The 1936 Michigan Wolverines football team was an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

team that represented the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

in the

1936 Big Ten Conference football season The 1936 Big Ten Conference football season was the 41st season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference (also known as the Western Conference) and was a part of the 1936 college football season. The 1936 Minneso ...

. In their eighth season under head coach

Harry Kipke Harry George Kipke (; March 26, 1899 – September 14, 1972) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. He was the head football coach at Michigan State College in 1928 and at the University of Michigan from 1929 to 193 ...

, the Wolverines compiled a 1–7 record (0–5 against Big Ten opponents), finished last in the Big Ten, and were outscored by opponents by a total of 127 to 36. They ranked 127th of 131 teams in major college football with an average of 4.5 points scored per game. Prior to 1936, the Wolverines had lost three consecutive games to the same team only once – to

Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...

from

1919 Events January * January 1 ** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (now Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia. ** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off the ...

to 1921. However, in 1936, they lost their third consecutive games against four opponents –

Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

, and

. Three of Michigan's losses were to teams ranked in the top 10 in the season's final AP Poll: No. 1 Minnesota, No. 7 Northwestern, and No. 10 Penn. Michigan's only victory in 1936 was a 13–0 shutout against Columbia on October 24. Senior end Matt Patanelli was the team captain. He was also selected as the team's most valuable player and was recognized on both the 1936 All-Big Ten Conference football team (second-team honors from the

United Press United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20t ...

) and the 1936 College Football All-America Team (second-team honors from the Central Press Association and third-team honors from the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...

). Fullback Cedric Sweet was the team's leading scorer with four touchdowns for 24 of Michigan's 36 points scored.

Schedule

Season summary

Week 1: Michigan State

On October 3, 1936, Michigan opened its season with a 21–7 loss to

Michigan Stadium Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the largest stadium in the United States and the Western Hemisphere, the third largest stadium in the world, and the ...

. The crowd was reported in the press to be 55,000 spectators, " e largest crowd that ever witnessed a State-Michigan contest." The defeat was the third in a row for Michigan against

Charlie Bachman Charles William Bachman Jr. (December 1, 1892 – December 14, 1985) was an American college football player and head coach. Bachman was an Illinois native and an alumnus of the University of Notre Dame, where he played college football. He ser ...

's Spartans. Michigan State scored first on a 26-yard end-around by Frank Gaines. Fullback Cedric Sweet evened the score a short time later with Michigan's touchdown; Chris Everhardus kicked the extra point. The first half ended in a 7–7 tie, but in the second half, Michigan State coach

substituted sophomore halfback, John Pingel, into the game. The ''Free Press'' described Pingel as "the best football player on the field." He scored on a 12-yard run in the third quarter. Al Agett added a third Spartan touchdown on a 26-yard end-around in the fourth quarter.

Week 2: Indiana

On October 10, 1936, Michigan lost to

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

by a 14–3 score before a crowd of approximately 15,000 at Michigan Stadium. Michigan took a 3–0 lead halfway through the first quarter when Chris Everhardus kicked a field goal from the ball's placement on the 16-yard line. On the first play of the second quarter, Indiana tackle Dal Sasso hit Michigan ball carrier Edward Stanton, the ball popped loose, and Sasso ran 36 yards for a touchdown. Sasso's score was only the second touchdown ever scored by the Hoosiers since Indiana and Michigan first met in 1900. Later in the second quarter, Indiana partially blocked a punt and then scored a second touchdown on a pass from Huffman to Kenderdine. Neither team scored in the second half. The game was close statistically with Indiana tallying 129 rushing yards and 26 passing yards to Michigan's 116 rushing yards and 21 passing yards.

Week 3: at Minnesota

On October 17, 1936, Michigan lost at

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

by a 26–0 score in a contest with

Bernie Bierman Bernard W. Bierman (March 11, 1894 – March 7, 1977) was an American football player and coach of football and basketball. He coached from 1919 to 1950 except for a span during World War II when he served in the U.S. armed forces. Bierman was t ...

