1951 Michigan Wolverines football team
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| Team | W | 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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1951 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1951 college football season. The team's head coach was Bennie Oosterbaan. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium.
Schedule
September 29No. 2/NA Michigan State*No. 17/NA
L 0–25 96,541 October 6Stanford*
- Michigan Stadium
- Ann Arbor, MI
L 13–23 54,824 October 13Indiana
- Michigan Stadium
- Ann Arbor, MI
W 33–14 60,165 October 20at Iowa
W 21–0 45,215
October 27Minnesota
- Michigan Stadium
- Ann Arbor, MI (Little Brown Jug)
W 54–27 83,060 November 3at No. 3/2 IllinoisNo. 15/19
L 0–7 68,997 November 10at Cornell*No. NR/17
L 7–20 33,752 November 17Northwestern
- Michigan Stadium
- Ann Arbor, MI
L 0–6 57,634 November 24NR/14 Ohio State
- Michigan Stadium
- Ann Arbor, MI (Rivalry)
W 7–0 93,411
Statistical leaders
Rushing
| Player | Attempts | Net yards | Yards per attempt | Touchdowns |
| Don Peterson | 152 | 549 | 3.6 | 4 |
| Wes Bradford | 64 | 348 | 5.4 | 2 |
| Bill Putich | 115 | 268 | 2.3 | 3 |
Passing
| Player | Attempts | Completions | Interceptions | Comp % | Yards | Yds/Comp | TD | Long |
| Bill Putich | 77 | 32 | 7 | 41.6 | 390 | 12.2 | 2 | 55 |
| Don Peterson | 13 | 6 | 3 | 46.1 | 184 | 30.7 | 1 | 43 |
| Ted Topor | 26 | 9 | 2 | 34.6 | 171 | 19.0 | 2 | 71 |
Receiving
| Player | Receptions | Yards | Yds/Recp | TD | Long |
| Lowell Perry | 16 | 395 | 24.7 | 3 | 71 |
| Frederick Pickard | 10 | 204 | 20.4 | 2 | 55 |
| Ted Topor | 9 | 81 | 9.0 | 0 |
Kickoff returns
| Player | Returns | Yards | Yds/Return | TD | Long |
| Bill Putich | 3 | 88 | 29.3 | 0 | 36 |
| Ted Topor | 3 | 72 | 24.0 | 0 | 27 |
| Don Oldham | 3 | 52 | 17.3 | 0 |
Punt returns
| Player | Returns | Yards | Yds/Return | TD | Long |
| Lowell Perry | 17 | 197 | 11.6 | 1 | 75 |
| Bill Putich | 11 | 71 | 6.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Merritt Green | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 0 | 10 |
Players
- Wes Bradford - started 6 games at right halfback
- Donald Dugger - started 5 games at defensive left guard, 1 game at offensive left guard
- Merritt Green - started 9 games at defensive left end
- Tom Johnson - started 9 games at left tackle (offense and defense)
- Peter Kinyon - started 7 games at offensive left guard, 1 game at offensive right guard
- Don Oldham - started 7 games at defensive back, 1 game at left halfback
- Dick O'Shaughnessy - started 9 games at center
- Russ Osterman - started 9 games at defensive right end
- Ben Pederson - started 8 games at right tackle
- Lowell Perry - started 8 games at offensive left end, 1 game at right halfback, 3 games at safety
- Don Peterson
- Fred Pickard - started 8 games at offensive right end
- Bill Putich - started 6 games at left halfback, 2 games at quarterback, 6 games at safety
- Ralph Stribe[1] - started 7 games at offensive right tackle
- Robert Timm - started 9 games at defensive right guard
- David Tinkham - started 9 games at defensive back, 2 games at left halfback
- Ted Topor - started 7 games at quarterback, 8 games at linebacker
- Thomas Witherspoon
- Jim Wolter - started 8 games at offensive right guard, 1 game at offensive left guard
- Roger Zatkoff - started 9 games at linebacker, 1 game at fullback
Awards and honors
- Captain: Bill Putich
- All-Americans: Lowell Perry (UP 3rd team, Central Press 2nd team), Tom Johnson (Chicago Tribune 1st-team)[2]
- All-Conference: Lowell Perry (AP and UP), Tom Johnson (AP and UP), Roger Zatkoff (UP)
- Most Valuable Player: Don Peterson
- Meyer Morton Award: Merritt Greene
Coaching staff
- Head coach: Bennie Oosterbaan
- Assistant coaches: Jack Blott, George Ceithaml, Cliff Keen, Ernest McCoy, Bill Orwig, Don Robinson, Walter Weber, J. T. White
- Trainer: Jim Hunt
- Manager: Leon Stock
References
- ^ 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.
- ^ Arch Ward (December 9, 1951). "PLAYERS NAME 1951 ALL-AMERICA TEAMS". Chicago Daily Tribune.