With several key players returning, including Olcott, Prettyman, and Killilea, and many new prospects, the paper concluded "there is no reason why an eleven cannot be made up which will equal any Rugby team the University ever had.

[2][3] At a meeting held on the Tuesday before the Chicago game, Horace Greely Prettyman was elected as the team's captain.

[4] In late October and early November, The Chronicle urged "every student who takes an interest in Rugby" to participate in the "scrub" or "practice" games or to try their hand at umpiring.

[10] The Chronicle (a weekly newspaper at the University of Michigan) wrote: "The Albion team was only recently organized, but nevertheless did some good playing.

The program for the field day included a ten-mile walk, three-mile walk, “collar and elbow,” standing long jump, half mile run, “hop, step and jump,” heavyweight boxing (won by Higgins), tug-of-war, Indian club swinging (won by W. J. Olcott), hammer throw, "catch-as-catch-can wrestling," "passing rugby ball" (won by Thomas H. McNeil with a distance of 116 feet), drop-kick, 100 yard dash, sprint exhibition by Michigan's national collegiate sprint champion Fred N. Bonine, baseball throwing, “chasing greased pig,” obstruction race, lawn tennis, and the rugby game at 4:15 pm[12][13]

"[10] The Free Press wrote that growing interest in the new game was creating a market for weights in Ann Arbor stores:"As a result of the field-day Rugby games a new invasion of villainous looking Indians clubs and weighty dumb bells occupies a conspicuous place in nearly all the stores resorted to by students.

It is no uncommon thing to see a sprig of youth walk calmly into a store and come out again in a few minutes lugging a pair of dumb bells having enough iron to last a foundry a week; and he never fails to take his way homeward through the principal streets.

"[10]The Michigan team that played in the Albion game consisted of Prettyman, Brock, Wilson, Killilea, Goss, Dorn and Duff as "rushers"; McNeil as quarterback; Olcott and Jaycock as halfbacks; and Duffy as goalkeeper.

"[15] On November 22, 1884, Michigan played its second and final game of the season, an 18–10 victory over a Chicago city team reportedly "composed of business men.

"[16] The Chronicle reported that the Chicago city team was "made up almost wholly of Englishmen who learned to kick shins at the English public schools.

After Michigan's touchdown, the game was paused briefly to allow the Chicago team to receive instruction on the American rules.

[20] Michigan's lineup against Chicago was Goss, Dorn, Duff, Prettyman, Beach, Schemm and Killilea (rushers), McNeil (quarterback), Olcott and Jaycox (halfbacks), and Duffy (goal keeper).