Notre Dame vs. Army: Renewing a Tradition Published by myTEAMBOOK, a division of MomentumMedia/MAG, Inc. All rights reserved Š2010 by myTEAMBOOK/MAG, Inc. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without the permission in writing from the publisher. For more information, address: myTEAMBOOK, a division of MAG, Inc. 31 Dutch Mill Rd. Ithaca, NY 14850 (607) 257-6970 www.myteambook.net www.MomentumMedia.com
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Acknowledgements A
ny follower of college football history knew it was an obvious choice as to which two schools should play in the first college football game at the new Yankee Stadium. The announcement came in July 2009 that Notre Dame and Army would meet in The Bronx to play the 50th game in their series during the 2010 season. It was only fitting that these two institutions christen college football at the new stadium because the rivalry, which spans almost a century, has contributed so much to the history and expansion of the sport. The renewal of the series, and all activities leading up to the game, made for a truly special weekend that Notre Dame football fans will always remember. The pre-game events honoring many prominent people associated with the football program were spectacular, the passion that so many share for Irish football was prevalent throughout New York City over three days, and the Fighting Irish football team turned in a dominating performance to win the game. It was everything that Notre Dame fans could have hoped for. We’re pleased to commemorate this year’s game and related events, and to take a look back at the entire Notre Dame-Army football series and its impact on college football, through Notre Dame vs. Army: Renewing A Tradition. This book is filled with tremendous photos and images from both the previous Notre Dame-Army games and this year’s game and corresponding events. We’d like to thank the Notre Dame Archives Department—specifically, Charles Lamb—and Mike Bennett of Lighthouse Imaging in Mishawaka, Ind., for providing all the photos and images. These materials make the book so special and a true collector’s item. Notre Dame Archives provided the pictures, program covers, newspaper article headlines, and tickets used in the Game Recap Section between pages 4 and 52, as well as the pictures included in the feature articles on pages 78-103. Mike Bennett and his wife, Sue, are pictured to the right. They took all of the great photos used in the 2010 Game and Events Section. Perhaps no one was
as busy as Mike and Sue during the four days in New York. They were at every event, shooting hundreds of pictures that capture the true emotion of this memorable weekend in the Big Apple. Matt Cashore took the photo on pages 76-77 showing The Band of the Fighting Irish playing to thousands of fans in Times Square and the images on the Table of Contents, pages 2-3. Very special thanks to John Heisler, Senior Associate Athletic Director/Media & Broadcast Relations, for all of his invaluable assistance with the book.
Michael & Susan Bennett of Lighthouse Imaging 3016 N. Home St. Mishawaka, IN 46545 574-255-4030 www.lighthouseimaging.com
Designer Natalie Couch did an amazing job in showcasing the history and pageantry of the Notre Dame-Army football series, blending so many great photos and images in such a masterful way. Mike Phelps and Dave Wohlhueter combined to write about each game in the rivalry and wrote feature articles about former players and coaches who contributed to the Notre Dame-Army legacy. And special thanks to MomentumMedia staff members Maria Bise, Trish Landsparger, Neal Betts, Patrick Bohn, Sharon Barbell, and Pennie Small for their contributions to the book. We would like to acknowledge “Army vs. Notre Dame, The Big Game 1913-1947,” written by Jim Beach and Daniel Moore and published by Random House Inc., for its use as a reference in preparing the content of this book. I hope you enjoy the book and the memories contained in the articles and pictures. Mark Goldberg, Publisher MomentumMedia Sports Publishing
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contents pg. pg .4
pg .5
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pg .7 pg .8
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9 pg .10 pg .11 pg .12 pg .13 pg .14 pg .15 pg .16 pg .17 pg .18 pg .19 pg .20 pg .21 pg .22 pg .23 pg .24 pg .25 pg .26 pg .27 pg .28
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1913-2006: 49 G ame R ec aps
1913: Notre Dame 35, Army 13 1914: Army 20, Notre Dame 7 1915: Notre Dame 7, Army 0 1916: Army 30, Notre Dame 10 1917: Notre Dame 7, Army 2 1919: Notre Dame 12, Army 9 1920: Notre Dame 27, Army 17 1921: Notre Dame 28, Army 0 1922: Notre Dame 0, Army 0 1923: Notre Dame 13, Army 0 1924: Notre Dame 13, Army 7 1925: Army 27, Notre Dame 0 1926: Notre Dame 7, Army 0 1927: Army 18, Notre Dame 0 1928: Notre Dame 12, Army 6 1929: Notre Dame 7, Army 0 1930: Notre Dame 7, Army 6 1931: Army 12, Notre Dame 0 1932: Notre Dame 21, Army 0 1933: Notre Dame 13, Army 12 1934: Notre Dame 12, Army 6 1935: Notre Dame 6, Army 6 1936: Notre Dame 20, Army 6 1937: Notre Dame 7, Army 0 1938: Notre Dame 19, Army 7
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1939: Notre Dame 14, Army 0
pg .31
1941: Notre Dame 0, Army 0
pg .33
1943: Notre Dame 26, Army 0
pg .35
1945: Army 48, Notre Dame 0
pg .37
1947: Notre Dame 27, Army 7
pg .39
1958: Army 14, Notre Dame 2
pg .41
1966: Notre Dame 35, Army 0
pg .43
1970: Notre Dame 51, Army 10
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1974: Notre Dame 48, Army 0
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1980: Notre Dame 30, Army 3
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1985: Notre Dame 24, Army 10
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1998: Notre Dame 20, Army 17
pg .30
1940: Notre Dame 7, Army 0
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1942: Notre Dame 13, Army 0
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1944: Army 59, Notre Dame 0
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1946: Army 0, Notre Dame 0
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1957: Notre Dame 23, Army 21
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1965: Notre Dame 17, Army 0
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1969: Notre Dame 45, Army 0
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1973: Notre Dame 62, Army 3
pg .46
1977: Notre Dame 24, Army 0
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1983: Notre Dame 42, Army 0
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1995: Notre Dame 28, Army 27
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2006: Notre Dame 41, Army 9
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53-77 pg .
53 pg . 52 pg . 62 pg . 64 pg . 68
pg.
2010:
the
50 th G ame
Notre Dame vs. Army 2010 Big-Time Performance in the Big Apple 2010 Notre Dame vs. Army Box Score Notre Dame Football Travel Roster vs. Army Notre Dame-Army: Way More Than Just A Football Game (Event Schedule Rundown)
78-103
S pecial F eatures
pg .
78 Four Horsemen Ride to Pinnacle of Success
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82 Win One for the Gipper
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86 A View From All Angles
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90 The Game of the Century
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92 Mutual Respect
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96 Shining on the Big Stage
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100 Small Player Huge Play
Despite unassuming beginnings, four Notre Dame players came together to form one of the most feared backfields of all time. Knute Rockne’s famous halftime speech in 1928 spurred the Irish to an inspirational victory over Army and helped turn the head coach into a legend. Terry Brennan recalls his memories of Notre Dame vs. Army, on the field and on the sideline The two rivals’ epic battle in 1946 was more than just a football game—it captured the attention of an entire nation. Notre Dame’s longest-tenured president discusses the importance of the school’s relationship with Army Thom Gatewood fed off the history of Yankee Stadium, and the electricity of the crowd, for a breakout performance in the 1969 game With the game on the line, cornerback Ivory Covington put his name in the history books with a monumental goal line stop.
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he first game between these two gridiron giants gave a preview of tactics and procedures to be used forever in the sport. Army used scouting for the first time. The forward pass, legalized in 1906, became a lethal weapon for the first time in this game.
