1903 Michigan Wolverines football team The 1903 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1903 college football season . The team ' s head football coach was Fielding H . Yost . The Wolverines played their home games at Regents Field . The 1903 team compiled a record of 11 – 0 – 1 and outscored opponents 565 to 6 . The only points allowed came on a touchdown in a 6 – 6 tie with Minnesota . All eleven wins were shutouts . The 1903 Michigan team was the third of Yost ' s legendary " Point - a - Minute " teams and has been recognized retrospectively as a national championship team for 1903 by the National Championship Foundation . The team captain was Curtis Redden , and the high scorer was fullback Tom Hammond who scored 163 points . Halfback Willie Heston was the only member of the team selected as a first - team All - American , receiving the honor from both Walter Camp in " Collier ' s Weekly " and Caspar Whitney in " Outing " magazine . Pre - season controversy . Before the start of the 1903 season , Michigan became involved in controversy over amateurism in college football . In April 1903 , David Starr Jordan , the president of Stanford University , accused Michigan coach Fielding Yost of sinning against the spirit of amateur athletics . Jordan ' s accusations focused on two players , George W . Gregory and Willie Heston , both of whom had come to Michigan from California with Coach Yost in 1901 . The " Detroit Free Press " reported in early September 1903 that the two might opt not to return to the University of Michigan when classes resumed . A report issued by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools in April 1903 advocated stricter regulation to protect the amateur nature of the games . Although the report contained only passing references to the University of Michigan , the " Chicago Record - Herald " devoted much of its coverage to attacks on amateurism at the University of Michigan . " The Michigan Alumnus " expressed concern that football posed a danger " to the minds and morals of the players and their fellow - students . " It published an open letter to Coach Yost on the evils of recruiting in college football . The open letter advocated the adoption of a one - year residency rule requiring a year of satisfactory scholarship for all players on college teams . Professor Albert Pattengill , chairman of Michigan ' s Board of Control of Athletics , defended Yost : " In justice to Mr . Yost it must be said that the greatest sin we can lay at his door is that for two seasons he has led Michigan ' s team to victory . He is a man of good personal habits , and enthusiastic in his work . He exercises a wholesome influence over the young men under him . . . . We have made many inquiries , and have not heard from any sources anything to give cause for uneasiness . . . . Training camp and pre - season expectations . Although Michigan ' s football training camp had previously been held at Whitmore Lake , Yost moved the team ' s pre - season camp to the Epworth Hotel in Epworth Heights , a summer resort located three miles from Ludington , Michigan . Yost hoped that the northern location would allow the team to practice away from the September heat . Training camp opened on September 14 , 1903 , and was attended by 25 players , Yost , and trainer Keene Fitzpatrick . While in Ludington , the Michigan players played a baseball game against the local team and attended a dance at the Stearns Hotel in downtown Ludington . The locals were surprised when the guests of honor left the dance at 10 : 05 pm , under orders from Keene Fitzpatrick . The squad returned to Ann Arbor on September 26 and joined a separate body of recruits training under the direction of assistant coach Dan McGugin . At the start of the 1903 season , there were concerns about the team ' s lack of experience . Most of the starters from the 1902 team had been lost , including the team ' s two leading scorers ( Albert E . Herrnstein and James E . Lawrence ) , its starting quarterback ( Boss Weeks ) , and four of the starting linemen ( Everett Sweeley , Dan McGugin , " King " Cole , and " Babe " Carter ) . Adding to the problems , the 1902 team ' s starting fullback ( Paul Jones ) suffered a nearly deadly attack of typhoid fever in early 1903 and was unable to return to the team . The most promising new players on the 1903 squad included Joe Curtis , a 212 - pounder from Pueblo , Colorado , Tom Hammond , a fullback from Hyde Park , Illinois , and John Garrels , a speedster from Detroit who went on to win the silver medal in the 110 meter hurdles at the 1908 Summer Olympics . With only eight veterans returning team captain Curtis Redden wrote that " [ n ] o season in the history of Michigan football has opened with a gloomier outlook " than that of 1903 . " The Michigan Alumnus " opined that a repetition of he extraordinary scores of 1902 was too much to expect , but expressed hope that the 1903 team would be able to " cope honorably " with its " most dreaded rivals , " Chicago and Minnesota . Game summaries . Michigan 31 , Case 0 . The season opener was played on October 3 , 1903 , in weather that was described as " excessively warm for football . " The game was played in 20 - minute halves and