1897 Michigan Agricultural Aggies football team

American college football season February 2026 August 2023 1897 Michigan Agricultural Aggies football Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association MIAA 4–2–1 1–1–1 Henry Keep 1st Walton K. Brainard The 1897 Michigan Agricultural Aggies football team represented Michigan Agricultural College (MAC)—now known as Michigan State University—as a member of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) during the 1897 college football season. The Aggies compiled a 4–2–1 record and outscored opponents 146 to 106. The 1897 season was the first in which the MAC football team had a coach. Henry Keep, an engineering student who had transferred from the University of Michigan, was the first coach.Steve Grinczel Michigan State Football: They Are Spartans 11Keith Widder Michigan Agricultural College: The Evolution of a Land-Grant Philosophy 373 The 1897 season also featured the first installment of the Michigan State–Notre Dame football rivalry. Notre Dame won the game at South Bend, Indiana, by 34 to 6 score. Fullback Wells scored a touchdown for the Aggies.Notre Dame Takes the Game: Wins from Michigan Agricultural College by a Score of 34 to 6 The Daily Inter Ocean November 26, 1897 3 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2840459/notre_dame_takes_game/ During the 1897 season, MAC also played two games each against nearby Olivet College and Alma College. The Aggies defeated Alma in both games and secured one win and one tie against Olivet. A game against Michigan State Normal School (later Eastern Michigan University) was cancelled, because MAC accused the Normal School of fielding a team that was "not made up entirely of college men."M.A.C. Cancelled the Game Detroit Free Press November 16, 1897 6 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/20893225/mac_cancelled_the_game/ Newspapers.com Schedule y September 25 Lansing High School<ncg> Lansing, MI W 28-0 October 2 Olivet Lansing, MI W 26-6 M.A.C. Team Too Much For the Olivet Boys The State Republican October 4, 1897 1 https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-mac-team-too-mu/168357674/ Newspapers.com October 9 Kalamazoo Lansing, MI L 0-28 Too Swift For M. A. C. https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal/168430852/ The State Republican Lansing, Michigan October 11, 1897 1 March 20, 2025 Newspapers.com October 16 at Olivet Olivet, MI T 18-18 Olivet and M.A.C. Tied Detroit Free Press October 17, 1897 7 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/20905073/olivet_and_mac_tied/ Newspapers.com October 30 at 1897 Alma Maroon and Cream Alma<ncg> Alma, MI W 30-16 M.A.C. Too Heavy for Alma Detroit Free Press October 31, 1897 6 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/20905219/mac_too_heavy_for_alma/ Newspapers.com November 6 Alma<ncg> Lansing, MI W 38-4 Alma Walloped by the M.A.C. Detroit Free Press November 7, 1897 11 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/20905342/alma_walloped_by_the_mac/ Newspapers.com November 25 at Notre Dame<ncg> Brownson Hall field Notre Dame, IN (rivalry) L 6-34 2024 Michigan State Football Media Guide https://msuspartans.com/documents/2024/7/24/2024_Michigan_State_Football_Media_Guide_Big_Ten_Media_Day.pdf Michigan State Athletics 194 March 21, 2025 References Michigan Agricultural Category:Michigan State Spartans football seasons Michigan Agricultural Aggies football