The line also returned "Octopus" Graham, Henry Schulte, and Joe Curtis.

In the backfield, several players were in competition to replace Heston at left halfback.

At fullback, Frank Longman sustained a knee injury that was expected to keep him on the sidelines for the early part of the season.

Track star John Garrels had shown promise in 1904 and was the fastest man on the Michigan team.

Fred Norcross ran for 144 yards in the first half, including a 70-yard touchdown run.

[3] In the second game of the season, played at Ferry Field, Michigan defeated the team from Kalamazoo College 44-0.

Despite the one-sided score, The Michigan Alumnus complained, "The whole offensive work was ragged and spiritless, the warm weather having much to do with this.

[7] Michigan played its fourth consecutive home game against Ohio Northern on October 11, 1905.

A highlight of the game was John Garrels' 65-yard run, "using the straight arm with good results.

For the first time in the season the apostles of the 'hurry-up' gospel met foemen worthy of their very best efforts."

The publication credited Michigan's second half scoring on Keene Fitzpatrick's training which lad left the Wolverines in "splendid physical condition."

Despite the 70-0 score, and being held on downs only once, The Michigan Alumnus found the performance to be less than ideal: "The playing was rather ragged, the team work being decidedly below standard.

Willie Heston, who had accepted the position of head coach at Drake, brought his team to Ann Arbor.

[20] At the end of October, The Michigan Alumnus wrote that the team's "ragged work" had "marred" the early games.

With the team's tendency to fumble, the publication wrote that "one would have thought the Wolverines' fingers had been greased."

The running and punting of Alfred Barlow, substituting at quarterback, were reported to be features of the game.

Michigan played many of its substitutes in the game, starting Barlow at quarterback and Fred Newton at fullback.

Almost tackled at the 40-yard line, Barlow was aided by his teammates' blocking and returned the ball all the way for a touchdown.

The Michigan Alumnus noted that Oberlin came close to scoring in the game: "It was a comedy that was almost turned into a tragedy when the plucky Congregationalist end, Featherstone, got away with the ball.

The game was lost in the final ten minutes of play when Denny Clark was tackled for a safety as he attempted to return a punt from behind the goal line.

In 1932, he shot himself, leaving a suicide note that reportedly expressed hope that his "final play" would atone for his error at Marshall Field in 1905.