matched Michigan against Case Scientific School . Willie Heston scored three touchdowns in the game , including one on a 45 - yard run . Tom Hammond also scored two touchdowns , and Hal Weeks scored after substituting for Heston at left halfback in the second half . Michigan converted only one of six point after touchdown attempts , and the team ' s punting and goal - kicking were described as " sad failures . " Michigan 76 , Albion 0 . The second game of the 1903 season was played on Thursday , October 8 , against Albion College . In a game that consisted of 27 - 1 / 2 minutes ( first half of 20 minutes , second half of 7 - 1 / 2 minutes ) , Michigan scored 76 points . The Wolverines failed to score on only one drive , and were stopped inside Albion ' s five - yard line on that drive . Albion converted only two first downs in the game . Tom Hammond led the scoring with 35 points on five touchdowns and 10 successful point after touchdown kicks . Willie Heston added three touchdowns , and single touchdowns were added by Herb Graver , Roswell Wendell , Fred Norcross , and Rolla Bigelow . Michigan 79 , Beloit 0 . Two days after the Albion game , Michigan faced Beloit . In 45 minutes of football ( first half of 25 minutes , second half of 20 minutes ) , Michigan scored 79 points . " The Michigan Alumnus " praised the team effort on offense and singled out Gooding who " once carried Heston over the line for a touchdown . " Curtis Redden was also praised for his blocking and for his clever play in recovering and returning a Beloit fumble in the second half . Willie Heston and Fred Norcross led the scoring with five and three touchdowns , respectively . " The Michigan Alumnus " noted , " Time after time Heston and Norcross , aided by good blocking , sprinted long distances for touchdowns . " Through the first three games of the 1903 season , the Wolverines scored 186 points in 112 - 1 / 2 minutes of play . The " Detroit Free Press " noted that Yost ' s team narrowly missed averaging two points per minute against Beloit . Michigan 65 , Ohio Normal 0 . On Wednesday , October 14 , 1903 , Michigan played Ohio Normal from Ada , Ohio . In 34 minutes of football ( first half of 20 minutes , second half of 14 minutes ) , Michigan scored 65 points . Duncan Thompson , starting at the right halfback position , led the scoring with four touchdowns . The " most stirring " play of the game was a 75 - yard touchdown run " through the whole Ohio team " by Fred Norcross . Ohio Normal ' s longest gain was a seven - yard run . " The Michigan Alumnus " noted that the Wolverines ' play was " at times over - zealous and severe penalties for foul interference and off - side resulted . " Through the first four games of the 1903 season , the Wolverines scored 251 points in 146 - 1 / 2 minutes of play . Michigan 51 , Indiana 0 . Three days after its mid - week contest against Ohio Normal , the Wolverines played Indiana on October 17 , 1901 . In the season ' s first full - length game ( two halves of 25 minutes ) , Michigan outscored Indiana 51 to 0 . Despite the lopsided score , " The Michigan Alumnus " complained that certain features of the team ' s play were " most unsatisfactory , " including fumbles and a lack of versatility in the team ' s offensive play . Curtis Redden was credited with the " prettiest run of the day " for recovering a half - blocked punt and returning it 65 yards for Michigan ' s third touchdown . Tom Hammond scored 21 points in the game on two touchdowns , 6 point after touchdown kicks , and a field goal . Through the first five games of the 1903 season , the Wolverines scored 302 points in 196 - 1 / 2 minutes of play . Michigan 88 , Ferris Institute 0 . In another mid - week game , Michigan defeated the team from the Ferris Institute in Big Rapids , Michigan , by a score of 88 to 0 . The Wolverines added to their " Point - a - Minute " margin by scoring 88 minutes in only 30 minutes of play ( first half of 20 minutes , second half of 10 minutes ) . The Ferris team was held to an " aggregate of gains " of only eight yards . " The Michigan Alumnus " described the game as a mismatch : " The visitors were hopelessly outclassed in weight and experience , but under these trying conditions did the best they could . " Willie Heston did not play in the game , and Tom Hammond was the leading scorer for the second consecutive week with 23 points on three touchdowns and eight point after touchdown kicks . Through the first six games of the 1903 season , the Wolverines scored 390 points in 226 - 1 / 2 minutes of play . Michigan 47 , Drake 0 . Michigan ' s game against Drake on October 24 , 1903 , was described at the time as " the most exciting contest seen on Ferry Field this year . " With Willie Heston was on the sidelines , the Wolverines failed to score a point - a - minute for the first time in 1903 , scoring 47 points in 55 minutes of play ( first half of 30 minutes , second half of 25 minutes ) . In the first half , Drake held Michigan to only 18 points . Drake came close to scoring the first points of the year against Michigan after its fullback , Kintz , ran for 25 yards , and an off - side penalty ( resulting in a 20 - yard penalty ) brought the ball within reach of Michigan ' s goal . Drake ' s left guard , Stewart , attempted a field goal , but missed by " the narrowest of margins . " Right tackle Joe Maddock led the scoring with three touchdowns in the game . Through the first seven games of the 1903 season , the Wolverines scored 437 points in 281 - 1 / 2 minutes of play . Michigan 6 , Minnesota 6 . The eighth game of the season matched Michigan against Minnesota in a game played at Northrop Field in Minneapolis , Minnesota . " The New York Times " reported that the match , " one of the most desperate football games seen in the West in years , " was witnessed by " fully 30 , 000 spectators . " The game ended in a 6 – 6 tie , the first time in the Yost era that Michigan had not achieved a victory . During the first half , Minnesota outgained Michigan 155 yards to 60 yards . The Michigan defense held , and the first half ended in a scoreless tie . With 15 minutes remaining in the game , Michigan sustained a 65 - yard drive culminating with a touchdown by right tackle Joe Maddock . On the drive that followed , the Michigan line was " unable to sustain Schacht ' s fierce line smashes , " and Minnesota tied the game with a touchdown run by its fullback , Boeckmann , and Rogers kicked the point after touchdown . Although approximately two minutes remained in the game , Minnesota fans surged onto the field , and the game had to be ended early . " The Detroit Free Press " described the scene as follows : " Time was not up by a few minutes , but the crowd surged onto the field and time was called , as it would have been impossible to have cleared the gridiron in time to resume play before daylight had faded entirely away . " When the Michigan team returned to Ann Arbor on November 1 , the players were greeted by a crowd of 5 , 000 singing and yelling at the depot . The crowd attached ropes to a bus and towed the team to campus while continuing with organized songs and yells . At a rally near the law building , Willie Heston told the crowd that the Minnesota players were " the roughest lot of sluggers I ever went up against . " Heston ' s right eye was nearly swollen shut , and his nose bore " marks of terrific smashes . " Joe Maddock added , " I don ' t know how many times I was hit and kicked , but I think I got at least twenty blows on the back of my neck . " " The Michigan Alumnus " complained about " the unsportsmanlike spirit " manifested by some Minnesota players and opined that the Minnesota fans who surged onto the field had responded to " an impulse which does more credit to their enthusiasm than their love of fair play . " The " Detroit Free Press " condemned " the muckerish tactics of the crowd and the pugilistic efforts of the Gophers . " Several in attendance reported that Minnesota assistant coach Pudge Heffelfinger had been heard yelling from the sidelines , " Kill off Heston in the first ten minutes , or you ' ll lose . " The crowd reportedly picked up the comment and responded with the yell , " Kill off Heston . " The game ' s umpire , Henry Clark , was selected by Minnesota , and he came under heavy criticism from Michigan loyalists for failing to call Minnesota for its rough play . The Minnesota game generated gross gate receipts of $ 30 , 933 . 50 . After deducting expenses , Michigan ' s share was $ 13 , 000 . Yost defended his team ' s performance upon his return to Ann Arbor . Pulling a criss - crossed chart from his pocket , Yost walked through the progress of the game with reporters . Even though Minnesota outgained Michigan in the first half , Yost said : " Why , they never had the ball inside our 30 - yard line but once during the first half , and it was just inside at that time . The goal was never in danger because our boys played a scientific defensive game and kept the ball in the air part of the time , where it belonged . We had good headwork as well as beef , and I do not think it is fair to Michigan to say that she was outplayed in the first half . The touchdown the Minnesota boys made was made after dark , when nobody could see the ball , and of course that prevented us from stopping them . Also , the field was crowned . I am confident , however , that we have the better team . That man Gooding and Heston played a wonderful game , and all the boys did , for that matter . I have no fault to find with anyone . " Through the first eight games of the 1903 season , the Wolverines scored 443 points and had played between 329 and 349 minutes . Little Brown Jug . The 1903 game against Minnesota also gave rise to the tradition of the two teams ' playing for the Little Brown Jug . When the Michigan team arrived in Minneapolis , Yost reportedly instructed student manager Thomas B . Roberts to purchase a water jug . Roberts purchased a five - gallon jug for 30¢ from a local variety store . In the chaos that ensued when the Minnesota crowd rushed onto the field , the Wolverines left the jug behind . Thomas Roberts , writing in 1956 , stated that the jug had served its purpose , so he intentionally left it sitting on the field . The next day , custodian Oscar Munson brought the jug to L . J . Cooke , head of the Minnesota athletics department . Cooke and Munson painted the jug brown and wrote on it , " Michigan Jug – Captured by Oscar , October 31 , 1903 . " According to legend , Yost sent a letter asking for the jug to be returned , and Cooke wrote in response : " We have your little brown jug ; if you want it , you ' ll have to win it . " Yost returned with his team in 1909 to reclaim the jug , and the two teams have awarded the jug to the winner of their annual rivalry game . Michigan 36 , Ohio State 0 . After suffering its first setback since the 1900 season , Michigan returned to Ann Arbor for a November 7 game against Ohio State . The Wolverines defeated the Buckeyes 36 to 0 . On the opening drive , Herb Graver had runs of 30 and 20 yards , the latter resulting in the game ' s first touchdown . Within the game ' s first five minutes , Michigan had scored its second touchdown . Graver scored Michigan ' s third touchdown on a 30 - yard run , but the Ohio State defense grew more stubborn . The first half ended with a score of 36 to 0 . " The Michigan Alumnus " credited Gregory ' s work on the line and long runs by Herb Graver with Michigan ' s edge in the first half . Graver led the Michigan scoring with five first half touchdowns , good for 25 points . Michigan drove to the Ohio State five - yard line on the opening drive of the second half , but lost the ball on a fumble . Later in the second half , Jones of Ohio recovered a fumble by Fred Norcross , and ran the ball over a clear field toward the Michigan goal . Curtis Redden caught up with Jones and tackled him at Michigan ' s 20 - yard line . ' " The Michigan Alumnus " cited Redden as having on several occasions been " the one saving element in Michigan ' s defense . " No points were scored by either team in the second half , as " the men from Columbus played the Varsity to a standstill . " The game consisted of 55 minutes of playing time – a 30 - minute first half and a 25 - minute second half . Through the first nine games of the 1903 season , the Wolverines scored 479 points and had played between 386 and 406 minutes . Michigan 16 , Wisconsin 0 . On November 14 , 1903 , Michigan played Wisconsin in a game starting at 2 : 00 pm on Ferry Field . Michigan won the game , played in 35 - minute halves , by a score of 16 to 0 . " The New York Times " called it " one of the cleanest football games every played here . " Although Michigan outgained Wisconsin 165 yards to 55 yards and kept the ball " almost constantly in Wisconsin ' s territory , " the first half ended in a scoreless tie . Michigan continued to have difficulty reaching Wisconsin ' s goal in the second half and relied on Tom Hammond to kick two field goals , good for five points each under 1903 rules . Hammond ' s first field goal came on a place - kick from the 24 - yard line . The snap to James was high , but he placed it accurately and " Hammond made as beautiful a field goal as was ever seen on any grounds . " Hammond ' s final field goal came on " a marvelous place - kick from Wisconsin ' s 45 - yard line . " Herb Graver accounted for Michigan ' s only long runs , and the sole touchdown was scored by Joe Maddock on a " mass play " from the five - yard line . " The Michigan Alumnus " noted that the game was marked by " thorough sportsmanship " and played in " propitious weather " in front of a crowd of approximately 8 , 0000 estimated to be the second largest ever assembled at Ferry Field . The " Alumnus " also offered the following comparison with Yost ' s 1902 team : " It was the impression of many alumni who were for the first time viewing the men in action , that in speed and certainly the team ' s offensive play fell somewhat below the standard of last years ' eleven . " Through the first ten games of the 1903 season , the Wolverines scored 495 points and had played between 456 and 476 minutes . Michigan 42 , Oberlin 0 . Michigan played its final home game against Oberlin College . Michigan ' s starting backfield did not play in the game in order to avoid injuries prior to the Chicago game . In 45 minutes of playing time ( first half of 25 minutes , second half of 20 minutes ) , Michigan scored 42 points . Wolfe , from Hyde Park , Illinois , made his first appearance for Michigan and was credited with the longest run of the game , 25 yards . Joe Curtis led the scoring with 16 points on three touchdowns and a point after touchdown kick . Tom Hammond missed three kicks for field goals . Oberlin had only two first downs in the game . University of Chicago coach Amos Alonzo Stagg attended the game and opined afterward that he picked Michigan as a slight favorite against his own team on Thanksgiving Day . Through the first 11 games of the 1903 season , the Wolverines scored 537 points and had played between 501 and 521 minutes . Michigan 28 , Chicago 0 . Michigan concluded the 1903 season with its traditional rivalry game in Chicago against Amos Alonzo Stagg ' s Chicago Maroons . " The New York Times " reported that the game was attended by a record - setting crowd : " All records for attendance were broken , fully 20 , 000 enthusiastic spectators braving a heavy snowfall to see the game . " Another account placed the attendance at 15 , 000 . " The Michigan Alumnus " noted that Michigan men regarded Chicago as " their dearest rival , " and the Thanksgiving Day game at Marshall Field marked the culmination of