team ' s high scorer with seven touchdowns in seven games for a total of 35 points . Season summary . Pre - season . The 1911 team featured several players who had been starters on the undefeated 1910 Michigan Wolverines football team , including team captain Frederick L . Conklin , Thomas A . Bogle , Jr . , Stanfield Wells , Shorty McMillan , and George C . Thomson . The team also included a promising group of sophomores who had played on the freshman team in 1910 , including Jimmy Craig , Miller Pontius , and George C . Paterson . However , with games against Ohio State , Vanderbilt , Cornell , Penn , and Nebraska , the team faced " one of the hardest schedules ever arranged for the Wolverines . " The team conducted its preliminary training camp at Whitmore Lake , Michigan beginning on August 19 , 1911 . Letters were sent inviting 23 prospects to Whitmore Lake . Pre - season training resumed at Whitmore Lake on September 19th and continued through September 29th . Before the season began , several press reports noted that , with five veteran players returning from the 1910 championship team , head coach Fielding H . Yost was optimistic . " The Michigan Alumnus " wrote : " The famous Yost smile is broader this season than ever before . The famous ' Hurry Up , ' in all his years of coaching experience , has never been so optimistic over Michigan ' s chances for a victorious season as he is this year - - at least , not since 1905 . " Much of the pre - season had been spent focusing on the development of a quarterback to replace Shorty McMillan , who had announced in late July that he intended to give up college and accept a position in his father ' s business . However , Coach Yost ultimately persuaded McMillan to return to Michigan , and he joined the team on October 10 , 1911 - - shortly after the first game of the season . The team also lost the services of Arthur Cornwell , who had been selected by Yost as the All - Western center in 1910 , due to academic ineligibility . Case . On October 7 , 1911 , Michigan opened its season at Ferry Field with a 24 – 0 victory over the team from Cleveland ' s Case Scientific School . The game was the 15th meeting between the two programs , and Michigan had won 13 of the 14 prior games . The teams had played to a tie in 1910 . Michigan scored four touchdowns ( valued at five points under 1911 rules ) and kicked four extra points in the game . Fullback George C . " Bottles " Thomson scored all four touchdowns for Michigan , including two touchdowns in the fourth quarter on runs of three and 25 yards . Team captain and left tackle Frederick L . Conklin kicked all four extra points . On defense , Michigan held Case to one first down . Sophomore Jimmy Craig appeared in his first game and started at the quarterback position . The " Detroit Free Press " called a 20 - yard punt return by Craig " the prettiest play of the game " and opined that Craig " showed real ability at the art of dodging and straight - arming eluding no less than five would - be tacklers before anyone could down him . " No serious injuries were sustained in the Case game , and the " Free Press " noted that the team was showing " remarkable early season speed . " The game was played in 10 - minute quarters . Michigan ' s lineup against Case ( starters listed first ) was Garrels ( left end ) , Conklin ( left tackle ) , Bogle ( left guard ) , Paterson ( center ) , Allmendinger and Quinn ( right guard ) , Pontius ( right tackle ) , Wells ( right end ) , Craig and Picard ( quarterback ) , Torbet and Herrington ( left halfback ) , Huebel , Wenner and Roblee ( right halfback ) , and Thomson ( fullback ) . at Michigan Agricultural . In the second week of the season , Michigan defeated by a 15 – 3 score in front of 5 , 000 spectators at College Field in East Lansing , Michigan . It was the sixth game in the Michigan - Michigan State football rivalry , and Michigan had a record of 4 - 0 - 1 in the five prior meetings , outscoring the Aggies by a combined total of 210 to 0 . The 1911 game was the first loss by M . A . C . on their home field . Michigan threatened to score in the first quarter , but one drive was stopped when the Aggies ' intercepted a pass at their own 10 - yard line . On the next drive , Michigan took the ball to the Aggies ' 15 - yard line , but a field goal attempt by Frederick L . Conklin was unsuccessful . In the second quarter , another Michigan drive took the ball to the M . A . C . three - yard line , but Michigan was unable to score , and the Aggies took over on downs . Walter Eckersall was the umpire and also covered the game for the " Chicago