The 1926 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 1926 Big Ten Conference football season. In the team's 25th and final season under head coach Fielding H. Yost, Michigan compiled a record of 7–1, outscored its opponents 191 to 38, and tied with Northwestern for 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 ...

championship. Michigan's only loss was to an undefeated Navy team that was recognized as the national champion by several selectors. At the end of the season, Michigan ranked third in the country under 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 ...

, trailing only Stanford and Navy. One selector,

Jeff Sagarin Jeff Sagarin is an American sports statistician known for his development of a method for ranking and rating sports teams in a variety of sports. His ratings have been a regular feature in the ''USA Today'' sports section since 1985, have been us ...

, has retroactively named Michigan as a 1926 co-national champion. Quarterback Benny Friedman and end

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 ...

were both selected as consensus All-Americans. Friedman was also Michigan's 1926 team captain and most valuable player.

Schedule

Season summary

Week 1: Oklahoma A&M

On October 2, 1926, Michigan defeated Oklahoma A&M at Ferry Field by a 42–3 score. Bo Molenda scored two touchdown in the first quarter which also featured a blocked kick that resulted in a safety. Led by Benny Friedman, Michigan passed for 160 yards.

Week 2: Michigan State

On October 9, 1926, Michigan defeated Michigan State College by a 55–3 score.

Week 3: Minnesota

Michigan defeated Minnesota by a 20-0 score. Michigan touchdowns were scored by Bo Molenda, George Rich and

Louis Gilbert Louis Matthew Gilbert (September 15, 1906 – May 9, 1987) was an American football player. He played at the halfback position for the Michigan Wolverines football teams from 1925 to 1927. He was selected as a first-team All-Big Ten Confer ...

. Friedman kicked two points after touchdown. Gilbert's touchdown came on a 58-yard run. All 20 points were scored in the first half.

Week 4: Illinois

Michigan defeated Illinois by a 13–0 score. After a scoreless first quarter, Illinois drove to Michigan's 21-yard line. On fourth down, Illinois opted for a forward pass rather than a field goal attempt. Truskowski intercepted the pass on the 17-yard line. Michigan's first score was set up by a punt that was downed inside the one-yard line. Illinois was then forced to punt from behind the goal line, and Gilbert returne the ball to Illinois' 30-yard line. After a 14-yard gain on a pass to Gilbert, Michigan was stopped, but Friedman kicked a field goal to give Michigan a 3-0 lead at halftime. After a scoreless third quarter, Michigan scored 10 points in the fourth quarter. Michigan's lone touchdown was scored by Bo Molenda. Molenda's touchdown was set up when Lovett intercepted a pass at the Illinois 37-yard line, and Friedman completed a long pass to Oosterbaan. Benny Friedman added the point after touchdown and also kicked his second field goal.

Week 5: at Navy

Michigan lost to Navy by a 10-0 score at

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. Navy's Howard Caldwell ran for a touchdown against the Wolverines. Caldwell's touchdown was the first scored against Michigan since the 1924 season. After the game, the Navy midshipmen stormed the field, tore down the goalposts and broke them into splinters to be kept as souvenirs. The game was played before approximately 50,000 spectators. The 1926 Navy Midshipmen football team went on to complete an undefeated season and was recognized as the national champion by several selectors.

Week 6: Wisconsin

Michigan defeated Wisconsin by a 37-0 score. Michigan completed 9 of 15 passes for 147 yards. Wisconsin completed only 4 of 20 passes for 36 yards. Friedman threw for a touchdown to Oosterbaan and also caught a touchdown pass from Gilbert. Wally Weber scored two touchdowns, and Friedman, Oosterbaan and Hoffman registered one touchdown each. Friedman kicked for a field goal and four points after touchdown. The margin of victory was the largest in the history of the Michigan-Wisconsin rivalry.

Week 7: at Ohio State

Michigan defeated Ohio State by a 17–16 score. The crowd of 90,000 at Columbus, Ohio, was reported to be "the greatest crowd that ever paid to see a football game." Ohio State jumped out to an early 10-0 lead. Michigan responded with its own touchdown and field goal to tie the score at 10-10. At the end of the third quarter, Marek of Ohio State was unable to field a punt at his own six-yard line. As Marek had touched the ball, Michigan took possession when it fell on the loose ball. At the start of the fourth quarter, Friedman then threw a touchdown pass and converted the PAT. Ohio State drove down the field for a touchdown, but the PAT attempt by Myers Clark failed.

Week 8: at Minnesota

On November 20, 1926, Michigan defeated Minnesota by a 7-6 score at Memorial Stadium in

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 ...

. The game was the last for Michigan under head coach Yost. Herb Joesting scored on a short run in the second quarter, but Peplaw missed the attempted at extra point. Michigan trailed 6-0 in the fourth quarter when Nydahl of Minnesota fumbled. Oosterbaan picked up the loose ball and ran 58 yards for a touchdown. Friedman drop-kicked the extra point.

