The 1939 Michigan Wolverines football team 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 1939 Big Ten Conference football season. Under second-year head coach

Fritz Crisler Herbert Orin "Fritz" Crisler (; January 12, 1899 – August 19, 1982) was an American college football coach who is best known as "the father of two-platoon football," an innovation in which separate units of players were used for offense and ...

, Michigan compiled a 6–2 record and outscored opponents 219 to 94. The team was ranked No. 2 in the

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 ...

after winning its first four games by a combined score of 165 to 27, but lost its fifth and sixth games to

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

and

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 ...

. After winning its final two games, the Wolverines finished the season ranked No. 20 in the final AP Poll. In the post-season rankings by Frank Dickinson, the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Univer ...

professor who developed the

Dickinson System The Dickinson System was a mathematical point formula that awarded national championships in college football. Devised by University of Illinois economics professor Frank G. Dickinson, the system crowned national champions from 1925 to 1940. Dicki ...

, Michigan ranked seventh in the country. Michigan's junior halfback

Tom Harmon Thomas Dudley Harmon (September 28, 1919 – March 15, 1990), known as Tom Harmon, as well as by the nickname "Old 98", was an American football player, military pilot, actor, and sports broadcaster. Harmon grew up in Gary, Indiana, and playe ...

was selected as the team's Most Valuable Player after leading the team with 102 points on 14

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Amer ...

s, 15 kicks for

point after touchdown The conversion, try (American football, also known as a point(s) after touchdown, PAT, or (depending on the number of points) extra point/2-point conversion), or convert (Canadian football) occurs immediately after a touchdown during which the sc ...

(PAT) and one field goal. Harmon was also named a consensus All-American and a first-team All-

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

player and finished second behind

Nile Kinnick Nile Clarke Kinnick Jr. (July 9, 1918 – June 2, 1943) was an American naval aviator, law student, and college football player at the University of Iowa. He won the 1939 Heisman Trophy and was a consensus All-American. He died during a trainin ...

in the voting for both the Heisman Trophy and the

Chicago Tribune Silver Football The Chicago Tribune Silver Football is awarded by the ''Chicago Tribune'' to the college football player determined to be the best player from the Big Ten Conference. The award has been presented annually since 1924, when Red Grange of Illinois w ...

trophy. Junior

quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...

Forest Evashevski Forest "Evy" Evashevski (February 19, 1918 – October 30, 2009) was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played college football at the University of Michigan from 1938 to 1940 and with the Iowa Pre-Flight ...

was the team second leading scorer with 25 points and was selected as a first-team All-Big Ten player. Senior

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

, Archie Kodros, was the team captain.

Schedule

Season summary

Pre-season

During the 1938 season, Michigan compiled a 6–1–1 (3–1–1 Big Ten) record and a No. 16 ranking in its first season under head coach

. Three players from the 1938 team,

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 ...

, Jack Brennan and Norm Purucker, were on rosters of

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

teams when the 1939 season began, though Purucker was released before appearing in any regular season games. The 1939 team returned the core of its 1938 backfield, including quarterback

and halfbacks

and Paul Kromer, who had become known in 1938 as the "Touchdown Twins". On the line, the Wolverines returned their starting center Archie Kodros, who had been selected as the 1939 team captain at the close of the 1938 season. However, the Wolverines lost all four of their starting tackles and guards, including All-American guard

. Before the season began, 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. newspa ...

opined that Michigan, "apparently with plenty of backfield speed and power, will be hard to stop if Coach Fritz Crisler can mold a good line." One week before the season started,

Irving Kane Pond Irving Kane Pond (May 1, 1857 – September 29, 1939) was an American architect, college athlete, and author. Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Pond attended the University of Michigan and received a degree in civil engineering in 1879. He was a ...

, the man who in 1879 scored the first touchdown in Michigan football history and later became a renowned architect, died in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Week 1: Michigan State

On October 7, 1939, Michigan opened its season with a 26 to 13 victory over

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 ...