The game was a ferocious one with both sides hitting like it was the final game of their respective careers. Although the grueling Army attack was having a physical effect on the visitors, it was Notre Dame that struck first. Quarterback Gus Dorais threw a long pass to end Knute Rockne no longer showing signs of his earlier game limping, and Rockne raced all alone for the touchdown. Dorais kicked his first of five extra points. With running backs Paul Hodgson and Leland Hobbs plunging away with power, the Cadets marched back. Midway through the second quarter, a Vernon Prichard to Jack Jouett pass put the ball on the Notre Dame 15-yard line. Hodgson and Hobbs continued their land assault, and finally Hodgson found pay dirt. The
Notre Dame 35, Army 13 left-footed extra point kick by Roscoe “Spike” Woodruff was no good. Army scored again after an exchange of punts to go up 13-7, but Notre Dame marched right down the field 80 yards in four plays, including a 30yard strike to halfback Joe Pliska. Pliska then scored on a run up the middle from five yards out. Notre Dame took a 14-13 lead into the locker room at halftime. The second half was a real slugfest on defense with the competition basically in the middle of the field. Finally, Army moved down to the Notre Dame two, but the Ramblers (as the ND team was called) mounted a magnificent goal-line stand and held the home team scoreless. From then on, the air became full of footballs but mostly from the Notre Dame side. It was reported in the New York Evening Telegram that Dorais completed 15-of-17 passes in the second half for nearly 300 yards. Fullback Ray “Iron Eich” Eichenlaub did the secondhalf damage on the ground with a pair of TDs.
1913 team photo 4 N otre D ame
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Notre Dame made just one substitution because of a freak accident. Halfback Sam Finegan broke a shoelace, and “Bunny” Larkin was told to give his cleats to Finegan, but when he refused, Larkin became the Irish right halfback.
Points of Interest A guarantee of $1,000 was given to Notre Dame. Notre Dame rode railroad coaches from South Bend to Buffalo and then switched over to Pullmans for the last leg of the journey. The limited Ramblers’ budget had the team eating sandwiches made on the Notre Dame campus. The visitors brought just 18 players, and only 14 pairs of cleats. Notre Dame QB Gus Dorais completed 15-of-17 passes for 300 yards in the second half, and he kicked five extra points in the game. Notre Dame scores were by Joe Pliska (two), Ray Eichenlaub (two) and Knute Rockne.
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he Cadets were heavily favored in their second year serving as hosts to the injurybattered Irish team. Notre Dame did its best to keep up with the undefeated home team. Army used the outstanding punting of Paul Hodgson to give the team excellent field position throughout the game. This made the challenge even stiffer for the Irish, but the defense was strong. Army scored once in the first period on a three-play, 15-yard series and led 14-0 at halftime, via a blocked Notre Dame punt recovered in the end zone. Notre Dame halfback Stan Cofall made a fine return of the secondhalf kickoff to the Army 45. A series of rushing attempts moved the ball, and quarterback Alfred “Dutch” Bergman found fullback Eddie Duggan with an aerial down to the 1. On the next play, Cofall bulled his way through a mass of entangled bodies in the middle of the line for the TD. Cofall’s extra point put Notre Dame back in the game, trailing 14-7. For the remainder of the quarter, the middle of the
Army 20, Notre Dame 7 at West Point, NY
field took the brunt of the play, with neither team surmounting a lengthy drive. With 12 minutes remaining in Students and fans at Jimmie and Goat’s Cigar Store in South Bend the game, the getting a wired report of the game vs. Army visitors took to the air, but the move backfired with an interception by Army reserve Louie Ford who returned the ball to the Notre Dame 32. Three Knute Rockne was in his first year as running plays gained 28 assistant coach at his alma mater. yards and a first down at the ND 4. Halfback Hodgson Six thousand fans jammed into a packed plunged in for the score, Cullum Hall Field for what was becoming a tough rivalry. and the kick was wide.
Points of Interest
The Ramblers’ defense again came to the front late in the game. Army marched from the ND 28 to the 3 in three plays. Four unsuccessful plunges into the middle of the line resulted in zero points for the home team, and the visitors were saluted by the crowd for their gallant stand.
Notre Dame halfback Joe Pliska had a pair of runs of 15 and 35 yards. Army All-America end Louie Merillat blocked a Stan Cofall punt in the end zone and recovered the ball for a TD. The Notre Dame touchdown was by halfback Stan Cofall.
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otre Dame brought an inexperienced squad of 19 to West Point, but one that was blessed with speed and strength. The Rovers’ (Notre Dame was also called Rovers) defensive strength was needed from the get-go, as the visitors fumbled an Army punt that was recovered at the Notre Dame 20. Four rushes gained just seven yards, and Notre Dame took over. The Rovers made it to midfield but had to punt. This was the scenario
Points of Interest With football enthusiasm in full force at Notre Dame, the game report was sent back to South Bend by telegraph wire run into the Fieldhouse. Nickels and dimes were collected from the student body to pay for the transmission. Another wire was run into Jimmy and Goat’s Pool Room in downtown South Bend, and “Goat” Anderson himself leaned out a second-story window to give a play-by-play account of the game to fans on the street. When the Rovers arrived at the Point, the Corps serenaded it with Notre Dame songs. Both teams ate at the same training table on Friday with the schools sizing up Saturday’s opposition. Both coaching staffs met for socializing at the Officers’ Club on Friday night. Notre Dame played just 11 players for the 60 minutes. Notre Dame touchdown was by Bergman. 6 N otre D ame
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Notre Dame 7, Army 0 at West Point, NY
for much of the first quarter, punt after punt, although the opening period ended with Notre Dame on the Army 15-yard line. The Cadet defense held strong, and a fourth-down pass at the nine went incomplete in the end zone. Notre Dame got the ball back at the Army 35, gained yardage, but suffered a 15-yard holding penalty, moving the ball back to the 40. A field goal attempt by Stan Cofall was wide. Cofall had two more chances for points in the second quarter, but his second attempt was blocked and the third was wide. The second period ended 0-0, with most of the play on the Army side of the field. The third quarter was much of the same with neither team mounting scoring threat. With five minutes to play in the game, Army halfback Ollie Oliphant called for a fair catch on
a punt at the Notre Dame 47-yard line. This enabled the Cadets to try a free kick (a move the Rovers had never seen before). Notre Dame had to stand by and watch Bill Coffin hold the ball on the flat of one hand and balance it with his finger on the other hand. Oliphant gauged the wind, set his sights and sent the ball flying toward the goal post. The ball hit the crossbar dead center, bounced straight up in the air and dropped back on the field. It was still 0-0. With three minutes remaining, Notre Dame marched 80 yards in three plays, including a 27-yard scamper by Cofall. At midfield, on second down, Cofall threw a pass to halfback Arthur “Little Dutch” Bergman, who made a spectacular leaping catch at the 30. Flying full speed, Bergman used a head fake and then a change-of-pace to avoid an Army defender to go all the way. Cofall kicked the extra point, and the rest is history: Notre Dame 7, Army 0.
1916
Both teams came into the game as high-scoring squads. In five games, Army scored 156 points while holding the opposition to 14. The visitors tallied 154 points and held opponents scoreless in four outings. Cadet halfback Elmer Oliphant was the country’s top scorer with 78 points, while Notre Dame halfback Stan Cofall ranked third among the nation’s best with 58 points.
With this said, the two teams played the first five minutes in the middle of the field. Late in the first quarter, Notre Dame became the first foe to cross the 50-yard line. Cofall dropped back to punt at the Army 48, but instead drop-kicked the ball straight down the middle and through the uprights to put the Rovers in front, 3-0.
