Michiganensian. [1907]

"OCTY" GRA

Thus it was that the Coach began to develop a
team with a nucleus of but four "M" men, -
Captain Curtis, Garrels, Graham and Patrick.
Before the Pennsy game, two of these veterans were helpless cripples. The loss of Captain Curtis, whose leg was broken in a practice
game a week before the crucial contest of the
season, can hardly be overestimated. Before
this sad blow fell, however, Harry Patrick, the
plucky little tackle who won his "M" by play- ing against the Maroons in 1905, wrenched his
knee in the Vanderbilt game and went to the
sidelines for the rest of the year. It is a strange
thing that more men were injured last fall than
fHAM in all of the preceding five years of the Yost "JOHNNY" GARRELS
regime. It appears that many of the accidents
were due to the absence of the training table and preliminary practice, both powerful factors in hardening the men for the season of play. The series of accidents
necessitated the constant shifting of players from one position to another and involved experiment after experiment with new men. The development of anything
like the "Yost Machines" of former years became an utter impossibility. Team
work was scarcely attempted until the last week of practice, so completely had
the accidents, coming with such heartrending regularity, disturbed the personnel
of the team, and shifted veterans and new men alike from pillar to post. Considering the hardships under which the team labored throughout the season, nothing
but praise can be awarded it.
Case, whom we met in the first of the five games, which, by the grace of
Jehovah and the Western Conference, Michigan was allowed to play, was easily
defeated. The Wolverines had to show their mettle, however, to defeat Ohio
State in the second contest scheduled. Herrnstein had developed a remarkably
strong aggregation of football players, but Michigan was fortunate enough to win
by the score of 6-o. The team was seen at its best in the Illinois game. The score
of 28-9 in favor of Michigan means that there were eleven men in every play and
that we were represented by a team that approached, in
some degree, the gait of the old Champions. The same
dash and brilliancy were not displayed in the game with
Vanderbilt, but Michigan's playing, nevertheless, was
highly creditable. The same article of football would probably have held Pennsylvania to no score. Vanderbilt had one
of the best teams in the country last year,-a team which outplayed and defeated the Carlisle Indians, who in turn had
overwhelmed the Quakers and had decisively defeated the
Gophers. It was "Johnny" Garrels who deserves most credit
for the 10-4 victory over the Commodores, for it was his field
goal and his splendid sixty yard run for a touchdown that
netted nine of the ten points for the victors.
But there are no bright features to relate about the Pennsy
game, and no stars to eulogize. The never-say-die spirit of
the men who represented Michigan, and who gave all they had
to uphold Michigan's prestige in athletics characterized the CAPT.ELECT" MAGOFFIN

HARRYIPATRICK

CAPT. CURTIS

I73