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 ...

team. The game, the 34th played between the two programs, was played at

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 ...

before 68,618 spectators that ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' called "a howling throng." Michigan took a 26 to 0 lead at halftime. The Wolverines' first points came on three-yard run around the right end by Paul Kromer, with blocking by

and

, capping a 65-yard touchdown drive. On the opening play of the second quarter, Harmon scored on a two-yard run, capping a drive that started at Michigan State's 33-yard line. On the ensuing Michigan State drive, Archie Kodros intercepted a pass at the Spartans' 20-yard line, and after a 15-yard penalty was assessed, Michigan took over on the five-yard line. From there, Harmon threw a touchdown pass to Evashevski. Michigan's final score followed a second interception by Kodros, with Kodros catching the ball at the 45-yard line and returning it 17 yards to the 28-yard line. On fourth down from the four-yard line, Harmon threw his second touchdown pass to Evashevski. In the third quarter, Bill Batchelor of Michigan State intercepted a pass and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, the Spartans scored again on a 71-yard pass play from Bill Kennedy to Wyman Davis. Harmon and William Melzow each kicked one point after touchdown (PAT) in the game. Michigan's starting lineup against Michigan State was

Ed Frutig Edward C. Frutig (August 19, 1918 – February 26, 2011) was an American football end who played for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1938 to 1940. He was selected as a first-team All-American in 1940 by William Randolph Hearst' ...

(left end), Roland Savilla (left tackle), Ralph Fritz (left guard), Kodros (center),

Milo Sukup Milo Frederick Sukup (July 9, 1917 – January 3, 1983) was an American football player and coach. He played college football for the University of Michigan from 1938 to 1940, where he was the running guard and a key blocker for Heisman Troph ...

(right guard), William Smith (right tackle), John Nicholson (right end), Evashevski (quarterback), Kromer (left halfback), Harmon (right halfback), and

Bob Westfall Robert Barton "Bullet Bob" Westfall (May 5, 1919 – October 23, 1980) was an American football fullback who played for the University of Michigan (1939–1941) and the Detroit Lions (1944–1947). He was a consensus first-team All-American in ...

(fullback).

Week 2: Iowa

On October 7, 1939, Michigan defeated

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

by a 27 to 7 score. The game, the 10th played between the two programs, with Michigan having compiled a 6-2-1 record in the prior nine games. The game was played before a crowd of 27,512. Iowa scored first on a touchdown pass from

(1939 Heisman Trophy winner) to Floyd Dean that covered 70 yards.

scored all 27 points for Michigan on four touchdowns and three kicks for PAT. Michigan's first touchdown was set up by a fumbled punt recovered by Roland Savilla and a 27-yard pass from Harmon to

with Harmon then running the final two yards for touchdown. Harmon's second touchdown was set up by a 39-yard punt return by

Fred Trosko Fred Trosko (September 5, 1917 – February 6, 1999) was an American football player and coach. He played at the halfback position for the University of Michigan football team from 1937 to 1939. He later served as the head football coach at Easte ...

. Harmon's third touchdown was set up by a blocked Iowa punt recovered on Iowa's 37-yard line. Harmon's final touchdown came on a 90-yard interception return in the third quarter. Michigan's starting lineup against Iowa was

(left end), Roland Savilla (left tackle), Ralph Fritz (left guard), Kodros (center),

(right guard), William Smith (right tackle), Joe Rogers (right end), Evashevski (quarterback),

(left halfback), Harmon (right halfback), and

(fullback).

Week 3: at Chicago

On October 21, 1939, Michigan defeated

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

by an 85 to 0 score. The game was the 26th and final match in the

Chicago–Michigan football rivalry The Chicago–Michigan football rivalry was an American college football rivalry game played by the Wolverines of the University of Michigan and Maroons of the University of Chicago. From 1892 to 1905, it was the most important game of the season ...