Army 30, Notre Dame 10
yard field goal of its own. And then using the fake punt a la Notre Dame, punter Gene Vidal drop-kicked the ball from midfield for another three points at the end of the half. The first half was a complete reversal of previous games, as the Cadets used the aerial game, while the visitors tried to pick up yardage on the ground. The Rovers wasted no time in taking the lead once again. Using a varied ground game, Notre Dame took the
Army countered early in the second quarter with an 18-
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second-half kickoff and marched down the field with “Little Dutch” Bergman completing the scoring drive from the four-yard line. Notre Dame led 10-6. Army retaliated on the next series, lining up for a field goal, but instead, a pass from quarterback Chuck Gerhardt to halfback Vidal resulted in a four-yard scoring play. Oliphant kicked the extra point to put the home team in front, 13-10. Army vamped up its aerial assault in the fourth quarter. Gerhardt tossed scoring passes to Oliphant and Vidal, and the former booted a 15-yard field goal for the largest margin of victory in the series.
Points of Interest 1916 was the year that the rules committee requested that the players have numbers on their jerseys, but it wasn’t mandatory. Neither team complied with the suggestion, even though Notre Dame had worn numbers as early as 1912. The Ramblers’ players used handfuls of whitewash from the yard stripes to mark the ends and backs so they would know who to cover on pass plays. Once again, Army extended its welcoming through hearty helpings of food at the dining table. Rambler sophomore quarterback Chet Grant gained five pounds in three meals.
Notre Dame football practice
The Notre Dame touchdown was scored by Dutch Bergman.
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Notre Dame 7, Army 2 at West Point, NY
steady downpour turned the field into a quagmire, and after the first play it was impossible to distinguish the Irish blue jerseys from the black of Army. In the early going, Notre Dame halfback George Gipp had his punt blocked. The ball rolled into the end zone, and quarterback “Tex” Allison fell on it for a safety, giving the home team a 2-0 lead. The game became a battle of punts with neither team putting points on the scoreboard.
of blockers into the end zone. Captain Frank Rydzewski, normally a center, came in to kick the extra point to give the Irish their 7-2 triumph, but not before Army threatened.
ended another Cadet encounter. Notre Dame gave the ball back at its own 35-yard line on a fumble, but Army returned the favor with a fumble that was gobbled up by Brandy.
After the Notre Dame touchdown, the Cadets marched down field to the visitors’ 19-yard line, but an intercepted pass by end Tom King in the end zone thwarted another Army drive.
Brandy, Gipp and Walter Miller kept the ball on the ground for Notre Dame, and the game ended with the visitors on the Army 18-yard line.
An interception by Joe Brandy near the end of the third quarter set up the winning score for Notre Dame in the fourth period. The Rovers, with Gipp running and passing, marched 53 yards down to the Army seven as time ran out in the third quarter.
Notre Dame received a scare on its next series, as Gipp’s punt from the end zone was partially blocked, but the ball did make it out to the 33. The visitors stiffened and held Army to one yard in four plays.
On the first play of the fourth period, Brandy followed a pair
Notre Dame gained nothing on the ensuing series and Army took over, but an intercepted pass by defensive tackle Dave Philbin
Points of Interest With World War I on-going, 10 Notre Dame players enlisted, and quarterback Jimmy Phelan was in the service two weeks before the Army game. The Cadets had only four returning lettermen. This was the game where the “Notre Dame shift” became the team’s trademark. George Gipp made his debut in this game, but his season was shortened the following week vs. Morningside (Iowa) when he broke his leg. The Remblers touchdown was scored by Joe Brandy.
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he two teams returned to battle after a one-year hiatus due to the war, and the Irish brought a five-game winning streak to West Point. The week before, against Tufts, Army coach Charlie Daly attempted to rest his regulars for the next game against the Ramblers, but the first string was called into action in the second half to pull out a 24-13 victory. Army drew first blood in the opening period. After two punt exchanges, the Cadets stayed on the ground to move 55 yards down field to paydirt. The Notre Dame defense held tough, but finally on fourth down, halfback Claude “Mac” McQuarrie bulled over from the three. The first half ended with Army on top, 6-0.
Points of Interest Knute Kenneth Rockne was in his second year as the Notre Dame head coach. A crowd of 15,000 watched the game at Cullum Hall Field, including many eastern Notre Dame alums who used the game for a reunion.
Notre Dame 12, Army 9 at West Point, NY
The home team continued its ground attack in the second quarter, marching to the Notre Dame 22. It was then curtains for the Cadets on three rushes, and McQuarrie had to settle for a 30-yard field goal. It was now time for the visitors to make their move. With George Gipp throwing short and long passes, he definitely had the Army defense on the run. Notre Dame penetrated to the Army seven on third down. Gipp changed his tactics, and this time blasted off right tackle for the TD. Pete Bahan’s extra point try was wide as the first half came to an end with Army still in front, 9-6. Notre Dame went for the jugular to start the third quarter. Starting at his own 40, Gipp threw a pass to Bahan, who had beaten the Army secondary. Bahan caught the ball at the Army 20 and gained 10 more yards before he was dragged down from behind. An Army offside penalty put the ball on the five. Using an eight-man line and three linebackers, the
Players, including George Gipp (center) in street clothes before the game
Cadets dug in and stopped the visitors on four downs. Notre Dame got the ball back after a set of downs at the Army 33. Gipp hit the bullseye, meaning the hands of end Eddie Anderson who scampered down the sideline to the seven before being driven out of bounds. On third and goal, reserve halfback Wally Miller bulled his way four yards off tackle for the touchdown. Bernie Kirk missed the extra point, sending Notre Dame into the final period leading 12-9. McQuarrie’s booming punts put the visitors in bad field position for all of the fourth quarter, but the home team couldn’t mount anything against a stiff Notre Dame defense. Army did rally down to the visitors’ 25, but an interception by back Joe Brandy killed the drive.
On the first Notre Dame touchdown, the quarterback was calling the signals, but George Gipp noticed the official timekeeper getting ready to blow the whistle, ending the first half. Gipp quickly called for the ball, and the center snapped it back to him before time could be called, resulting in the scoring play. Notre Dame touchdowns were scored by Geroge Gipp and Wally Miller.
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t was reported that before the game Irish halfback George Gipp put on a dropkicking exhibition. Gipp walked to midfield and booted two 50-yarders through the uprights at one end, and then turned and duplicated the same feat at the other end of the field. An early Notre Dame fumble set up the first score of the day, a five-yard run by halfback Charlie Lawrence. Notre Dame came right back on the series with Gipp having a hand on every play, including running, passing and recovering a fumble. A 75-yard drive was capped off by a five-yard plunge by halfback Johnny Mohardt.
Points of Interest Notre Dame changed shoes after the first quarter, opting for longer cleats on the soft turf. On this day, George Gipp ran for 124 yards, threw for 96 yards and ran back kickoffs for 112 yards. Six weeks after the Army game, Gipp died in the hospital on Dec. 12 at the age of 25. Cause of death was pneumonia and a streptococcus infection of the throat. Rockne was in the room when Gipp passed away and said, “George, it’s tough to go.” And Gipp, with a smile and a whisper, said, “What’s so tough about it?” Notre Dame touchdowns were scored by Johnny Mohardt (two), Roger Kiley, and Chet Wynne.
