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A Quiz on Michigan Wolverines Football History

This quiz tests your knowledge of significant facts and history related to the Michigan Wolverines football program, including key players, achievements, and milestones.

#Michigan Wolverines #football #sports history #college football #Big Ten

1 The ________ is the only undefeated, untied, and unscored-upon football team to also win the Rose Bowl without being scored upon.

2 2004: ________ (also Big Ten MVP)

3 Where is Michigan Wolverines football located?

4 Most receptions, career: 252, ________ (2001–04)

5 James Hall: ________

6 Mark Campbell: ________

7 ________: Green Bay Packers

8 Tom Brady: ________

9 David Baas: ________

10 Most games with at least 100 rushing yards, season: 10, ________ (1987)

💡 Interesting Facts

  • William "King" Cole played for a national championship team at Michigan and coached Nebraska to two championships.
  • Wally Teninga played football for Michigan's undefeated 1947 and 1948 championship teams and later became vice chairman and chief financial officer of Kmart Corporation.
  • Tony Branoff became the first sophomore selected as MVP of the Michigan football team after leading the 1953 squad in scoring, handling punting duties and throwing a 66-yard touchdown pass.
  • Sid Wagner led Michigan State to their first consecutive football wins over the Michigan Wolverines and was the first player selected by the Detroit Lions in the first NFL Draft.
  • Willie Heston (pictured), rated by Knute Rockne as the greatest back of all time, helped Michigan outscore its opponents 2,326 to 40 in his four years with the team.
  • after scoring six touchdowns for Michigan against Ohio State in 1902, Albert Herrnstein became the winningest coach in Ohio State football history up to the time he retired.
  • although several Michigan Wolverines football wide receivers have eclipsed most of Jack Clancy's team records, they all have needed more games to do so.
  • although Jim Brandstatter is best known as a color commentator for the Michigan Wolverines, his father and brother both played for the rival Michigan State Spartans.
  • although Ohio State Buckeye Archie Griffin defended the Heisman Trophy in 1975, Michigan Wolverines football player Gordon Bell won the 1975 Big Ten rushing championship.
  • after watching "the greatest single play" in team history, Bob Ufer exclaimed "Johnny Wangler to Anthony Carter will be heard until another 100 years of Michigan football is played!".
  • Scott Shafer, hired in January 2008 as the Michigan Wolverines defensive coordinator, started in football as a high school and college quarterback in Ohio.
  • Roger Sherman (pictured in 1890) was accused of offering a football player $600 to play for Michigan and later served as president of the Chicago and Illinois State Bar Associations.
  • Jay Riemersma, tight end for the Michigan Wolverines, Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers, is currently a Republican candidate for Congress from West Michigan.
  • Jarrett Irons was the second freshman to lead the Michigan Wolverines football team in tackles.
  • Irwin Uteritz (pictured), "one of the lightest 'big time' quarterbacks in American football history" at 140 pounds, led Michigan to two undefeated seasons and a national championship.
  • Irving Pond (pictured) designed three National Historic Landmarks, performed a backflip on his 80th birthday, and scored the first ever touchdown for the Michigan Wolverines.
  • "Big Joe" Curtis was the starting left tackle for Michigan Wolverines football teams that outscored opponents by a combined total of 1,627 to 30 from 1903 to 1905.
  • Joe Maddock (pictured) was one of the biggest ground gainers, and played four positions, for Michigan's 1903 "Point-a-Minute" football team.
  • Mike Lantry, a Vietnam veteran and walk-on place-kicker, broke the University of Michigan record for the longest field goal twice in the same quarter.
  • Michael Taylor led Michigan to consecutive Big Ten football championships and became the school's all-time leader in passing efficiency.
  • Julius Franks was the first African-American Michigan Wolverines football player to earn All-American honors.
  • due to both lengthening seasons and freshmen eligibility, college football statistical leaders such as Michigan Wolverines football receiving or passing leaders are controversial.
  • each time Eric Kattus caught more than three receptions in a game during his Michigan Wolverines football career, at least one of them was a touchdown.
  • the Michigan Wolverines' practice of parading their live mascot Biff before matches was stopped as the animal grew larger and more ferocious.
  • the Michigan Wolverines are college football's most victorious program by total wins and percentage.
