During a scrimmage in early September, end Ed Bahlow, a Navy training veteran who had played for Wisconsin in 1943 and was considered Michigan's best end prospect since Ed Frutig, sustained a broken leg, just above his right ankle, in a collision with Dan Dworsky and was lost to the team for the season. During the first week of September 1945, shortly after his discharge from the military, Tom Harmon, an All-American at Michigan in 1939 and 1940, turned down an offer to play with the Chicago Bears and signed with radio station WJR to broadcast accounts of Michigan football games. On September 15, 1945, Michigan played a Great Lakes Navy Bluejackets football team coached by Paul Brown and featuring an all-star backfield consisting of quarterback George Terlep, halfbacks Frank Aschenbrenner and Bob Sullivan, and fullback Marion Motley. In a game played at Michigan Stadium, Michigan won by a 27 to 2 score. Michigan's four touchdowns were scored by Edward McNeill (two touchdown receptions in the first quarter, covering nine yards from Wally Teninga and covering 57 yards from Joe Ponsetto), Wally Teninga (short run), and Howard Yerges (short run). Ponsetto kicked two points after touchdown, and Bob Callahan kicked one. Great Lakes' only points came on a safety in the first quarter after Dan Dworsky fumbled and Ponsetto recovered the ball in the end zone. Michigan's starting lineup against Great Lakes Naval was Donovan Hershberger (left end), George Johnson (left tackle), Dominic Tomasi (left guard), Harold Watts (center), John Lintol (right guard), Eugene Hinton (right tackle), Edward McNeill (right end), Joe Ponsetto (quarterback), Wally Teninga (left halfback), Warren Bentz (right halfback), and Dan Dworsky (fullback). On September 22, 1945, Michigan played an Indiana team that went through the entire season without a loss and ended up being ranked #4 in the final AP Poll. The Indiana team featured All-Big Ten quarterback Ben Raimondi, halfbacks George Taliaferro (later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame) and Mel Groomes (the first African-American signed by the Detroit Lions), and end Ted Kluszewski (later an All-Star in Major League Baseball). The Wolverines lost to the Hoosiers by a 13 to 7 score at Michigan Stadium. Fullback Dan Dworsky scored Michigan's only touchdown, and Joe Ponsetto kicked the point after touchdown.