The 1974 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 1974 Big Ten Conference football season. In their sixth year under head coach Bo Schembechler, the Wolverines compiled a 10–1 record, outscored opponents 324 to 75, and were ranked #3 in 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 ...

. Michigan won the first ten games of the 1974 season in convincing fashion, including blowout victories over Colorado (31-0), Navy (52-0), Minnesota (49-0), and Purdue (51-0). In the final game of the season, #2 Michigan faced #3 Ohio State. The Wolverines lost by a score of 12-10, as place-kicker Mike Lantry missed a last-minute field goal that would have given Michigan a victory. On offense, the team was led by quarterback Dennis Franklin who completed 58 of 104 passes for 933 yards and rushed 108 times for 209 yards. Three Michigan running backs combined for 2,510 rushing yards.

Gordon Bell Chester Gordon Bell (born August 19, 1934) is an American electrical engineer and manager. An early employee of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) 1960–1966, Bell designed several of their PDP machines and later became Vice President of Engi ...

led the way with 1,048 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.

Rob Lytle Robert William Lytle (November 12, 1954 – November 20, 2010) was an American football player. Lytle played college football at the University of Michigan from 1973 to 1976. A running back, he broke Michigan's career record with 3,317 rushing ...

added 802 rushing yards, and

Chuck Heater Chuck Heater (born October 10, 1952) is an American football coach and former player. He was a running back for the University of Michigan from 1972 to 1974 and finished his playing career as the fifth all-time leading rusher in Michigan Wolverin ...

660 yards. Center Dennis Franks and end Dan Jilek were selected as All-Big Ten Conference players. On defense, the Wolverines held opponents to 75 points, an average of 6.8 points per game. Cornerback Dave Brown was selected as first-team All-American for the second straight year. Five Wolverine defenders were selected for the All-Big Ten Conference team, including Brown, middle linebacker Steve Strinko, wolfman

Don Dufek Donald Patrick Dufek Jr. (born April 28, 1954) is a former American football player who played safety and special teams for eight seasons with the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He had previously played for the Michigan W ...

, left tackle Jeff Perlinger, and middle guard Tim Davis. Strinko led the team in total tackles for the second consecutive year and was selected as the team's most valuable player.

Schedule

Season summary

Pre-season

Gerald Ford presidential portrait (cropped)

The 1973 Michigan football team compiled a 10–0–1 record. Several key offensive players from the 1973 team returned in 1974, including quarterback Dennis Franklin, a trio of tailbacks in

and

, wing back

Gil Chapman Gil Chapman (born August 23, 1953) is a former American football player, politician and businessman. Chapman became one of the leading scorers in the history of New Jersey high school football while playing for Thomas Jefferson High School in E ...

, end Jim Smith, and center

Dennis Franks Dennis John Franks (May 29, 1953 – October 16, 2021) was an American professional football player in the National Football League (NFL). He was a center and played on special teams for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1976 to 1978 and for the D ...

. Returning players on defense included safety Dave Brown (a 1973 All-American), defensive back

, and linebackers Carl Russ and Steve Strinko. Defensive tackle and 1973 All-American

Dave Gallagher David Thomas Gallagher (born September 20, 1960) is an American former professional baseball journeyman outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for seven teams, during his nine-year big league career (–). Early life Gallagher w ...

was lost to graduation. Perhaps the biggest story surrounding the Michigan football program in the interim between the 1973 and 1974 seasons was the appointment of former Michigan football player Gerald Ford as

Vice President of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice ...

in December 1973 and his ascension to the

Presidency A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified b ...

in August 1974. Ford drew attention to the program as he often had the Naval band play the University of Michigan fight song, ''

The Victors "The Victors" is the fight song of the University of Michigan. Michigan student Louis Elbel wrote the song in 1898 after the football team's victory over the University of Chicago, which clinched an undefeated season and the Western Conferen ...

'', before state events instead of ''

Hail to the Chief "Hail to the Chief" is the personal anthem of the president of the United States, adapted by James Sanderson from an original Scottish Gaelic melody. The song's playing accompanies the appearance of the president of the United States at many ...

''. During Ford's first foreign trip as President in November 1974,

Emperor Hirohito of Japan Emperor , commonly known in English-speaking countries by his personal name , was the 124th emperor of Japan, ruling from 25 December 1926 until his death in 1989. Hirohito and his wife, Empress Kōjun, had two sons and five daughters; he was ...

greeted Ford with a military band playing ''The Victors''.

