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1960 Michigan Wolverines football team

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1960 Michigan Wolverines football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record5–4 (3–4 Big Ten)
Head coach
MVPDennis Fitzgerald
CaptainGerald Smith
Home stadiumMichigan Stadium
Seasons
← 1959
1961 →
1960 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 1 Minnesota + 6 1 0 8 2 0
No. 3 Iowa + 5 1 0 8 1 0
No. 8 Ohio State 5 2 0 7 2 0
No. 15 Michigan State 4 2 0 6 2 1
Illinois 3 4 0 5 4 0
Michigan 3 4 0 5 4 0
Northwestern 3 4 0 5 4 0
No. 19 Purdue 3 4 0 4 4 1
Wisconsin 2 5 0 4 5 0
Indiana 0 7 0 1 8 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1960 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1960 Big Ten Conference football season. In its second year under head coach Bump Elliott, Michigan compiled a 5–4 record (3–4 against conference opponents), finished in fifth place in the Big Ten, and outscored opponents by a combined total of 133 to 84.[1][2]

Gerald Smith was the team captain and was selected by both the Associated Press and United Press International as the second-team center on the 1960 All-Big Ten Conference football team.[2][3][4] Halfback Dennis Fitzgerald received the team's most valuable player award.[2]

The team's statistical leaders included Dave Glinka with 755 passing yards, Bennie McRae with 342 rushing yards, Robert Johnson with 230 receiving yards, and Dave Raimey with 36 points scored.[5]

Schedule

[edit]
DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 24Oregon*W 21–048,021
October 1at Michigan StateL 17–2476,490
October 8Duke*
  • Michigan Stadium
  • Ann Arbor, MI
W 31–677,183
October 15Northwestern
  • Michigan Stadium
  • Ann Arbor, MI (rivalry)
W 14–763,027
October 22No. 6 Minnesotadagger
L 0–1071,752
October 29at WisconsinL 13–1657,629
November 5Illinois
  • Michigan Stadium
  • Ann Arbor, MI (series)
W 8–763,665
November 12Indiana
  • Michigan Stadium
  • Ann Arbor, MI
W 29–751,584–51,936[6]
November 19at No. 10 Ohio StateL 0–783,107
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[1][2]

Season summary

[edit]

Preseason

[edit]

The 1959 Michigan Wolverines football team compiled a 4–5 in its first season under head coach Bump Elliott. Several players from the 1959 team were lost to graduation, including fullback and most valuable player Tony Rio, halfback Fred Julian, quarterback Stan Noskin, and 1959 team captain George Genyk.

In May 1960, end Bill Freehan received the team's Meyer Morton Award as the most improved player in the team's spring practice.[7]

In June 1960, halfback Jack Strobel received the team's John Maulbetsch Award on the basis of "need, scholastic ability, together with a capacity, promise and desire for leadership and success."[2][8]

Oregon

[edit]
Week 1: Oregon at Michigan
1 234Total
Oregon 0 000 0
Michigan 7 077 21
  • Date: September 24
  • Location: Ann Arbor, MI
  • Game attendance: 50,889

On September 24, Michigan opened its season with a 21–0 victory over Oregon. The game was played before a crowd of 50,889 at Michigan Stadium. On the opening drive, Michigan drove 53 yards for a touchdown. Sophomore halfback Dave Raimey ran 25 yards for the score on the first carry of his collegiate career. Sophomore quarterback Dave Glinka, also playing in his first collegiate game, threw touchdown passes of 10 yards to George Mans and nine yards to Scott Maentz. Michigan out-gained the Webfoots by a total of 377 yards to 135. Mans caught four passes for 65 yards and, playing on defense as well, recovered an Oregon fumble. Ken Tureaud led the Wolverines with 58 rushing yards.[9]

Michigan State

[edit]
Week 2: Michigan at Michigan State
1 234Total
Michigan 7 1000 17
Michigan State 7 737 24

On October 1, Michigan lost its annual rivalry game with Michigan State, 24–17, before a record-setting crowd of 76,490 at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. Michigan held a 17–14 lead at halftime. The highlight of the first half was a 99-yard kickoff return by Michigan halfback Dennis Fitzgerald. In a game that saw seven changes in the lead, Michigan State fullback Carl Charon scored the game-winning touchdown on a three-yard run with less than three minutes remaining in the game. In the Detroit Free Press, Lyall Smith called it one of the most sensational matches in the history of the rivalry: "It had everything. It had more than everything. It was one of collegiate football's greatest days and, if you don't believe it, wait about 20 years from now. They'll still be talking about it."[10]