Minnesota Golden Gophers The Minnesota Golden Gophers (commonly shortened to Gophers) are the college sports teams of the University of Minnesota. The university fields a total of 25 (12 men's, 13 women's) teams in both men's and women's sports and competes in the Big Te ...

. Minnesota's ground attack led by backs Andy Uram, Vic Spadaccini, Wilbur Moore, and Bud Wilkinson (supported by All-American tackle

Ed Widseth Edwin Clarence Widseth (January 5, 1910 – December 3, 1998) was an American professional football player who was a tackle for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons. He played college football for the M ...

) tallied 286 rushing yards to 43 rushing yards for Michigan. Moore also scored on a 60-yard interception return. The victory was the 20th consecutive victory for the Golden Gophers and their third consecutive victory over the Wolverines. The attendance at the game was 48,000. The ''

Minneapolis Tribune The ''Star Tribune'' is the largest newspaper in Minnesota. It originated as the ''Minneapolis Tribune'' in 1867 and the competing ''Minneapolis Daily Star'' in 1920. During the 1930s and 1940s, Minneapolis's competing newspapers were consolida ...

'' praised the efforts of Michigan end Matt Patanelli: "Patanelli was a heroic figure in Michigan's defeat. The Wolverines' captain turned in one of the greatest exhibitions of end play ever witnessed at Memorial stadium . . . Patanelli seemed to be everywhere on defense, plugging up holes here and there and contributing the deadliest tackling imaginable." Minnesota finished the season ranked No. 1 in the final

AP Poll The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broad ...

Week 4: Columbia

On October 24, 1936, Michigan won its first and only game of the season, defeating

Lou Little Luigi "Lou Little" Piccirilli December 6, 1891 – May 28, 1979) was an American football player and coach born in Boston, Massachusetts. City of Boston, Birth Registrations, number 8583, December 6, 1891After Lou's birth, his father changed his ...

Columbia Lions The Columbia University Lions are the collective athletic teams and their members from Columbia University, an Ivy League institution in New York City, United States. The current director of athletics is Peter Pilling. Ivy League athletics Th ...

by a 13–0 score before a crowd of approximately 20,000 at Michigan Stadium. Fullback Cedric Sweet scored Michigan's first touchdown on an 11-yard run in the second quarter, and Wally Hook kicked the extra point. Stark Ritchie intercepted a Columbia pass in the fourth quarter and returned it 32 yards for Michigan's second touchdown. The ''Detroit Free Press'' credited Michigan's line, including center Joe Rinaldi, with the victory and with stopping Columbia's halfback,

Sid Luckman Sidney Luckman (November 21, 1916 – July 5, 1998) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1939 through 1950. During his twelve seasons with the Bears, ...

, who was later inducted into both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame. The Wolverines out-gained the Lions with 283 total yards to 163 yards.

Week 5: Illinois

On October 31, 1936, Michigan lost to

by a 9–6 score before a homecoming crowd estimated at 35,000 at Michigan Stadium. It was the third consecutive victory for the Fighting Illini over the Wolverines. Michigan dominated the game statistically with 237 total yards to 66 for Illinois and 13 first downs to two for Illinois. However, Illinois capitalized on Michigan turnovers in the second quarter—kicking a field goal following a Cedric Sweet fumble at Michigan's 10-yard line, then scoring a touchdown after blocking a Cedric Sweet punt at Michigan's 15-yard line and recovering the loose ball in Michigan's end zone. Illinois played a conservative defensive game as Illinois coach

Robert Zuppke Robert Carl Zuppke (July 2, 1879 – December 22, 1957) was an American football coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign from 1913 until 1941, compiling a career college football record of 131–81� ...

utilized an old-fashioned defensive formation consisting of a seven-man line with four backs in a diamond formation. Michigan was unable to score until Cedric Sweet ran eight yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Week 6: at Penn

On November 7, 1936, Michigan lost to Penn by a 27–7 score before an estimated crowd of 40,000 at

Franklin Field Franklin Field is a sports stadium in Philadelphia, United States, at the eastern edge of the University of Pennsylvania's campus. It is the home stadium for the Penn Relays, and the University of Pennsylvania's stadium for American football, foo ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

. The defeat snapped a 10-year streak during which Michigan had not lost an intersectional football game. Cedric Sweet scored Michigan's only touchdown on a one-yard run, and George Marzonie kicked the extra point. Penn out-gained Michigan by 212 rushing yards to 98 and 34 passing yards to 0. Harvey Harman's 1936 Penn Quakers finished the season ranked No. 10 in the final AP Poll.

Week 7: Northwestern

On November 14, 1936, Michigan lost by a 9–0 score to an undefeated Northwestern team that was ranked No. 1 in that week's

. The game was played at Michigan Stadium before a crowd estimated in the press at 40,000. Northwestern out-gained Michigan by 299 yards to 61. Northwestern's Steve Toth kicked a field goal in the second period and scored a touchdown in the fourth. A field goal attempt by Michigan guard George Marzonie in the third quarter fell short by less than a yard. Despite the loss,

Tod Rockwell Ferdinand Almon "Tod" Rockwell (1900 – March 22, 1952) was an American football player and coach. He attended the University of Michigan, where he played quarterback for the Wolverines football team in 1923 and 1924, helping the 1923 team win ...

wrote in the ''Detroit Free Press'': " e Wolverines were a vastly improved team today. Michigan showed unexpected power, great tackling and had it pounced on breaks as of old, it might have won the game with plenty to spare."

Week 8: at Ohio State

On November 21, 1936, Michigan lost its annual rivalry game to

by a 21–0 score before a homecoming crowd of 56,202 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. Led by Cedric Sweet and Stark Ritchie, Michigan opened the game with a 63-yard drive to the four-yard line but were unable to score. Tod Rockwell in the ''Detroit Free Press'' wrote that, after the opening drive, "the Wolverine attack seemed to fold as quickly as it developed." In the second quarter, the Buckeyes scored on a touchdown pass from

Tippy Dye William Henry Harrison "Tippy" Dye (April 1, 1915 – April 11, 2012) was an American college athlete, coach, and athletic director. As a basketball head coach, Dye led the University of Washington to its only NCAA Final Four appearance in 195 ...

to Frank Cumiskey to take a 6–0 lead at halftime. In the third quarter, the Buckeyes scored again on a shovel pass from Dye to Robb. The Buckeyes added a field goal and a final touchdown on a 10-yard run by Wasylik. Ohio State out-gained Michigan by 341 yards to 117 yards.

Post-season

After the season, senior end Matt Patanelli was selected as the team's most valuable player. He was also selected by the

as a second-team player on the 1936 All-Big Ten Conference football team. He was also honored on the 1936 College Football All-America Team, receiving second-team honors from the Central Press Association and third-team honors from the

). In December 1936, unhappiness with the team's performance was widespread, and the press reported that the school was intent on making sweeping changes and that chances were remote for the return of head coach Harry Kipke. In January 1937, in what was described in the press as "a compromise shakeup", the university fired

Franklin Cappon Franklin C. "Cappy" Cappon (October 17, 1900 – November 29, 1961) was an American college football and college basketball player and coach. He played football and basketball at Phillips University and the University of Michigan and coached at Lu ...

as the team's line coach and assistant athletic director but retained Kipke as head coach for the 1937 season. The press reported that Kipke's retention was in part due to the failure to find a suitable replacement following a careful search. Cappon's dismissal was viewed as a victory for Kipke who had broken relations during the 1936 season.

Bennie Oosterbaan Benjamin Oosterbaan ( ; February 24, 1906 – October 25, 1990) was a three-time first team College Football All-America Team, All-American American football, football End (gridiron football), end for the Michigan Wolverines football team, two-tim ...

and Wally Weber also retained their positions as assistant coaches responsible for the team's ends and backfield players.