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Notre Dame 27, Army 17
In the second quarter, a 25-yard punt return by Gipp set up the second visitors’ score. It came on a Gipp throw to Roger Kiley at the 30, and the end romped the rest of the way. Army responded with 10 unanswered points. The first came on a 70-yard punt return by fullback Walter French after Gipp had kicked the ball 60 yards. French then added a 31-yard field goal to send the two teams into the locker room with Army leading 17-14. There was no scoring in the third quarter, but Notre Dame tacked on 13 points in the final 12-minute period. The visitors had the ball on the Army 20 to start the fourth stanza. Gipp carried twice for five-yards, and then a fake by Gipp gave Mohardt the ball who scored between the tackle and end. Army went three and out, and Gipp returned a punt 50 yards up the middle to set up the final TD, a 20yard fake criss-cross run by fullback Chet Wynne for the score.
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he first quarter was scoreless with each team mounting drives only to be stopped by fumbles. There were also two missed field goals—one by each team.
The second quarter was much of the same with neither team controlling play. Army muffed a Notre Dame punt, and the visitors gained field position at the Cadet 47. On second down, Johnny Mohardt passed to end Roger Kiley in the clear, and he sprinted all the way across the goalline. The Irish came right back on its next series with a 53-yard march only to have a pass intercepted in the end zone by Army back Ed Johnson. The Fighting Irish
Notre Dame 28, Army 0
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defense held, and once again, Notre Dame was on the attack. A hook and ladder play gained a quarter of the field, and Mohardt’s long pass to fullback Chet Wynne put the ball in the end zone for the visitors. Notre Dame led 14-0 at halftime.
With its timing off due to the new formation, Notre Dame was whistled for three offside penalties in the third quarter. Shutting down Army completely, the visitors finally scored when end Kiley turned a 13-yard pass into a touchdown.
Army head coach Charlie Daly confronted the officials at halftime because he felt they were not penalizing the Irish shift. Daly became so incensed that he asked the officials to leave the game. The contest nearly ended right there until Rockne said he wouldn’t use the shift in the second half. And Notre Dame didn’t, running all its plays out of a short punt formation.
When the third quarter was finished, Army had not registered one first down in the game. The Cadets made their move in the fourth quarter with three potential scoring drives that were stymied by the Irish defense. A blocked Army field goal resulted in the final score. Notre Dame moved 62 yards, highlighted by a 38-yard run by Mohardt for the TD.
Points of Interest A pre-game argument over the legality of the Notre Dame shift nearly canceled the game. Coach Knute Rockne’s precision offense was declared legal to the letter of the law. Twenty thousand fans shoehorned into the Army facilities built to hold 10,000. The Academy Superintendent, General Douglas MacArthur, was shoved around by the masses so thoroughly that he had to call for the military police. Famous writer Grantland Rice picked the Cadets to win, but he turned out to be wrong for the second straight year. Eleven-minute quarters were played with an agreement from each team. Army was short on reserves, and Notre Dame was outweighed and expected to take a pounding. Irish touchdowns were scored by Roger Kiley (two), Chet Wynne, and Johnny Mohardt.
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ven though Army coach Charlie Daly disputed the Notre Dame shift so vehemently during the ’21 contest, he and Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne became friends with the former actually studying the Irish tactics. Daly even used them in the game vs. Navy.
The ’22 contest found Army using a modified Notre Dame shift. Both teams were unbeaten at the opening kickoff, but the “experts” were picking the Cadets by a slim margin. The first quarter was a stalemate, although Army took the opening kickoff and marched to the Notre Dame 11 before it was stopped on downs. The visitors took over and, staying on the ground, penetrated to the Cadet 35 as the opening period expired. Notre Dame continued its drive, but the Cadets recovered a fumble at the Army 19. The half ended with the score 0-0,
Notre Dame 0, Army 0 at West Point, NY although the Army seemed to have the upperhand. The third period was much of the same, as both teams would drive to midfield, but see series halted by a tough defensive effort by both squads. Rockne’s theory was: “If we can hold ‘em even for three periods, we can win in the fourth.” Blocked kicks seemed to be the norm in the fourth quarter. Army blocked the first one and recovered at the Notre Dame 43. After three downs gained six yards, the Cadets attempted a 54-yard field goal. The kick was right on line and sailed straight for the uprights, but it fell one foot short.
and on fourth down, Paul Castner attempted a 55-yard field goal, but the attempt was blocked. Army got the ball back, and the officials were debating about calling the game because of darkness. On fourth down, Army faked a punt and George Smythe threw to Charlie Lawrence, moving Army to the Notre Dame 28. With one minute to play, Big Ed Garbisch was called upon for a 40-yard field goal. The kick was blocked and Notre Dame recovered.
Notre Dame took over at its own 20, and two pass plays, with halfback Elmer Layden doing the throwing, took the ball to the Army 45. The Cadets held,
Points of Interest This was the first tie in the ArmyNotre Dame series. The 1922 game was the last in the series to be played at Cullum Hall Field at West Point because the game had just grown too big. The overflow crowds of the Cadet-Irish battles were said to be responsible for today’s Michie Stadium at West Point. In 1923, the game was moved to Ebbets Field in Brooklyn.
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n its second series and after a short kick, Army took over at the Notre Dame 30. Three plays gained eight yards, and Ed Garbisch’s dropkick was wide. This was not a good start for a team that had already knocked off Tennessee and Florida. Early in the second quarter, mixing up its offense, Notre Dame made it down to the Army 6. On fourth down, quarterback Harry Stuhldreher found fullback Elmer Layden in the end zone for the touchdown. Jim Crowley dropkicked the extra point. Army responded with power upon power, but with one minute remaining, Dutch Smythe threw deep, but Layden was waiting at the Notre Dame 30 to intercept the pass. The visitors ran out the half. The third quarter was fought on even terms, but it didn’t keep the hitting from being a tinge less than a war. Neither team could dent the defensive armor of the opposition. In the fourth quarter, after an exchange of punts, Fighting Irish halfback Don Miller ran 40 yards to
Notre Dame 12, Army 9 at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, NY
midfield, but Ed Garbisch intercepted a Stuhldreher pass. It was now or never for the Cadets. On third down, fullback Bill Wood threw a long pass that was picked off by Crowley near his own goal, and Jim slipped down the sideline all the way to the Army 24. Crowley picked up 17 yards from scrimmage on first down. Miller looked like he was going to pass, but it was a fake, and the halfback dodged and twisted his way through the Cadets for the touchdown. Crowley missed the extra point kick. Army had one more chance, but Wood’s passes just didn’t click, and time ran out. Notre Dame’s speedy backs were just too much against the more powerful West Pointers.
Notre Dame’s starting team in formation
Points of Interest As late as September, it was not known where the game would be played. Because the World Series ended up being a Subway Series between the New York Giants and Yankees, the game was moved to Ebbets field, the home field of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Notre Dame had been receiving a $5,000 guarantee to come to New York. This time, Knute Rockne’s program was promised one-third at the gate and with a crowd of 35,000 fans, that turned out to be $23,500. Harry Stuhldreher, Jim Crowley, Don Miller and Elmer Layden, later known as “The Four Horsemen,” started the 1923 game for Notre Dame. It was their first Army game together as a unit. Notre Dame touchdowns were scored by Elmer Layden and Don Miller.
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Notre Dame 13, Army 7 at Polo Grounds, New York, NY
he second quarter produced the first score of the game after a tightly contested opening period. Starting at their own 20 after an Army missed field goal, the Fighting Irish used six running plays and one pass to score from the three on a middle of line carry by fullback Elmer Layden. Jim Crowley missed the extra point. The first half ended with Army not recording a first down in the second quarter, after making three in the first period. An exchange of intercepted passes in the third quarter gave Notre Dame the ball at the Army 48 courtesy of Crowley’s aerial steal. Three running plays put the ball on the 18, and Crowley did the
rest by skirting around end behind tremendous blocking by the other three backs. Sleepy Jim shook off two Army tacklers and reached the end zone. Crowley’s extra point gave Notre Dame a 13-0 lead to take into the fourth quarter. Army scored its lone touchdown after a short Notre Dame punt and penalty gave the Cadets the ball at the Notre Dame 20. Reserve halfback Chick Harding scored around left end from the 5 on fourth down. Notre Dame completed a 10-0 season and won the national championship.
