The 1904 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1904 Western Conference football season. In the team's fourth season under head coach Fielding H. Yost, the Wolverines compiled a perfect 10–0 record and outscored opponents 567–22. The 1904 team was the fourth of Yost's legendary "Point-a-Minute" teams. Michigan's games were of varying length from 22½ minutes to 70 minutes. Over the course of ten games, Michigan played 476 minutes of football and averaged a point scored for every 50.3 seconds played. The team included future College Football Hall of Fame inductee Willie Heston, who scored 20 touchdowns for 100 points that season; touchdowns were worth five points under 1904 rules.
Michigan opened the 1904 college football season on October 1 with a 33–0 win over Cleveland's Case School of Applied Science. The game was played in 20-minute halves, and the Wolverines scored 22 points in the first half. Numerous substitutions were made at half-time, and the backup players added 11 points in the second half. FullbackFrank Longman scored three touchdowns in the game, and Willie Heston, Walter Rheinschild, and Joe Curtis scored one touchdown each. Tom Hammond converted three extra point kicks. Heston's touchdown came on a 75-yard run. Case managed only one first down in the game.
The Michigan players appearing in the game were: John Garrels (left end), Joe Curtis (left tackle), Henry Schulte (left guard), Ted Hammond (starting center), Germany Schulz (right guard), Roy Beechler (starting right tackle and substitute at center), Smull (substitute at right tackle), Tom Hammond (starting right end), Harry Patrick (substitute at right end), Fred Norcross (starting quarterback and substitute at right halfback), Walter Becker (substitute at quarterback), Willie Heston (starting left halfback), William Dennison Clark (substitute at left halfback), Ted Stuart (starting right halfback), James DePree (substitute at right halfback), Frank Longman (starting fullback), and Walter Rheinschild (substitute at fullback).
Player
Position
Starter
Touchdowns
Extra points
Field goals
Points
Longman
Fullback
Yes
3
0
0
15
Heston
Left halfback
Yes
1
0
0
5
Curtis
Left tackle
Yes
1
0
0
5
Rheinschild
Fullback
No
1
0
0
5
Tom Hammond
Right end
No
0
3
0
3
Total
--
--
6
3
0
33
Michigan 48, Ohio Northern 0
In the second game of the 1904 season, Michigan defeated Ohio Northern, 38–0, in a game consisting of halves of 20 and 15 minutes. Willie Heston scored three touchdowns and had runs of 45, 32, 35 and 30 yards.
Player
Position
Starter
Touchdowns
Extra points
Field goals
Points
Heston
Left halfback
Yes
3
0
0
15
Tom Hammond
Right end
Yes
0
5
2
13
H. Hammond
Fullback
Yes
2
0
0
10
Clark
Fullback
No
1
0
0
5
Hal Weeks
Right halfback
No
1
0
0
5
Total
--
--
7
5
2
48
Michigan 95, Kalamazoo 0
In the third game of the season, Michigan defeated Kalamazoo College, 95–0, in a game consisting of two 20-minute halves. Heston scored six touchdowns and had long touchdown runs of 65, 70, 85 and 65 yards.
Player
Position
Starter
Touchdowns
Extra points
Field goals
Points
Heston
Left halfback
Yes
6
0
0
30
H. Hammond
Fullback
Yes
5
0
0
25
Tom Hammond
Right tackle
Yes
0
15
0
15
Patrick
Left tackle
No
2
0
0
10
Hal Weeks
Right halfback
No
1
0
0
5
Clark
Right end
No
1
0
0
5
Schulte
Center
Yes
1
0
0
5
Total
--
--
16
15
0
95
Michigan 72, Physicians & Surgeons 0
In the fourth game of the season, Michigan defeated the Physicians & Surgeons team 72–0 in a short mid-week game lasting only 22½ minutes, a 15-minute first half and a 7½ minute second half. Quarterback Fred Norcross scored four touchdowns, and Heston scored three. Norcross had touchdown runs of 67, 35 and 90 yards.
Player
Position
Starter
Touchdowns
Extra points
Field goals
Points
Tom Hammond
Right tackle
Yes
2
12
0
22
Norcross
Quarterback
Yes
4
0
0
20
Heston
Left halfback
Yes
3
0
0
15
Curtis
Left tackle
Yes
1
0
0
5
Clark
Right end
Yes
1
0
0
5
H. Hammond
Right halfback
Yes
1
0
0
5
Total
--
--
12
12
0
72
Michigan 31, Ohio State 6
Michigan defeated Ohio State, 31–6, in a game consisting of 30-minute halves in Columbus, Ohio. Heston scored three touchdowns, bringing his season total to 16.