  • the Michigan Wolverines football team's records in years such as 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997 include those in field goals, school completion percentage, single-game receptions, and the largest comeback among others.
  • the Michigan Wolverines football team's many high-achievers include Tyrone Wheatley in 1993, Mike Hart in 2004, and records breaker John Navarre of the 2002 team.
  • the Michigan Wolverines, hosting the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2003, set the Big Ten Conference single-game attendance record.
  • the 1981 Rose Bowl was the first bowl victory for Michigan Wolverines football Coach Bo Schembechler – after seven prior bowl game losses.
  • when American football center Rod Payne broke his right wrist during a Michigan Wolverines football game, he started snapping the ball with his left hand.
  • university founder Andrew White prevented the Cornell Big Red football team from playing Michigan, saying "I refuse to let 40 of our boys travel 400 miles merely to agitate a bag of wind".
  • the skills of Michigan Wolverines football punter Zoltan Mesko were discovered in seventh grade gym class when he knocked out a light during a kickball game.
  • the Michigan Wolverines football team won five consecutive Big Ten Conference championships from 1988 to 1992, with six players of the 1991 team being selected in the 1992 NFL Draft.
  • rough hits from Michigan's Richard France induced Wisconsin star Pat O'Dea to slug France, leading to O'Dea's ejection from the 1899 Western Conference championship game.
  • former Michigan Wolverines rushing leader and teammate of Russell Davis, Harlan Huckleby only scored 13 touchdowns in six National Football League seasons, but three were in a single game.
  • former Michigan Wolverines football player Keith Bostic was elected by his teammates as the toughest guy on the National Football League Houston Oilers defense.
  • former Michigan Wolverines football player Dan Dworsky designed Crisler Arena, the home of Michigan Wolverines basketball.
  • former Jackson, Michigan, mayor Fred Janke was the captain of Fritz Crisler's first Michigan Wolverines football team.
  • former Michigan running back Chuck Heater coached national championship football teams at Notre Dame and Florida.
  • future U.S. President Gerald Ford waited tables at the fraternity house of Michigan halfback Herman Everhardus.
  • many of Bo Schembechler's assistant coaches at Michigan, including Milan Vooletich, Jerry Hanlon, Tirrel Burton, and Dick Hunter, had previously coached at Miami of Ohio, the "Cradle of Coaches".
  • in the years 1998, 2000 and 2001, the Michigan Wolverines football team led the Big Ten Conference in different areas including total defense, passing efficiency and turnover margin.
  • in the 1947 college football rankings, southern voters refused to vote for the integrated Michigan Wolverines football team with black stars such as Gene Derricotte.
  • Howard Yerges began his football career with the Ohio State Buckeyes and finished it as the quarterback of Michigan's 1947 "Mad Magicians" national championship team.
  • Hercules Renda was described as a "midget from the hills of West Virginia" who "ran, squirmed and tackled" his way into the hearts of Michigan football fans in the 1930s.
  • Michigan end Curtis Redden (pictured) died in World War I after he had described the night sky over the battlefield as "weird, hideous, fascinating, sublime".
  • Michigan end Bernard Kirk, who Knute Rockne called the "apple of my eye," died of complications from a fractured skull days after being named an All-American in December 1922.
  • Michigan center "Bubbles" Paterson was the namesake of an award recognizing academic achievement by football players.
  • Michigan Wolverines football player Obi Ezeh was invited to try out for the United States national rugby union team.
  • Michigan fullback Everett Sweeley set a college football record in 1902 when he kicked the ball 86 yards.
  • Michigan fullback Mel Anthony set a Rose Bowl record with an 84-yard touchdown run in 1965.
  • Michigan halfback Tom Kuzma was described as "a smacker from Smackersville".
  • Michigan halfback Ted Kress set a Big Ten single-game rushing record with 218 yards in his second conference game.
  • Michigan halfback Paul Magoffin later coached the George Washington "Hatchetites" on the White House Ellipse.
  • Michigan Wolverines football player Jim Pace not only won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the Most Valuable Player in the Big Ten Conference, but also won the Big Ten 60-yard indoor dash title.
  • Michigan Wolverines football player Bill Yearby was an All-American football player as well as a champion shot putter who the coaches felt could have starred for the Wolverines basketball team.
  • All-American fullback Bill Daley is the only person ever to win Little Brown Jug games playing for both Minnesota and Michigan.
