The 1938 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1938 Big Ten Conference football season. After the firing of Harry Kipke in December 1937, Fritz Crisler took over as Michigan's head coach in February 1938. In the first year of the Crisler era, the Wolverines compiled a 6–1–1 record and outscored opponents 131 to 40, allowing an average of only five points per game. The team's only setbacks were a 7-6 loss to Minnesota and a scoreless tie with Northwestern. The Wolverines finished the season ranked No. 16 in the final AP Poll. In the post-season rankings compiled by Frank Dickinson, the University of Illinois professor who developed the Dickinson System, Michigan ranked sixth in the country.
Michigan's senior guard Ralph Heikkinen was a unanimous All-American in 1938. He also won Michigan's Most Valuable Player award and finished second to Howard Weiss in close voting for both the Chicago Tribune Silver Football trophy as the most valuable player in the Big Ten Conference.
Three Wolverines, Ralph Heikkinen, halfback Tom Harmon and quarterback Forest Evashevski, were selected as first-team players on the 1938 All-Big Ten Conference football team. Senior tackle Fred Janke was the captain of the 1938 Michigan team.
Schedule
Season summary
Coaching change Harry Kipke was fired as Michigan's head coach on December 9, 1937. By mid-January 1938, attention focused on Princeton head coach Fritz Crisler as a likely replacement for Kipke. On February 9, 1938, Crisler announced his resignation at Princeton in order to assume the head coaching position at Michigan. Crisler had played at the end position for Amos Alonzo Stagg at the University of Chicago and had thereafter served for eight years as an assistant coach under Stagg and later as a head coach at the University of Minnesota (1930–1931) and Princeton (1932–1937).
After his hiring, Crisler began filling out his coaching staff as follows: On February 21, 1938, Crisler hired Earl Martineau as his backfield coach at Michigan, assuming the position previously held by Wally Weber. Martineau had been Crisler's backfield coach at Princeton for six years. On February 23, 1938, Crisler announced the hiring of Campbell Dickson as an assistant coach, replacing Bennie Oosterbaan in coaching the team's ends. Campbell played at the University of Chicago while Crisler was an assistant coach there, served as an assistant coach with Crisler after graduating in 1924, and was Crisler's ends coach at Princeton from 1932 to 1938. On March 1, 1938, Michigan announced the hiring of Biggie Munn as an assistant coach, replacing Hunk Anderson in coaching Michigan's linemen. Munn had been an All-American guard for Crisler at Minnesota in 1931. He was a line coach at Syracuse before being hired by Michigan.
Preseason Prior to the hiring of Crisler, Michigan had compiled a 10–22 record in the four years from 1934 to 1937 and had lost four consecutive games to each of its principal rivals, Michigan State, Minnesota and Ohio State. Crisler's arrival led to optimism that Michigan's "era of humiliation" was at an end. At the end of the 1937 season, left tackle Fred Janke from Jackson, Michigan, was chosen by his teammates to serve as captain of the 1938 Michigan football team.
On March 21, 1938, Crisler and his new coaching staff were formally introduced to Michigan's student body at a rally that drew a crowd of 4,500 persons. Crisler told the students he had no "promises or predictions" but pledged that he would make "unqualified demands of 100 percent physical and moral courage" on his team. Later that month, with enthusiasm surrounding the hiring of Crisler, a record 115 candidates registered for Michigan's spring practice.
As fall practice got underway, the media focused on the team's sophomore backfield, including halfbacks Tom Harmon and Paul Kromer and quarterback Forest Evashevski, each of whom had matriculated during Harry Kipke's tenure as head coach. A writer for the Chicago Tribune commented on their "ardor" and "eagerness to assimilate instruction". Crisler rated his team's weaknesses as " lack of team speed; lack of offensive poise; and inexperience in the backfield."
On the eve of the season opener against Michigan State, a capacity crowd was expected, and enthusiasm was running high in Ann Arbor, leading Arch Ward of the Chicago Tribune to quip: "Hitler can have SudetenlandAs reported on the newspaper's front page, German infantry forces had begun crossing the border into the Sudetenland one day earlier. The move followed a conference of the major European powers culminating in the Munich Agreement acceding to the German occupation, a move later criticized as the culmination of the appeasement of Adolf Hitler. for all they care over here [in Ann Arbor], as long as Crisler gets Michigan. Before night comes down on Ann Arbor tomorrow the world will know whether Michigan or Michigan State will rule this valuable strip of football terrain for the next twelve months."
Week 1: Michigan State
On October 1, 1938, the Crisler era at Michigan opened with a 14 to 0 victory over Charlie Bachman's Michigan State team. The game, the 33rd between the two programs, was played at Michigan Stadium before 82,500 spectators.
Sophomore halfback Paul Kromer, appearing in his first game for the Wolverines, scored both touchdowns. Michigan's first points were scored after Fred Trosko intercepted a John Pingel pass at the end of the first quarter, giving Michigan possession at the Spartans' 47-yard line. Kromer scored the touchdown on fourth down from the two-yard line. Michigan's second touchdown was also set up by an interception, with Norm Purucker intercepting a Pingel pass. Kromer again scored on a two-yard run. Michigan's first point after touchdown (PAT) was kicked by left end Vincent Valek. The second PAT kick was blocked, but Kromer picked up the ball and ran around the right end for the point.
Michigan's starting lineup against Michigan State was Valek (left end), Fred Janke (left tackle), John Brennan (left guard), Archie Kodros (center), Ralph Heikkinen (right guard), William Smith (right tackle), John Nicholson (right end), Forest Evashevski (quarterback), Purucker (left halfback), Trosko (right halfback), and Edward Phillips (fullback).