Players

Varsity letter winners

The following players won varsity letters for their work on the 1926 football team: * Ray Baer,

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

– started 6 games at left tackle *Richard Sidney "Syd" Dewey,

Monroe, Michigan Monroe is the largest city and county seat of Monroe County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Monroe had a population of 20,462 in the 2020 census. The city is bordered on the south by Monroe Charter Township, but the two are administered auton ...

– started 6 games at left guard, 1 game at right guard *Victor E. Domhoff – quarterback *William R. 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 expans ...

– started 7 games at right end * Benny Friedman, Cleveland, Ohio – started 7 games at quarterback *Norman Gabel,

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 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 ...

– started 6 games at right tackle *

Kalamazoo, Michigan Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. At the 2010 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 74,262. Kalamazoo is the major city of the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolit ...

– started 5 games at left halfback *Harold T. Greenwald,

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

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 ...

– started 1 game at right halfback *Henry S. Grinnell – tackle *William H. Heath – tackle *LeRoy G. Heston – end *Leo W. Hoffman – halfback *John H. Lovette,

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 5 games at right guard *Kent C. McIntyre – guard *James F. Miller, Jr.,

Adrian, Michigan Adrian is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Lenawee County. The population was 20,645 at the 2020 census. Adrian lies in Michigan's 7th congressional district. History Adrian was founded on June 18, 1826 by Addison Co ...

– started 2 games at left halfback * John J. Molenda, Detroit, Michigan – started 4 games at fullback, 3 games at right halfback *Herman Z. Nyland, Jr. – end *

– started 7 games at left end *John M. Palmeroli,

Highland Park, Michigan Highland Park is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 8,977 at the 2020 census. Along with its neighbor of Hamtramck, Highland Park is an enclave city surrounded by the city of Detroit. History The area tha ...

– started 1 game at left guard *William H. Puckelwartz – quarterback *George E. Rich,

Lakewood, Ohio Lakewood is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, on the southern shore of Lake Erie. Established in 1889, it is one of Cleveland's historical streetcar suburbs and part of the Greater Cleveland, Greater Clevelan ...

– started 3 games at right halfback *John B. Schoenfeld,

Bartlesville, Oklahoma Bartlesville is a city mostly in Washington County in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 37,290 at the 2020 census. Bartlesville is north of Tulsa and south of the Kansas border. It is the county seat of Washington County. The Can ...

– started 2 games at center *George G. Squires (or Squier),

South Haven, Michigan South Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city is in Van Buren County, although a small portion extends into Allegan County. The population was 4,403 at the 2010 census. Because of its position on Lake Michigan, at the ...

– started 1 game at right guard, 1 game at right tackle * Joseph R. Truskowski, Detroit, Michigan – started 5 games at center * Wally Weber,

Mt. Clemens, Michigan Mount Clemens is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 16,314 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is the county seat, seat of government of Macomb County, Michigan, Macomb County. History Mount Clemens was first s ...

– started 3 games at fullback

aMa letter winners

The following players won aMa letters for their work on the 1926 football team:1927 Michiganesian, "Varsity Football Team," page 214. *Dudley G. Black – fullback *Frank A. Harrigan – halfback *Maxwell E. Nickerson – tackle *Marshall Boden – end *Frank E. Meese – tackle * Otto Pommerening,

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 ...

– started 1 game at left tackle *Raymond A. Cragin – center *George A. Nicholson, Jr. – center

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 ...

: Benny Friedman (consensus),

(consensus) * All-Conference: Bennie Oosterbaan (AP-1), Benny Friedman (AP-1), William Flora (AP-2), Ray Baer (AP-2), John Lovette (AP-2) *Most Valuable Player: Benny Friedman *Meyer Morton Award: George Rich

Coaching staff

*Head coach: Fielding H. Yost *Assistant coaches:

Jack Blott Jack Leonard Blott (August 24, 1902 – June 11, 1964) was an All-American football center and place kicker for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1922–1923. He was also a baseball catcher for the Wolverines from 1922–1924. After ...

, Harvey Emery, Ray Fisher, Judson Hyames,

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 ...

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 1937 ...

, William Louisell, Edwin Mather, George F. Veenker,

Tad Wieman Elton Ewart "Tad" Wieman (October 4, 1896 – December 26, 1971) was an American football collegiate player, coach and athletic director. He played football for the University of Michigan from 1915 to 1917 and 1920 under head coach Fielding H. Yo ...

*Trainer: Charles B. Hoyt *Manager: John S. Denton, James V. Hughey (assistant), Ray C. Humphrey (assistant), Leonard A. Spooner (assistant), Frank L. Wachter (assistant)

References

External links

1926 Football Team -- Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History
{{Big Ten Conference football champions

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 Big Ten Conference football champion seasons

Michigan Wolverines football The Michigan Wolverines football team represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins in college football history. The team is known for its ...