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1909 – 1910
The game: On November 6, 1909, at Ann Arbor, Notre Dame beat Michigan 11–3 — its first win in the series, after Michigan had taken the first eight meetings by a combined score of 121 to 16. The coach was Frank "Shorty" Longman, himself a former Michigan player. Notre Dame finished 7–0–1 and styled itself champion of the West.
The name in print: E. A. Batchelor's report of the game for the Detroit Free Press ran under the headline "'Shorty' Longman's Fighting Irishmen Humble the Wolverines" — the famous early appearance of the name in print. The standard accounts date the university's formal adoption of "Fighting Irish" to 1927, under President Matthew Walsh; the two datings stand here as the record gives them.
The break: Fielding Yost accused Notre Dame of using ineligible players. The rematch scheduled for November 5, 1910, was cancelled at the last hour when Notre Dame would not bench the two players in question, Philbrook and Dimmick; Yost refused to schedule Notre Dame again and urged the Western Conference schools to boycott the Catholic school. The two universities did not meet for 33 years. Longman's two Notre Dame teams went 11–1–2.
Sources:
- Blue and Gold Illustrated, anniversary account (Nov. 2, 2019) — the 1909 game, the 121–16 aggregate, Yost's accusations and the boycott, the 33-year break.
- Michigan–Notre Dame rivalry record — Batchelor's headline; the 1910 cancellation and the players named.
- University of Notre Dame Archives, football coaching records — Longman's 11–1–2.