Week 1: Iowa

On September 14, 1974, Michigan opened its season with a 24 to 7 victory over

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 th ...

. Michigan rushed for 315 yards in the game, led by

(86 yards on 14 carries),

(62 yards on 17 carries and a two-yard touchdown run in the first quarter), and

(55 yards on 6 carries). Michigan quarterback Dennis Franklin did not appear in the game due to illness and was replaced by Mark Elzinga, who completed 2 of 11 passes for 34 yards. One of Elzinga's two completions was caught by Gil Chapman for a touchdown in the third quarter. Elzinga also ran one yard for Michigan's second touchdown in the first quarter. Kicker Mike Lantry kicked a 30-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and converted all three extra points. Iowa's only touchdown was scored in the final minute of the fourth quarter.

Week 2: Colorado

On September 21, 1974, Michigan defeated

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

by a 31 to 0 score before a crowd of 91,203 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 ...

. The game matched Bo Schembechler against Colorado head coach

Bill Mallory William Guy Mallory (May 30, 1935 – May 25, 2018) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Miami University (1969–1973), the University of Colorado at Boulder (1974–1978), Northern Illinois Universi ...

. Both had coached under

Woody Hayes Wayne Woodrow Hayes (February 14, 1913 – March 12, 1987) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Denison University (1946–1948), Miami University in Oxford, Ohio (1949–1950), and Ohio State University (1951 ...

at Ohio State, and Mallory had taken Schembechler's place as head coach at Miami (OH) in 1969. Michigan defensive back Dave Brown opened the scoring two minutes into the game by returning a punt 88 yards from the 12-yard line for a touchdown. After being discharged from the hospital four days before the game, quarterback Dennis Franklin returned against Colorado. Franklin completed 11 of 16 passes for 115 yards with one touchdown (a five-yard pass caught by Greg DenBoer in the fourth quarter) and no interceptions. Franklin also rushed for 69 yards on 13 carries and scored a touchdown in the second quarter after recovering

's fumble in the end zone. After the game, head coach Bo Schembechler said, "I told you guys he was a decent quarterback didn't I? And this was after only three days of practice after lying on his back for 10 days. I thought his performance was remarkable. Why, it was almost an aerial circus!" Michigan also gained 273 rushing yards.

led the Wolverines in rushing with 74 yards on 16 carries, including a five-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Lytle added 66 yards on 13 carries and Gordon Bell 49 yards on six carries. Kicker Mike Lantry recovered a fumble on a kickoff, kicked a 19-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and converted all three extra points. Michigan's defense held Colorado to 44 rushing yards on 30 carries.

Week 3: Navy

On September 28, 1974, Michigan defeated George Welsh's Navy Midshipmen by a 52-0 score. The game was played at

before a crowd of 104,232, which included thousands of high school band students participating in the annual band day celebration. Michigan's backs dominated, rushing for 340 yards and six touchdowns on 67 carries. Gordon Bell rushed for 57 yards and three touchdowns on nine carries,

gained 61 yards and two on 13 carries, and

rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Dennis Franklin completed five of six passes for 85 yards, including a 29-yard touchdown pass to Jim Smith in the third quarter. Mike Lantry kicked a 31-yard field goal and converted all seven extra points.

Week 4: at Stanford

On October 5, 1974, Michigan defeated Stanford by a 27-16 score at

Stanford Stadium Stanford Stadium is an outdoor college football stadium on the west coast of the United States, located on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford, California. It is the home of the Stanford Cardinal and hosts the university's commencemen ...

. Stanford took a 9-6 lead at halftime as Mike Langford kicked three field goals, and the Stanford defense did not allow a first down during the first quarter. In the second quarter, Gordon Bell scored on a one-yard run, but the kick for extra point failed. Also in the second quarter, Stanford intercepted a pass by Dennis Franklin, marking Michigan's first turnover in 255 plays during the 1974 season. In the third quarter, Franklin rushed for two touchdowns to give Michigan a 20-9 lead. The teams traded touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including a two-yard run by Michigan backup Scott Corbin. Stanford quarterback Jerry Waldvogel completed 21 of 40 passes and 229 yards. The Wolverines rushed for 317 yards on 66 carries, including 96 yard for

and 72 yards each for Franklin and Gordon Bell.

