1894 Michigan Wolverines football team
Encyclopedia
The 1894 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan
in the 1894 college football season
. The team, with William McCauley
as head coach, compiled an 9–1–1 record and outscored its opponents by a combined score of 244 to 84. The Wolverines played a home-and-away series with Cornell, losing at Ithaca
and winning the second game in Detroit. The win over Cornell "marked the first time in collegiate football history that a western school defeated an established power from the east." The Wolverines closed the season with a victory over Amos Alonzo Stagg
's University of Chicago
Maroons
.
from Orchard Lake, Michigan. The game was played at Regents Field and ended in a 12–12 tie. Two weeks later, Michigan won the rematch between the two teams by a score of 40 to 6.
(26–10), Olivet College
(48–0), Michigan Military Academy (40–6), Adrian College
(46–0), Case
(18–8).
. Even though Michigan's team, referred to in the press as "gridiron giants," outweighed the Cornell players by an average of five pounds, the Cornell players were reported to have "greater skill and agility." Michigan had never beaten Cornell prior to 1894, and the betting in advance of the game was 5 to 1 the Cornell would win and 2 to 1 that Michigan would not score. Cornell won the game by a score of 22 to 0. The loss to Cornell was Michigan' only loss of the 1894 season.
. Michigan won the game by a score of 22 to 12. A newspaper account described the Wolverines as follows: "Michigan won the game by sheer strength. Her team is unusually heavy and her centers a stone wall."
on Regents Field in Ann Arbor. In front of 2,200 spectators, the Wolverines defeated Oberlin by a score of 14 to 6.
Field in Detroit. The Michigan players paraded down Woodward Avenue upon their arrival, with the Michigan colors "everywhere visible." Two-thousand students traveled from Ann Arbor to watch the game, as did "a considerable number of the faculty." The game was played on a cloudy and chilling afternoon, "but not too cold for football." Michigan scored a touchdown in the first half on a series of tackle plays in which Henry M. Senter
, Gustave Ferbert, Giovanni Villa, Dyer and John Bloomingston participated. Cornell followed with its own touchdown but missed the goal after touchdown. In the second half, Michigan drove the ball to Cornell's 2½ yard line, and Yont fell on the ball for a touchdown. Bloomingston kicked the goal after touchdown to make the score 12 to 4.
Villa had his leg wrenched during the game and had to leave the field. Michigan did not allow Cornell to score in the second half and won the game 12 to 4. One newspaper described the ferocity of the game as follows:
The victory was the first by a Michigan football team against one of the elite Eastern football team, and "the Michigan men went wild" as blue and yellow were "all the colors that could be seen." One newspaper wrote that the victory placed Michigan among the top programs in football: "The victory places Michigan in the position of worthy foeman of Yale, Harvard, Princeton or Pennsylvania."
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in the 1894 college football season
1894 college football season
The 1894 college football season had no clear-cut champion, with the Official NCAA Division I Football Records Book listing Penn, Princeton, and Yale as national champions....
. The team, with William McCauley
William McCauley
William Lloyd "Jerry" McCauley was the third head coach of the University of Michigan football team. McCauley was born in approximately 1871 and listed his home town as Stanley, New York. He attended preparatory school at Geneva Prep...
as head coach, compiled an 9–1–1 record and outscored its opponents by a combined score of 244 to 84. The Wolverines played a home-and-away series with Cornell, losing at Ithaca
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
and winning the second game in Detroit. The win over Cornell "marked the first time in collegiate football history that a western school defeated an established power from the east." The Wolverines closed the season with a victory over Amos Alonzo Stagg
Amos Alonzo Stagg
Amos Alonzo Stagg was an American athlete and pioneering college coach in multiple sports, primarily American football...
's University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
Maroons
Chicago Maroons
The Maroons are the intercollegiate sports teams of the University of Chicago. They are named after the color maroon, one of the school's colors. They compete in the NCAA's Division III. They are primarily members of the University Athletic Association and were co-founders of the Big Ten...
.
Schedule
Michigan 12, Michigan Military Academy 12
The Michigan football team opened the 1894 season on 6 October 1894, with its first of two games against the Michigan Military AcademyMichigan Military Academy
The Michigan Military Academy, also known as the M.M.A., was an all-boys military prep school in Orchard Lake Village, Oakland County, Michigan. It was founded in 1877 by Captain J. Sumner Rogers, and closed in 1908 due to bankruptcy...
from Orchard Lake, Michigan. The game was played at Regents Field and ended in a 12–12 tie. Two weeks later, Michigan won the rematch between the two teams by a score of 40 to 6.
Five consecutive wins
After the tie with the Michigan Military Academy, the Wolverines rolled to five consecutive by a combined score of 178 to 24. The wins came against Albion CollegeAlbion College
Albion College is a private liberal arts college located in Albion, Michigan. Related to the United Methodist Church, it was founded in 1835 and was the first private college in Michigan to have a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. It has a student population of about 1500.The school's sports teams are...
(26–10), Olivet College
Olivet College
Olivet College is a coeducational, liberal arts college located in Olivet, Michigan, United States, south of Lansing and west of Detroit. It is affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, and accredited by the North Central...
