1947 Michigan Wolverines football team The 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1947 college football season . In its tenth year under head coach Fritz Crisler , Michigan compiled a perfect 10 – 0 record , won the Big Ten Conference championship , and defeated the USC Trojans by a score of 49 – 0 in the 1948 Rose Bowl game Although ranked second in the AP Poll at the end of the regular season , the Wolverines were selected as the nation ' s No . 1 team by a 226 – 119 margin over Notre Dame in an unofficial AP Poll taken after the bowl games ( Notre Dame still holds the AP trophy and is recognized by the NCAA as the champion , though they are not the official selectors ) . The 1947 team outscored its opponents , 394 – 53 , and has been selected as the best team in the history of Michigan football . The 1947 Michigan Wolverines included five players who have been inducted into the College or Pro Football Halls of Fame : left halfback Bob Chappuis ( who finished second in the 1947 Heisman Trophy voting ) , right halfback Bump Elliott ( who received the Chicago Tribune trophy as the Big Ten MVP ) , defensive quarterback Pete Elliott , defensive end Len Ford , and tackle Al Wistert . Offensive tackle Bruce Hilkene was the team captain , and quarterback Howard Yerges was the field general who became known as " Crisler ' s ' second brain . ' " Jack Weisenburger was the " spinning fullback " and the 1947 Big Ten rushing leader . The 1947 Wolverines were the first team fully to embrace the concept of defensive and offensive specialization . Previously , most players had played their positions on both offense and defense . In 1947 , Fritz Crisler established separate offensive and defensive squads . Only Bump Elliott and Jack Weisenberger played on both squads . In November 1947 , " Time " magazine ran a feature article about the 1947 Wolverines focusing on the new era of specialization marked by Crisler ’ s decision to field separate offensive and defensive units . The " Time " article noted : " Michigan ' s sleight - of - hand repertory is a baffling assortment of double reverses , buck - reverse laterals , crisscrosses , quick - hits and spins from seven different formations . Sometimes , watching from the side lines , even Coach Crisler isn ' t sure which Michigan man has the ball . Michigan plays one team on offense , one on defense . . . Whenever Michigan ' s defensive team regains the ball , Crisler orders : ' Offense unit , up and out , ' and nine men pour onto the field at once . " Crisler ' s single - wing formation in action was " so dazzling in its deception " that the media nicknamed the 1947 team the " Mad Magicians " . Season summary . Pre - season . The 1946 Michigan football team compiled a record of 6 – 2 – 1 and closed the season with four consecutive wins over ranked opponents by a combined score of 162 to 19 . In December 1946 , lineman Bruce Hilkene was selected as the captain of the 1947 team . Hilkene had previously been selected as the captain of the 1945 team , but he was transferred as a Navy trainee and did not play for Michigan in 1945 . Coming off a strong finish , the 1947 team featured a number of veterans from the 1946 squad . The returning veterans included halfback Bob Chappuis who set a Big Ten Conference record for total offense in 1946 and finished second in the voting for the Chicago Tribune Trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the Big Ten . Other returning starters included quarterback Howard Yerges , halfbacks Bump Elliott and Gene Derricotte , fullback Jack Weisenburger , ends Len Ford and Bob Mann , and linemen Hilkene , Bill Pritula , Quentin Sickels , Dominic Tomasi , and J . T . White . With a solid veteran core , the 1947 Wolverines were expected to be one of the best teams in the country . Week 1 : Michigan State . On September 27 , 1947 , Michigan opened the season with a non - conference game against Michigan State College . Playing in Ann Arbor in front of 73 , 115 spectators , the Wolverines defeated the Spartans , 55 – 0 . The game was the first as head coach of the Spartans for " Biggie " Munn , who had been an assistant coach at Michigan from 1938 to 1945 . Michigan dominated the game , outgaining Michigan State 504 yards to 56 . Michigan head coach Fritz Crisler played second , third , and fourth string players later in the game , using 37 players in all . Bob Chappuis ran for three touchdowns and threw a touchdown pass for another . Jim Brieske made seven of eight point after touchdown ( PAT ) attempts in the game . Michigan scored twice in the first quarter on touchdown runs by Jack Weisenburger and Chappuis . The second touchdown was set up by a 53 - yard run by Bump Elliott . The Wolverines added two more touchdowns in the second quarter on short runs by Chappuis and Bump Elliott . Three more touchdowns followed in the third quarter , including a long touchdown pass from Chappuis to Len Ford with Ford running the last 35 yards after the catch . Center Dan Dworsky also scored on a 36 - yard fumble return . Michigan ' s starting lineup against Michigan State was Ford ( left end ) , Hilkene ( left tackle ) , Soboleski ( right guard ) , Dworsky ( center ) , Wilkins ( right guard ) , Pritula ( right tackle ) , McNeill ( right end ) , Weisenburger ( quarterback ) , Derricotte ( left halfback ) , Bump Elliott ( right halfback ) , and Kempthorn ( fullback ) . Week 2 : Stanford . In the second week of the season , Michigan hosted Stanford . The game was the first between the two schools since the 1902 Rose Bowl which Michigan won by a 49 - 0 margin . In the 1947 rematch , Michigan scored 28 points in the first quarter and won the game 49 - 13 . Michigan ' s starting lineup against Stanford was Mann ( left end ) , Hilkene ( left tackle ) , Soboleski ( right guard ) , White ( center ) , Wilkins ( right guard ) , Pritula ( right tackle ) , Rifenburg ( right end ) , Yerges ( quarterback ) , Chappuis ( left halfback ) , Bump Elliott ( right halfback ) , and Weisenburger ( fullback ) . Week 3 : Pittsburgh . In the third week of the season , Michigan hosted Pittsburgh . Michigan dominated the game , winning by a 69 - 0 score and outgaining the Panthers 496 yards to 69 . One week earlier , Notre Dame had beaten Pitt by a score of 40 - 6 . Pitt converted only one first down in the entire game . After the first quarter in Ann Arbor , the score was 0 - 0 . Michigan ' s offense began to click in the second quarter with three touchdowns , followed by three more in the third quarter and four in the fourth quarter . The games highlights included a 70 - yard touchdown pass from Bob Chappuis to Bob Mann , a 40 - yard interception return by Bump Elliott , an 80 - yard punt return by Gene Derricotte . Michigan ' s ten touchdowns were scored by Mann ( 2 ) , Derricotte , Jack Weisenburger , Bump Elliott , Don Kuick , Tom Peterson , and Len Ford . Jim Brieske converted 9 of 10 PAT attempts . In " The New York Times " , Walter W . Ruch wrote : " Angered by the fact that it had not been able to score in the first quarter , it ' poured it on . ' " Michigan ' s starting lineup against Pitt was Ford ( left end ) , Wistert ( left tackle ) , Soboleski ( right guard ) , Dworsky ( center ) , Sickels ( right guard ) , Dendrinos ( right tackle ) , McNeill ( right end ) , Pete Elliott ( quarterback ) , Derricotte ( left halfback ) , Bump Elliott ( right halfback ) , and Kempthorn ( fullback ) . Week 4 : at Northwestern . On October 18 , 1948 , Michigan played its first road game against Northwestern at Dyche Stadium in Evanston , Illinois . Michigan jumped out to a 49 - 7 lead after three quarters . Playing against Michigan ' s third team , the Wildcats scored 14 points in the fourth quarter for a final score of 49 - 21 . Highlights of the game included a 59 - yard punt return by Gene Derricotte and a 52 - yard touchdown run on an end around by Bob Mann . Michigan ' s seven touchdowns were scored by Jack Weisenburger ( 2 ) , Bob Chappuis , Bump Elliott , Henry Fonde , Tom Peterson , and Mann . Jim Brieske converted all seven PATs for Michigan . After four games , Michigan had scored 222 points in 240 minutes , prompting comparisons to Michigan ' s " Point - a - Minute " teams of the early 1900s . Michigan ' s starting lineup against Northwestern was Ford ( left end ) , Wistert ( left tackle ) , Soboleski ( right guard ) , Dworsky ( center ) , Sickels ( right guard ) , Kohl ( right tackle ) , McNeill ( right end ) , Pete Elliott ( quarterback ) , Derricotte ( left halfback ) , Fonde ( right halfback ) , and Peterson ( fullback ) . Week 5 : Minnesota . In the fifth week of the season , Michigan played its homecoming game against Minnesota . Michigan won a close game by a score of 13 - 6 . Michigan scored first on a long touchdown pass from Bob Chappuis to Bump Elliott . The final touchdown in the fourth quarter followed a 24 - yard interception return by Jack Weisenburger to the Minnesota 21 - yard line . Gene Derricotte scored after faking to the right and then running through a hole on the left side and into the endzone . Chappuis was held to 26 rushing yards , less than two yards per carry . While Michigan won a close game over Minnesota , No . 2 Notre Dame defeated Iowa in South Bend , 21 - 0 . In the AP Poll released after these games , Notre Dame passed Michigan to take the No . 1 ranking . Michigan ' s starting lineup against Minnesota was Mann ( left end ) , Hilkene ( left tackle ) , Tomasi ( right guard ) , White ( center ) , Wilkins ( right guard ) , Pritula ( right tackle ) , Rifenburg ( right end ) , Yerges ( quarterback ) , Chappuis ( left halfback ) , Bump Elliott ( right halfback ) , and Weisenburger ( fullback ) . Week 6 : at Illinois . In the sixth week of the season , Michigan traveled to Champaign , Illinois for Illinois ' homecoming game . For the second straight week , Michigan won by a narrow margin 14 - 7 . Late in the first quarter , Michigan took a 7 - 0 lead on a 74 - yard punt return by Bump Elliott and a PAT by Jim Brieske . Illinois tied the game in the second quarter on a run by Russ Steger . Michigan ' s winning touchdown was set up by a 52 - yard passing play from Bob Chappuis to Bump Elliott . Elliott was tackled the four - yard line , and Fonde ran for the touchdown . Brieske again converted the PAT . Neither team scored in the second half . Michigan ' s starting lineup against Minnesota was Mann ( left end ) , Hilkene ( left tackle ) , Tomasi ( right guard ) , White ( center ) , Wilkins ( right guard ) , Pritula ( right tackle ) , Rifenburg ( right end ) , Yerges ( quarterback ) , Chappuis ( left halfback ) , Bump Elliott ( right halfback ) , and Weisenburger ( fullback ) . Week 7 : Indiana . In the sixth week of the season , Michigan regained its momentum and defeated Indiana 35 - 0 in Ann Arbor . In a game played amid intermittent snow flurries , highlights included a 61 - yard run by Weisenburger in the second quarter and a 50 - yard pass from Bob Chappuis to Dick Rifenburg in the fourth quarter . Michigan ' s five touchdowns were scored by Bump Elliott ( 2 ) , Howard Yerges , Dick Rifenburg , and Henry Fonde . Notre Dame defeated Army , 27 - 7 , and retained the No . 1 ranking in the AP Poll . Michigan ' s starting lineup against Minnesota was Mann ( left end ) , Hilkene ( left tackle ) , Tomasi ( right guard ) , White ( center ) , Wilkins ( right guard ) , Pritula ( right tackle ) , Rifenburg ( right end ) , Yerges ( quarterback ) , Chappuis ( left halfback ) , Bump Elliott ( right halfback ) , and Weisenburger ( fullback ) . Week 8 : at Wisconsin . In the eighth week , Michigan traveled to Camp Randall Stadium in Madison , Wisconsin to play Wisconsin . Michigan won the game , 40 - 6 , to clinch the Big Nine championship irrespective of the outcome of the following week ' s game against Ohio State . The game was played in cold , cloudy conditions amid rain and snow . Wisconsin came into the game on a four - game winning streak and " had been given a good chance to win . " " The New York Times " wrote that Michigan ' s " overwhelming superiority " was too much for the Badgers as Bob Chappuis " threw passes long and short and sliced through the Wisconsin line with increasing effectiveness . " Chappuis threw three touchdown passes , and Gene Derricotte returned a punt 77 yards for a touchdown . Michigan ' s six touchdowns were scored by Howard Yerges ( 2 ) , Derricotte , Weisenburger , Rifenburg , and Tom Peterson . While Michigan defeated Wisconsin by 34 points , Notre Dame won a narrow victory against Northwestern , 26 - 19 . After these games , Allison Danzig wrote : " While Notre Dame was yielding as many touchdowns to Northwestern ' s intercepting Couriers as its six previous opponents combined had scored , the Maize and Blue was furnishing one of the season ' s finest offensive displays in rain , snow and mud . Against a Wisconsin eleven that had won first - ten rating , Bob Chappuis , Bump Elliott and associates executed Crisler ' s clever concepts of attack with a speed , power and finish in their running and passing operations that marked one of the campaign ' s high spots . " In the AP Poll following week eight , Michigan retook the No . 1 spot . Michigan ' s starting lineup against Minnesota was Mann ( left end ) , Hilkene ( left tackle ) , Tomasi ( right guard ) , White ( center ) , Wilkins ( right guard ) , Pritula ( right tackle ) , Rifenburg ( right end ) , Yerges ( quarterback ) , Chappuis ( left halfback ) , Bump Elliott ( right halfback ) , and Kempthorn ( fullback ) . Week 9 : Ohio State . On November 22 , 1947 , Michigan concluded the regular season with a 21 - 0 win at home against rival Ohio State . Bump Elliott , Bob Chappuis , and Jack Weisenburger each ran for touchdowns , and Jim Brieske converted all three PATs . Late in the game , the fans at Michigan Stadium began chanting , " California , Here I Come . " At the end of the game , Fritz Crisler was " streaming tears of joy as he walked off the field . " Michigan ' s starting lineup against Ohio State was Mann ( left end ) , Hilkene ( left tackle ) , Tomasi ( right guard ) , White ( center ) , Wilkins ( right guard ) , Pritula ( right tackle ) , Rifenburg ( right end ) , Yerges ( quarterback ) , Chappuis ( left halfback ) , Bump Elliott ( right halfback ) , and Weisenburger ( fullback ) . Final AP Poll . Despite the Wolverines ' win over Ohio State , Notre Dame , after defeating Tulane 59 - 6 , overtook Michigan in the AP Poll released on November 24 , 1947 . In a close vote , Notre Dame scored 1 , 798 points , and Michigan scored 1 , 768 points . Notre Dame ' s margin was reduced to eight points ( 1 , 184 points for Notre Dame , 1 , 176 points for Michigan ) in the AP Poll released on December 2 , 1947 . On December 6 , Notre Dame beat No . 