The returning players included James E. Duffy, Horace Greely Prettyman, John M. Jaycox, Thomas H. McNeil, and Raymond W. Beach.

[10][11][12][13] In 1881 and 1883, Michigan had traveled to the east coast to play games against the major college teams of that region.

In mid-March 1885, The Michigan Argonaut reported: "The Rugby team are [sic] now practicing football on rollers.

[21][22] (The Ottawa, Toronto and Hamilton teams in the Canadian Football League began as members of the ORFU.).

"[24] The Chronicle (a University of Michigan weekly newspaper) noted that the team played well despite being unacquainted with the Windsor rules.

The Michigan Argonaut called the victory "a flattering one, as being entirely unacquainted with the Canadian rules, our team expected to be defeated.

[24][25] The Michigan lineup against Windsor consisted of Muir (goalkeeper), Jaycox and Duffy (halfbacks), McNeil and Bishop (quarterbacks), Prettyman, Skinner, Hetzler, Bumps, Kennedy, Morrow, Banks, Trowbridge, Beach and Higgins (rushers).

The Wolverines added 24 points in the second inning, with James E. Duffy and Horace Prettyman serving as the principal ball carriers.

"[26] The banquet continued until midnight with the evening "passed in singing college songs and general conversation.

"[29] With the lack of large colleges making it difficult to arrange games under the inter-collegiate rules, one of the topics discussed at the banquet was a proposal that Michigan learn the Canadian rules to enable it to play games more readily against the teams from Windsor, Toronto, and Hamilton.

In early January 1886, The Michigan Argonaut reported that Parkyn had become ill with malarial fever after returning from Ann Arbor, and had died a short time later.

The Argonaut wrote: "The Windsor team has lost a good player, and foot-ball, a warm friend and advocate.

The referee was Michigan's national intercollegiate champion sprinter, Frederick N. Bonine, and the umpires were Dorn and Bartlett.

In play there was more disparity still, the Detroits showing no kicking ability at all, the result being a game made up very largely of scrimmaging .

"[33] The Michigan Argonaut concluded that the victory was the result of a heavier team and "careful practice", and noted that the best features of the game were "some fine runs by Prettyman and good kicking by Duffy.

At the conclusion of the season, The Chronicle published an editorial urging the University to send its football team to the east on an annual basis.

The newspaper also criticized the strength of the teams defeated in 1885:"[I]f it were regularly understood that our eleven and our nine were to go east every year, our under-graduate material would be brought forward and men who now never venture on the ball field would be so anxious to try for the nine or the eleven, that there is small doubt that such teams could be picked as would win victories in the east and return with laurels won from more than one eastern competitor, instead of deeming it their greatest victory to beat a club composed of men in Detroit who play without practice.