Points of Interest Army outweighed, pound for pound, every Notre Dame man, but the Irish were extremely quick with every man in the first-string backfield able to break 10.4 in the 100 in football uniforms. The Polo Grounds’ 60,000 capacity was filled to the brim. Notre Dame quarterback Harry Stuhldreher was rated the brainiest field general in college football. Irish right halfback Don Miller followed in the footsteps of his three older brothers. At midfield before the game, Army captain Ed Garbisch and Adam Walsh, the Irish captain, shook hands left-handed. Walsh’s broken right hand was in a cast, but he played anyway. After the game, a medical exam revealed that he broke the other hand in the first quarter, but he continued to play, intercepting a fourthquarter pass. After the game, Grantland Rice’s lead of his game story said: “Outlined across a blue-gray October sky, the Four Horsemen rode again today…” From that point on, seniors Stuhldreher, Crowley, Miller and Layden were known as the Four Horsemen.
Polo Grounds
The Four Horsemen at practive Cartier Field, 1924 This was the first Army-Notre Dame contest to be broadcast on the radio. Irish touchdowns were scored by Elmer Layden and Jim Crowley. 14 N otre D ame
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Army 27, Notre Dame 0
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slipped behind the Irish secondary in the end zone.
Army used a devastating ground attack to go 58 yards in four plays with “Light Horse Harry” Wilson scoring from the 2 early in the second quarter. The Cadets added another touchdown on a four-yard pass from Chick Harding to captain Harry Baxter, who
Notre Dame seemed to have the Army stopped with its play in the scoreless third quarter, but that didn’t last. Blondy Saunders returned a blocked punt to the Notre Dame four early in the fourth period. Quickly on first down, Tiny Hewitt scored and Army led, 20-0. The final TD came on a 45-yard pass interception by tackle “Texas Bud” Sprague.
or the fifth year in a row, the first quarter was scoreless, but the play on the field was one of banging heads on both sides. The toll of such hard hitting was being seen on the Notre Dame side.
Yankee Stadium, New York, NY
Points of Interest Notre Dame rode a 16-game winning streak into the Army contest. Eighty thousand fans packed Yankee Stadium, and it remained the annual site of the rivalry for the next 23 years with only two exceptions. Notre Dame lost four quarterbacks in the game due to injury. This was the worst defeat a Knute Rocknecoached team had ever suffered.
Game scene at Yankee Stadium, circa 1925
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Notre Dame 7, Army 0 at Yankee Stadium, New York, NY
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O’Boyle kicked the extra point for a Notre Dame 7-0 lead.
After the kickoff to start the third quarter, Notre Dame drove 67 yards. The big play, called No. 51—the “bread and butter play” was a 63-yard run by Christy Flanagan behind precision-like blocking from the entire Irish offense. Harry
The game ended with Notre Dame recording nine first downs and Army with seven after each team had tallied four in the opening 15 minutes. The Fighting Irish totaled 207 yards to 127 for Army, but of course 63 of Notre Dame’s total came on the run by Flanagan. Notre Dame completed two of five passing attempts for seven yards, while the Cadets hit on one of 10 aerials for 16 yards.
ear No. 6 of the scoreless first period extended right into halftime as neither team could surmount an offensive attack. At halftime, Notre Dame had gained 106 yards rushing and Army 101; neither team threw a pass.
Points of Interest A Notre Dame scout reported that every time “Light Horse Harry” Wilson was to get the ball, the fair-skinned Wilson blushed while signals were being called. The reddening tipped off all plays where Wilson carried. The “perfect play,” No. 51, was used seven times in this game before becoming a scoring play by Flanagan. This was the year for touchdowns for Rockne who didn’t have a decent field goal kicker. When asked why he didn’t kick instead of going for the touchdown, he answered, “It takes three of those to beat a touchdown.” Notre Dame’s touchdown was scored by Flanagan.
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Army 18, Notre Dame 0 at Yankee Stadium, New York, NY
he string was broken. After six years of no scoring in the first quarter, the Cadets broke through. On Army’s second possession, halfback “Red” Cagle caught the Notre Dame defense by surprise, sprinted around left end and into the clear. Army blockers cleared the way, and Cagle scampered down the sideline 53 yards for the touchdown. Ray Dahman blocked “Bud” Spague’s extra point. A kicking duel between Cagle and Dahman highlighted the rest of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Army had a field goal attempt blocked, and Notre Dame made it down to the Cadet eight, when time expired for the first half. Notre Dame trailed by six, but had compiled more first downs and yardage, and definitely was still in
the game going into the second half. That may have ended when on its first series, Army back “Spike” Nave intercepted a Dahman pass and saw clear sailing 60 yards for the touchdown. After the failed extra point, the Cadets led, 12-0. Another intercepted pass, this time by Art Meehan, put the ball on the Notre Dame seven. On fourth down, Cagle skirted left end, but was stopped short of the goal line. Notre Dame took over and punted on first down to the 37. On third down and four, fullback Johnny Murrell found Cagle in the clear at the 20, and “Red” went the distance for a 31-yard TD reception.
Points of Interest Eighty-two percent of the Army starting lineup that had played against Notre Dame the year before had played college football elsewhere before joining the Corps of Cadets. Five regulars had used up their college eligibility but were able to play for West Point. Notre Dame dressed in its green jerseys for the first time ever versus Army. Eighty thousand fans were present at Yankee Stadium for the annual event.
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1928 Keeping with the true meaning of football, punting was the name of the game in the first quarter. Only Notre Dame could move the ball in the second quarter, and the Fighting Irish were stopped on the Army 2, as a Fred Collins fumble popped into the end zone and the Cadets recovered. The first half ended with Army in Notre Dame territory just once, with three first downs to five for the visitors. The halftime rest period seemed to revitalize the Cadets. Starting at his own 38, Army halfback Chris Cagle threw a 40-yard pass to end Ed Messinger. Four rushes moved the ball to the three. On third down,
Points of Interest Coach Knute Rockne called this team his “Minute Men.” “They’ll be in the game one minute,” he said, “and the other team will score.”
Notre Dame 12, Army 6 at Yankee Stadium, New York, NY
fullback Johnny Murrell scored to put the Army out in front 6-0. Quickly, Notre Dame tied the game on a 35-yard series. Three running plays moved the ball to the 12. Another three carries put the ball on the two, where halfback Jack Chevigny plowed in for the touchdown. Late in the fourth quarter, the Irish put the game in the win column by marching 47 yards for another TD. After a series of runs, quarterback Frank Carideo, on third down, fired down field to reserve end Johnny O’Brien, who with fresh legs, outran everyone and caught the ball as he was crossing the goal line. Army fired back and fled down field to the Notre Dame one when time expired.
After two losses this season, people were beginning to doubt Rockne’s ability to produce winners. With six victories, Army was on the road to the mythical national championship. Ninety thousand fans poured into Yankee Stadium, and another 5,000 were watching from elevated platforms and every available perch on neighborhood apartment houses. This was the game when Rockne did his “Win One For the Gipper” halftime oration. Notre Dame touchdowns were scored by Jack Chevigny and Johnny O’Brien.