Week 2: Chicago
On October 8, 1938, Michigan defeated Chicago by a 45 to 7 score. The game was the 25th match in the Chicago–Michigan football rivalry. What had once become a fierce rivalry had become a one-sided affair after the departure of Chicago coach Amos Alonzo Stagg. Michigan's point total was its highest since a 55-3 victory over Michigan State during the Fielding H. Yost era in 1926.
Michigan scored seven touchdowns in the game, each by a different player. Touchdowns were scored by left halfback Norm Purucker (44-yard run in the first quarter), substitute halfback Paul Kromer (25-yard run), substitute end Ed Czak (25-yard touchdown pass from Dave Strong), right halfback Tom Harmon (59-yard run in the third quarter), substitute halfback Fred Trosko (five-yard run in fourth quarter), substitute fullback Howard Mehaffey (31-yard run in fourth quarter), and substitute halfback Dave Strong (14-yard run late in the game). Michigan converted only three of seven PAT attempts with points scored by Danny Smick, John Brennan and Jack Meyer. Michigan totaled 476 rushing yards and 32 passing yards to Chicago's 133 rushing yards and 118 passing yards. Chicago's only score came on a short pass from Lewis Hamity to John Davenport.
Michigan's starting lineup against Michigan State was Dan Smick (left end), Don Siegel (left tackle), John Brennan (left guard), Archie Kodros (center), Ralph Heikkinen (right guard), Roland Savilla (right tackle), John Nicholson (right end), Jack Meyer (quarterback), Purucker (left halfback), Tom Harmon (right halfback), and Edward Phillips (fullback).
Week 3: at Minnesota
On October 15, 1938, Michigan lost its first game of the Crisler era, falling by a 7 to 6 score to Minnesota. The game was the 29th between the programs, with Minnesota having won the previous four games under head coach Bernie Bierman.
Neither team scored in the first three quarters. Then, in the fourth quarter, Michigan drove 90 yards with Paul Kromer scoring on a short run for touchdown. Right end Danny Smick missed the kick for PAT, and Michigan led, 6 to 0. Later in the quarter, Tom Harmon fumbled at midfield, and the Golden Gophers recovered the loose ball. After Harmon's fumble, Minnesota halfback Harold Van Every threw a long pass to Bill Johnson who was downed at Michigan's 14-yard line. Minnesota's drive was capped by a 10-yard touchdown pass from Van Every to halfback Wilbur Moore. Quarterback George Faust kicked the PAT to give Minnesota a one point margin of victory. Michigan gained 157 rushing yards and 97 passing yards to outperform Minnesota's 91 rushing yards and 41 passing yards.
Michigan's starting lineup against Minnesota was Vincent Valek (left end), Fred Janke (left tackle), John Brennan (left guard), Archie Kodros (center), Ralph Heikkinen (right guard), Roland Savilla (right tackle), John Nicholson (right end), Forest Evashevski (quarterback), Norm Purucker (left halfback), Tom Harmon (right halfback), and Edward Phillips (fullback).
Week 4: Yale
On October 22, 1938, Michigan defeated Yale by a 15 to 13 score. The game was the first between the two universities in 55 years. The Yale Bulldogs, winners of 27 national championships in the first century of intercollegiate football, had won the last game – in 1883 – by a 64 to 0 score.
Yale scored two touchdowns in the first half and led 13 to 2 at halftime. In the first quarter, Michigan scored after John Nicholson recovered a Yale fumble on the Bulldogs' 28-yard line. On the next play, Tom Harmon gained 20 yards "on a beautiful, snaky run that was the first sign of an offense the Wolverine had shown." Yale's defense held, and the Bulldogs took over on the one-yard line. Michigan then held, and Yale punted from its end zone. Don Siegel blocked the punt and recovered the ball for a safety.
In the third quarter, Michigan narrowed Yale's lead on a 63-yard touchdown drive that included a 52-yard gain on a pass from Harmon to Norm Purucker. Purucker then scored on a two-yard run to narrow Yale's lead to 13 to 8.
In the fourth quarter, Michigan faced fourth down on its own 20-yard line with 19 yards needed for a first down from its own 20-yard line. Norm Purucker punted from deep in Michigan territory, and Yale's Gil Humphrey returned the ball to Michigan's 37-yard line. At that point, sports writer Allison Danzig of The New York Times wrote that Michigan "looked to have met its master." However, Yale was penalized for running into the kicker, resulting in Michigan receiving the ball with a first down at the 25-yard line. From that point, Tom Harmon led the Wolverines on a 75-yard touchdown drive that included three passes from Harmon covering 52 yards. The game-winner was a short pass from Harmon to John Nicholson in the end zone. John Brennan kicked the PAT. The United Press described the game-winning drive as follows:"Michigan seemed to be fighting for a hopeless cause and the hand crawled around the clock toward the end of the game. In that moment of despair for all those who cheer for Michigan, Harmon came out of nowhere to dominate the field. When the Yale line braced on its own goal, Harmon gambled by waiting patiently with the ball in his hand until John Nicholson could get free to catch the pass that meant defeat for Yale."
After Michigan scored, five minutes remained in the game, but Yale's final drive ended when Forest Evashevski intercepted a Yale pass. Michigan gained 129 rushing yards and 169 passing yards in the game. Yale totaled 69 rushing yards and 145 passing yards.