Week 5: Michigan State

On October 12, 1974, Michigan defeated

Denny Stolz Dennis Earl Stolz (born September 12, 1934) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Alma College (1965–1970), Michigan State University (1973–1975), Bowling Green State University (1977–1985), and San ...

Michigan State Spartans The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic teams that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 23 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and wh ...

by a 21-7 score. The game, played at

, attracted a crowd of 104,682, reported to be "the second largest crowd in modern N.C.A.A. history" behind the 1973 Michigan-Ohio State game. Gordon Bell led Michigan's rushing attack with 73 yards on 16 carries, including a 13-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Dennis Franklin completed five of nine passes for 84 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown pass to Jim Smith in the second quarter, but left the game in the third quarter with bruised ribs. Linebacker

Dan Jilek Daniel Douglas Jilek (December 3, 1953 – March 6, 2002) was an American football player. He played professional football as a linebacker for the Buffalo Bills from 1976 to 1979. He was drafted by the Bills in the fourth round, as the 109th ...

also scored in the second quarter when he forced a fumble on a punt attempt and then recovered it in the end zone.

Week 6: at Wisconsin

On October 19, 1974, Michigan defeated John Jardine's

Wisconsin Badgers The Wisconsin Badgers are the athletic teams representing the University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin). They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level ( Football Bowl Subdivis ...

by a 24–20 score. The game was played to a record crowd of 78,911 at

Camp Randall Stadium Camp Randall Stadium is an outdoor stadium in Madison, Wisconsin, located on the campus of the University of Wisconsin. It has been the home of the Wisconsin Badgers football team in rudimentary form since 1895, and as a fully functioning stadiu ...

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...

. Michigan gained 265 rushing yards led by

who had 101 yards on 20 carries and a 22-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Dennis Franklin completed five of seven passes for 71 yards, including an eight-yard touchdown pass to Greg DenBoer in the third quarter. Gordon Bell scored Michigan's third touchdown on a one-yard run in the fourth quarter. Mike Lantry kicked a 31-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and converted all three extra points. Michigan gave up 206 rushing yards to Wisconsin, prompting coach Schembechler to say, "That's the most anyone has run on us in years. I was surprised they could do that well against us, but their offense is very, very good."

Week 7: Minnesota

On October 26, 1974, Michigan defeated

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 ...

by a 49-0 score. The game was played at Michigan Stadium before a crowd of 96,284. Michigan rolled to over 600 yards in the game. On the ground, the Wolverines totaled 521 rushing yards, led by

(158 yards on 20 carries) and Gordon Bell (134 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries).

gained 41 yards and scored two touchdowns on six carries. Chuck Heater, Mark Elzinga and Scott Corbin also scored rushing touchdowns. Franklin completed six of seven passes for 99 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown pass to Jim Smith in the third quarter.

Week 8: Indiana

On November 2, 1974, Michigan defeated

Lee Corso Lee Richard Corso (born August 7, 1935) is an American sports broadcaster and football analyst for ESPN and a former coach. He has been a featured analyst on ESPN's '' College GameDay'' program since its inception in 1987. Corso served as the he ...

Indiana Hoosiers The Indiana Hoosiers are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of Indiana University Bloomington, named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Indiana. The Hoosiers participate in Division I of the National Collegiate Ath ...

by a 21–7 score at Memorial Stadium in

Bloomington, Indiana Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the central region of the U.S. state of Indiana. It is the seventh-largest city in Indiana and the fourth-largest outside the Indianapolis metropolitan area. According to the Mo ...

. After Gordon Bell returned the opening kickoff to the 45-yard line, Michigan drove to Indiana's 13-yard line, but

's fumble ended the drive. In all the Wolverines turned the ball over three times, twice on fumbles by Lytle and once on an interception of a Dennis Franklin pass. Neither team scored in the first quarter, but Gordon Bell ran for two touchdowns in the second quarter to give Michigan a 14-0 lead at halftime. Michigan totaled 344 rushing yards in the game with gaining 159 yards on 23 carries,

contributing 97 yards on 16 carries, and Lytle rushing for 63 yards on 11 carries. Indiana scored in the fourth quarter to cut Michigan's lead to seven points, but

scored with 36 seconds remaining in the game to extend the score to 21-7.

Week 9: Illinois

On November 9, 1974, Michigan defeated

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 ...

by a 14–6 score 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 metro ...