Duke

[edit]
Week 3: Duke at Michigan
1 234Total
Duke 0 600 6
Michigan 6 7612 31

On October 8, Michigan defeated Duke, 31–6, before a crowd of 77,183 at Michigan Stadium. Sophomore halfback Dave Raimey rushed for 114 yards and two touchdowns. Dennis Fitzgerald also scored twice on a one-yard run and five-yard pass reception.[11]

Northwestern

[edit]
Week 4: Northwestern at Michigan
1 234Total
Northwestern 0 007 7
Michigan 0 608 14

On October 15, Michigan defeated Northwestern, 14–7, before a crowd of 64,514 at Michigan Stadium. Michigan took a 6–0 lead in the second quarter on a 35-yard touchdown pass from Dave Glinka to Bob Johnson, but John Halsted's extra-point kick went wide. Early in the fourth quarter, Dave Raimey fumbled a punt at the Wolverines' 27-yard line. On fourth-and-two, Northwestern took the lead on a 19-yard pitchout and run by Al Kimbrough. Glinka then completed a 50-yard pass to Johnson at the one-yard line. The pass was nearly intercepted by two Northwestern defenders, but the ball was bumped from the defenders into Johnson's hands. Fullback Bill Tunnicliff then ran the remaining yard for the game-winning touchdown, and Glinka passed to Bennie McRae for a two-point conversion. After the game, Northwestern coach Ara Parseghian credited Michigan's line: "Michigan's line is much better than we expected and much faster than last year."[12]

Minnesota

[edit]
Week 5: Minnesota at Michigan
1 234Total
Minnesota 0 703 10
Michigan 0 000 0

On October 22, Michigan lost to Minnesota by a 10–0 score in the annual Little Brown Jug game before a crowd of 69,352 at Michigan Stadium. Michigan turned the ball over seven times on five fumbles and two interceptions. Jim Rogers scored all 10 points for Minnesota on a two-yard run, an extra point, and a field goal. After the game, Minnesota players carried coach Murray Warmath off the field.[13]

Wisconsin

[edit]
Week 6: Michigan at Wisconsin
1 234Total
Michigan 6 700 13
Wisconsin 6 0010 16
  • Date: October 29
  • Location: Madison, WI
  • Game attendance: 57,629

On October 29, Michigan lost to Wisconsin, 16–13, before a crowd of 57,629 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. Michigan halfback Dave Raimey scored two rushing touchdowns in the first half to give Michigan a 13–6 lead at halftime. Jim Bakken kicked a game-winning 19-yard field goal with less than two minutes remaining in the game.[14]

Illinois

[edit]
Week 7: Illinois at Michigan
1 234Total
Illinois 7 000 7
Michigan 0 8138 29

On November 5, Michigan defeated Illinois, 8–7, before a crowd of 62,927 at Michigan Stadium. The game matched brothers Bump Elliott and Pete Elliott, head coaches of the Wolverines and Illini. Illinois took a 7–0 lead on a four-yard pass from Johnny Easterbrook to Marshall Starks. In the second quarter, Michigan gambled on a fake punt on fourth-and-seven; Dave Glinka took the snap on the fake and threw for a 17-yard gain to Bob Johnson at Illinois' 26-yard line. The Wolverines' then drove to the one-yard line with Bill Tunnicliff scoring on a one-yard run. Glinka then passed to Fitzgerald for a two-point conversion, giving Michigan its winning margin of one point. Neither team scored in the second half.[15]

Indiana

[edit]
Week 8: Indiana at Michigan
1 234Total
Indiana 7 000 7
Michigan 0 8138 29

On November 12, Michigan defeated Indiana, 29–7, before a crowd of 51,936 at Michigan Stadium. Indiana, which had beaten Michigan in the prior two meetings, drove 85 yards on its opening possession, capped by a 58-yard run by Mike Lopa. Michigan took the lead in the second quarter on a 31-yard pass from Dave Glinka to Scott Maentz. The score was 8–7 at halftime, but Michigan held Indiana to only seven yards in the second half. Michigan scored three touchdowns in the second half on runs by Bill Tunnicliff, Ken Tureaud, and John Kowalik. Two of Michigan's second-half touchdowns were aided by Indiana fumbles inside its 20-yard line. Bennie McRae led Michigan's backs with 87 rushing yards. Substituting extensively, Michigan used 56 players in the game. Michigan's leading scorer Dave Raimey did not play due to an ankle injury.[16]

The Indiana game did not count in the Big Ten standings as a penalty for Indiana's violation of recruiting rules. After the game, Indiana coach Phil Dickens commented on the talent disparity between the teams: "You don't go bear hunting with a switch."[16]