the season . A blizzard threatened cancellation of the game , but the snow stopped suddenly and the wind died down in the early afternoon . The game was commenced at 2 : 00 pm after seven or eight inches of snow were cleared from the field . Stagg ' s 1903 team featured three future College Football Hall of Fame inductees : Walter Eckersall at quarterback , Hugo Bezdek at right halfback , and Tiny Maxwell at right tackle . All - American Frederick A . Speik also played at left end for the 1903 Maroons . The two teams were expected to be evenly matched , but the game , played on a snowy and slippery field , proved to be one - sided . Chicago was handicapped by the illness of Coach Stagg who directed the game from a closed carriage where he lay " bundled up in blankets . " Michigan scored on every drive in the first half , save one , and Chicago made only one first down in the first half . Eckersall ' s defensive play was praised in accounts of the game , though , on one play , Willie Heston eluded Eckersall " by a well - timed hurdle " for a 20 - yard gain . Heston scored two touchdowns , but Tom Hammond was the leading scorer with 13 points on two field goals ( five points each ) and three point after touchdown kicks . The game was played in halves of 35 and 20 minutes , with the second half being cut short to avoid playing after darkness had fallen . Walter Camp attended the game , watching from the sidelines . Camp offered the following comments : " The helping of the men on the Michigan team was high - grade football . Their work at helping the man with the ball was as good as that displayed in any game I have seen this season . This is the first western game I have witnessed this year . I was particularly impressed with the work of Heston as a halfback . " The " Chicago Daily Tribune " opened its game coverage , " The premature blizzard which descended on Chicago yesterday made it anything but an ideal football day , but that driving snow storm was gentleness itself compared to what was in store for Chicago ' s two football elevens . " The " Detroit Free Press " called it " the most severe drubbing ever administered to the Maroons in the history of football of that institution . " Noted sports writer Joe S . Jackson wrote : " Chicago was not beaten – it was run over , buffeted about , almost made the sport of its opponents at times . . . " The Michigan team was the guest of the Studebaker Theatre the evening after the game . At a post - season dinner , Fielding Yost said that he regarded Michigan ' s play in the Chicago game to be " the best he had ever seen by a Michigan team during his three years here . " Michigan ' s captain , Curtis Redden , opined that the spectators saw " the finest exhibition of speed and team work ever seen in the West . " Through all 12 games of the 1903 season , the Wolverines scored 565 points and played between 556 and 576 minutes . Post - season . Prior to the Chicago game , Fielding Yost announced that he had consented to coach the Michigan football team for another year in 1904 . " The Michigan Alumnus " applauded the announcement : " Michigan football teams , under Coach Yost ' s regime have never lost and have always played fair . Every loyal Michigan man will hail Mr . Yost ' s decision with delight , and count his stay a guarantee of a fourth season of clean and successful football . " On December 16 , 1903 , the team ' s official portrait was taken , and Willie Heston was elected captain of the 1904 team . That night , local businessmen hosted a dinner for the team . Team captain Redden summarized the 1903 season : " With the poorest prospects and in the face of the greatest obstacles , to achieve the success she did – Michigan may well look back to the season of nineteen hundred and three as one of the most brilliant in her football history . " The 1903 season saw the final appearance of several players , including Curtis Redden , Joe Maddock , George Gregory , and Herb Graver . Nevertheless , with Willie Heston , Joe Curtis , Tom Hammond , and Fred Norcross returning , " The Michigan Alumnus " noted that the promise for the 1904 season was good . Ralph Rose controversy . In the spring of 1904 , a controversy arose over allegations published in the " San Francisco Chronicle " that Yost had promised Ralph Rose , a 6 foot , 6 inch , 250 pound athlete from California , a job in the library and membership in a fraternity if he enrolled at Michigan . Yost denied the charges , and " The Michigan Alumnus " wrote that student positions in the library paid no more than 12 - 1 / 2 cents per hour , and Rose had received no such job in any event . Nor had he been made a member of any fraternity . In the end , Rose never played for Michigan ' s football team . Despite his size and strength , he lacked the speed to compete effectively in Yost ' s fast - paced style of football . Instead , Rose competed in the shot put for Michigan , setting a new world ' s record in May 1904 . He went on to win the gold medal in the shot put at the 1904 , 1908 and 1912 Summer Olympics and died in 1913 from typhoid fever at age 28 . Players . Varsity letter winners . The following 12 players received varsity " M " letters for their participation on the 1903 football team :