(48–0), Michigan Military Academy (40–6), Adrian College
Adrian College
Adrian College is a private, co-educational liberal arts college related to the United Methodist Church in the city of Adrian, Michigan.-Campus:The school is approximately a 45-minute drive from Ann Arbor and Toledo, Ohio, and 90 minutes from Detroit...
(46–0), Case
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
(18–8).
Cornell 22, Michigan 0
Michigan played the first of two games against Cornell on 3 November 1894, in Ithaca, New YorkIthaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
. Even though Michigan's team, referred to in the press as "gridiron giants," outweighed the Cornell players by an average of five pounds, the Cornell players were reported to have "greater skill and agility." Michigan had never beaten Cornell prior to 1894, and the betting in advance of the game was 5 to 1 the Cornell would win and 2 to 1 that Michigan would not score. Cornell won the game by a score of 22 to 0. The loss to Cornell was Michigan' only loss of the 1894 season.
Michigan 22, Kansas 12
On 10 November 1894, Michigan played on the road against Kansas University at Exposition Park in Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. Michigan won the game by a score of 22 to 12. A newspaper account described the Wolverines as follows: "Michigan won the game by sheer strength. Her team is unusually heavy and her centers a stone wall."
Michigan 14, Oberlin 6
Michigan secured its seventh win against Oberlin CollegeOberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
on Regents Field in Ann Arbor. In front of 2,200 spectators, the Wolverines defeated Oberlin by a score of 14 to 6.
Michigan 12, Cornell 4
Michigan played its second game against Cornell on 24 November 1894 – this time at the Detroit Athletic ClubDetroit Athletic Club
The Detroit Athletic Club , is a private social club and athletic club located in the heart of Detroit's theater, sports, and entertainment district. The clubhouse was designed by Albert Kahn and inspired by Rome's Palazzo Farnese. It maintains reciprocal agreements for their members at other...
Field in Detroit. The Michigan players paraded down Woodward Avenue upon their arrival, with the Michigan colors "everywhere visible." Two-thousand students traveled from Ann Arbor to watch the game, as did "a considerable number of the faculty." The game was played on a cloudy and chilling afternoon, "but not too cold for football." Michigan scored a touchdown in the first half on a series of tackle plays in which Henry M. Senter
Henry M. Senter
Henry Mortimer "Mort" Senter was an American football player and businessman. He played college football for the University of Michigan from 1893 to 1896. He was selected as a first-team All-Western end in 1895 and as captain of the 1896 team. After receiving his degree, he moved to Colombia...
, Gustave Ferbert, Giovanni Villa, Dyer and John Bloomingston participated. Cornell followed with its own touchdown but missed the goal after touchdown. In the second half, Michigan drove the ball to Cornell's 2½ yard line, and Yont fell on the ball for a touchdown. Bloomingston kicked the goal after touchdown to make the score 12 to 4.
Villa had his leg wrenched during the game and had to leave the field. Michigan did not allow Cornell to score in the second half and won the game 12 to 4. One newspaper described the ferocity of the game as follows:
"The fiercest struggle at football that ever took place on Michigan soil was the game between Michigan and Cornell universities. It was pluck against pluck, strategy against strategy, strength against strength, and Michigan developed the most strategy, had the most strength, but in pluck honors were even."
The victory was the first by a Michigan football team against one of the elite Eastern football team, and "the Michigan men went wild" as blue and yellow were "all the colors that could be seen." One newspaper wrote that the victory placed Michigan among the top programs in football: "The victory places Michigan in the position of worthy foeman of Yale, Harvard, Princeton or Pennsylvania."
Michigan 6, Chicago 4
Michigan closed its 1894 season with a trip to Chicago to place Amos Alonzo Stagg's Chicago Maroons. Two hours before kickoff a "driving sleet storm" hit the city, and when the players lined up "the grounds were better fitted for skating rink purposes rather than a gridiron." Despite the inclement weather, a large crowd turned out to watch the game. According to a newspaper account, "the grand stand and outfield were packed with yelling collegians, and the boxes and carriage rooms were well filled with society people." Michigan had been expected to "bury the Chicagos under a big score," but Chicago scored the games first touchdown (good for four points under 1894 rules) less than ten minutes into the game, but missed the try for goal after touchdown. The first half ended with the score 4 to 0 in favor of Chicago. Price of Michigan and Gale of Chicago were ejected from the game for "slugging," but otherwise no substitutes were called into the game. Halfback Gustave Ferbert scored a touchdown for Michigan late in the second half, and Bloomingston kicked the goal after touchdown. Michigan won the game by a final score of 6 to 4. One newspaper account of the game stated that Chicago had outplayed Michigan for 67 minutes, "but in three minutes victory was wrested from Capt. Stagg's men and perched on the yellow and blue banner of the college from across the lake."Starting lineup
- Ends
- Henry M. SenterHenry M. SenterHenry Mortimer "Mort" Senter was an American football player and businessman. He played college football for the University of Michigan from 1893 to 1896. He was selected as a first-team All-Western end in 1895 and as captain of the 1896 team. After receiving his degree, he moved to Colombia...