Personnel

Varsity letter winners

The following 27 players won varsity letters for their participation in the 1936 football team. Players who started at least half of Michigan's games are shown in bold. *William C. Barclay, '38, Flint, Michigan - started 7 games at quarterback * John C. Brennan, '39, Racine, Wisconsin - started 2 games at left guard *Robert E. Cooper, '38, Detroit, Michigan - started 4 games at left halfback *Jesse G. Garber, '37, Brookline, Mass. - started 6 games at left guard *

Elmer Gedeon Elmer John Gedeon (April 15, 1917 – April 20, 1944) was an American professional baseball player, appearing in several games for the Washington Senators in . Gedeon and Harry O'Neill were the only two Major League Baseball players killed duri ...

, '39, Cleveland, Ohio - end *R. Wallace Hook, Jr., '39, Grand Rapids, Michigan - started 1 game at left halfback * Fred Janke, '39, Jackson, Michigan - started 3 games at left tackle *John D. Jordan, '39, Evanston, Illinois - center *Melvin Kramer - 1 game at right tackle *Louis Levine, '39, Muskegon, Michigan - started 1 game at quarterback * James H. Lincoln, '38, Harbor Beach, Michigan - started 3 games at right tackle *Alex Loiko - started 1 game a right end *Earle B. Luby, '38, Chicago, Illinois - started 2 games at right tackle *George A. Marzonie, '38, Flint, Michigan - started 5 games at right guard * Matt Patanelli, '37, Elkhart, Indiana - started 8 games at left end *Edward J. Phillips, '39, Bradford, Pennsylvania - started 1 game at right halfback *Joseph M. Rinaldi, '38, Elkhart, Indiana - started 8 games at center * Stark Ritchie, '38, Battle Creek, Michigan - started 2 games at left halfback, started 1 game at right halfback *Don J. Siegal, '39, Royal Oak, Michigan - started 5 games at left tackle * Danny Smick, '39, Hazel Park, Michigan - started 5 games at right end *John A. Smithers, '38, Elkhart, Indiana - started 6 games at right halfback, 1 game at left halfback *Chester C. Stabovitz, '37, Chicago, Illinois - end *Edward C. Stanton, '39, Charleston, West Virginia - started 1 game at fullback *Cedric C. Sweet, '37, Fremont, Michigan - started 7 games at fullback *

Arthur Valpey Arthur Ludgate Valpey Jr. (August 5, 1915 – March 12, 2007) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Harvard University from 1948 to 1949 and at the University of Connecticut from 1950 to 1951, compilin ...

, '38, Detroit, Michigan - started 2 games at right end *Clarence H. Vandewater, guard, sophomore,

Holland, Michigan Holland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River (formerly known locally as the Black Ri ...

- starter in 1 game at right guard *Fred C. Ziem, '38, Pontiac, Michigan - started 1 game at right guard

Reserves

The following players received "minor awards" for their participation as varsity reserves on the 1936 football team. *Frank S. Bissell, guard, senior, Hyannisport, Massachusetts - starter in 1 game at right guard *Robert Campbell, halfback, junior,

Ionia, Michigan Ionia is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Ionia County, Michigan, United States. The population was 13,378 at the 2020 census. Every July it hosts what is said to be the world's largest free-admission fair. The city is mostly within ...

*Robert Curren, fullback, sophomore,

Warren, Pennsylvania Warren is a city in Warren County, Pennsylvania, United States, located along the Allegheny River. The population was 9,404 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Warren County. It is home to the headquarters of the Allegheny National Fores ...

* Douglas Farmer, fullback, junior,

Hinsdale, Illinois Hinsdale is a village in Cook and DuPage counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. Hinsdale is a western suburb of Chicago. The population was 17,395 at the 2020 census, most of whom lived in DuPage County. The town's ZIP code is 60521. The town ...