. What had once become a fierce rivalry had become a one-sided affair after the departure of Chicago coach

Amos Alonzo Stagg Amos Alonzo Stagg (August 16, 1862 – March 17, 1965) was an American athlete and college coach in multiple sports, primarily American football. He served as the head football coach at the International YMCA Training School (now called Springfiel ...

scored two touchdowns on runs of 57 and 41 yards, threw two touchdown passes (to

and

), and kicked three PATs and one field goal. Westfall and Dave Strong each scored two touchdowns, and the remaining touchdowns were scored by Bob Zimmerman,

Hercules Renda Hercules Gennaro Renda (September 5, 1917 – October 12, 2005) was an American football player and coach. He played for the University of Michigan football team from 1937 to 1939. He was an assistant football coach at Michigan under Fritz C ...

, Ed Czak,

, and David M. Nelson (on a 55-yard punt return). In addition to Harmon's three PATs, additional PATs were kicked by William Melzow (4), James Grissen, Evashevski and Trosko. Michigan's offense finished with 461 net yards and was so dominant that it registered more touchdowns (12) than first downs (11). Despite Michigan's extensive use of reserves through most of the game, Michigan's 85 points was the highest total by a Michigan team since

Fielding H. Yost Fielding Harris Yost (; April 30, 1871 – August 20, 1946) was an American football player, coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at: Ohio Wesleyan University, the University of Nebraska, the University ...

's Point-a-Minute teams and the worst defeat in the history of the

Chicago Maroons football The Chicago Maroons football team represents the University of Chicago in college football. The Maroons, which play in NCAA Division III, have been a football-only member of the Midwest Conference since 2017. The University of Chicago was a foun ...

program. The ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...

'' found no fault with Michigan for running up the score, noting that the first string played only 20 minutes, and adding: "You can't expect a young man with a clear field before him to pause and tie his shoelaces or pass the time of day with a Maroon." Michigan's starting lineup against Chicago was Czak (left end), George Ostroot (left tackle), Fred Olds (left guard), Don Ingalls (center),

(right guard), William Smith (right tackle), Harlin Fraumann (right end), Harry Kohl (quarterback), Renda (left halfback), Norm Call (right halfback), and Zimmerman (fullback).

Week 4: Yale

On October 21, 1939, Michigan defeated

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...

by a 27 to 7 score in the fourth and final played game, dating back to 1881, between the two programs. Michigan had compiled a 1-2 record in the prior three games.

scored three touchdowns and kicked three PATs for Michigan. Paul Kromer scored Michigan's other touchdown. Michigan had 353 rushing yards to 35 for Yale. After scoring 21 points against Yale, Harmon was the leading scorer in the country with 73 points. Michigan's starting lineup against Yale was

(left end), Roland Savilla (left tackle), Ralph Fritz (left guard), Kodros (center),

(right guard), William Smith (right tackle), John Nicholson (right end), Forest Evashevski (quarterback), Kromer (left halfback), Harmon (right halfback), and

(fullback).

Week 5: at Illinois

On November 4, 1939, Michigan played

at Memorial Stadium in

Champaign, Illinois Champaign ( ) is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 88,302 at the 2020 census. It is the tenth-most populous municipality in Illinois and the fourth most populous city in Illinois outside the Chicago metropo ...

. The game was the 25th meeting between the two programs with Michigan having won in 1937 and 1938. Michigan came into the game ranked #2 in the

, but lost to Illinois, which was 0-4 to that point in the season, by a 16 to 7 score. The ''

'' wrote of Illinois that "a football season that began dismally reached a hysterical climax." Michigan outgained Illinois 112 to 98 on the ground and 99 to 77 in the air. However, Michigan gave up eight turnovers on three interceptions and five fumbles, including three fumbles by

. Michigan's only points came on a 49-yard touchdown pass from Dave Strong to

with Strong running for the PAT after Harmon's kick was blocked. Michigan's starting lineup against Illinois was

(left end), Roland Savilla (left tackle), Ralph Fritz (left guard), Archie Kodros (center),

(right guard), William Smith (right tackle), John Nicholson (right end), Forest Evashevski (quarterback), Trosko (left halfback), Harmon (right halfback), and

(fullback).

Week 6: Minnesota

On November 11, 1939, Michigan lost its second consecutive game, falling by a 20 to 7 score to a

squad that came into the game with three losses and no victories against a Big Ten opponent. The game was the 30th between the programs, with Minnesota having won the previous five games under head coach

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 ...

. T Minnesota jumped to a 20 to 0 lead with touchdowns in the first, third and fourth quarters. Minnesota's touchdown in the third quarter came on a 59-yard run by halfback

George Franck George Henning "Sonny" Franck (September 23, 1918 – January 19, 2011) was an American football halfback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants. Early years Franck was born in Davenport, Iowa. After his playi ...

. In the fourth quarter, Michigan finally scored on touchdown pass from

to Paul Kromer. Harmon kicked for the PAT. Michigan's starting lineup against Minnesota was Joe Rogers (left end), Roland Savilla (left tackle), Ralph Fritz (left guard), Archie Kodros (center),

(right guard), William Smith (right tackle), John Nicholson (right end), Ingalls (quarterback), Paul Kromer (left halfback), Harmon (right halfback), and

(fullback).

Week 7: at Penn

On November 18, 1939, Michigan defeated Penn by a 19 to 17 score 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 largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. The game was the 16th meeting between the two programs.

scored two of Michigan's touchdowns, including a 63-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter, returned a punt for 40 yards, threw a 30-yard pass to Ed Czak for Michigan's third touchdown, and was successful on one of three kicks for PAT. Harmon gained 202 yards from scrimmage and an overall total of 294 yards, including passes and punt and kickoff returns.

Frank Reagan Francis Xavier Reagan (July 28, 1919 – November 20, 1972) was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played professionally for the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles during a seven-season Nation ...

of Penn totaled 356 yards, including 188 yards passing. Michigan center Archie Kodros played all 60 minutes for Michigan. Michigan's starting lineup against Penn was Joe Rogers (left end), Roland Savilla (left tackle), Ralph Fritz (left guard), Kodros (center),

(right guard), William Smith (right tackle), John Nicholson (right end), Evashevski (quarterback), Trosko (left halfback), Harmon (right halfback), and

(fullback).

Week 8: Ohio State

On November 25, 1939, Michigan defeated

Francis Schmidt Francis Albert Schmidt (December 3, 1885 – September 19, 1944) was an American football player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head football coach at the University of Tulsa (1919–1921), the University of Arka ...

Ohio State Buckeyes The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio State University, located in Columbus, Ohio. The athletic programs are named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Ohio and after the state tree ...

by a 21 to 14 score. The game was the 36th meeting in the Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry. After Schmidt's teams had won four straight games from 1934 to 1937, the Wolverines had defeated the Buckeyes in 1938 in Michigan's first year under

. Despite the loss, Ohio State won its first Big Ten championship since 1920. Ohio State took a 14 to 0 lead in the first 11 minutes of the game on two touchdown passes thrown by Don Scott. Michigan rallied with touchdowns in each of the second, third and fourth quarters. Michigan's touchdowns were scored by

and

. The first Michigan touchdown was set up by a 49-yard gain on a pass from Harmon to Joe Rogers and was capped by a touchdown pass from Harmon to Evashevski. The second touchdown was set up when Ralph Fritz recovered a Don Scott fumble at the Ohio State 35-yard line. The game-winning touchdown was scored with 50 seconds left in the game and followed an Ohio State fumble recovered by

at the Buckeyes' 38-yard line. After being stopped at the 24-yard line, Michigan lined up for a field goal attempt with Trosko holding and Harmon set to kick. Harmon faked the kick, and Trosko, who had thrown two interceptions and fumbled earlier in the game, picked up the ball and ran for a touchdown with Harmon blocking ahead of him. Harmon also kicked all three PATs for Michigan. Michigan's starting lineup against Ohio State was Joe Rogers (left end), Roland Savilla (left tackle), Ralph Fritz (left guard), Kodros (center),

(right guard), William Smith (right tackle), John Nicholson (right end), Evashevski (quarterback), Trosko (left halfback), Harmon (right halfback), and

(fullback).

