The 1916 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1916 college football season. In his 16th year as head coach, Fielding H. Yost led Michigan to a 7–2 record, as the Wolverines outscored their opponents by a combined score of 253 to 56. Michigan held its first five opponents to a combined total of three points and won its first seven games by a combined score of 227 to 23. The team then lost its final two games, each game by a margin of only three points, against Cornell and Penn.
Michigan's leading scorer was left halfback John Maulbetsch with 89 kicks for on 11 touchdowns, 20 points after touchdown (PAT) and a field goal. Maulbetsch was also the team's captain. Quarterback Cliff Sparks added 40 points on six touchdowns, one field goal and one PAT. New York sports writer Monty selected Sparks as the first-team quarterback on his 1916 College Football All-America Team.
Schedule
Season summary
Pre-season
Week 1: Marietta
On Wednesday, October 4, 1916, Michigan opened its season with a game at Ferry Field against Marietta College from Marietta, Ohio. The game was the second and final game against the Marietta Pioneers football team, with Michigan having defeated the Pioneers by a 28–6 score in 1915.
Michigan defeated Marietta in the 1916 match by a 38–0 score. Quarterback Cliff Sparks scored three touchdownsF. The Detroit Free Press characterized Sparks' running as "one of the big features of the game." Left halfback John Maulbetsch scored a touchdown, kicked a field goal from placement, and converted four of four attempts at kicks for point after touchdown (PAT) for a total of 13 points. Philip Raymond also scored a touchdown, and Frank Willard kicked a PAT. Marietta relied heavily on the forward pass and did so with some success. Early in the game, Marietta completed a pass, Whiting to Hayes, for a gain of 55 yards before being tackled by Sparks.
The game was played in 12-minute quarters. Michigan's starting lineup against Marietta was Maurice Dunne (left end), James Whalen (left tackle), Fred Rehor (left guard), Walter Niemann (center), R. Glenn Dunn (right guard), Richard Weske (right tackle), Willard Peach (right end), Cliff Sparks (quarterback), John Maulbetsch (left halfback), James Sharpe (right halfback), and Cedric "Pat" Smith (fullback). Substitutes appearing in the game for Michigan were Harry McCallum (left tackle), Albert Martens (left end), John Orton Goodsell (right guard), Frank Willard (center), Clifford Gracey (right tackle), Philip Raymond (fullback), Harold Zeiger (quarterback), Donald Bathrick (right halfback) Walter Johnson (right halfback), Clarence Skinner (left tackle), Hoyne Howe (right end), Orva Williams (left guard), Edward Biber (right guard), and N. J. Brazell (left halfback).
Week 2: Case
On Saturday, October 7, 1916, Michigan played its annual game against the team from Case Institute of Technology in Cleveland. The game was the 20th meeting between the schools in a series dating back to 1894. In the 19 prior meetings, Michigan won 18 games and played to a tie once.
Michigan won the 1916 game by a 19–3 score. Case took the lead in the first quarter on a field goal from placement by Ashbaugh and led briefly. After Case scored, Michigan scored on its next drive. The drive featured a 25-yard run around left end by quarterback Cliff Sparks, a 15-yard run by left halfback John Maulbetsch, and a final touchdown plunge by fullback Cedric "Pat" Smith. In the second quarter, Maulbetsch helped set up the second score with a 30-yard punt return. A forward pass from Sparks to Maurice Dunne advanced the ball to the Case 20-yard line, and Sparks then ran around the left end for the touchdown. Michigan missed on both of its PAT attempts in the first half and led 12 to 3 at halftime. In the third quarter, Sparks returned a punt 60 yards, but fullback Philip Raymond fumbled after the ball had been advanced to the five-yard line. After an interception in the fourth quarter, Maulbetsch scored Michigan's final touchdown and kicked the PAT.
Sparks was recognized as the star of the game. He ran for 115 yards in the game and set up a touchdown with a pass to left end Maurice Dunne for a 40-yard gain. The Detroit Free Press wrote: "The individual work of Sparks in his open field running and all-around generalship easily stood out as the brightest feature to the somewhat disappointing tussle." The Michigan Alumnus wrote of Sparks: "[H]e looks like the real find of the season. He was the hardest man on the team to stop, and his dodging runs from punt formation gained many yards for Michigan."