. The Illini played the game in mourning as 20-year-old defensive end Greg Williams was fatally shot at 2:30 a.m. during an altercation at a fraternity party and died eight hours later on the morning of the game. Michigan dominated the first half, scoring twice on runs by Gordon Bell and Dennis Franklin, and out-gaining the Illini, 259 yards to 25. Illinois' defense tightened in the second half. Illini co-captain Revie Sorey noted, "We didn't feel like playing football at first. Then - quietly, without much talk - we tried at halftime to find our hearts for Greg." Michigan did not score in the second half, and Illinois cornerback Mike Gow returned a punt 45 yards for a touchdown with 2 minutes and 10 second remaining in the fourth quarter. After Gow's touchdown, Illinois succeeded in recovering an

onside kick In gridiron football, an onside kick is a kickoff deliberately kicked short in an attempt by the kicking team to regain possession of the ball. This is in contrast with a typical kickoff, in which the kicking team intends to give the ball to the ...

and drove to Michigan's 16-yard line before Michigan's defense held. Ohio State lost to Michigan State, leaving Michigan in sole possession of first place in the

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 ...

Week 10: Purdue

On November 16, 1974, Michigan defeated Purdue by a 51-0 score at

. The game was Purdue's most lopsided defeat in over 50 years. Michigan gained 581 yards of total offense on 396 rushing yards and 185 passing yards. Gordon Bell led the running game with 166 rushing yards and one touchdown on 23 carries.

added 66 yards and a touchdown, and

contributed 48 yards and a touchdown. Dennis Franklin completed 7 of 12 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns, as Michigan played with three wide receivers. Backup quarterback Mark Elzinga also threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Lytle. After the game, Purdue coach

Alex Agase Alexander Arrasi Agase (March 27, 1922 – May 3, 2007) was an American football guard and linebacker who was named an All-American three times in college and played on three Cleveland Browns championship teams before becoming head football coac ...

said, "Michigan was a great team today. They killed us with skill."

Week 11: Ohio State

On November 23, 1974, with the Big Ten championship and a berth in the 1975 Rose Bowl at stake, Michigan played the

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 tre ...

in the sixth year of

The Ten Year War The Ten Year War was a series of college football games, played from 1969 to 1978, in the Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry that pitted coach Woody Hayes of the Ohio State Buckeyes against coach Bo Schembechler of the Michigan Wolverines. ...

between head coaches Bo Schembechler and

. Prior to the game, Michigan was ranked #2 in the Coaches Poll with Ohio State ranked #3. The game was played at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, before a crowd of 88,243 spectators. Michigan jumped to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter on a 42-yard touchdown pass from Dennis Franklin to

and a 37-yard field goal by Mike Lantry. Ohio State did not score a touchdown against Michigan, but Tom Klaban kicked three field goals in the second quarter and another in the third quarter to give Ohio State a 12-10 lead. Michigan drove inside Ohio State's 20-yard line in the closing minutes of the game. With 18 second remaining, Lantry attempted a 33-yard field goal which was called wide left by the officials. Ohio State won 12 to 10, and the two teams finished in a tie for the Big Ten championship.

Players

Offense

* James Armour, offensive guard, senior,

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 t ...

, Michigan - started 3 games at left offensive guard *

, tailback, junior,

Troy, Ohio Troy is a city in and the county seat of Miami County, Ohio, United States, located north of Dayton. The population was 26,305 at the 2020 census, making it the largest city in Miami County and the 55th largest city in Ohio; it is part of the Da ...

- started 3 games at tailback *

, wing back, senior, Elizabeth, New Jersey - started all 11 games at fullback * Scott Corbin, fullback, freshman, Cincinnati, Ohio * James C. Czirr, center, junior,

St. Joseph, Michigan St. Joseph, colloquially known as St. Joe, is a city and the county seat of Berrien County, Michigan. It was incorporated as a village in 1834 and as a city in 1891. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,365. It lies on the shore o ...

* Greg DenBoer, tight end, senior,

Kentwood, Michigan Kentwood is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 54,304 as of the 2020 census. The city is bordered on the northwest by Grand Rapids and is the third most-populated municipality in the Grand Rapids metropolitan ...

- started all 11 games at tight end *

Mark Donahue Mark Joseph Donahue (born January 28, 1956) is a former American football player. He played college football as an offensive guard for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1975 to 1977. He was a consensus All-American in both 1976 and 1977 ...

