1944 Michigan Wolverines football team

1944 Michigan Wolverines football
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Ranking
AP	No. 8
1944 record	8–2 (5–2 Big Ten)
Head coach	Fritz Crisler (7th year)
Offensive scheme	Single-wing formation
MVP	Don Lund
Captain	Bob Wiese (until November 1)
Captain	Don Lund (after November 1)
Captain	Joseph Ponsetto (after November 1)
Home stadium	Michigan Stadium
Seasons ← 1943 1945 →

1944 Big Ten football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
#2 Ohio State $	6	–	0	–	0			9	–	0	–	0
#8 Michigan	5	–	2	–	0			8	–	2	–	0
Purdue	4	–	2	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
Minnesota	3	–	2	–	1			5	–	3	–	1
Indiana	4	–	3	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
#15 Illinois	3	–	3	–	0			5	–	4	–	1
Wisconsin	2	–	4	–	0			3	–	6	–	0
Northwestern	0	–	5	–	1			1	–	7	–	1
Iowa	0	–	6	–	0			1	–	7	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

Week 1: Iowa Pre-Flight at Michigan

1 2 3 4 Total Iowa-Pre-Flight 0 0 7 0 7 • Michigan 0 6 0 6 12 Date: September 16, 1944 Location: Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI Game attendance: 23,400 Referee: Mike Layden (Notre Dame)

Week 2: Marquette at Michigan

1 2 3 4 Total • Michigan 0 0 7 7 14 Marquette 0 0 0 0 0 Date: September 23, 1944 Location: Marquette Stadium, Milwaukee, WI Game attendance: 18,000 Referee: Rollie Barnum (Wisconsin)

Week 3: Indiana at Michigan

1 2 3 4 Total • Indiana 0 6 7 7 20 Michigan 0 0 0 0 0 Date: September 30, 1944 Location: Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI Game attendance: 20,500 Referee: Lyle Clarno (Bradley)

Week 4: Michigan at Minnesota

1 2 3 4 Total • Michigan 0 7 7 14 28 Minnesota 0 0 6 7 13 Date: October 7, 1944 Location: Memorial Stadium, Minneapolis, MN Game attendance: 40,052 Referee: William A. Blake (Loras)

Week 5: Northwestern at Michigan

1 2 3 4 Total Northwestern 0 0 0 0 0 • Michigan 13 7 0 7 27 Date: October 14, 1944 Location: Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI Referee: Wm. A. Blake (Loras)

Week 6: Purdue at Michigan

1 2 3 4 Total Purdue 0 7 7 0 14 • Michigan 6 14 6 14 40 Date: October 28, 1944 Location: Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI Game attendance: 50,189 Referee: E. C. Krieger (Ohio St.)

Week 7: Michigan at Penn

1 2 3 4 Total • Michigan 7 27 0 7 41 Penn 0 0 6 13 19 Date: November 4, 1944 Location: Franklin Field, Philadelphia, PA Game attendance: 48,000 Referee: Wm. T. Halloran (Providence)

Week 8: Illinois at Michigan

1 2 3 4 Total Illinois 0 0 0 0 0 • Michigan 7 0 0 7 14 Date: November 11, 1944 Location: Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI Game attendance: 42,200 Referee: Dr. R. W. Huegel (Marquette)

The 1944 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1944 Big Ten Conference football season. Under seventh-year head coach Fritz Crisler, Michigan compiled a record of 8–2 (5–2 Big Nine Conference), outscored opponents 204 to 91, finished in second place in the Big Nine Conference, and was ranked #8 in the final AP Poll. The team opened the season with a victory over an Iowa-Pre-Flight team that won all of its remaining games and ended the season ranked #6 in the final AP Poll. The Wolverines then shut out four opponents: Marquette (14-0); Northwestern (27-0); Illinois (14-0); and Wisconsin (14-0). The team's two losses came against Indiana and an undefeated Ohio State team that was ranked #2 in the final AP Poll.

Michigan's left tackle Milan Lazetich was selected by both the Associated Press (AP) and United Press (UP) as a first-team player on the All-Big Ten Conference team and was also selected by multiple selectors as a second-team player on the 1944 College Football All-America Team. Two other players on the 1944 Michigan team were selected as first-team All-Big Ten players: quarterback Joe Ponsetto (AP) and fullback Bob Wiese (UP). Wiese also served as the team's captain, and fullback Don Lund received the team's Most Valuable Player award.

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