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1904 Michigan

10–⁠0 (2–⁠0 Western Conference), coached by Fielding Yost.

Michigan, 1904
Photo: Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Schedule and results

Michigan in 1904, game by game: won vs. Case 33–0; won vs. Ohio Northern 48–0; won vs. Kalamazoo 95–0; won vs. Physicians & Surgeons 72–0; won at Ohio State 31–6; won vs. American Medical 72–0; won vs. West Virginia 130–0; won at Wisconsin 28–0; won vs. Drake 36–4; won vs. Chicago 22–12+130Won 33–0 vs. Case+33CaseWon 48–0 vs. Ohio Northern+48Ohio NorthernWon 95–0 vs. Kalamazoo+95KalamazooWon 72–0 vs. Physicians & Surgeons+72Physicians & Su…Won 31–6 at Ohio State+25Ohio StateWon 72–0 vs. American Medical+72American MedicalWon 130–0 vs. West Virginia+130West VirginiaWon 28–0 at Wisconsin+28WisconsinWon 36–4 vs. Drake+32DrakeWon 22–12 vs. Chicago+10Chicago
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Oct 1vsCaseW 33–⁠096%
Oct 5vsOhio NorthernW 48–⁠096%
Oct 8vsKalamazooW 95–⁠096%
Oct 12vsPhysicians & SurgeonsW 72–⁠096%
Oct 15atOhio StateW 31–⁠688%
Oct 19vsAmerican MedicalW 72–⁠096%
Oct 22vsWest VirginiaW 130–⁠087%
Oct 29atWisconsinW 28–⁠056%
Nov 5vsDrakeW 36–⁠485%
Nov 12vsChicagoW 22–⁠1264%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Beat Chicago 22–⁠12; Western Conference champions.

In program history: The 9th-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 140 on file).

Photographs from 1904

Photographs from the Library of Congress’s Prints & Photographs Division, with no known restrictions on publication. Captions as each collection catalogues them.

Players on this team

Before 2004 our records hold honors and the draft; these are the players whose college years here, from their Wikipedia articles or their honors, include 1904.

National championsa title the school claims

Western Conference champions2–⁠0 in the conference, shared with Minnesota

Consensus All-AmericanWillie Heston, RB

10–⁠0 and 567 points to 22, in Willie Heston’s last season.

Record
10–⁠0
Conference
2–⁠0 shared first in Western Conference
AP poll
Began in 1936
Points
567–⁠22
Coach
Fielding Yost
Elo
1771 +86 this season
SP+ rating
—
SRS
23.7 No. 5 of 81 major-college teams
Recruiting class
—
Captain
Willie Heston

1904 Western Conference standings

TeamConf.OverallAP final
Minnesota3–⁠013–⁠0
Michigan2–⁠010–⁠0
Chicago5–⁠1–⁠110–⁠1–⁠1
Illinois3–⁠1–⁠19–⁠2–⁠1
Northwestern1–⁠28–⁠2
Purdue1–⁠29–⁠3
Indiana0–⁠37–⁠4
Iowa0–⁠37–⁠4
Wisconsin0–⁠35–⁠3

Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied.