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Throwing Down on Thanksgiving (1885-1905)

Related Topics: Thanksgiving Classic

Happy Thanksgiving and Go Blue!

Thanksgiving football!? Forget about the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys. Like the game of football in general, it all started in college and your beloved Wolverines had a big hand in this tradition.

From 1885 to 1905 Michigan football played regularly on Thanksgiving. And most of those were HUGE match-ups in the Windy City with then-rival Amos Alonzo Stagg and his Chicago Maroons.

Here’s a snapshot of Michigan football’s Thanksgiving Day games – each played on the last Thursday in November:

All told U-M played 17 games with Michigan and came out on top 9 times.