, offensive guard, freshman,

Oak Lawn, Illinois Oak Lawn is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 58,362 at the 2020 census. Oak Lawn is a suburb of Chicago, located southwest of the city. It shares borders with the city in two areas but is surrounded mostly by ...

Walt Downing Walt Downing (born June 11, 1956) is a former American football player. He played professional football as an offensive guard for the San Francisco 49ers from 1978 to 1983. He played for Bill Walsh (American football coach), Bill Walsh and was a ...

, tackle, freshman,

Coatesville, Pennsylvania Coatesville is a city in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 13,350 at the 2020 census. Coatesville is approximately 39 miles west of Philadelphia. It developed along the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike beginning ...

* Bill Dufek, tackle, freshman,

East Grand Rapids, Michigan East Grand Rapids is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 10,694. The city is part of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area and is surrounded by Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids Township, ...

* Mark Elzinga, quarterback, junior,

Bay City, Michigan Bay City is a city and county seat of Bay County in the U.S. state of Michigan, located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and it is the principal city of the Bay City Metrop ...

- started 2 games at quarterback * Dennis Franklin, quarterback, senior, Massillon, Ohio - started 9 games at quarterback *

, center, senior,

Bethel Park, Pennsylvania Bethel Park, officially the Municipality of Bethel Park, is a borough with home rule status in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, located approximately southwest of Pittsburgh. The pop ...

- started all 11 games at center * James D. Hall, offensive tackle, sophomore,

Ypsilanti, Michigan Ypsilanti (), commonly shortened to Ypsi, is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 20,648. The city is bounded to the north by Superior Township and on the west, south, an ...

- started 1 game at right offensive tackle *

, tailback, senior,

Tiffin, Ohio Tiffin is a city in and the county seat of Seneca County, Ohio, United States. Developed along the Sandusky River, which flows to Lake Erie, Tiffin is about 55 miles southeast of Toledo. The population was 17,963 at the 2010 census.Springfield, Illinois * Keith Johnson, split end, junior,

Munster, Indiana Munster is a suburban town in North Township, Lake County, Indiana, United States. It is in the Chicago metropolitan area, approximately southeast of the Chicago Loop, and shares municipal boundaries with Hammond to the north, Highland to th ...

* R. Steven King, senior,

Oxford, Michigan Oxford is a village in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,436 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Oxford Township. Located about north of Detroit, it is a northern suburb of the Metro Detroit r ...

* Kirk Lewis, offensive guard, junior,

Garden City, Michigan Garden City is a city in Wayne County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,692. The city is part of the Metro Detroit region and is approximately west of the city of Detroit. M-153 (Ford Road) ...

, tailback, sophomore,

Fremont, Ohio Fremont is a city in and the county seat of Sandusky County, Ohio, United States, located along the banks of the Sandusky River. It is about 35 miles from Toledo and 25 miles from Sandusky. It is part of the Toledo metropolitan area. The populat ...

- started 8 games at tailback * David F. Metz, offensive guard, senior,

Harrison, Ohio Harrison is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. The city is located in the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky metropolitan area. The population was 9,897 at the 2010 census, and was estimated in 2019 to be 11,896. History Harrison was l ...

- started 9 games at left offensive guard *

Les Miles Leslie Edwin Miles (born November 10, 1953) is a former American football coach. He most recently served as the head coach at Kansas. His head coaching career began with the Oklahoma State Cowboys, where he coached from 2001 to 2004. Following t ...

, offensive guard, junior,

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 ...

* Steve Nauta, center freshman,

Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania Plymouth Meeting is a census-designated place (CDP) that straddles Plymouth and Whitemarsh Townships in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The settlement was founded in 1686. The population of Plymouth Meeting was 6,177 in the 201 ...

* George Przygodski, tight end, junior,

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...

* Max Richardson, tailback, freshman,

Fort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...

* Jim Smith, split end, sophomore,

Blue Island, Illinois Blue Island is a city in Cook County, Illinois, located approximately south of Chicago's Loop. Blue Island is adjacent to the city of Chicago and shares its northern boundary with that city's Morgan Park neighborhood. The population was 22,55 ...

- started all 11 games at left end * Jeff Spahn, quarterback, senior,

Steubenville, Ohio Steubenville is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Ohio, United States. Located along the Ohio River 33 miles west of Pittsburgh, it had a population of 18,161 at the 2020 census. The city's name is derived from Fort Steuben, a ...

