1942 Michigan Wolverines football team The 1942 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1942 college football season . The 1942 team compiled a record of 7 – 3 and was ranked No . 9 in the final Associated Press poll . The team ' s line that included Albert Wistert , Merv Pregulman , Julius Franks ( U - M ' s first African - American All - American ) , Elmer Madar , Robert Kolesar , Bill Pritula and Philip Sharpe and was known as the " Seven Oak Posts . " Schedule . Season summary . Week 1 : Great Lakes N . T . S . . On September 26 , 1942 , Michigan opened the season against the Great Lakes Naval Training Station football team . The Great Lakes team was an all - star team of players serving in the Navy . It included 13 players who had been named All - Americans ( Urban Odson and Pete Kmetovic ) and some who had been playing in the NFL ( Carl Mulleneaux , Rudy Mucha , and Gust Zarnas ) before the war . The " Ann Arbor News " reported that Great Lakes was favored by 35 points . Only 17 , 087 fans attended the game , making it the smallest crowd at Michigan Stadium since 1931 . The game marked the debut of Bob Chappuis , who led the team on a 92 - yard touchdown drive in the second quarter . The touchdown came on a pass from Chappuis to Paul White . Michigan added a field goal by Jim Brieske in the third quarter . Michigan shut out the heavily favored Great Lakes team , 9 - 0 . Michigan ' s starting lineup against Great Lakes was Madar ( left end ) , Wistert ( left tackle ) , Kolesar ( right guard ) , Pregulman ( center ) , Franks ( right guard ) , Pritula ( right tackle ) , Sharpe ( right end ) , Ceithaml ( quarterback ) , Wise ( left halfback ) , White ( right halfback ) , and Wiese ( fullback ) . Week 2 : Michigan State . In the second week of the season , Michigan played Michigan State College . Playing in Ann Arbor in front of 39 , 163 spectators ( the smallest crowd to see a Michigan - Michigan State game since 1935 ) , the Wolverines defeated the Spartans , 20 – 0 . With Don Kuzma injured , Don Robinson got the start at left halfback . Robinson scored the first touchdown for Michigan in the third quarter . Frank Wardley and Warren Yaap also scored touchdowns for Michigan . Jim Briske converted two PATs . Michigan ' s starting lineup against Michigan State was Sharpe ( left end ) , Wistert ( left tackle ) , Kolesar ( right guard ) , Pregulman ( center ) , Franks ( right guard ) , Pritula ( right tackle ) , Madar ( right end ) , Ceithaml ( quarterback ) , Robinson ( left halfback ) , White ( right halfback ) , and Wiese ( fullback ) . Week 3 : Iowa Pre - Flight . In the third week of the season , Michigan played the football team from the U . S . Navy pre - flight school at the University of Iowa . The Iowa Pre - Flight team was coached by Bernie Bierman , who came into the game with a 20 - game winning streak , and led by quarterback Forest Evashevski , who had played for Michigan from 1938 to 1940 . Playing in Ann Arbor in front of 34 , 124 spectators , Michigan took a 14 - 0 lead on touchdown pass from Don Robinson to Bob Wiese and from Elmer Madar to Bob Chappuis . The Iowa pre - flight cadets responded with 26 unanswered points and won the game , 26 - 14 . The game was Bierman ' s ninth straight victory ( including games at Minnesota ) over Michigan . Bierman had been responsible for five of Fritz Crisler ' s losses to that date since he joined Michigan in 1938 . Michigan ' s starting lineup against the Iowa pre - fight cadets was Sharpe ( left end ) , Wistert ( left tackle ) , Kolesar ( right guard ) , Pregulman ( center ) , Franks ( right guard ) , Pritula ( right tackle ) , Madar ( right end ) , Ceithaml ( quarterback ) , Robinson ( left halfback ) , Warbley ( right halfback ) , and Wiese ( fullback ) . Week 4 : Northwestern . In the fourth week of the season , Michigan opened its Big Ten Conference schedule with a 34 - 16 win over Northwestern in Ann Arbor . After missing the first three games , Tom Kuzma returned to the lineup in the game . Kuzma scored a touchdown in the third quarter . Paul White scored twice , and Bob Wiese scored once . Merv Pregulman also scored in the fourth quarter after intercepting an Otto Graham pass and returning it 34 yards for a touchdown . Jim Brieske converted four of five PATs . Northwestern ' s All - American Otto Graham completed 20 of 29 passes for 295 yards , but Michigan ' s defense held the Wildcats to only 26 rushing