Daily Tribune " . Eckersall wrote : " That Michigan met a Tartar in a team which held Yost ' s eleven to a 0 to 0 score in the first two periods and was the first to register a score . . . cannot be questioned . Time after time the Wolverines carried the ball inside the local ' s fifteen yard line only to be checked by a slow defense . " In the third quarter , the Aggies took the lead when their left halfback Hill kicked a field goal from the 35 - yard line . Shortly thereafter , a 30 - yard gain by Otto Carpell helped set the stage for a field goal by Conklin from the 20 - yard line . In the fourth quarter , Michigan scored two touchdowns . The first came on a 63 - yard drive that included a 30 - yard gain on a pass from fullback George C . Thomson to Stanfield Wells . Wells finished the drive with a five - yard touchdown run , and Frederick L . Conklin kicked the extra point . After the touchdown , Thomson returned M . A . C . ' s kickoff 55 yards to the Aggies ' 48 - yard line . Thomson then gained 35 yards on a running play for Michigan ' s second touchdown . Conklin kicked the extra point . Thomson also handled punting for Michigan , and one of his punts went 70 yards . After the game , Walter Eckersall concluded : " Michigan has a team which is going to be mighty hard to beat as soon as Yost perfects the team play . The Michigan mentor has the weight , speed , and cleverness for the development of another strong team . " The game was played in ten - minute quarters . Michigan ' s lineup against the Aggies was Garrels ( left end ) , Conklin ( left tackle ) , Bogle ( left guard ) , Paterson ( center ) , Allmendinger and Quinn ( right guard ) , Pontius ( right tackle ) , Wells ( right end ) , Craig and McMillan ( quarterback ) , Torbet , Herrington and Craig ( left halfback ) , Carpell ( right halfback ) , and Thomson ( fullback ) . Walter Eckersall was the umpire . Ohio State . In the third week of the 1911 season , Michigan defeated by a 19 – 0 score at Ferry Field . The game was the 13th meeting in the Michigan – Ohio State football rivalry , with Michigan having won 10 of the prior meetings and tied twice . After a scoreless first quarter , Stanfield Wells scored a touchdown from the six - yard line early in the second quarter . The extra point attempt by Frederick L . Conklin was unsuccessful . As the game wore on , Michigan ' s conditioning was in evidence . The " Detroit Free Press " wrote : " The pace that the Wolverines set was too fast for the men from Ohio and Coach Vaughn was forced to send in a substitute back field . " Early in the third quarter , Thomas A . Bogle , Jr . kicked a field goal from the 36 - yard line . Later in the third quarter , Michigan blocked a punt by Ohio State ' s Wright from behind his goal line . Conklin recovered the ball for a touchdown and also kicked the extra point . Michigan led 14 – 0 at the end of the third quarter . Fullback George C . Thomson scored Michigan ' s final touchdown on a one - yard run in the fourth quarter . Conklin ' s kick for extra point was unsuccessful . The game ended with Michigan in possession of the ball at Ohio State ' s six - inch line . After the game , the " Detroit Free Press " called Bogle , Wells and Conklin the " brightest stars of the day , " though it noted that Conklin was " not up to snuff on kicking goals or at least was not today . " The " Free Press " also praised the work of Thomson : " Thomson seems to have the habit of taking a big share of the limelight and he lived up to his reputation today . He was not punting far but his kicks were hard to handle and the way he hit the line and bumped off tackle for big gains was a feature . " With three impressive victories to open the season , the " Free Press " opined that the 1911 team had few weaknesses and called the backfield the " speediest Yost ever has had . " The game was played in 15 - minute quarters . Michigan ' s lineup against Ohio State ( starters listed first ) was Conklin ( left end ) , Bogle and Roblee ( left tackle ) , Quinn and Bogle ( left guard ) , Paterson ( center ) , Allmendinger and Garrels ( right guard ) , Pontius ( right tackle ) , Wells ( right end ) , McMillan and Picard ( quarterback ) , Craig ( left halfback ) , Carpell and Huebel ( right halfback ) , and Thomson ( fullback ) . Vanderbilt . On October 28 , 1911 , Michigan defeated at Ferry Field by a score of 9 to 8 . The game matched Michigan head coach Fielding H . Yost against his former player and brother - in - law , Dan McGugin . Because of the relationship between Yost and McGugin , the two teams played nine times between 1905 and 1923 , with Michigan