  • American football guard Dean Dingman was only the third true freshman to start on the Michigan Wolverines football offensive line.
  • 1933 Michigan Wolverines football All-Americans Ted Petoskey and Whitey Wistert debuted for the Major League Baseball Cincinnati Reds two days apart in September 1934.
  • 1949 Michigan football MVP Dick Kempthorn later flew more than 100 missions as a jet fighter pilot in the Korean War and received the Distinguished Flying Cross.
  • All-American Bump Elliott and his brother Pete Elliott played halfback and quarterback for the Michigan football team that beat the USC Trojans 49-0 in the Rose Bowl 60 years ago on 1 Jan. 1948.
  • All-American footballer Paul G. Goebel (pictured) recommended Gerald Ford to the coach of the Michigan football team and later urged Ford to run for Congress.
  • Michigan Wolverines football offensive lineman Stephen Schilling was unable to play organized youth football due to his large size.
  • Michigan Wolverines football defensive end Brandon Graham was captain of his U.S. Army All-American Bowl team.
  • Fritz Crisler called George Ceithaml, quarterback of the Michigan Wolverines's single-wing offense from 1941 to 1942, "the smartest player he ever taught".
  • Michigan linebacker Tony Momsen blocked a Vic Janowicz punt and recovered it in the endzone for the only touchdown in the famed 1950 Snow Bowl game.
  • Michigan quarterback James Baird supervised the construction of the Flatiron Building (video right), the Lincoln Memorial, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
  • "Pa" Henninger, captain of the 1895 Michigan football team that outscored its opponents 266 to 14, was twice named to all-time All-Michigan teams.
  • Stu Wilkins, an offensive guard on Michigan's 1947 "Mad Magicians" team, was a leader in establishing the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his hometown of Canton, Ohio.
  • Dennis Franklin was the first African American quarterback for the Michigan Wolverines football team.
  • Dennis Fitzgerald won a gold medal in wrestling at the 1963 Pan American Games, and set the Michigan Wolverines football record with a 99-yard kickoff return.
  • Garland Rivers was the only true freshman to earn a varsity letter on the 1983 Michigan Wolverines football team.
  • Garrett Rivas, a placekicker, is the all-time leading scorer in Michigan Wolverines football history.
  • George Lilja once played a Michigan Wolverines football game wearing another player's jersey, confusing many of his fans.
  • George Hoey still holds Michigan Wolverines football career, and single-season records 40 years after his best season.
  • Gaylord Stinchcomb, one of the stars of Ohio State's first football victory over Michigan, also won the 1921 NCAA championship in the broad jump.
  • Dennis Brown broke the Big Ten single game total offense record in his first start and set the Michigan football record for career passing yards.
  • Cliff Sparks, hailed in 1916 as "eel-like," a "whirlwind" and "the greatest quarterback Michigan ever has had," punted by forcefully throwing the ball at his uprising foot.
  • Michigan's All-American quarterback Archie Weston (pictured) was once tackled during a game by an irate female fan.
  • Michigan's James Duffy (pictured) played seven years of college football and set a world record by drop kicking a football 168 feet, 7-1/2 inches.
  • Michigan's 1892/1893 captain George Dygert (pictured) played professional football for a Butte, Montana, team sponsored by mine owners that defeated teams from Denver and San Francisco.
  • Michigan's "chunky fullback," "Bullet Bob" Westfall, known for his "spinner play," was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987.
  • quarterback Don Moorhead set 24 Michigan Wolverines football records from 1969 to 1970, including career records for total offense and passing yards.
  • quarterback Mark Vlasic was injured when, after Iowa beat Michigan on a last second field goal, a mob tore down the goalpost in celebration.
  • Brett Swenson of Michigan State, one of college football's top placekickers, was passed over for the 2008 Lou Groza Award after missing three consecutive field goals against Michigan.
  • Boss Weeks was quarterback of Fielding H. Yost's "Point-a-Minute" University of Michigan football teams in 1901–1902 that outscored opponents 1,211 to 12.
  • Bob Timberlake, an unsuccessful placekicker for the New York Giants who made only 1 of 15 field goal attempts in his NFL career, was an award-winning quarterback for the Michigan Wolverines before he was drafted in 1965.
  • "Canonsburgh Comet" Leo Koceski, halfback for Michigan's 1948 national championship and 1950 Rose Bowl championship teams, was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.
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