Post-season

In the post-season rankings by Frank Dickinson, the University of Illinois professor who developed the

for determining college football's national championship, USC ranked first with 25.73 points, and Michigan ranked seventh with 22.5 points. In the final

Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...

was ranked No. 1, and the Wolverines were ranked No. 20. With respect to individual honors, halfback

was Michigan's most decorated player in 1939. Harmon was selected as Michigan's Most Valuable Player, a consensus first-team All-American, and a first-team halfback on the All-Big Ten Conference team. He placed second behind

in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, with Kinnick receiving 651 points to 405 for Harmon. Harmon also placed second behind Kinnick in the voting for the

trophy as the most valuable player in the

. Quarterback

was also honored as a first-team All-Big Ten player. Known as one of the country's best blocking backs, Evashevski was voted by his teammates at the end of the season to serve as captain of the 1940 Michigan team. In December 1939, Michigan's longtime rival, the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

, announced that it was dropping its football program. Chicago's decision opened the way for a new university to join the

, with the leading candidates being Pitt, Michigan State, Notre Dame and Nebraska. In the end, the conference did not immediately add another university to replace Chicago. It was not until 1953 that the conference added Michigan State as its tenth team.

Players

Varsity letter winners

On November 28, 1939, head coach

presented varsity "M" letters to 25 players for their participation on the 1939 Michigan football team. With players who started at least half of Michigan's games during the 1939 season are listed in bold, the following list identifies the players who received varsity letters. * Edward W. Czak,

Elyria, Ohio Elyria ( ) is a city in the Greater Cleveland metropolitan statistical area and the county seat of Lorain County, Ohio, Lorain County, Ohio, United States, located at the forks of the Black River (Ohio), Black River in Northeast Ohio 23 miles sou ...

- started 1 game at left end *

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

- started 6 games at quarterback * Robert Flora,

Muskegon, Michigan Muskegon ( ') is a city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Muskegon County. Muskegon is known for fishing, sailing regattas, pleasure boating, and as a commercial and cruise ship port. It is a popular vacation destination because of the expa ...

- tackle * Ralph Fritz,

New Kensington, Pennsylvania New Kensington, known locally as New Ken, is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. It is situated along the Allegheny River, northeast of Pittsburgh. The population was 12,170 at the 2010 census. History Like much of Westmoreland Cou ...

- started 7 games at left guard *

River Rouge, Michigan River Rouge (, french: link=no, Rivière Rouge, translation=red river) is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 7,224 at the 2020 census. The city is named after the River Rouge, which flows along the city's ...

- started 4 games at left end, 1 game at right end *

Gary, Indiana Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city has been historically dominated by major industrial activity and is home to U.S. Steel's Gary Works, the largest steel mill complex in North America. Gary is located along the sou ...

- started 7 games at right halfback * Robert Ingalls,

Marblehead, Massachusetts Marblehead is a coastal New England town in Essex County, Massachusetts, along the North Shore. Its population was 20,441 at the 2020 census. The town lies on a small peninsula that extends into the northern part of Massachusetts Bay. Attache ...

- started 1 game at center, 1 game at quarterback * Forest Jordan,

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 ...

- guard *

Reuben Kelto Reuben W. Kelto (September 10, 1919 – March 19, 1998) was an American football player. He played at the tackle position for the University of Michigan from 1939 to 1941. He was chosen as the Most Valuable Player on the 1941 Michigan Wolv ...

Bessemer, Michigan Bessemer is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 1,805. It is the county seat of Gogebic County. The city is surrounded by Bessemer Township, but the two are administered autonomously. It is on U. ...

- tackle * Archie Kodros,

Alton, Illinois Alton ( ) is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, Madison County, Illinois, United States, about north of St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 25,676 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is a p ...