winning eight games and tying one . Before the game , Coach Yost reminded reporters that Vanderbilt ' s 1911 team included the same veteran line that had held Yale scoreless in 1910 . Yost predicted a hard game . Thomas A . Bogle , Jr . of Michigan attempted two field goals in the first half , but both kicks were blocked . After a scoreless first half , each team kicked a field goal in the third quarter . Vanderbilt kicked its field goal after Shorty McMillan fumbled a punt , and Vanderbilt recovered the ball at Michigan ' s 27 - yard line . Later in the quarter , McMillan carried the ball 33 yards to the Vanderbilt 10 - yard line on a quarterback run . Frederick L . Conklin then place - kicked a field goal from the 19 - yard line . In the fourth quarter , Stanfield Wells ran five yards for a touchdown , and Conklin kicked the extra point to give Michigan a 9 - 3 lead . Vanderbilt responded with its own touchdown , but the extra point failed due to a high kickout . In the " Detroit Free Press " , E . A . Batchelor wrote : " Vanderbilt ' s failure to execute properly one of the simplest plays in the football catalogue was all that saved Michigan from the humilation of a tie score with Dan McGugin ' s peppery Dixie lads this afternoon . " Batchelor opined that , with the exception of halfback Jimmy Craig and center " Bubbles " Paterson , the Wolverines " played their worst game of the season . " He described a 75 - yard run by Craig in the fourth quarter as " the most spectacular play of the day . " Walter Eckersall served as the umpire and covered the game for the " Chicago Daily Tribune " . Eckersall wrote that Michigan ' s offense suffered from " an air of overconfidence , " its tackling was poor , and the team was completely fooled on forward passes . He opined that the game was a reversal for Michigan , which would need " vast improvement " to defeat Penn and Cornell . The game was played in 15 - minute quarters . Michigan ' s lineup against Vanderbilt was Conklin ( left end ) , Bogle ( left tackle ) , Quinn ( left guard ) , Paterson ( center ) , Garrels ( right guard ) , Pontius ( right tackle ) , Wells ( right end ) , McMillan ( quarterback ) , Craig ( left halfback ) , Carpell ( right halfback ) , and Thomson ( fullback ) . Walter Eckersall was the umpire , and Willie Heston was the had linesman . Syracuse . In the fifth week of the 1911 season , Michigan played Syracuse to a 6 – 6 tie at Ferry Field . The game was the fourth played between the schools , with Michigan having won two and Syracuse having won one . Coming off an unconvincing victory over Vanderbilt , Coach Yost announced major changes in Michigan ' s lineup . He moved Stanfield Wells from end to halfback , Frederick L . Conklin from end to tackle , and Miller Pontius from tackle to end . He also placed newcomer Howard Kayner in the lineup as the starting left guard . Adding to the disruption , quarterback Shorty McMillan was unable to play against Syracuse after dislocating a knee during a practice scrimmage . Four other players were injured in the week before the Syracuse game - - Jimmy Craig with a turned ankle , Clement Quinn with a wrenched shoulder , Allen Garrels with a sprained hand , and Frank Picard with a strained shoulder . With the injuries and the wholesale shift in the lineup , the " Detroit Free Press " called the week leading up to the Syracuse game " without doubt the most eventful one in the football history of Michigan . " Adding to the mix that led to the unexpected setback against Syracuse , Coach Yost did not attend the game , opting instead to watch the Carlisle - Penn game in preparation for the November 18 game against Penn . Assistant coach Curtis Redden was left in charge of the team for the Syracuse game . Michigan scored a touchdown in the first quarter against Syracuse on a " line buck " by George C . Thomson , and Thomas A . Bogle , Jr . kicked the extra point . Michigan ' s 6 - 0 lead held into the fourth quarter . According to a newspaper account of the game , " Time and again for three periods Michigan ripped Syracuse ' s line almost to pieces and twice had the ball inches from the Syracuse goal . " In the final quarter , Fogg threw a pass to Probst who caught the ball at the Syracuse 45 - yard line and ran more than 50 yards before being tackled by Frank Picard and Stanfield Wells at Michigan ' s two - yard line . Fogg ran for the touchdown , and Day tied the game with a successful extra point kick . In his account of the game , E . A . Batchelor wrote that the Wolverinews played " miserably " and credited fullback Thomson with saving Michigan from defeat