yards . Michigan ' s starting lineup against Northwestern was Sharpe ( left end ) , Wistert ( left tackle ) , Kolesar ( right guard ) , Pregulman ( center ) , Franks ( right guard ) , Pritula ( right tackle ) , Madar ( right end ) , Ceithaml ( quarterback ) , Robinson ( left halfback ) , White ( right halfback ) , and Wiese ( fullback ) . Week 5 : at Minnesota . In the fifth week of the season , Michigan traveled to Minneapolis and lost to Minnesota , 16 - 14 . Tom Kuzma ran for touchdowns in the first and fourth quarters , and Jim Brieske converted both PATs . Bill Daley , who would go on to play for Michigan in 1943 , ran 44 yards for a tying touchdown in the second quarter . Michigan ' s starting lineup against Minnesota was Sharpe ( left end ) , Wistert ( left tackle ) , Kolesar ( right guard ) , Pregulman ( center ) , Franks ( right guard ) , Pritula ( right tackle ) , Madar ( right end ) , Ceithaml ( quarterback ) , Kuzma ( left halfback ) , White ( right halfback ) , and Lund ( fullback ) . Week 6 : Illinois . In the sixth week of the season , Michigan defeated Illinois , 28 - 14 , in front of 33 , 826 fans at Michigan Stadium . Michigan touchdowns were scored by Paul White , Bob Chappuis , Bob Wiese , and Bob Stenberg . Wiese ' s touchdown came on a 19 - yard pass from Tom Kuzma . Jim Brieske converted all four PATs for Michigan . Michigan ' s starting lineup against Illinois was Madar ( left end ) , Wistert ( left tackle ) , Kolesar ( right guard ) , Pregulman ( center ) , Franks ( right guard ) , Pritula ( right tackle ) , Sharpe ( right end ) , Ceithaml ( quarterback ) , Kuzma ( left halfback ) , White ( right halfback ) , and Boor ( fullback ) . Week 7 : Harvard . In the seventh week of the season , Michigan defeated Harvard , 35 - 7 , in front of 25 , 534 fans at Michigan Stadium . Right halfback Paul White ran for two touchdowns , and Tom Kuzma ran for another . Elmer Madar also scored on a 53 - yard interception return . Michigan ' s final touchdown came on a 32 - yard pass play from Bob Chappuis to White . Stenberg also scored on a touchdown pass from Wiese . Jim Brieske converted all five PATs for Michigan . Michigan ' s starting lineup against Harvard was Sharpe ( left end ) , Wistert ( left tackle ) , _ _ _ _ _ ( right guard ) , Pregulman ( center ) , Franks ( right guard ) , Pritula ( right tackle ) , Madar ( right end ) , Ceithaml ( quarterback ) , Kuzma ( left halfback ) , White ( right halfback ) , and Wiese ( fullback ) . Week 8 : at Notre Dame . In the eighth week of the season , Michigan traveled to Notre Dame and defeated the Fighting Irish , 32 - 20 in front of a capacity crowd of 57 , 500 . Michigan ' s total of 32 points was the most scored against Notre Dame since 1905 . Michigan ' s first touchdown came on a quarterback sneak by George Ceithaml from the one - yard line . Robinson ran for Michigan ' s second touchdown on a fake field goal attempt from the four - yard line . Tom Kuzma scored two touchdowns in the second half . Michigan ' s starting lineup against Harvard was Sharpe ( left end ) , Wistert ( left tackle ) , Kolesar ( right guard ) , Pregulman ( center ) , Franks ( right guard ) , Pritula ( right tackle ) , Madar ( right end ) , Ceithaml ( quarterback ) , Kuzma ( left halfback ) , White ( right halfback ) , and Wiese ( fullback ) . Week 9 : at Ohio State . In the ninth week of the season , Michigan traveled to Columbus and lost to Ohio State , 21 - 7 . With the win , Ohio State won the Big Ten championship . Michigan ' s only touchdown was scored by Bob Wiese in the third quarter . Michigan ' s starting lineup against Ohio State was Sharpe ( left end ) , Wistert ( left tackle ) , Kolesar ( right guard ) , Pregulman ( center ) , Franks ( right guard ) , Pritula ( right tackle ) , Madar ( right end ) , Ceithaml ( quarterback ) , Kuzma ( left halfback ) , White ( right halfback ) , and Wiese ( fullback ) . Week 10 : Iowa . Michigan concluded the 1942 season with a 28 - 14 win over Iowa in Ann Arbor . Michigan touchdowns were scored by Tom Kuzma , Bob Wiese , Paul White , and Charles Kennedy . Jim Brieske converted all four PATs . Michigan ' s starting lineup against Harvard was Sharpe ( left end ) , Wistert ( left tackle ) , Kolesar ( right guard ) , Pregulman ( center ) , Franks ( right guard ) , Pritula ( right tackle ) , Madar ( right end ) , Ceithaml ( quarterback ) , Kuzma ( left halfback ) , White ( right halfback ) , and Wiese ( fullback ) .