, Houghton, Michigan (age 22) - Gilmore D. Price, Fort Sheridan, Idaho
- Ralph W.E. Hayes, Galva, Illinois
- Archie Ernest Bartlett, Cardington, Ohio (reserve)
- Tackles
- Harry Graydon Hadden, Chicago, Illinois
- Giovanni R. Villa, Walla Walla, Washington (age 21)
- Jesse Grant Yont, Brock, Nebraska
- John Whitcome Reynolds, Detroit, Michigan
- Guards
- Frederick W. HenningerFrederick W. HenningerFrederick William "Pa" Henninger was an American businessman and football player and coach. He played football for the University of Michigan from 1893 to 1896 and was the captain of the 1895 team that outscored their opponents by a combined score of 266 to 14...
, Barberton, Ohio (age 21) - Bert Mather Carr, Cedar Spring, Michigan (age 23)
- Daniel Benjamin Ninde,Wayne, Indiana
- Warren Scott Rundell, Flint, Michigan
- Centers
- C.H. Smith
- Quarterbacks
- James BairdJames Baird (civil engineer)James Baird was an American civil engineer, football player and coach. He played football for the University of Michigan from 1892 to 1895 and was captain of the 1894 team. He was also an assistant football coach at Michigan from 1897 to 1898. He worked for the George A. Fuller Co. for 23 years...
, Chicago, Illinois (age 20) - George GreenleafGeorge GreenleafGeorge Franklin Greenleaf, Jr. was an American football player and medical doctor. A native of Brazil, Indiana, Greenleaf was the son of George F. Greenleaf, Sr. and Agnes Dalgleish Staines...
, Brazil, Indiana (age 20)
- Halfbacks
- Gustave Herman FerbertGustave Ferbert-Gold prospecting in Alaska:After his coaching career at Michigan, Ferbert went to Alaska to search for gold. In May 1900, amid the Klondike Gold Rush, newspapers reported that Ferbert had left Ann Arbor for Seattle, where he planned to join "High" Allen and "Count" Villa, described as "two other...
, Cleveland, Ohio (age 20) - Horace DyerHorace DyerHorace Levi Dyer was an American football player and attorney. He played at the halfback position for the 1894 Michigan Wolverines football team and was an attorney assigned to prosecute complex fraud cases from the 1900s to the 1920s.-Early years:Dyer was born in Louisiana, Missouri, in 1873,...
, St. Louis, Missouri - J. De Forest RichardsJ. De Forest RichardsJ. De Forest Richards was an American football player and banker. He was the son of the fifth Governor of Wyoming and played college football at the University of Michigan from 1894 to 1897...
(age 20) - George DygertGeorge DygertGeorge Burlingame "Dygie" Dygert was an American football player and lawyer. Dygert played college football for the University of Michigan for five years from 1890 to 1894 and was captain of the 1892 and 1893 teams...
, Ann Arbor, Michigan - Herman B. Leonard, Bloomington, Illinois
- Raynor Freund, Reserve, Montana
- Clare Leroy, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Fullbacks
- John A. BloomingstonJohn A. BloomingstonJohn Albert Bloomingston was an American attorney and football and baseball player and coach. He played at the fullback position for the University of Michigan football teams in 1894 and 1895...
, Chicago, Illinois (age 21)
- Reserves
- Phillip D. Bourland, Peoria, Illinois
- Edwin Denby, Detroit, Michigan (age 23)
- Thaddeus Loomis Farnham, Rosford, Ohio
- Neil Gates, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Willard W. Griffin, Wenona
- Evans Holbrook, Onawa, IowaOnawa, IowaOnawa is a city in Monona County, Iowa, United States. The population was 3,091 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Monona County. It is the largest town on the Iowa side of the Missouri River between Council Bluffs and Sioux City....
- Loomis Hutchinson, Ceresco, Michigan
- George A. Marston, Bay City, Michigan
- Elbert Nicholson, Kalamazoo, Michigan
- James M. Raikes, Burlington, Iowa
- Francis Welsh, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Coaching and training staff
- Coach: William McCauleyWilliam McCauleyWilliam Lloyd "Jerry" McCauley was the third head coach of the University of Michigan football team. McCauley was born in approximately 1871 and listed his home town as Stanley, New York. He attended preparatory school at Geneva Prep...
- Trainer: Keene FitzpatrickKeene FitzpatrickKeene Fitzpatrick was a track coach, athletic trainer, professor of physical training and gymnasium director for 42 years at Yale University , the University of Michigan , and Princeton University...
- Manager: Charles A. BairdCharles A. BairdCharles A. Baird was an American football manager, university athletic director, and banker.He was the manager of the University of Michigan football team from 1893 to 1895 and the school's first athletic director from 1898 to 1909. During his time as Michigan's athletic director, he was...
External links
- 1894 Football Team – Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History
- Michigan Alumnus, 1894–1895
- The Inlander, 1894-1895
- The Palladium (1895) - University of Michigan yearbook for the 1894–1895 academic year