Notre Dame’s starting team in formation 18 N otre D ame
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Notre Dame 7, Army 0
Without an Army-Navy game (for the second year in a row), the Notre Dame contest was the highlight of the Cadets’ season. The only score of the game came in the second quarter. Army had driven to the Notre Dame 11. On third down, Chris Cagle angled a pass to the far sideline, intended for Ed Messinger. Irish back Jack Elder crossed in front of Messinger and picked off the pass at the 4. Elder, a track sprinter, followed a line of blockers and raced down the sideline for a 96-yard touchdown.
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Frank Carideo kicked the extra point. The visitors’ defense did the rest. Three times Army threatened the Notre Dame goal, but the Irish kept it out of the end zone. Every Cadet starter played 60 minutes in the freezing conditions. It was the last game for Army head coach “Biff ” Jones. Notre Dame (9-0) went on to win the national championship.
Points of Interest With Notre Dame stadium under construction the team played all of its games on the road in 1929. Coach Knute Rockne did not make the trip to Army because of a leg infection. Tom Lieb served as coach for the day. Even though the stock market had hit bottom two weeks before the game, scalpers were getting $50 per ticket. Eighty-three thousand shivering spectators sat in 14-degree weather complicated by a 35-mile-an-hour wind that produced an icy field. Notre Dame wore rubber-soled basketball sneakers. Future Notre Dame head coach Frank Leahy was the starting right tackle, and he had a front tooth knocked out on the second play of the game.
Notre Dame starters
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otre Dame had beaten up eight opponents and had a winning streak of 17 games. An icy field made conditions horrible, and the game turned into a kicking struggle. Each team was looking for that break—a fumbled punt return. Army did reach the Notre Dame 10 at the end of the first quarter, but the Irish took over on downs. Notre Dame dominated the second quarter, but the two teams headed for the locker room with a 0-0 score. The third period was much more of the same as the field got softer, but now muddy. With less than six minutes left in the game, Notre Dame finally struck paydirt. On first down at its own 46, Marchy Schwartz took a handoff and followed perfect blocking through the line. Schwartz broke
Notre Dame 7, Army 6 at Soldier Field, Chicago, IL into the clear and was chased by Army’s Ray Stecker, but the Notre Dame back was just too fast and crossed the goal line for a 54yard touchdown scamper. Frank Carideo added the extra point. The excitement wasn’t finished. Carideo, standing on his own 10, attempted a punt, but it was blocked by Cadet Dick King. The ball bounced off King’s chest backwards into the end zone where it was recovered by Harley Trice for an Army TD. Notre Dame used a nine-man line to attempt to block the game-tying extra point. Army was going to drop-kick the extra point. The two lines converged, the kicker, Chuck Broshous, dropped the
ball, but it never came up off the soggy ground. The charging Irish smothered both the ball and the kicker. Two plays after the kickoff the game ended with Notre Dame having won its 19th in a row.
Points of Interest A field covered with ice greeted the 110,000 fans at Soldier Field. The entire offensive backfield of the national champions returned: Frank Carideo, Marchy Schwartz, Marty Brill, and Larry Mullins. This group compared to the Four Horsemen in speed, and was 20 pounds per man heavier. Rockne coached from the sidelines in a wheelchair. It was the last Army-Notre Dame game he would coach. He loved the series and had scored the first TD in the initial contest in 1913. He died in a tragic plane crash in Kansas in 1931. Notre Dame finished the season 10-0 and won the national championship.
Knute Rockne at practice 20 N otre D ame
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unk Anderson was the new Notre Dame head coach, and he was looking for his charges to rebound from their defeat at the hands of USC the previous week. Army took the lead in the first quarter on a fake punt play. The punter, Travis Brown, had never thrown a pass before, but he tossed a basketball lob over the center of the line to halfback Ray Stecker who carried the ball 51 yards to the Notre Dame seven. On third down, fullback Tom Kilday blasted over the goal line for the touchdown. The play in the second quarter was all in West Point territory, but there was no scoring. Notre Dame did march down to the Army four, but
Army 12, Notre Dame 0 at Yankee Stadium, New York, NY
on first down, the Cadets held as time ran out. The third quarter contained just one first down for each team, and the game was still undecided going into the final period. Notre Dame brought the crowd to its feet with two long passing attempts in the third quarter, but one was incomplete and the second nullified because of off-setting penalties. Late in the final period, Army halfback Stecker ran off tackle, broke a couple of tackles and scooted 68 yards for the TD. He then missed his second extra point.
Points of Interest One week before the Army game, Southern California stopped Notre Dame’s winning streak at 26 games. A capacity crowd watched the game in a snowstorm. Army’s Stecker was taken to the doctors the night before the game with a high fever. His 68yard run in the fourth quarter was the longest in the history of the famed rivalry at this point. In the 18 games up to this point, Notre Dame won 12, Army five and there was one tie.
Notre Dame team practice in South Bend
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Notre Dame 21, Army 0 at Yankee Stadium, New York, NY
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here was plenty of “foot” in football in the first quarter, as each team gained nothing in yardage and was forced to punt. Notre Dame got on the scoreboard in the second period. Disguising a running play, the Irish went to the air instead and Mike Brancheau threw a 44-yard pass to Paul Host down to the five. On the first play, Mike Koken lobbed a pass over the charging Army linemen to George Melinkovich in the end zone. Chuck Jaskwhich kicked the extra point, and the two teams went into the locker room with the Irish leading 7-0.
Points of Interest With bread lines seen everywhere in the height of the depression, Yankee Stadium was still sold out thanks to support from subway alumni. Notre Dame head coach Hunk Anderson said Army had scouted his team so well that its players even knew how to pronounce his team’s last names. Army took such a physical beating in the game that there were rumors of stopping the rivalry, but top officials at both institutions denied that there was any friction between the two teams.
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The second Notre Dame touchdown was scored in the third quarter, as the visitors went 74 yards in 12 plays. The final play was a 45-yard TD toss by fullback Steve Banas to reserve Hughie Devore. The Irish tacked on another score in the third quarter when Jim Harris fell on an Army fumble in the end zone. Emmett Murphy made good with his second straight extra point. In the fourth quarter, Mike Koken intercepted two passes to stop Army drives, and the final score was 21-0, as a tough defense prevailed.
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Notre Dame 13, Army 12
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here was no scoring in the first period as Notre Dame was stopped at the six. Army finally entered Notre Dame territory and worked its way down to the Notre Dame 11. On fourth down, quarterback Paul Johnson lateralled to halfback Jack Buckler and he scored easily from five yards out. The placement kick was blocked.
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The Irish broke through in the final period, as halfback Nick Lukats pounded the middle of the Cadet line from the 11 and scored. Lukats gained 38 yards on the 52-yard drive. Buddy Bonar drop-kicked the ball over the uprights to make it Army 12, Notre Dame 7.
The Cadets took a 12-0 lead in the second quarter after a pass interception at the Notre Dame 23. Johnson scored from the one on the sixth play. Army had four first downs to one for the Fighting Irish in the second period and had complete control.
With Army kicking from its own end zone, the Cadets were concentrating on blocking Ed “Moose” Krause, the towering Irish tackle. Krause broke through the line, but it was left end Wayne Millner who blocked the kick with his knees and pounced on it in the end zone for a touchdown. Bonar missed the extra point kick.
After halftime, the complexion of the game completely turned. Although there was no scoring in the third period, Notre Dame had three first downs to Army’s one, with the Irish dominating the play.
On the final play of the game, Notre Dame back John Tobin intercepted a pass and returned it to the Army 18.
Points of Interest Army was looking for an undefeated season. Gar Davidson, at 28 years old, became the new Army head coach. His charges scored 215 points to the opponents’ 13 in nine games. Davidson wired fellow West Point officers: “I’d rather win this game than be Secretary of War.” Notre Dame was not having a good year, having been shut out five times, including one scoreless tie. Ed “Moose” Krause, the Irish left tackle, blocked five punts during the season. Army had just five touchdowns scored on it all season, with the Irish recording two of them.