3 USC , 38 - 7 . In the final AP Poll released two days later , Notre Dame received 107 of 146 first place votes and edged Michigan by 1 , 410 points to 1 , 289 . Although Michigan would defeat USC three weeks later by an even larger margin that Notre Dame , the final AP Poll in the late 1940s was taken at the end of the regular season and before any bowl games were played . At the time , Notre Dame did not participate in Bowl games . Accordingly , on December 10 , 1947 , the Dr . Henry L . Williams Trophy was presented to Notre Dame for finishing No . 1 in the final polling . Rose Bowl : USC . As the Big Nine Conference champions , Michigan played in the 1948 Rose Bowl against the University of Southern California . The game was Michigan ' s first appearance in a bowl game since its 49 - 0 victory over Stanford in the 1902 Rose Bowl . The 1947 team duplicated that score , defeating USC 49 - 0 in the 1948 Rose Bowl . The 49 - point margin was the worst defeat in the history of the USC football program , and Michigan ' s 491 yards of total offense set a Rose Bowl record . The Wolverines threw four touchdown passes , and Jack Weisenburger ran for three touchdowns . Michigan completed 17 of 27 passes for 272 passing yards in the game . On its second drive of the game , Michigan drove 63 yards for the game ' s first touchdown . The drive featured a 21 - yard pass from Chappuis to Bump Elliott and a 17 - yard gain to the nine - yard line on a pass from Chappuis to Dick Rifenburg . Weisenburger ran for the touchdown from the one - yard line , and Jim Brieske kicked the PAT . In the second quarter , Michigan increased its lead on a drive featuring a 23 - yard gain to the 10 - yard line on a pass from Chappuis to Gene Derricotte . Weisenburger again ran it in from the one - yard line with Brieske again kicking the PAT . Late in the second quarter , a 52 - yard punt by Weisenburger pinned the Trojans inside their one - yard line . USC punted , giving Michigan good field position . They scored on a drive that featured a 27 - yard gain on a pass from Chappuis to Bump Elliott and a 16 - yard run by Chappuis , and concluded with an 11 - yard jump pass from Chappuis to Elliott . Brieske converted his third PAT , and Michigan led 21 - 0 at halftime . In the third quarter , Michigan added to its lead on 18 - yard touchdown pass in which Chappuis rolled out to his right and threw across the field to quarterback Howard Yerges , who was open at the nine - yard line . Yerges caught the ball and ran it in for a touchdown , giving Michigan a 28 - 0 lead . The Wolverines closed the game with three touchdowns in the fourth quarter . The touchdowns came on a one - yard run by Weisenberger , a 46 - yard pass from Henry Fonde to Derricotte who was open at the 25 - yard line and ran untouched down the right sideline , and a 29 - yard pass from Yerges to Rifenburg . Brieske converted all seven PATs for Michigan . Michigan ' s starting lineup in the Rose Bowl was Mann ( left end ) , Hilkene ( left tackle ) , Tomasi ( right guard ) , White ( center ) , Wilkins ( right guard ) , Pritula ( right tackle ) , Rifenburg ( right end ) , Yerges ( quarterback ) , Chappuis ( left halfback ) , Bump Elliott ( right halfback ) , and Weisenburger ( fullback ) . National championship controversy . Response to Michigan ' s Rose Bowl win . After the final AP Poll , Michigan went on to beat USC in the 1948 Rose Bowl , a greater margin that by which Notre Dame had beaten USC ( 38 - 7 ) . Michigan ' s 49 – 0 victory was the largest margin of victory ever against a USC team and the most points scored in Rose Bowl history . Football writer Pete Rozelle reported on the reaction of the assembled writers in the Rose Bowl press box . " From Grantland Rice down through the ranks of the nation ' s top sports writers assembled in the Rose Bowl press box yesterday there was nothing but glowing expletives for the synchronized Michigan Wolverine wrecking crew that powered over Southern California , 49 - 0 . While for the most part hedging from a comparison of Michigan with Notre Dame , the consensus of the scribes was that the