Ohio State

[edit]
Week 9: Michigan at Ohio State
1 234Total
Michigan 0 000 0
Ohio State 0 007 7
  • Date: November 19
  • Location: Columbus, OH
  • Game attendance: 83,107

On November 19, Michigan defeated Ohio State, 7–0, before a crowd of 83,107 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The game was scoreless through three quarters. Early in the fourth quarter, Ohio State fullback Bob Ferguson ran 17 yards for the game-winning touchdown. Michigan's defense held the Buckeyes, the leading offense in the Big Ten with an average of 335 yards per game, to 168 yards of total offense. Michigan totaled 218 yards. After the game, Michigan coach Bump Elliott said: "We played good football, but we didn't get the big play. It was a shame to lose after playing so well."[17][18] Ohio State coach Woody Hayes also praised Michigan's defense: "Michigan was the hardest-hitting defensive team we played all year."[19]

Award season

[edit]

No Michigan players were named to the 1960 All-America team. Team captain and center Gerald Smith received second-team honors from the Associated Press and United Press International on the 1960 All-Big Ten Conference football team.[3][4]

At the school's annual football "bust" on November 28, senior halfback Dennis Fitzgerald received the team's most valuable player award.[2][20]

Personnel

[edit]

Players

[edit]
1960 team captain Gerald Smith
1960 MVP Dennis Fitzgerald

The following 38 players received varsity letters for their participation on the 1960 Michigan football team. Players who started at least four games are shown with their names in bold.[2]

  • Reid Bushong, 6'1", 185 pounds, senior Toledo, OH – started 1 game at left halfback
  • Keith E. Cowan – end
  • Guy Curtis – tackle
  • Guy J. DeStefano – fullback
  • Dennis Fitzgerald, 5'10", 185 pounds, senior, Ann Arbor, MI – started 2 games at right halfback
  • Bill Freehan, 6'3", 195 pounds, end, Royal Oak, MI – started 2 games at left end
  • Dave Glinka, 6'1", 198 pounds, quarterback, Toledo, OH – started 3 games at quarterback
  • Todd Grant – center
  • Lee Hall, 6'0", 208 pounds, junior, Charlotte, MI – started 2 games at left guard
  • John Halsted, 6'2", 208 pounds, senior, Bay City, MI – started 1 game at left end
  • Donald Hannah – quarterback
  • Willard R. Hildebrand – tackle
  • John Houtman – center
  • Thomas Jobson, 6'0", 215 pounds, senior, Flint, MI – started 9 games at left tackle
  • Robert Johnson, 6'2", 201 pounds, senior, Chicago – started 9 games at right end
  • Thomas Kerr – center
  • Scott Maentz, 6'3", 206 pounds, junior, East Grand Rapids, MI – started 6 games at left end
  • George Mans – tackle
  • Gary McNitt, 5'10", 191 pounds, senior, Mesick, MI – started 4 games at right halfback
  • Bennie McRae, 6'0", 170 pounds, junior, Newport News, VA – started 8 games at left halfback
  • John Minko – guard
  • Joe O'Donnell – fullback
  • David Palomaki – tackle
  • Paul Poulos, 5'11", 205 pounds, senior, Ambridge, PA – started 7 games at left guard
  • J. Paul Raeder – halfback
  • Dave Raimey, 5'10", 190 pounds, sophomore, Dayton, OH – started 3 games at right halfback
  • Jon Schopf, 6'2", 228 pounds, junior, Grand Rapids, MI – started 9 games at right tackle
  • Gerald Smith, 5'11", 190 pounds, senior, Detroit – started 9 games at center
  • John Stamos, 6'1", 208 pounds, junior, Chicago – started 6 games at quarterback
  • William R. Stine – tackle
  • Jack Strobel – halfback
  • Dick Syring, 6'0", 192 pounds, senior, Bay City, MI – started 9 games at right guard
  • Bill Tunnicliff, 6'1", 210 pounds, junior, Ferndale, MI – started 1 game at fullback
  • Ken Tureaud, 6'1", 198 pounds, junior, Detroit – started 7 games at fullback
  • Rudd Van Dyne, 6'0", 198 pounds, senior, Sedalia, MO – started 1 game at fullback
  • John C. Walker – center
  • Grant W. Walls Jr. – tackle
  • James A. Ward – halfback

Coaches and other staff

[edit]
Head coach Bump Elliott
  • Trainer: Jim Hunt[2]
  • Team doctor: A. W. Coxon
  • Manager: Fred Nemancheck[2]

Statistical leaders

[edit]

Michigan's individual statistical leaders for the 1960 season include those listed below.[5][23]

