Michigan Wolverines Football Facts & History
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- National Championships: The Wolverines lay claim to 11 national titles
with their first one being gained in 1901 when Fielding Yost's squad posted an
11-0 record and won the Rose Bowl. Yost went on to coach 5 more national
championship seasons from the Wolverines sideline in (1902, 1903, 1904,
1918 and 1923). Additional national championships have been coached by
Harry Kipke (1932 & 1933), Fritz Crisler (1947), Bennie Oosterbaan (1948) and
Lloyd Carr (1997).
- Number of Michigan undefeated football seasons - 12: The school's first
undefeated mark took place in 1879. Since then the Maize and Blue has
avoided any losses in the following years: (1880, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1898,
1910, 1922, 1930, 1973 and 1992).
- Michigans first bowl game - 1902 Rose Bowl: Played on January 1, following
the 1901 season. Michigan beat Stanford 49-0
- Most coaching wins by a Wolverines football coach - Bo Schembechler: From
1969-1989, the beloved University of Michigan head coach directed 194 wins vs.
a mere 48 losses and 5 ties. Schembechler posted a .796 win percentage.
- Number of Michigan Heisman Trophy winners - 3: Tom Harmon won the
award in 1940, Desmond Howard gained the trophy in 1991 and Charles
Woodson gained Heisman fame in 1997.
- Michigan Wolverines in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: George Allen, Len Ford,
Bill Hewit, Dan Diedorf, Benny Hewitt, Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch, Tom Mack,
Ralph Wilson.
- Michigan vs. Ohio State Rivalry: Known as "The Game" by many that follow this
heated rivalry. ESPN dubbed this annual slug fest in 2000 as the "Greatest
North American Sports Rivalry." Michigan leads the rivalry that was first played in
1897.
- Michigan Wolverine football uniforms: Made famous by the school's winged
helmets and Maize and Blue Colors. The winged helmet design was brought to
the University of Michigan in 1938 by new Head Football Fritz Crisler who had
used a similar design at his previous coaching stint Princeton. The helmet
design was thought to assist passers in spotting their teammates downfield.
- Michigan fight song: "The Victors". Known as of college football's best fight
songs, The Victors was penned in 1898 by UM student Louis Elbel just after a
nail-biting win over the University of Chicago.
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