offensive - minded Ann Arbor squad deserved no less than a co - rating with the Irish as America ' s Number One Collegiate eleven . " Grantland Rice , the dean of the nation ' s sports writers , wrote of Michigan : " It is the best all - around college football team I ' ve seen this year . The backfield ' s brilliant passing and running skill gives Michigan the most powerful offense in the country . " Red Smith of the " New York Herald Tribune " said , " No other team that I have seen this season did things with so little effort . Crisler has so many that do so much . " Debate over which team was best . Notre Dame supporters argued that the post - season AP poll was final and should not be revisited . They contended that Michigan had run up the score on USC , noted that Notre Dame had not had an opportunity to play in a bowl game , and asserted that Michigan and other Big Nine schools were unwilling to schedule Notre Dame in the regular season . " Detroit Free Press " sports editor , Lyall Smith , argued the debate should be answered by comparing the two team ' s performance against common opponents . Smith noted : " They played three common foes . Notre Dame beat Pitt , 40 – 6 , a margin of 34 points : Michigan beat Pitt 59 – 0 . Notre Dame defeated Northwestern , 26 to 19 , a margin of seven points : Michigan beat the ' Cats 49 to 21 , for a 28 - point advantage . Notre Dame dropped USC , 36 to 7 , in what Coach Frank Leahy termed his team ' s ' greatest game of the year , ' while Michigan slaughtered the same Trojans , 49 to 0 . Against those three common opponents the Irish scored 104 points to 32 . Michigan ' s margin was 167 to 21 . " Smith also pointed to Michigan ' s strength of schedule : " The teams Michigan played won 42 games , lost 48 and tied five . Notre Dame ' s adversaries won only 30 , lost 45 , and tied 6 . " Special post - bowl AP poll . In response to the debate over which team deserved to be recognized as the nation ' s best , the Associated Press decided to hold a post - bowl poll . The AP reported on the rationale for the special poll this way : " The Associated Press is polling sports editors of its member papers throughout the country to help settle the argument as to which is the better football team – Michigan or Notre Dame . The AP ' s final poll of the top ten teams , released December 8 at the conclusion of the regulation season , resulted in Notre Dame winning first place with 1 , 410 points . Michigan was second with 1 , 289 . . . Returns so far received indicate that voting in this latest poll is likely to be the heaviest ever recorded . " Another AP report indicated the special poll was " conducted by popular demand " to answer " the burning sports question of the day " and to do so " at the ballot box . " Michigan was voted No . 1 in the post - bowl poll by a vote of 226 to 119 . The AP reported : " The nation ' s sports writers gave the final answer Tuesday to the raging controversy on the relative strength of the Notre Dame and Michigan football teams , and it was the Wolverines over the Irish by almost two to one — including those who saw both powerhouses perform . . . In the over - all total , 226 writers in 48 states and the District of Columbia picked Michigan , 119 balloted for Notre Dame , and 12 called it a draw . Opinion of the 54 writers who saw both in action last fall coincided at almost the same ratio , with 33 giving the nod to Michigan , 17 to Notre Dame , and four voting for a tie . " The 357 votes cast in the post - bowl poll represented " the largest ever to take part in such an AP voting . " Commenting on the special poll , Michigan coach Fritz Crisler said " the men who voted couldn ' t have made a mistake if they had picked either team . " He described Notre Dame coach Frank Leahy as a " superb coach . " Notre Dame President , Father John Cavanagh said , " We at Notre Dame feel grateful for the magnanimous statement of Coach Crisler . I listened to Michigan against Southern California and have only praise for the skill and accomplishment of your fine team . " Despite the magnanimous statements of Coach Crisler and Father Cavanagh , the reversed decision in the post - bowl poll only stoked the debate over which team was best . Said one columnist : " Hottest argument of the moment is the one over which had the better football team , Michigan or Notre Dame . " Forty years later , the debate was still ongoing . In 1988 , Michigan center Dan Dworsky noted : " Notre Dame still claims that national championship and so do we . " Players . Varsity letter winners . On January 5 , 1948 , head coach Fritz Crisler announced that he had awarded varsity letters to 35 members of the 1947 football team . The 35 letter winners were :