Rushing

[edit]
Player Attempts Net yards Yards per attempt Touchdowns
Bennie McRae 80 342 4.3 0
Dave Raimey 62 292 4.7 6
Dennis Fitzgerald 66 263 4.0 1
Ken Tureaud 60 233 3.9 1
Jack Strobel 27 124 4.6 1
Bill Tunnicilff 36 107 3.0 2

Passing

[edit]
Player Attempts Completions Interceptions Comp % Yards Yds/Comp TD Long
Dave Glinka 124 54 11 43.5 755 14.0 5 50
John Stamos 12 3 0 25.0 55 18.0 0 na

Receiving

[edit]
Player Receptions Yards Yds/Recp TD Long
Robert Johnson 15 230 15.3 1 50
George Mans 9 136 15.1 1 31
Scott Maentz 7 127 18.1 2 34

Scoring

[edit]
Player TDs XPM FGM Points
Dave Raimey 6 0 0 36
Bill Tunnicliff 2 0 0 12
Dennis Fitzgerald 2 0 0 12
Scott Maentz 2 0 0 12

[1]

Kickoff returns

[edit]
Player Returns Yards Yds/Return TD Long
Bennie McRae 9 169 18.8 0 39
Dennis Fitzgerald 3 138 46.0 1 99
Dave Raimey 3 78 26.0 0 16

Punt returns

[edit]
Player Returns Yards Yds/Return TD Long
Bennie McRae 14 113 8.1 0 18
Gary McNitt 5 56 11.2 0 31
Reid Bushong 4 45 11.3 0 14

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "1960 Michigan Wolverines Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "1960 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Matte and Ferguson Picked On All-Big Ten Team". Toledo Blade. November 22, 1960.
  4. ^ a b "Big Ten Coaches Name Three Bucks All Stars". The Terre Haute Star. November 25, 1960. p. 26.
  5. ^ a b "1960 Michigan Wolverines Statistics". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  6. ^ "Indiana Football 2023 Record Book" (PDF). Indiana University. p. 14. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  7. ^ "End Bill Freehan Is 'Most Improved'". The Michigan Daily. May 10, 1969. p. 6 – via Bentley Historical Library.
  8. ^ "Strobel Wins Sports Award". The Michigan Daily. June 22, 1960. p. 4 – via Bentley Historical Library.
  9. ^ Bob Pille (September 25, 1960). "But M Comes Through, 21–0". Detroit Free Press. pp. D1, D3 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Lyall Smith (October 2, 1960). "Wild, Man! It's MSU, 24–17: Last-Ditch TD Turns Back Fighting U-M". Detroit Free Press. pp. D1, D3 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Bob Pille (October 9, 1960). "U-M Gives Duke the Devil: Raimey Runs Up 31–6 Rout". Detroit Free Press. pp. E1, E3 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Bob Pille (October 16, 1960). "U-M Lucky: Bounce Beats NU, 14–7". Detroit Free Press. pp. E1, E3 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Bob Pille (October 23, 1960). "Gophers Go Go Against M, 10-0". Detroit Free Press. pp. E1, E3 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Bob Pille (October 30, 1960). "Badger Injury Hurts M Most". Detroit Free Press. pp. D1, D3 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Lyall Smith (November 6, 1960). "Spartans, U-M Squeeze Home: Gambles Edge Illinois, 8–7". Detroit Free Press. pp. D1, D3 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ a b Bob Pille (November 13, 1960). "Indiana Has Its Fun, But U-M Rolls, 29–7". Detroit Free Press. pp. C1, C3 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Bob Pille (November 20, 1960). "Buckeye Power Throttles U-M Hopes, 7–0". Detroit Free Press. pp. D1, D3 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Bucks Edge Wolverines, 7–0: Ferguson Scores Last Period TD". The Michigan Daily. November 20, 1960. pp. 1, 6 – via Bentley Historical Library.
  19. ^ Tom Witecki (November 20, 1960). "Hayes Lauds Hard-Hitting 'M' Defense". The Michigan Daily. p. 6 – via Bentley Historical Library.
  20. ^ "Old and New". Detroit Free Press. November 29, 1960. p. 33 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Illinois Hopes To Extend Victory Streak As Pete, 'Bump' Prepare for Initial Clash". The Michigan Daily. November 2, 1960. p. 6 – via Bentley Historical Library.
  22. ^ "'M', Gophers Vie for Little Brown Jug". The Michigan Daily. October 22, 1960. p. 5 – via Bentley Historical Library.
  23. ^ "Michigan Football Statistic Archive Query Page". Mgoblue.com. University of Michigan. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2017.(statistics retrieved by entering "1960" in the box for "Games & Totals by Season" and then, at the next screen, choosing "Display Season Totals")