*Harold J. Floersch, end, sophomore,

Wyandotte, Michigan Wyandotte ( ) is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 25,058 at the 2020 census. Wyandotte is located in southeastern Michigan, approximately south of Detroit on the Detroit River, and it is part of the coll ...

*Edward Greenwald, tackle, junior,

Whiting, Indiana Whiting is a city located in the Chicago Metropolitan Area in Lake County, Indiana, which was founded in 1889. The city is located on the southern shore of Lake Michigan. It is roughly 16 miles from the Chicago Loop and two miles from Chicago' ...

Ralph Heikkinen Ralph Isaac "Hike" Heikkinen (May 14, 1917 – January 12, 1990) was an All-American guard for the University of Michigan Wolverines football team from 1936 to 1938. He was a unanimous All-American in 1938, the first player from the Gogebic Rang ...

, guard, sophomore,

Ramsay, Michigan Bessemer Township is a civil township of Gogebic County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the township population was 1,176. Communities *Anvil Location is a village established in 1886, associated with an iron mine, the An ...

*Forrest Jordan, guard, sophomore,

Clare, Michigan Clare is a city mostly in Clare County, Michigan, Clare County in the U.S. State of Michigan. A small portion of the city extends south into Isabella County, Michigan, Isabella County. The population was 3,254 at the 2020 United States census, 20 ...

- starter in 2 games at right tackle *Melvin G. Kramer, tackle, junior, Toledo, Ohio *Alex Loiko, halfback, sophomore,

Hamtramck, Michigan Hamtramck ( ) is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 28,433. Hamtramck is surrounded by the city of Detroit except for a small portion that borders the fellow enclave city of ...

*Norman J. Nickerson, fullback, sophomore, Detroit, Michigan *Donald M. Paquette, halfback, sophomore, Superior, Wisconsin *Ernest A. Pederson, Jr., guard, junior,

Grand Blanc, Michigan Grand Blanc is a city in Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan and a suburb of Flint. The population was 7,784 as of the 2020 US Census. History The unincorporated village of Grand Blanc, or Grumlaw, was a former Indian campground firs ...

*Robert P. Piotrowski, halfback, sophomore,

Manistee, Michigan Manistee ( ') is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located in southwestern Manistee County, it is part of the northwestern Lower Peninsula. Manistee is the county seat of Manistee County, and its population was 6,259 at the 2020 census. Th ...

* Norm Purucker, halfback, sophomore,

Poland, Ohio Poland is a village in eastern Mahoning County, Ohio, United States. A suburb about southeast of Youngstown, the population was 2,463 at the 2020 census. It is a part of the Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area. History In 1796, Poland T ...

Awards and honors

*Captain: Matt Patanelli *Most Valuable Player: Matt Patanelli *Meyer Morton Award: John Jordan

Coaching staff

*Head coach:

* Assistant coaches: :* ''Backfield coach'': Wally Weber :* ''Line coach'':

, assisted by

Whitey Wistert Francis Michael "Whitey" Wistert (February 20, 1912 – April 23, 1985) was an American football and baseball player. He played college football and college baseball at the University of Michigan. Wistert was the first of the three Wistert brothe ...

:* ''Ends coach'':

:* ''Others'': Ray Courtright (head golf coach, assistant football coach), Ray Fisher (head baseball coach, assistant football coach),

Cliff Keen Clifford Patrick Keen (June 13, 1901 – November 4, 1991) was an American coach who served as the head coach of the University of Michigan collegiate wrestling team from 1925 to 1970. He led the Michigan Wolverines to 13 Big Ten Conference cha ...

(head wrestling coach, assistant football coach) *Trainer: Ray Roberts *Manager: William Bates, Fred Colombo (assistant), Ned A. Kilmer (assistant), Lee Moore (assistant), Edward M. Watson (assistant)

Scoring leaders

References

External links

1936 Football Team -- Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History
{{Michigan Wolverines football navbox

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

Michigan Wolverines football seasons Michigan Wolverines football