First athletic championship

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Team photo of the 1901 varsity letter winners. Captain Hugh White holds a football that notes the team’s astounding 501-0 record. (Photo courtesy of the Bentley Historical Library)

In 1901, football coach Fielding H. Yost commanded his “Point-a-Minute” Wolverines to outscore opponents 501-0, smashing the Buffalo Bulls by a whopping 128-0. Finishing the season undefeated, untied, and unscored upon, the team went on to triumph over Stanford in the first college football bowl game ever played, the Rose Bowl, 49-0. This victory is recognized as Michigan’s first athletic national championship. The season inspired the team captain to write, “The fall of 1901 will go down in the history of Michigan athletics, not only as the most successful football season the University has ever had, but also as establishing the most wonderful and unique record in the history of the game.”

— Compiled from the World Heritage Encyclopedia website

 

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