| 1898 Michigan Wolverines football | |
|---|---|
 | |
Western Conference champion | |
| Conference | Western Conference |
| Record | 10–0 (3–0 Western) |
| Head coach |
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| Captain | John W. F. Bennett |
| Home stadium | Regents Field |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan $ | 3 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chicago | 3 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 14 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 2 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 1 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 1 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 0 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern | 0 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1898 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1898 Western Conference football season. With Gustave Ferbert in his second year as head coach, the team compiled an undefeated 10–0 record, outscored its opponents 205–26,[1] and won the Western Conference (now known as the Big Ten Conference) championship for the first time in the school's history.
The 1898 season included the first meeting in the Michigan - Michigan State football rivalry with Michigan winning the inaugural game by a score of 39–0. The 1898 Wolverines shut out a total of six opponents, including Notre Dame (23–0). The team concluded its season by playing Amos Alonzo Stagg's University of Chicago team for the Western Conference championship. The Wolverines beat the favored Chicago Maroons by a 12–11 score in a game that inspired Louis Elbel to write Michigan's fight song "The Victors".
Several Michigan players received post-season honors. Halfback Charles Widman was the team's scoring leader with 12 touchdowns, including a 65-yard touchdown run against Chicago. Center William Cunningham was selected as a first-team All-American by Caspar Whitney in Harper's Weekly – the first Michigan football player to receive first-team All-American honors. Walter Camp selected two Michigan players, Cunningham and tackle Allen Steckle, as second-team All-Americans. Five Wolverines were chosen as first-team players on Caspar Whitney's All-Western team: William Caley at halfback, Cunningham at center, Steckle at tackle, and Neil Snow and John W. F. Bennett at the ends.
- ^ "University of Michigan 1898 Football Team". The Regents of the University of Michigan. March 31, 2007.