with his " splendid " running and kicking . The game was played in 15 - minute quarters . Michigan ' s lineup against Syracuse ( starters listed first ) was Garrels and M . Smith ( left end ) , Conklin ( left tackle ) , Kayner ( left guard ) , Paterson ( center ) , Quinn ( right guard ) , Bogle ( right tackle ) , Pontius and Allmendinger ( right end ) , Craig and Picard ( quarterback ) , Torbet ( left halfback ) , Wells and Carpell ( right halfback ) , and Thomson ( fullback ) . John Macklin of Michigan Agricultural College served as the head linesman . at Cornell . In the sixth week of the 1911 , Michigan suffered its only defeat , losing by a 6 – 0 score against at Ithaca , New York . The game was the ninth meeting between Michigan and Cornell and the first since the 1894 season . In the days leading up to the Cornell game , the team was stricken with more injuries to key players . Jimmy Craig , Shorty McMillan , and Miller Pontius were all unable to play . With both quarterbacks injured , Yost was forced to play Frank Picard at the position . E . A . Batchelor wrote that it was a " crippled " Michigan team that travleed to Ithaca . In the days leading up to the game , the " Detroit Free Press " noted that the usually communicative Yost was quiet with an " air of mystery " surrounding his latest maneuvers . Michigan held Cornell to one first down in the game , but Cornell scored a touchdown in the third quarter after its captain , Munk , blocked a punt by George Thomson from behind Michigan ' s goal line . Fritz recovered the ball in the end zone for Cornell , and Butler kicked the extra point . The game was played in 15 - minute quarters . Michigan ' s lineup against Cornell was Conklin ( left end ) , Quinn ( left tackle ) , Kayner ( left guard ) , Paterson ( center ) , Garrels ( right guard ) , Bogle ( right tackle ) , Pontius and Torbet ( right end ) , Picard ( quarterback ) , Carpell ( left halfback ) , Wells ( right halfback ) , and Thomson ( fullback ) . Penn . In the final home game of the 1911 season , Michigan defeated Penn , 11 – 9 , in an icy blizzard before a crowd of 17 , 000 persons at Ferry Field . Since leaving the Big Ten Conference , Michigan had played annual rivalry games against Penn at or near the end of the season . Penn was one of the dominant football programs of the era , winning seven national championships between 1894 and 1912 . The 1911 game was the seventh meeting between the schools . Penn had won the first four games , but Michigan won in 1909 and tied in 1910 . Fullback George C . Thomson did not play against Penn due to the death of his brother . Miller Pontius also missed the game due to a torn muscle . However , Shorty McMillan returned to the lineup at quarterback , and Jimmy Craig returned at halfback . The 1912 " Michiganensian " described the mood on campus leading up to the game : " Over Ferry Field hung a cloud of gloom , about the campus lurked a suspicion of inevitable defeat , enthusiasm was missing , but everywhere was a tense grim feeling of fight , of determination , and of never give up spirit . Despite the seemingly hopeless odds , the old Michigan spirit was there , was in every practice under the electric lights , in every sharp cry of the quarterback , in every weary run to the gym , and was a factor more potent than ever before . " " The New York Times " credited the win to the " craftiness of Coach Yost and the speed of ' Jimmy ' Craig . " Stanfield Wells scored a touchdown in the second quarter , and Frederick L . Conklin missed the extra point . Penn took the lead in the third quarter on a 50 - yard touchdown run by Captain Mercer and an extra point by Minds . In the fourth quarter , Penn extended its lead to 9 – 5 on a drop - kicked field goal by Marshall from the 25 - yard line . Michigan scored the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter on a double pass to Craig who ran 23 yards for the score . Conklin kicked the extra point , and Michigan led , 11 – 9 . " The New York Times " described the play that resulted in the winning touchdown as a " trick play " in which the Michigan blockers started to the right with Penn ' s defense following . The ball was the tossed to Craig far to the left side of the field . The " Times " called Craig Michigan ' s " offensive and defensive hero " in a " clean , snappy , spectacular , thrilling " game . Walter Eckersall was the field judge and covered the game for the " Chicago Daily Tribune " . He also called Craig the hero of the game and wrote that Michigan gave " a remarkable exhibition , " played " hard and aggressive football " and " executed cleverly