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Notre Dame 12, Army 6 at Yankee Stadium, New York, NY
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otre Dame opened the game by recovering its own onside kick at the Army 36, but could not advance the ball. Later on, captain Dominic Vairo grabbed a 52-yard pass from halfback Bill Shakespeare out of a crowd at the Army 22 and raced the rest of the way for the touchdown. The extra point kick was blocked. Punts filled up the rest of the quarter. Army tied the game in the second quarter, taking over on the Notre Dame 26 at the end of the first. Halfback Jack Buckler hooked up with end Bob Shuler on a 16-yard scoring play, but guard Rocco Schiralli blocked the extra point kick. It was 6-6 at halftime.
Although played primarily on the Army side of the field, there was no scoring in the third quarter. Late in the final period, Notre Dame had the ball at the Army 25 after a 27-yard pass play. Two running plays gained five yards. On third down, reserve halfback Andy Pilney, subbing for the injured Shakespeare, fired the ball through a crowd of Army arms, into the hands of another reserve, Dan Hanley, at the 10, and he took it the distance for a 20-yard scoring play. Army stalled on its next series, and the game belonged to the Irish.
Points of Interest Elmer Layden, one of the Four Horsemen, took over the coaching reins after Notre Dame won just one game the previous year, and he immediately installed the Rockne system. Notre Dame had 300 players try out for the team, and Layden kept them all. Going into the game, Army had scored 209 points to its opponents’ 25, while the Irish had out-scored the opposition, 82-50. Yankee Stadium was jammed on a perfect day for football. Before the start of the game, the Fighting Irish dressing room door was jammed, and the team couldn’t get out and Layden couldn’t get in. A carpenter finally let the tardy Irish out of the room.
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Notre Dame 6, Army 6 at Yankee Stadium, New York1926 , NY
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recision-like punting on both sides dominated early going of the opening period. Army struck first at the Notre Dame 40. On first down, halfback Monk Meyer took the snap, faded back to midfield and lobbed a pass downfield to a racing Whitey Grove who caught the ball in full stride at the five, and skidded past a diving Bill Shakespeare for the TD. Ed “Whitey” Grove’s kick was no good, but the Cadets led 6-0. Notre Dame brought out an entirely new team for the second quarter. It didn’t do any good, as Grove intercepted two passes to halt any Irish extended drives. Notre Dame did have 49 yards total offense to 14 for the Army in the second quarter. There was more of the same for the
third period, although Notre Dame seemed to be wearing the Army down, as the Irish had five first downs to Army’s one as the third quarter ended. In the fourth quarter, Notre Dame started at its own 15. Mixing up running and passing plays, the Fighting Irish moved down to the Army 29 with a little over one minute to go. On second down, Shakespeare threw a pass to Wayne Millner in the end zone. Millner’s arm was grabbed and interference was called on Army. With 45 seconds remaining, Larry Danbom, a fourth-string fullback, ran between the right guard and tackle for the tying score. It was Danbom’s first play in a Notre Dame uniform. Wally Fromhart, who hadn’t missed an extra-point kick all season, missed wide, and the game ended in a 6-6 tie.
Points of Interest Joe Sullivan, the Olympic shot putter, had been elected captain of the ’35 Notre Dame squad the previous fall/ winter, but he died in March, and Bill Shakespeare was the designated captain for the Army game. It was so cold that the Irish players on the sideline buried their feet in straw for warmth, but still 78,367 fans showed up for the annual tussle. Larry Danbom, who scored the tying touchdown, wasn’t one of the 33 players who made the trip with the team. He arrived with a group of students who had tickets, taxied to the stadium without even eating, and dressed for the game.
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Notre Dame 20, Army 6 at Yankee Stadium, New York, NY
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rmy drove down to the Notre Dame eight on its first series, but an Andy Puplis interception in the end zone ended the drive. Notre Dame’s field goal attempt was wide as the first quarter ended. Notre Dame made another stop at its own five early in the second period. After a pass interception by Bob Wilke, the Irish had the ball at its own 44. Halfback Wilke then tossed a 34-yard aerial to quarterback Puplis who ran down to the Army 22. Wilke ran to the seven, and two more rushes put the ball at the one. With much deception in the backfield, Wilke scored the game’s first touchdown. The half ended with the Fighting Irish leading, 6-0.
A recovered Army fumble in the third quarter resulted in a 15-yard TD by Wilke on a naked bootleg. Puplis kicked the extra point. On the next Cadet series, Irish guard Johnny Lautar intercepted a pass on first down. Three plays later, Puplis scored from the three, and he added the extra point for a 20-0 lead. Early in the fourth quarter, Monk Meyer returned a Notre Dame punt 55 yards, dancing, avoiding hits from the Irish subs and racing across the goal line. Coach Elmer Layden cleared his bench until the final whistle.
Points of Interest Army scouting report read: Notre Dame runs two rushes, passes long on third down and then punts. Notre Dame captain Johnny Lautar banged his head against a beam running out onto the field for pregame warm-ups and knocked himself cold. He wobbly went out for the coin toss that Army won. Irish followers couldn’t tear down the goalposts as they were collapsible, and a mechanical invention made the goalposts disappear five seconds after the final whistle.
The 1936 team starters
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he muddy playing field joined the Irish as the winner in this contest. After the first play, players on both sides could not be recognized. Midway through the first quarter, Notre Dame got the break it needed. Army faked a punt at its own 24, and the slippery ball squirted out of the hands of the punter where Joe Beinor recovered for Notre Dame at the Army 14. Fullback Ed Simonich carried on three straight running plays, the final one from three yards out for the touchdown. Charlie O’Reilly kicked the extra point. Coach Layden sent in fresh troops for the second quarter and they completely outclassed the Cadets, but came away with nothing to show for their effort.
The 1937 starting team in formation
Notre Dame 7, Army 0 at Yankee Stadium, New York, NY Both teams came out for the second half wearing fresh uniforms, and the majority of the play was in the middle of the field in the third quarter. Early in the fourth period, Fighting Irish reserves drove 56 yards down to the Army six. The Cadets held strong, ending the series at the three. Notre Dame kept pounding away, and once again got down to the one only to see Army perform its fifth goal-line stand of the game. On the next series, Army was intercepted with less than a minute remaining. Notre Dame made it down to the three, but was denied a touchdown for the sixth time by a tremendous defensive effort by the Cadets.
Points of Interest Sixty-five thousand watched the game in pouring rain. During the week, $4.40 tickets were being scalped for $30, but at game time, you could buy a ticket for $1. This was Army head coach Gar Davidson’s last season, and he never beat the Irish. Davidson and Elmer Layden were much alike, and the cordiality of the rivalry was very high during their tenures on the sidelines.
Irish coach Elmer Layden at practice, 1930s
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1938
Notre Dame 19, Army 7 at Yankee Stadium, New York, NY
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ill Wood, a four-year letterman in football, basketball and baseball as a Cadet, was the new Army head coach.
All-America end Earl Brown. Saggau drop-kicked the extra point wide, and Army still led 7-6.
Army took the lead in the first quarter, scoring its only touchdown of the game. The Cadets marched 73 yards in nine plays with end Riggs Sullivan catching a five-yard pass from halfback Woody Wilson for the score. “Huey” Long split the uprights for the first successful conversion Army had made against the Irish in 13 years.
In the fourth quarter, Notre Dame exploded for 13 points. The first score came off of an intercepted pass by Bill Hofer in the third period. Reserve halfback Benny Sheridan scampered 30 yards to move the ball inside the Army one-yard line, and Sheridan then scored on the next play. The second score came on a 48-yard run by reserve fullback Joe Thesing, and Lou Zontini converted the extra point.