- started 7 games at center * Paul Kromer, Lorain, Ohio - started 3 games at left halfback * William Melzow, Flint, Michigan - guard * John Nicholson,

Elkhart, Indiana Elkhart ( ) is a city in Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. The city is located east of South Bend, Indiana, east of Chicago, Illinois, and north of Indianapolis, Indiana. Elkhart has the larger population of the two principal cities of th ...

- started 4 games at right end, 1 game at left end * Paul Nielsen,

Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw County. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851. It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor ...

- end * Frederick C. Olds,

East Lansing, Michigan East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city lies within Ingham County with a smaller portion extending north into Clinton County. At the 2020 Census the population was 47,741. Located directly east of the state capital ...

- started 1 game at left guard *

, Jochin, West Virginia - started 1 game at left halfback * Joe Rogers,

Royal Oak, Michigan Royal Oak is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An inner-ring suburb of Detroit, Royal Oak is about north of Detroit's city limits. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 57,236. Royal Oak is located along t ...

- started 2 games at left end, 2 games at right end * Roland Savilla,

Gallagher, West Virginia Gallagher is an unincorporated community in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States. Gallagher is south-southwest of Pratt. Gallagher has a post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, s ...

- started 7 games at left tackle * William A. Smith,

Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States, in the Inland Empire metropolitan area. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. It is the most populous city in the Inland Empire an ...

- started 8 games at right tackle * Dave Strong, Helena, Montana - halfback *

Muskegon Heights, Michigan Muskegon Heights is a city in Muskegon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 10,856 at the 2010 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. The city is surrounded o ...

- started 8 games at right guard * Horace Tinker, Battle Creek, Michigan - center *

, Flint, Michigan - started 4 games at left halfback *

, Ann Arbor, Michigan - started 7 games at fullback * Bob Zimmerman,

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

- started 1 game at fullback

Reserve awards

Crisler also presented "reserve awards" to the following players. * Arthur Bennett, Schenectady, NY * Jack Butler, Port Huron, MI - guard * Norman D. Call, Norwalk, Ohio - started 1 game at right halfback * Edward Christy, Gary, IN - fullback * Thomas G. Ford, East Grand Rapids, MI - center * Harlin E. Fraumann, Pontiac, MI - started 1 game at right end * James Grissen, Holland, MI - fullback * Theodore Kennedy, Jr., Saginaw, MI - end * Walter I. Kitti, Calumet, MI - halfback * Harry E. Kohl, Dayton, OH - started 1 game at quarterback * William "Bullet Bill" Luther, Toledo, OH - halfback * David M. Nelson, Detroit, MI - halfback * George Ostroot - started 1 game at left tackle * Arthur Paddy, Benton Harbor, MI - guard * Larry D. Wickter, Toledo, OH - fullback * Ernest P. Zielinski, Bay City, MI - tackle

Awards and honors

*Captain: Archie Kodros *

All-Americans The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

(consensus) * All-Conference:

, Tom Harmon *Most Valuable Player: Tom Harmon * Meyer Morton Award: Ralph Fritz

Scoring leaders

Coaching staff

*Head coach:

*Assistant coaches: Campbell Dickson,

Earl Martineau Earl Thomas Martineau (August 30, 1896 – January 20, 1966) was an American college football player and coach. He played halfback at the University of Minnesota and was selected as an All-American in 1922 and 1923 and served as the captain of th ...

Biggie Munn Clarence Lester "Biggie" Munn (September 11, 1908 – March 18, 1975) was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He was the head football coach at Albright College (1935–1936), Syracuse University (1946), and mo ...

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 ...

Wally Weber Walter J. Weber (February 27, 1903 – April 14, 1984) was an American football player and coach at the University of Michigan. He played Halfback (American football), halfback and Fullback (American football), fullback for the Michigan Wolverines ...

*Trainer: Ray Roberts *Manager: Carl D. Wheeler, Frederick Howarth (assistant), William Blanchard (assistant), Roger Yepsen (assistant), John Durr (assistant)

References

External links

1939 Football Team -- Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History
{{Michigan Wolverines football navbox

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

Michigan Wolverines football seasons Michigan Wolverines football