and faultlessly " an intricate formation . He called it " a decided triumph for western football " and " a great game , the sort that makes football history . " The game was played in 15 - minute quarters . Michigan ' s lineup against Penn ( starters listed first ) was Conklin ( left end ) , Quinn ( left tackle ) , Kayner ( left guard ) , Paterson ( center ) , Garrels ( right guard ) , Bogle ( right tackle ) , Torbet and Carpell ( right end ) , McMillan ( quarterback ) , Craig ( left halfback ) , Wells and Huebel ( right halfback ) , and Meek ( fullback ) . Walter Eckersall was the field judge . at Nebraska . Michigan concluded its 1911 season with a 6 – 6 tie against Nebraska . The game was the second meeting between the two programs . Michigan won the first game , 31 - 0 , in 1905 . Nebraska won the Missouri Valley Conference championship the week before the Michigan game , and it came into the game with a 5 - 1 - 1 record , having outscored opponents 275 to 27 . The week before the Nebraska game saw continuing changes in Michigan ' s lineup . Although George C . Thomson returned to the lineup after attending his brother ' s funeral , Stanfield Wells and Miller Pontius were unable to play in the Nebraska game . Yost was forced to start a backup , Herschel Smith , at the right halfback position . Five days before the Nebraska game , the " Detroit Free Press " quipped that Michigan could claim the world championship of injuries , having had more injuries in 1911 than ever before in the program ' s history . After a scoreless first half , each team scored a touchdown in the third quarter . Frederick L . Conklin blocked a Nebraska punt , recovered the ball , and ran 30 yards for a touchdown . The " Chicago Daily Tribune " wrote : " Conklin broke through , blocked it , turned like lightning and sped without interference across the goal line for Michigan ' s first touchdown . " Conklin also converted the extra point kick after his touchdown . Nebraska responded on the next drive with two long end runs that took the ball to Michigan ' s eight - yard line . From there , Nebraska halfback Purdy ran for the touchdown . " The New York Times " called the game " the hardest contest ever witnessed on Nebraska Field . " The 1912 " Michiganensian " opined that a mistake had been made in scheduling another game after the annual rivalry match with Penn : " Then came the anti - climax , the Nebraska game . Frankly this game , the scheduling of it , the playing of it , was a mistake from the first . Every football season has but one legitimate finish , the big game . The team is practiced for it , the men are trained for it . To have another contest follow , inevitably means a slump , not only in form , but in condition . " Michigan ' s lineup against Nebraska was Conklin ( left end ) , Quinn ( left tackle ) , Kayner ( left guard ) , Paterson ( center ) , Garrels and Allmendinger ( right guard ) , Bogle ( right tackle ) , Herrington and Carpell ( right end ) , McMillan ( quarterback ) , Craig ( left halfback ) , Herschel Smith ( right halfback ) , and Thomson ( fullback ) . Post - season . The 1912 " Michiganensian " summarized the 1911 football season as follows : " It was rather a checkered season , the football year of 1911 , marred by defeat , spoiled by tie games , dismal in spots , brilliant in others , and darkened by an unceasing list of injuries and misfortunes . . . . It is a hard season to compute as to its success , and yet a thorough summing up must show it as a success , a fight against odds , and a glorious culmination . " At the end of the season , Stanfield Wells was selected as a first - team All - American both by " The New York Globe " and Dr . Henry L . Williams , longtime coach at the University of Minnesota . Wells was selected as a third - team player on Walter Camp ' s All - American team for " Collier ' s Weekly " . Three Michigan players , Wells , Frederick L . Conklin , and Jimmy Craig , were selected for " Outing " magazine ' s Roll of Football Honor . Several Michigan players received All - Western honors as follows : Fielding H . Yost ' s contract as Michigan ' s head coach expired at the end of the 1911 season , leading to concerns over whether he would return . On December 16 , 1911 , it was announced that Yost had agreed to a two - year contract to remain at Michigan for the 1912 and 1913 seasons . Players . Varsity letter winners . The following 16 players received varsity " M " letters for their participation on the 1911 football team : Reserves . The following players were awarded " R " letters as members of the Reserves on the 1911 football team :