The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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ward putting up a fifth straight unbeaten cam- paign. The Wolverines outscored their opposi- tion 495-0 in the first dozen games that year. Then they traveled to Chicago, and saw their 56-game unbeaten streak stiff-armed in stun- ning fashion, 2-0, by Stagg's greatest team. The cold, gray atmosphere proved to mirror Michigan's outlook after that one, and Yost had to wait until 1918 for a return trip to Chicago. "Yost arrived at Michigan in 1901, and Stagg had arrived at Chicago in 1892," Rosiek said. "The Michigan-Chicago series was a big deal. That's the equivalent of Woody versus Bo for many years. In 1898, when we won there on the last game of the season, 'The Victors' was written. Stagg was the coach of that team and was at Chicago for 41 years." Some 8,000 fans crowded around Stagg Field in Chicago. Only 2,000 of them came to cheer on the Wolverines, and reports noted they were noisier than the home rooters. Then again, they had more reason to get loud. Michigan posted its second straight shut- out, knocking off Stagg's crew 13-0. A punt- ing exhibition between Steketee and Chi- cago's Charles Elton finally broke open, in a most unlikely fashion. The aforementioned lineman — who would repeatedly find himself in the right place at the right time in 1918 — proved a difference maker in Michigan's first game back in the Western Conference. Angus Goetz blocked a field goal attempt, scooped up the football and ran it back 55 yards for a touchdown. Michigan, and certainly Yost, enjoyed the sojourn back from the Windy City with a tailwind and a 2-0 record. Michigan was originally supposed to play Cornell in the next contest, but that one got canceled. Instead, Syracuse came to Ferry Field, billed as one of college football's best teams in 1918. Syracuse, in fact, lost only one game all season. But it was this one, with the Wolver- ines recording a third consecutive shutout (15-0) at their home venue. An estimated crowd of 10,000 witnessed Michigan's All-American freshman enjoy a sterling afternoon at Syracuse's expense. Steketee booted three field goals, as well as picking off a pass and returning it 20 yards for a touchdown. Next up — a showdown against Michigan Agricultural, following the game's earlier postponement. Then, as now, this one car- ried a bit of an edge to it. Michigan was originally slated to play Minnesota on Nov. 23, but school officials canceled the game and replaced it with the delayed Michigan Agricultural contest. Some 15,000 showed, Rosiek noted. "That was a key game," he said. It proved crucial in a couple of ways. One, the Wolverines extended their perfect record to 4-0 with a 21-6 win on Homecoming at Ferry Field. Second, Michigan Agricultural put the only points on the board that the Wolverines surrendered on the year. Goetz struck again in this one, picking up a fumble and rumbling 20 yards into the end zone for a key score. Fullback Abe Cohn also found the end zone, and quarterback Ken Knode bolted away for a 30-yard touchdown. That left a single contest remaining, at Ohio State. The Wolverines had never lost to the Buckeyes, going 12-0-2 in the opening 14 games of the series. Plenty of conference pride and swagger also came into play. Illinois — considered one of the best teams in the Western Conference — had already beaten OSU 13-0. Michigan did them one better. The Wolver- ines won 14-0 before 7,000 at Ohio Field. A frigid afternoon in Ohio saw U-M's unbeaten streak against the Buckeyes reach 15 games, and Yost's crew complete a 5-0 campaign. The game wasn't an easy one, by any means. It remained scoreless until midway in the fourth quarter. Then — who else? — Goetz blocked a punt and dove on it in the OSU end zone for a touchdown. Moments later, Steketee fired a 10-yard touchdown pass to left end Bob Dunne to put the game away. The Aftermath The season ended on that high note — or did it? For a while, Michigan officials weren't sure. There had been scrambling even before the Ohio State game to try to get the Illini and the Wolverines together, according to Rosiek. "The Big Ten season was supposed to have closed the 23rd of November," Rosiek mentioned. "Illinois, which was the other really good team in the conference, finished its season on the 23rd. In conference play, they were 4-0. "Michigan was only 1-0, having defeated Chicago. There were Illinois alumni in Chi- cago clamoring to have the rescheduled Michigan-Ohio State game canceled, and replaced with Michigan playing Illinois for the championship, since both teams were undefeated in the conference." That subbed-in Michigan-Illinois contest never came about, leaving the Wolverines (2-0), Illini (4-0) and Purdue (1-0) all unde- feated in the conference. "So there was some controversy over who was champion," Rosiek said. Michigan offered to settle the controversy, at least among the two teams perceived to be the best in the conference. U-M officials offered to play a postseason game Dec. 7 against the Illini to determine the champion. "Illinois declined that invitation, owing to bad weather, which may have been an ex- cuse to not play," Rosiek postulated. "A good guess would be, when Michigan whipped Ohio by a point worse than Illinois did, they got cold feet." As it was, the Wolverines won all five games they played, claiming a share of the Michigan's 1918 Season National Champions, Conference Champions Coach: Fielding H. Yost Captain: Elton "Tad" Wieman Date Opponent Site Result Oct. 5 Case H W, 33-0 Nov. 9 Chicago A W, 13-0 Nov. 16 Syracuse H W, 15-0 Nov. 23 Michigan Agricultural H W, 21-6 Nov. 30 Ohio State A W, 14-0 Left tackle Angus Goetz was more than just a standout lineman. He routinely found himself in the right place at the right time, such as when he blocked a punt and landed on it in the end zone for the first score in a 14-0 win over Ohio State. PHOTO COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN ATHLETICS 34 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW