1951 Michigan Wolverines football team

The 1951 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1951 Big Ten Conference football season. In its fourth year under head coach Bennie Oosterbaan, Michigan compiled a 4–5 record (4–2 against conference opponents), finished in fourth place in the Big Ten, and outscored opponents by a combined total of 135 to 122.[1][2]

1951 Michigan Wolverines football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
1951 record4–5 (4–2 Big Ten)
Head coachBennie Oosterbaan (4th season)
MVPDon Peterson
CaptainBill Putich
Home stadiumMichigan Stadium
1951 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 4 Illinois $ 5 –0 –1  9 –0 –1
Purdue 4 –1 –0  5 –4 –0
No. 8 Wisconsin 5 –1 –1  7 –1 –1
Michigan 4 –2 –0  4 –5 –0
Ohio State 2 –2 –2  4 –3 –2
Northwestern 2 –4 –0  5 –4 –0
Minnesota 1 –4 –1  2 –6 –1
Indiana 1 –5 –0  2 –7 –0
Iowa 0 –5 –1  2 –5 –2
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

Left halfback/quarterback Bill Putich was the team captain, and fullback Don Peterson received the team's most valuable player award.[2]

Halfback/safety Lowell Perry was selected by the Central Press Association as a second-team player on the 1951 College Football All-America Team.[3] Three Michigan players received All-Big Ten honors: Lowell Perry (AP-1, UP-1); offensive tackle Tom Johnson (AP-1, UP-1); and linebacker Roger Zatkoff (AP-1).[4][5]

The team's statistical leaders included Bill Putich with 390 passing yards, Don Peterson with 549 rushing yards, and Lowell Perry with 395 receiving yards.[6]

Schedule
DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 29No. 2 Michigan State*No. 17
L 0–2597,239[7]
October 6Stanford*
  • Michigan Stadium
  • Ann Arbor, MI
L 13–2357,200[8]
October 13Indiana
  • Michigan Stadium
  • Ann Arbor, MI
W 33–1461,100[9]
October 20at Iowa
W 21–053,050[10]
October 27Minnesota
W 54–2786,200[11]
November 3at No. 3 IllinoisNo. 15
L 0–771,119[12]
November 10at Cornell*
L 7–2035,300[13]
November 17Northwestern
  • Michigan Stadium
  • Ann Arbor, MI
L 0–658,300[14]
November 24Ohio State
  • Michigan Stadium
  • Ann Arbor, MI (rivalry)
W 7–095,000[15]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game

Statistical leaders

Michigan's individual statistical leaders for the 1951 season include those listed below.[6][16]

Rushing
PlayerAttemptsNet yardsYards per attemptTouchdowns
Don Peterson1525493.64
Wes Bradford643485.42
Bill Putich1152682.33

Passing
PlayerAttemptsCompletionsInterceptionsComp %YardsYds/CompTDLong
Bill Putich7732741.639012.2255
Don Peterson136346.118430.7143
Ted Topor269234.617119.0271

Receiving
PlayerReceptionsYardsYds/RecpTDLong
Lowell Perry1639524.7371
Frederick Pickard1020420.4255
Ted Topor9819.00

Kickoff returns
PlayerReturnsYardsYds/ReturnTDLong
Bill Putich38829.3036
Ted Topor37224.0027
Don Oldham35217.30

Punt returns
PlayerReturnsYardsYds/ReturnTDLong
Lowell Perry1719711.6175
Bill Putich11716.500
Merritt Green11010.0010

Personnel

Letter winners

The following 36 players received varsity letters for their participation on the 1951 team.[17] Players who started at least four games are shown with their names in bold.[2]

