Ahead of Michigan facing Georgia in the 2021 Orange Bowl in the CFP Semi-finals, a look back at the first meeting between the schools. Three subplots out of this game involving a righteous game-used vintage Michigan uniform, a question of why Georgia wore its home red jersey at Michigan Stadium, and finally, how Fritz Crisler and company dealt with scheduling and playing a segregated school.
-
-
Fritz Won’t Have It (Scheduling Segregated Georgia, 1957)
You probably know the tale: Willis Ward, Michigan’s lone black player on Harry Kipke’s ’34 squad, was benched as U-M succumbed to Georgia Tech’s refusal to play in a game with African American players. So it’s a fair question if the same issue came up in 1957 when another team from Georgia visited town. The Bulldogs fielded an all-white team, while Michigan had at least three black players on the roster including starting back Jim Pace.
