Yost's first Michigan team in 1901 outscored its opposition by a margin of 550 to 0 en route to a perfect season and victory in the inaugural Rose Bowl on January 1, 1902, over Stanford, the team Yost had coached the year before. From 1901 to 1904, Michigan did not lose a game, and was tied only once in a legendary game with the Minnesota Golden Gophers that led to the establishment of the Little Brown Jug trophy. Yost's teams used the short punt formation. He also developed a play called "Old 83" resembling an option.