Player
Position
Starter
Touchdowns
Extra points
Field goals
Points
Heston
Left halfback
Yes
3
0
0
15
Tom Hammond
Right tackle
Yes
0
3
2
11
H. Hammond
Right halfback
Yes
1
0
0
5
Total
--
--
4
3
2
31
Michigan 72, American Medical School 0
For its sixth game of the season, Michigan played a short mid-week game against the American Medical School. The game consisted of a 20-minute first half and a 3½ minute second half. Right halfback Clark led the scoring with four touchdowns. Weeks scored three touchdowns. Heston was limited to a single touchdown.
Player
Position
Starter
Touchdowns
Extra points
Field goals
Points
Clark
Right halfback
Yes
4
0
0
20
Hal Weeks
Fullback
Yes
3
0
0
15
Curtis
Left tackle
Yes
1
5
0
10
Magoffin
Left halfback
No
1
2
0
7
Carter
Right guard
Yes
1
0
0
5
Heston
Left halfback
Yes
1
0
0
5
Rheinschild
Left end
No
1
0
0
5
Patrick
Left tackle
No
1
0
0
5
Total
--
--
13
7
0
72
Michigan 130, West Virginia 0
The most lopsided score in Michigan football history. In a game consisting of 25 and 20-minute halves, the Wolverines scored 22 touchdowns and 20 extra points (which would have resulted in a margin of 152-0 under modern scoring rules). Joe Curtis alone accounted for 49 points with six touchdowns and 19 extra points. The undefeated 1904 team won Michigan's fourth national championship and scored 567 points in 476 minutes of football, averaging a point every 50.3 seconds. For the first time in the 1904 season, Heston did not score.
Player
Position
Starter
Touchdowns
Extra points
Field goals
Points
Curtis
Left tackle
Yes
6
19
0
49
Norcross
Quarterback
Yes
5
0
0
25
Clark
Fullback
Yes
3
0
0
15
Magoffin
Right halfback
Yes
2
1
0
11
Graham
Right tackle
Yes
1
0
0
5
Patrick
Right tackle
No
1
0
0
5
H. Hammond
Right end
Yes
1
0
0
5
Schulte
Left guard
Yes
1
0
0
5
Carter
Right guard
Yes
1
0
0
5
Becker
Quarterback
No
1
0
0
5
Total
--
--
22
20
0
130
Michigan 28, Wisconsin 0
Michigan played its first full-length game (two 35-minute halves) of the season against Wisconsin. Michigan won the game, 28–0. Heston and Carter each scored two touchdowns, and Norcross added another.
Player
Position
Starter
Touchdowns
Extra points
Field goals
Points
Heston
Left halfback
Yes
2
0
0
10
Carter
Right guard
Yes
2
0
0
10
Norcross
Quarterback
Yes
1
0
0
5
Tom Hammond
Right halfback
Yes
0
2
0
2
Curtis
Left tackle
Yes
0
1
0
1
Total
--
--
5
3
0
28
Michigan 36, Drake 4
In its ninth game, Michigan defeated the team from Drake by a score of 36–4. The game was played in two 25-minute halves. Curtis led the scoring with 16 points on two touchdowns and six extra point kicks. Willie Heston did not play in the game.
Player
Position
Starter
Touchdowns
Extra points
Field goals
Points
Curtis
Left tackle
Yes
2
6
0
16
Carter
Right guard
Yes
2
0
0
10
Stuart
Right end
Yes
1
0
0
5
Tom Hammond
Right halfback
Yes
1
0
0
5
Total
--
--
6
6
0
36
Michigan 22, Chicago 12
Michigan concluded an undefeated season with a 22–12 win over the University of Chicago on November 12. The game, played in 35-minute halves, featured several College Football Hall of Fame inductees, including Walter Eckersall and Hugo Bezdek for Chicago and Willie Heston and Germany Schulz for Michigan. Heston, Eckersall and Bezdek each scored single touchdowns, but the lead scorer was Michigan's Tom Hammond with 17 points on three touchdowns and two extra points. Heston finished the season with 20 touchdowns for 100 points.
Player
Position
Starter
Touchdowns
Extra points
Field goals
Points
Tom Hammond
Right halfback
Yes
3
2
0
17
Heston
Left halfback
Yes
1
0
0
5
Total
--
--
4
2
0
22
Players
Varsity letter winners
The following 13 players received varsity "M" letters for their participation on the 1904 football team:[1]
^Albert Horr Montgomery, born September 8, 1882, in Chicago. Graduate of University of Michigan, 1905, AB. Rush Medical College, Chicago, 1907. Professor of surgery at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. Clinical Professor of Surgery at Rushc Medical College. Co-founder of the American Board of Surgery. Retired in 1946 as Chief of Surgical Department at Children's Memorial Hospital. Died January 31, 1948. See obituary.