* Curt Stephenson, split end, sophomore, La Jolla, California * Pat Tumpane, offensive tackle, senior,

Midlothian, Illinois Midlothian () is a village in Bremen Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a southwestern suburb of Chicago. As of the 2020 census the population was 14,325. History Like many southwest suburbs of Chicago in the 1800s and ear ...

- started all 11 games at left tackle * Jerry Vogele, fullback, sophomore, Cincinnati, Ohio

Defense

* John Anderson, outside linebacker, freshman,

Waukesha, Wisconsin Waukesha ( ) is the county seat of Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. Its population was 71,158 at the 2020 census. The city is adjacent to the Village of Waukesha. History The area tha ...

* Harry Banks, defensive back, senior, Cleveland, Ohio - started all 11 games at strong side defensive halfback * Larry Banks, defensive end, senior, Cleveland, Ohio - started 8 games at right defensive end, 1 game at left defensive end * Jim Bolden, defensive back, sophomore,

Akron, Ohio Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 Census, the city prop ...

* Dave Brown, safety, senior,

- started all 11 games at safety * Tim Davis, middle guard, junior,

Warren, Ohio Warren is a city in and the county seat of Trumbull County, Ohio, United States. Located in northeastern Ohio, Warren lies approximately northwest of Youngstown and southeast of Cleveland. The population was 39,201 at the 2020 census. The hi ...

- started 6 games at middle guard * David Devich, linebacker, junior, Highland, Indiana * Thomas E. Drake, defensive back, senior,

Midland, Michigan Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Michigan. The city's population was 42,547 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Midland Micropolitan Statistical Area, part of the larger Saginaw-Midland-Bay City Com ...

- started 6 games at weak-side defensive halfback *

, wolfman, junior,

- started all 11 games at wolfman * Dave Elliott, defensive back, senior,

Coral Gables, Florida Coral Gables, officially City of Coral Gables, is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city is located southwest of Downtown Miami. As of the 2020 U.S. census, it had a population of 49,248. Coral Gables is known globally as home to the ...

- started 5 games at weak-side defensive halfback * John Hennessy, defensive tackle, sophomore, Chicago, Illinois *

Dwight Hicks Dwight Hicks (born April 5, 1956) is a former professional American football player who played safety for the Toronto Argonauts in 1978, the San Francisco 49ers from 1979 to 1985, and for the Indianapolis Colts in 1986. High school and college ...

, defensive back-running back, freshman,

Pennsauken, New Jersey Pennsauken Township is a township in Camden County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a suburb of Philadelphia. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township's population was 37,074, reflecting an increase of 1,189 (+3.3%) from the 35,885 count ...

* Bill Hoban, defensive tackle, senior, Chicago, Illinois * Michael G. Holmes, defensive end, junior

* Derek Howard, wide receiver - defensive back, freshman, Hamilton, Ohio * Mark Jacoby, wolf, senior,

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...

, defensive end, junior, Sterling Heights, Michigan - started all 11 games (10 at left defensive end, 1 at right defensive end) * Larry L. Johnson, defensive end, senior,

- started 2 games at right defensive end * Kurt Kampe III, defensive back, senior,

Defiance, Ohio Defiance is a city in and the county seat of Defiance County, Ohio, United States, about southwest of Toledo, Ohio, Toledo and northeast of Fort Wayne, Indiana, in Ohio's northwestern corner. The population was 16,494 at the 2010 United State ...

* Richard A. Koschalk, middle guard, junior, Toledo, Ohio - started 5 games at middle guard * Bob Lang, middle guard, sophomore, Chicago, Illinois * Greg Morton, defensive tackle, junior, Akron, Ohio - started all 11 games at right defensive tackle *

Calvin O'Neal Calvin O'Neal (born October 6, 1954) is a former professional American football linebacker who played for the Baltimore Colts in 1978 and was an All-American and team co-captain for the University of Michigan Wolverines in 1976. Amateur career ...

, linebacker, junior,

Saginaw, Michigan Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...

- started 2 games at wide linebacker, 1 game at middle linebacker * Jeff Perlinger, defensive tackle, junior,

Crystal, Minnesota Crystal is a first-ring suburban city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States that is about 5 miles from Downtown Minneapolis. The population was 22,151 at the 2010 census. Minnesota State Highway 100 and County Road 81 are two of the mai ...