  • James T. Balog, 6'3", 210 pounds, sophomore, Wheaton, IL - tackle
  • Bruce A. Bartholomew, 6'3", 200 pounds, junior, Detroit - tackle
  • Richard A. Beison, 6'0", 200 pounds, sophomore, East Chicago, IN - guard
  • Donald C. Bennett, 6'2", 195 pounds, sophomore, Chicago - center
  • William E. Billings, 5'11", 180 pounds, junior, Flint, MI - quarterback
  • Wes Bradford, 5'6", 155 pounds, junior, Troy, OH – started 6 games at right halfback
  • Robert W. Dingman, 6'0", 180 pounds, senior, Saginaw, MI - end
  • Donald R. Dugger, 5'10", 180 pounds, junior, Charleston, WV – started 5 games at defensive left guard, 1 game at offensive left guard
  • Merritt Green, 6'0", 180 pounds, junior, Toledo, OH – started 9 games at defensive left end
  • Frank Howell, 5'8", 160 pounds, junior, Muskegon Heights, MI - running back
  • Tom Johnson, 6'2", 227 pounds, Muskegon Heights, MI – started 9 games at left tackle (offense and defense)
  • Ray Thomas Kelsey, 6'2", 195 pounds, senior, Lakewood, OH - guard
  • Peter Kinyon, 5'11", 190 pounds, senior, Ann Arbor, MI – started 7 games at offensive left guard, 1 game at offensive right guard
  • Eugene Knutson, 6'4", 210 pounds, sophomore, Beloit, WI - end
  • Laurence LeClaire, 6'0", 190 pounds, junior, Anaconda, MT - fullback
  • Robert Matheson, Detroit - guard
  • Duncan McDonald, 6'0", 175 pounds, freshman, Flint, MI - quarterback
  • Don Oldham, 5'9", 166 pounds, junior, Indianapolis – started 7 games at defensive back, 1 game at left halfback
  • Dick O'Shaughnessy, 5'11", 190 pounds, sophomore, Seaford, NY – started 9 games at center
  • Russ Osterman, 5'11", 170 pounds, senior, Baraga, MI – started 9 games at defensive right end
  • Ben Pederson, 6'2", 215 pounds, junior, Marquette, MI – started 8 games at right tackle
  • Lowell Perry, 6'0", 178 pounds, junior, Ypsilanti, MI – started 8 games at offensive left end, 1 game at right halfback, 3 games at safety
  • Don Peterson, 5'11", 175 pounds, senior, Racine, MI – started 7 games at fullback
  • Fred Pickard, 6'2", 190 pounds, senior, Grand Rapids, MI – started 8 games at offensive right end
  • Bill Putich, 5'9", 170 pounds, senior, Cleveland, OH – started 6 games at left halfback, 2 games at quarterback, 6 games at safety
  • Russell G. Rescorla, 6'0", 180 pounds, junior, Grand Haven, MI - fullback
  • Leo Schlicht, 6'4", 210 pounds, freshman, Madison, WI - fullback
  • Thad Stanford, 6'0", 170 pounds, sophomore, Midland, MI - end
  • Ralph Stribe,[18] 6'1", 200 pounds, junior, Detroit – started 7 games at offensive right tackle
  • Robert Timm, 5'11", 185 pounds, junior, Toledo, OH – started 9 games at defensive right guard
  • David Tinkham, 5'10", 170 pounds, junior, East Grand Rapids, MI – started 9 games at defensive back, 2 games at left halfback
  • Ted Topor, 6'1", 215 pounds, junior, East Chicago, IN – started 7 games at quarterback, 8 games at linebacker
  • Thomas Witherspoon, 5'11", 177 pounds, junior, Detroit – started 1 game at fullback
  • Jim Wolter, 6'0", 190 pounds, senior, Ypsilanti, MI – started 8 games at offensive right guard, 1 game at offensive left guard
  • Donald M. Zanfagna, 5'10", 175 pounds, sophomore, Providence, RI
  • Roger Zatkoff, 6'2", 210 pounds, junior, Hamtramck, MI – started 9 games at linebacker, 1 game at fullback

Coaching staff

Michigan's 1951 coaching, training, and support staff included the following persons.[2]

Awards and honors

Honors and awards for the 1951 season went to the following individuals.[2]

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References
  1. "1951 Michigan Wolverines Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  2. "1951 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  3. Walter Johns (December 5, 1951). "2 Coast Players on CP All-American Team". Long Beach Press-Telegram.
  4. "Coaches Select All-Big Ten Team". The Ludington Daily News. November 26, 1951.
  5. "UP Big Ten Team". The Pantagraph. November 21, 1951. p. 10.
  6. "1951 Michigan Wolverines Statistics". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  7. "MSC Writes Finis to U-M Reign, 25-0". Detroit Free Press. September 30, 1951. pp. 1C, 3C – via Newspapers.com.
  8. Hal Middlesworth (October 7, 1951). "M Falls Again, 23-13: Wolverines Get First Touchdown". Detroit Free Press. pp. 1C, 4C – via Newspapers.com.
  9. Hal Middlesworth (October 14, 1951). "Michigan Swaggers: Wolverines Ramble Past Indiana, 33-14". Detroit Free Press. pp. 1C, 4C – via Newspapers.com.
  10. Bert McGrane (October 21, 1951). "Record 53,050 See Iowa Bow, 21-0". The Des Moines Register. p. 3S – via Newspapers.com.
  11. Lyall Smith (October 28, 1951). "M Doubles Up Gophers, 54-27". Detroit Free Press. pp. 1C, 2C – via Newspapers.com.
  12. Wilfrid Smith (November 4, 1951). "Illinois Passes Beat Michigan, 7 To 0". Chicago Tribune. pp. II-1, II-7 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. George Beahon (November 11, 1951). "Inspired Cornell Routs Michigan, 20-7, with 2nd Half Rally". Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. p. 1D – via Newspapers.com.
  14. Hal Middlesworth (November 18, 1951). "'Cats Make U-M Mighty Miserable, 6-0". Detroit Free Press. pp. 1C, 2C – via Newspapers.com.
  15. Hal Middlesworth (November 25, 1951). "Ending Perfect for U-M: Bennie Still Has What It Takes to Beat OSU". Detroit Free Press. pp. 1C, 3C – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "Michigan Football Statistic Archive Query Page". University of Michigan. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2017.(statistics retrieved by entering "1951" in the box for "Games & Totals by Season" and then, at the next screen, choosing "Display Season Totals")
  17. "36 Gridders Get Letters". The Michigan Daily. November 27, 1951. p. 3 – via Bentley Historical Library.
  18. Ralph C. Stribe, Jr., born on March 12, 1928, died December 24, 2010. Graduated from UM 1953 with a degree in religion and ethics. Served as pastor of the Church of Our Saviour in Birmingham, Michigan, chairman of the general council of the Presbyterian Synod of Michigan, and a member of the Board of Trustees of Alma College.
  19. Arch Ward (December 9, 1951). "PLAYERS NAME 1951 ALL-AMERICA TEAMS". Chicago Daily Tribune. Archived from the original on 2012-03-03. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
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