[Newspaper coverage of dedication game from Detroit Free Press]
Dedication Ceremony Marked By Simplicity
Short Parade of Notables Formally Anoints New
Castle of Athletics before Players
Finish Task.
By William H. Richards
Ann Arbor, Oct. 22 - From now on the University of Michigan football team can play boldly in its concrete cup without running to the gate every few minutes to see if someone is coming.
Possilby, illegitimacy was attached to the two not particularly awesome tussles which preceded this game with Ohio in the new stadium. Perhaps the results of those two games shouldn't count, being played in an unblessed stadium as it were, and before crowds that were a corporal's guard beside the record breaking 86,000 who packed every inch of it.
This day, however, the new castle of athletics was formally anointed. While one cheering block pelted the other with yells and massed bands played Michigan hymns, the stadium was properly and thoroughly dedicated.
It was properly dedicated because there were no speeches for one thing. No gentleman mustered sufficient brashness to think he could successfully pit his voice against the roar of the thousands Perhaps it was brashness that was lacking at that, it may have been the understanding that whatever might have been said with mighty word or tidy emphasis would be so much wasted breath.
So the short parade of distinguished citizens, as we know them, was content to file in from the east gate from the Field House shortly before game time march down the lines to the flag pole to the accompaniment of "America" and "The Maize and Blue." This done, they bowed themselves off, after leaving on the Michigan side of the field whatever luck rested in two live Wolverines.
The caged animals, a placard stamping them as "Bennie and Biff uncaged Wolverines never get stopped," were lugged about the field by Clark Hyatt, William Comstock, Fred Lawton, and Douglas Roby, accompanied Pat O'Dea, another well known student of wild life.
Since Governor Fred W. Green of Michigan and Vic Donahy of Ohio were in a sideline box, it is possible that sane air legislation has two new converts. Planes made nuisances of throughout the game by bisecting the bowl periodically. It is about time and end is put to this practice of free lance air men of picking courses over crowded areas. Any kind of a spill while any on e of the fliers was above a stadium might have meant a hundred deaths.
The official attendance was given at 86,000. It was banked as high as the concrete reached and above that on temporary bleachers which completely encircled the field. The temporary top structure alone seated 10,000. To those within the field, you can add doleful hundreds outside who, a few minutes after the game started had reached the hysterical point where they were asking one another if they didn't have just one ticket to sell.
Scalpers and others wanting to take the risk were stuck when Ohio State appeared at Ferry Field two years ago. At game time that year, it was easy o get a ticket under the box office price. One latecomer today was asked and paid $16 for a pair of tickets, or $10 over the printed price.
Stars on Sideline
Two men whom the Wolverines could use very nicely this season were on the sidelines. One was Harry Kipke, captain in 1923. the other, Benny Friedman, captain of 1926. Either one wood give this year's team about the one thing that gridiron hardshell say it lack - the knockout punch. Certainly the team did noting in the first quarter to efface the criticism.
Offensively, it did not seem serious. Occasionally it made a successful stab at the line, but there appeared little to choose between the lineups.
"Wait; its a smart ball club" said a sports writer next to me.. "They're lucky, but they make their luck by following the ball and using their heads."
Two minutes after which, a Michigan player was lying on the ground near the east side line. Michigan had the ball on the extreme west side. Ohio saw the lone wolf at the same time and two red sweaters mover to the east to meet any rush there. Instead, Oosterbaan shot the ball directly across the line of scrimmage and Gilbert, plucking it out of the air 25 yards away, ran down the west sideline for a touchdown.
Drum Major is Perfect
Five minutes afterwards, Gilbert ducked and spun his way from the 50-yard line to Ohio's 14-yard mark in as fine a piece of open field running as one would care to see, but on the fourth down a place kick was blocked and the ball went over to Ohio. The game was hard, players form both sides taking time out to pull themselves together.
Ohio State was within scoring range only once in the first half. A pass and a rush got them close enough to take a shot at a goal from placement. We could kick a medicine ball as well as that was kicked.
The high-stepping drum majors led the respective bands on the field between halves, forming the university initials. It is said that once the Michigan drum major missed when he flung his stick over the cross bar and put in the following week in practice behind locked gates. Anyhow, if it was the same drum major, he was perfect today and easily won his G.K.W., or God Knows What. Nevertheless, the evolution of the bands, the songs and all were splendidly done and made many an old grad think of campus days and the things gone from him the never can recapture.
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