A Football Picture Puzzle
September 20th, 2019 at 11:05 PM ^
September 20th, 2019 at 11:09 PM ^
Can't tell if you're joking, but PSU didn't join the big ten until the early 90s.
September 21st, 2019 at 1:14 AM ^
Don’t think their fans wore much red back then, either..
September 21st, 2019 at 6:43 AM ^
September 20th, 2019 at 11:08 PM ^
Judging by the white and red, I’d guess Wisconsin. Though Nebraska came to AA in 1962. As did SMU the following year. Could be Indiana, I suppose.
September 20th, 2019 at 11:42 PM ^
SMU has red helmets till the 1970s so they’re out ... Nebraska, Wiscy or Indiana
September 20th, 2019 at 11:09 PM ^
Groups of red in the stands. My guess is Indiana.
September 20th, 2019 at 11:22 PM ^
My guess is UM vs Northwestern. Northwestern played in all whites on the road back then. Michigan played them at home in 1960,63,64,66,and 68. I’d throw out ‘64 since we won 35-0 and it looks like NW is about to score.
#takethatWD ?
September 20th, 2019 at 11:46 PM ^
Lots of red to be NW v Michigan
also 1968 is out as they were wearing purple helmets by then
September 21st, 2019 at 1:46 AM ^
Nothing but respect Dr Jaws, but plenty of purple behind the end zone too. Also burnt orange fans, red, dark red, who knows what the hell was going on in the Big House that day. I have no idea. ?♂️
September 21st, 2019 at 2:00 AM ^
Good call. Didn’t look that closely
September 20th, 2019 at 11:36 PM ^
This appears to be from "Band Day" with a number of different high school bands in the stands. These were held once a year back then, usually early in the season, so it could be a non-conference foe.
If that is a pylon in the corner of the end zone (hard to tell), those were implemented in 1966. If not, it is from before then.
September 21st, 2019 at 1:16 AM ^
I don’t personally see any pylons
September 20th, 2019 at 11:38 PM ^
I think it was a Band Day. It looks like there are a number of different bands in the stands.
September 20th, 2019 at 11:41 PM ^
Lots of red in the crowd. Adds on the assumption that the team Michigan is playing has red as a primary school color ......
Indiana had white helmets in the late 50s to 1961 with big red numbers on the side. Then basically Penn State helmets but with a red stripe in 1964-65. Then went to red helmets for a long time. Wisconsin is another possibility as they had white helmets with a big red W on the side until 1967 when they switched to red helmets until the 1970s. Based on the fact is is a home game, it’s either 1960 v Indiana, 1962 v Wiscy or 1965 v Wiscy.
another option is a non-B1G opponent who wore all white unis with ..... assumingly ..... red as a primary school color ...
1962 v Nebraska is the only other option
September 21st, 2019 at 12:00 AM ^
I came to the exact same 4 red teams.
Wisconsin wore a prominent stripe down their pants both years. Dont see that in the OP pic.
Indiana was 2nd to last game in 1960, played on November 12th. 1962 Nebraska was September 29th. Crowd in the OP looks pretty comfortable. No coats to be seen and it looks like short sleeves on the far sideline.
I'm saying Nebraska, first game if 62.
September 21st, 2019 at 12:24 AM ^
Shadows are short, so very early season seems right.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:07 AM ^
Either that or it's high noon.
September 21st, 2019 at 2:02 AM ^
Yep. I think that’s the winner
Issue resolved
September 20th, 2019 at 11:53 PM ^
Damn. I love that we're going all MGoColumbo on this to figure it out.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:11 AM ^
Listen Columbo, how 'bout just for a minute we stop pretending that I'm brilliant & you're simple.
September 21st, 2019 at 7:54 AM ^
All that's left is that knock at the door after one has already supposedly left and the words "Excuse me, just one more question, if you don't mind...."
September 21st, 2019 at 12:54 AM ^
I can’t see the opposing uniforms that well. Are we sure it’s a red & white team from the uniforms alone? Because if we are confident it’s a “band day”, then the red blocks of color could just as easily be different marching bands from area high schools.
September 21st, 2019 at 7:06 AM ^
No. I thought that too. Ignoring the large clumps of red as bands, theres still a good amount of red in the stands. Not sure if that's enough to go on.
On the uniform alone, I cant decidedly say its NOT white and red, but I could be swayed. If we don't have any hints on color to narrow it down, this thing is wide open.
What were the band days again? Somebody had that.
September 21st, 2019 at 1:01 AM ^
what's the orange section?
September 21st, 2019 at 1:04 AM ^
The goal posts are so cute
September 21st, 2019 at 1:24 AM ^
According to this article, those white sousophones were purchased in 1962 and that September 29th of that season was Band Day. Sounds like a winner...?
https://www.umbaa.org/about/legends-and-lore/1960-through-1969
September 21st, 2019 at 2:00 AM ^
Quite possibly 9/29/62, as Nebraska wore all white uniforms and helmets on that band day:
https://www.huskermax.com/game/1962-michigan-football/
Another possible is 9/26/64 vs. Air Force. Band days in 1965, 1967, and 1968 can be eliminated because of mismatched visiting uniform colors (see Michigan Daily Historical Archive photos). Cannot be after 1968 because tartan turf and single post goal posts were installed in 1969.
September 21st, 2019 at 8:28 AM ^
Should be pre-1966 as well as another user mentioned no pylons
September 21st, 2019 at 3:24 AM ^
This was the 1961-65 NE road uniform. White shirts and red pants. So, I do not think this was the 1962 NE game.
September 21st, 2019 at 3:34 AM ^
Actual game photos from the 1962 Michigan-Nebraska game show them wearing white pants.
September 21st, 2019 at 3:38 AM ^
I guess NE wore an all white uniform that day. The evidence does support that this was the '62 NE game. The NE fans were all excited about the upset, since 1000s showed up to welcome NE home on their return late Saturday night to Lincoln. The '62 Michigan team was not that good, 2-7 that year. Though we upset number 10 Army the next week but lost every other conference game except one against IL.
September 21st, 2019 at 6:43 AM ^
And Illinois fans everywhere still hate us for that (among other things). Aren't rivalries great?!!
Anyway, back to the photo being discussed, one thing I noticed is that the stands are pretty full (with the exception of down low near the high school marching bands), as that is the northeast corner of Michigan Stadium rising above the playing field in that wonderful shot.
Judging from the density of the fans in the upper reaches of those sections, I'd guestimate somewhere around 75,000-80,000 in attendance that day.
Are attendance figures available from that era? Maybe that would help narrow down the possibilities.
September 21st, 2019 at 7:13 AM ^
There is attendance info on Wikipedia for some of the games I saw. Nebraska in 62 was 71,000 or so.
September 21st, 2019 at 6:58 AM ^
Seriously good sleuthing, gentlemen (and ladies, if it is so)!! Nebraska, 29 Sept, 1962 seems to be the consensus for a number of well thought out reasons.
OP, I bet a quick email addressed to both the UN and UM AD's could finalize it. If you do that, let us know what they say!
Edit: I went back through every post and upvoted each! Great work!
September 21st, 2019 at 8:27 AM ^
I agree that it’s Nebraska for the various reasons already noted. While doing my own research I came across this writeup of the game in an Omaha newspaper. Seems like beating Michigan was considered a big deal. The writing is comical.
https://dataomaha.com/huskers/history/game/1962-9-29-michigan
September 21st, 2019 at 10:31 AM ^
Thanks all! I thought you would have fun with this, and you did. I'll see if any other old photos show up to share.