- started all 11 games at left defensive tackle * Carl Russ, linebacker, senior,

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 9 games at wide linebacker * Geoffrey Steger, wolf, senior,

Winnetka, Illinois Winnetka () is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, located north of downtown Chicago. The population was 12,316 as of 2019. The village is one of the wealthiest places in the nation in terms of household income. It was the second- ...

* Steve Strinko, linebacker, junior,

Middletown, Ohio Middletown is a city located in Butler and Warren counties in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio, about 35 miles (47 km) north of Cincinnati. The population as of the 2020 census was 50,987. It is part of the Cincinnati metrop ...

- started 10 games at middle linebacker * Jerry Zuver, safety, sophomore,

Archbold, Ohio Archbold is a village in Fulton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 4,346 at the 2010 census. Archbold is home to Northwest State Community College. It was designated a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation in 1983. H ...

Awards and honors

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 ...

: Dave Brown (AP, UPI, NEA, WC, AFCA, FWAA, TSN, FN, Time) * All-Big Ten: Dave Brown (AP-1, UPI-1), Tim Davis (AP-1, UPI-1), Steve Strinko (AP-1, UPI-1),

(AP-2, UPI-1), Dennis Franks (AP-1, UPI-2), Jeff Perlinger (AP-1),

(UPI-1),

(AP-2, UPI-2), Dennis Franklin (AP-2, UPI-2), Steve King (AP-2), and

(UPI-2) *Most Valuable Player: Steve Strinko * Meyer Morton Award: Dennis Franklin *John Maulbetsch Award:

*Frederick Matthei Award: Kirk Lewis *Arthur Robinsion Scholarship Award: Larry Johnson

Professional football

The following 26 players from the 1974 Michigan football team were drafted to play and/or actually played professional football in the

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 ...

(NFL): # Linebacker John Anderson was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the 1977 NFL Draft and played 12 seasons with the Packers from 1978 to 1989. He was later named to the

NFL 1980s All-Decade Team The NFL 1980s All-Decade Team was chosen by voters of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The team was composed of outstanding performers in the National Football League in the 1980s. The squad consists of first- and second-team offensive, defensive and ...

. # Defensive back Harry Banks was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the

1975 NFL Draft The 1975 National Football League draft was held January 28–29, 1975, at the New York Hilton at Rockefeller Center in New York City, New York. With the first overall pick of the draft, the Atlanta Falcons selected quarterback Steve Bartkows ...

. Banks was placed on waivers by the Bills in late July 1976. # Running back

was selected by the New York Giants in the fourth round of the 1976 NFL Draft and played three seasons in the NFL with the Giants and

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

. # Defensive back Dave Brown was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the

and played 15 seasons in the NFL with the Steelers, Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers. # Wide receiver

was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the

and played one season in the NFL with the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

. # Center Jim Czirr was selected by the Denver Broncos in the ninth round of the 1976 NFL Draft. In July 1976, Czirr announced that he would not report to the Broncos as he was opting not to continue playing football due to an arthritic vertebrae in his neck. # Tight end Greg DenBoer was selected by the Baltimore Colts in the eighth round of the 1975 NFL Draft. # Offensive guard

was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 11th round of the 1978 NFL Draft and played two seasons in the NFL with the Bengals. # Offensive lineman

was selected by the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

in the second round of the 1978 NFL Draft and played six seasons in the NFL with the 49ers. # Defensive back Tom Drake was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the 11th round of the 1975 NFL Draft. He was cut by the Colts in mid-September 1975. # Defensive back

was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round of the 1976 NFL Draft and played eight seasons with the Seahawks. # Quarterback Dennis Franklin was selected by the Detroit Lions in the sixth round of the

and played two seasons in the NFL as a wide receiver for the Lions. # Center

was undrafted but played four seasons in the NFL with the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...

and Detroit Lions. # Running back

was selected by the

in the tenth round of the 1975 NFL Draft. He was released by the Saints in early September 1975. # Linebacker John Hennessy was selected by the New York Jets in the 10th round of the 1977 NFL Draft and played three seasons for the Jets. # Defensive back

was selected by the Detroit Lions in the sixth round of the 1978 NFL Draft and played eight seasons in the NFL with the

and Indianapolis Colts. # Defensive end

was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 1976 NFL Draft and played four seasons for the Bills. # Offensive tackle Steve King was selected by the New York Jets in the fifth round of the 1976 NFL Draft. # Running back

was selected by the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...

