The changes included the legalization of the forward pass and allowing the punting team to recover an "on-side" kick as a live ball.

Also before the season began, university officials ruled that two of the stars from the 1905 team, Germany Schulz and Walter Rheinschild, were academically ineligible to compete in football.

Garrels, who had broken world records in the discus throw and the high hurdles, was also selected as a second-team All-American by Walter Camp.

Reimenschneider fumbled the opening kickoff to start the second half, and Michigan recovered the ball at Case's 20-yard line.

[1] The final touchdown was scored by Arthur "Waukegan" Wright, a substitute right tackle who was described as "the 'pompadour' haired medic from Illinois," on a 35-yard run following an on-side kick.

The Detroit Free Press described Wright's touchdown as follows:"Garrels made an on-side punt to the Case thirty-five yard line.

Three Case men tried to stop him as he was making the run for his fireside home, but he seemed to have a through ticket without a punch, and scored the first touchdown of the year on the new rules.

A special train carried eleven coaches full of Michigan fans to Columbus, arriving one hour before the game started.

The Chicago Daily Tribune attributed the sluggish offensive performance to the fact that Michigan's halfbacks, Ivan Steckle and Paul Magoffin, "were not in the best of shape," having arrived in Columbus on an excursion train a few minutes before the game began.

With four minutes remaining in the game, John Garrels kicked a field goal from a difficult angle at the Ohio State 25-yard line to give Michigan a 4-0 lead.

The Chicago Daily Tribune noted, "Evidently the Wolverines placed all their reliance on Garrels, for the big fellow was constantly trying goal shots.

Gibson dropped the ball on a poor snap from the sub center, Claggett, and fell on it, resulting in a safety that accounted for Michigan's final two points.

The Chicago Daily Tribune praised Jack Loell as "a whirlwind at center" who "sustained the heaviest attack of the Ohio backs and drove two of his opponents to the side lines and a third to making the poor pass which gave Michigan the last two points.

With a strong west wind driving this on a slant into the faces of one set of players, and down the necks of all the spectators the joy of the day was not extreme.

The umpire, Wren of Harvard, then called a 15-yard penalty against Michigan for "sideline coaching," moving the ball within two or three yards of the goal line.

[11][12] In the second half, Moynihan kicked a field goal for Illinois from the 40-yard line, narrowing Michigan's lead to 11–9.

Joe Curtis leaped into the air at the 10-yard line, blocked the kick, and recovered the ball for Michigan's final touchdown.

"[14] Seward Cramer in the Detroit Free Press wrote that Yost had "three truly great players" in Garrels, Curtis and Loell.

The Chicago Daily Tribune wrote: "Garrels, on a fake kick, with splendid interference by Hammond, Curtis, and Workman, ran Vanderbilt's left end at lightning speed for sixty-eight yards and a touchdown."

In what the Detroit Free Press described as "one of the most touching scenes ever witnessed on a football field," the crowd of 1,000 sitting in the bleachers fell silent and Michigan's quarterback, Harry Workman, "was seen to come out of the bunch of standing players, put his hands to his face, and break down and weep like a child.

"[24] The Detroit Free Press wrote:"Big Joe Curtis – one of the best fellows who ever went to college – who was acknowledged to be the best tackle in the west, and who was preparing himself to play the game of his life against Pennsylvania, the last college game in which he could ever participate, and who was practically certain of recognition for the All-American team, is down and out on the eve of what was to be the great climax of his spectacular football career.

[25] Michigan concluded its season on November 17, 1906, with a 17–0 loss to Penn in front of a crowd of nearly 26,000 spectators at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.

"[27] According to the Detroit Free Press, the officials ruled that the play was legal if the a guard or tackle had both feet or both hands up to the line of scrimmage and waited until the snap to receive the ball.

Early in the game, Michigan kept the ball in Penn territory, and Garrels narrowly missed a field goal from the 45-yard line.

[27][28] The Chicago Daily Tribune wrote that "Gaston slugged Garrels, knocking the big acting captain 'silly' for a few minutes and dazing him for the entire half.

[27] In the Detroit Free Press, Seward Cramer wrote: "The Pennsylvania men watched [Garrels] above all others, and he could not make a move that was not followed.

But Scarlett and Levine, the scout boats, would intercept him, and in ten plays of this character he was thrown for a total loss of sixty-five yards, and in only one did he get away with the goods for any substantial gain.

"[27] Rather than risk a disruption in the relations between the schools, Yost opted to lead his team back onto the field for the second half.

"[29] The Chicago Daily Tribune wrote: "The Quakers simply trapped the Wolverine, slaughtered him, ripped off his hide, scraped it, and pegged it up to dry in the sun.

Garrels was chosen at fullback because of his "ability to kick and catch punts, to buck the line, or run the ends and dodge in the open.