in the second round of the 1977 NFL Draft and played seven seasons with the Broncos. # Defensive tackle Greg Morton was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the eighth round of the 1977 NFL Draft and played one season for the Bills. # Linebacker

was selected by the Baltimore Colts in the sixth round of the 1977 NFL Draft and played one season for the Colts. # Defensive tackle Jeff Perlinger was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the 10th round of the 1976 NFL Draft. He later signed with

Calgary Stampeders The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Stampeders compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium and are the third-o ...

but was cut in mid-July 1976. # Linebacker Carl Russ was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the 13th round of the

and played three seasons in the NFL with the Falcons and New York Jets. # Wide receiver Jim Smith was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 1977 NFL Draft and played seven seasons with the Steelers. # Linebacker Steve Strinko was selected by the Detroit Lions in the ninth round of the 1975 NFL Draft. # Fullback Jerry Vogele was selected by the New England Patriots in the ninth round of the 1977 NFL Draft. Vogele sustained a knee injury in a pre-season game in September 1977 and was required to undergo surgery.

Coaching staff

*Head coach: Bo Schembechler *Assistant coaches :* ''Offense'':

Chuck Stobart Charles R. Stobart (October 27, 1932 – November 29, 2022) was an American college football player and coach. He played as a quarterback at Ohio University in the 1950s. He was a football coach at various schools for 42 years from 1959 to 20 ...

(offensive backfield), Tirrel Burton (offensive ends),

Elliott Uzelac Elliot Uzelac (born July 24, 1941) is an American football coach. He served as the head football coach at Western Michigan University from 1975 to 1981 and the United States Naval Academy from 1987 to 1989, compiling a career college football coa ...

(offensive line), Jerry Hanlon (offensive line) :* ''Defense'':

Gary Moeller Gary Oscar Moeller (; January 26, 1941 – July 11, 2022) was an American football coach best known for being head coach at the University of Michigan from 1990 to 1994. During his five seasons at Michigan, he won 44 games, lost 13 and tied 3 f ...

(defensive coordinator),

Jack Harbaugh Jack Avon Harbaughhttp://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/%7Ebattle/celeb/harbaugh.htm (born June 28, 1939) is a former American football player and coach. He is known for being the longtime head coach at Western Kentucky. He is also th ...

(defensive backfield),

Jed Hughes Jed Hughes is a former American football coach. Hughes worked as a graduate assistant for Stanford University football program from 1972 to 1973. In 1974, he joined Bo Schembechler's staff at the University of Michigan as a linebacker coach. H ...

(linebackers),

Tom Reed Thomas or Tom Reed may refer to: Politicians and military * Thomas Buck Reed (1787–1829), senator from Mississippi * Thomas Reed (British Army officer) (1796–1883), British general * Thomas Brackett Reed (1839–1902), Speaker of the House of ...

(defensive line),

Bill McCartney William Paul McCartney (born August 22, 1940) is a former American football player and coach and the founder of the Promise Keepers men's ministry. He was the head coach at the University of Colorado Boulder for thirteen seasons (1982–1994), ...

(defensive ends) :* ''Other'':

Dennis Brown Dennis Emmanuel Brown CD (1 February 1957 – 1 July 1999) was a Jamaican reggae singer. During his prolific career, which began in the late 1960s when he was aged eleven, he recorded more than 75 albums and was one of the major stars of lo ...

*Trainer: Lindsy McLean *Manager: Thomas Rasdale

Statistics

Rushing

Passing

Receiving

Kickoff returns

Punt returns

References

External links

1974 Football Team -- Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History
{{Big Ten Conference football champions

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 Big Ten Conference football champion seasons Michigan Wolverines football

Schedule

Season summary

Pre-season

Week 1: Iowa

Week 2: Colorado

Week 3: Navy

Week 4: at Stanford

Week 5: Michigan State

Week 6: at Wisconsin

Week 7: Minnesota

Week 8: Indiana

Week 9: Illinois

Week 10: Purdue

Week 11: Ohio State

Players

Offense

Defense

Awards and honors

Professional football

Coaching staff

Statistics

Rushing

Passing

Receiving

Kickoff returns

Punt returns

See also

References

External links