The Cadets took the same 7-0 lead into the locker room at halftime with 107 yards in total offense to 93 for the visitors. On its first series of the third quarter, Notre Dame scored on a 39-yard touchdown pass from reserve Bobby Saggau to
1938 Notre Dame team photo
Points of Interest Notre Dame’s defense was superior in the second half, holding Army to 10 yards of total offense. The left side of the Irish line in ’38, end Earl Brown and tackle Joe Beinor, were selected as All-Americans.
Notre Dame Irish terrier mascot confronts Army mule mascot.
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Notre Dame 14, Army 0
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n exchange of punts highlighted the first quarter. In the second period Notre Dame coach Elmer Layden brought in a new unit, and the Irish were on the move after a recovered fumble at the Army 31. Penalties moved the Irish back, but on third down just past the 30, Harry Stevenson lofted a pass to end Pete Arboit who was stopped at the six. Stevenson, behind a three-man convoy, motored around right end for the score, and he added the extra point kick.
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The third quarter produced no scoring, although the Fighting Irish had to make its second goal-line stand of the game. Early in the final period, Irish right halfback Stevie Bagarus intercepted an Army pass at the Cadet 45 and flew down the sideline all the way to the end zone. Stevenson’s conversion made it Notre Dame 14, Army 0, and that was the final score. Notre Dame had another apparent touchdown called back because of a holding penalty.
Points of Interest Army head coach Bill Wood and the head mentor of Notre Dame, Elmer Layden, first met as backfield stars for their respective alma maters in 1922. Prior to the 1939 game, the two teams got together for lunch on Friday, as the two schools did back when the head coaches were going head-to-head on the playing field. The minor flaw in the gathering was that the chef had meat on the Friday menu, and he had to whip up a pan of scrambled eggs for the Catholic Notre Dame players. Twenty-six Army-Notre Dame games were played through 1939, and the Fighting Irish had outscored the Cadets on an average of four points per game, but the won-lost tally sheet showed Notre Dame with 19 wins, five losses and two ties.
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Notre Dame 7, Army 0 at Yankee Stadium, New York, NY
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ndefeated Notre Dame was a big pregame favorite in this one, but that’s why they play the game.
The Fighting Irish fumbled the opening kickoff and “Red” Farrell recovered for Army at the Notre Dame 13. The Cadets gained ground to the three, but on fourth down, Notre Dame end Johnny O’Brien blocked the field goal attempt by Teddy Lutryzkowski. Two series later, halfback Steve Juzwik intercepted a pass and sprinted 84 yards down the sideline, breaking tackles along the way, for a Notre Dame touchdown. Milt Piepul added the extra point. The Irish led 7-0 after one period even though Army had threatened twice. Juzwik made his second theft of the game on Army’s last series of the second quarter, as the Cadets
had moved 46 yards to the Notre Dame 14. Defense was keeping the visitors in the game. First-half statistics had the Irish first team playing 18 minutes for a total of 13 yards gained, while the second team lost 10 yards. Both teams put up defensive battles in the third quarter and the score remained unchanged going into the final period. Army did get down to the Notre Dame 13 in the fourth quarter, but the Irish line once again held the fort. Hank Mazur, despite being knocked unconscious twice, carried 20 times for 67 yards, and ran back punts and kickoffs 97 yards for the Cadets. The entire Notre Dame team had 71 yards of total offense (69 on the ground).
Points of Interest For $23.60, Notre Dame students could buy an excursion ticket that covered railroad fare, hotel room and a ducat to Yankee Stadium. The students didn’t take advantage of this bargain because they saw the game as a pushover. Steve Juzwik, with so much talent that he was likened to Michigan’s Tom Harmon, had to battle Stevie Bagarus, who scored a touchdown in the ’39 Army game, for the starting right halfback spot. The hitting in the fourth quarter was so hard that on one play, Army ball carrier Hank Mazur and Notre Dame tackle Tom Gallagher were knocked out cold. Mazur was rendered unconscious a second time when hit by tackle Lou Rymkus. After the 1940 season, Notre Dame coach Elmer Layden signed a contract to become the head of the National Professional Football League.
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mbrellas were the equipment of the day, and a soggy field was the scene of the action. Because of the rain, backs couldn’t run, and passes were out of the question even though Notre Dame’s Angelo Bertelli was the finest thrower in college football. Punts were the only alternative. In the second quarter, Fred “Dippy” Evans of Notre Dame and Hank Mazur of Army put on a punting exhibition. This led to the Irish blocking a Mazur punt late in the quarter that gave it the ball at the Army 24. On third down, halfback Ralph Hill intercepted a Bertelli aerial to halt the drive.
Notre Dame 0, Army 0 at Yankee Stadium, New York, NY
The third quarter saw neither team doing anything, and Yankee Stadium sod was taking the worst beating. Still a stalemate, the kicking game was still the dominant part of play. In the waning minutes of the game, Notre Dame marched to the Army 20. With seven seconds remaining, Notre Dame came out in a triple flanker. Wally Ziemba, the center, started to snap the ball back to Evans, but the ball was gripped by suction in the mud. Ziemba gave the ball an extra thrust and it sailed through the fullback’s hands. Evans finally picked up the ball but was smothered under by the Army. Game ends, 0-0.
Points of Interest Both teams had new coaches with the 33-yearold Frank Leahy coming from Boston College to take over at his alma mater, and Earl “Red” Blaik leaving Dartmouth for his tenure at Army. Leahy had a 20-2 slate at Boston College, with a win over Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl. During his stint as a player for Knute Rockne, Leahy shared a hospital room with his legendary coach at Mayo Clinic for 14 days. Leahy, who was recovering from a knee operation, and Rockne, who was being treated for a blood ailment, spent the two weeks talking football. Leahy led the team through an undefeated season, and he was named coach of the year. The 0-0 tie was the first in the series since 1922 and the third tie in 28 games. This was the final year of the famed Notre Dame box formation that had been so successful through the years due to the balletlike backfield shift that for so many seasons distinguished those colorful teams.
Steven Juzwik, Robert Hargrove, Angelo Bertelli, & John Warner clear some hurdles.
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1942
Notre Dame 13, Army 0 at Yankee Stadium, New York, NY
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n Army fumble, on its first series, gave the ball to the Irish at the Cadet 31. Three plays netted 16 yards, and Army guard Tom Mesereau blocked a field goal attempt. Neither team mounted any substantial drive in the second quarter and the half ended 0-0. The two teams had now combined for nine quarters of scoreless football dating back to 1940. Notre Dame invaded Army territory four times, while the Cadets never made it across the 50-yard line before the intermission.
After an exchange of punts in the third quarter, halfback Pete Ashbaugh recovered an Army fumble at the Cadet 35. Staying on the ground, the Irish scored on a 16-yard run by halfback Dick Creevy. Angelo Bertelli kicked the extra point for a 7-0 Notre Dame advantage. In the fourth quarter, the Fighting Irish added another touchdown in the final minute, going 80 yards in seven plays. The drive culminated when Bertelli threw a 26-yard pass that was tipped, but fell into the hands of captain George Murphy for a 13-0 victory.
Points of Interest Coach Frank Leahy, with permission from Father John J. Cavanaugh, chairman of the Athletic Board in Control of Football, and the Notre Dame president, Father J. Hugh “Pepper” O’Donnell, decided to install the new version of the T-formation used very successfully by the Chicago Bears in their 73-0 win over the Washington Redskins in the 1940 professional championship game. Leahy took a lot of flak for switching formations, but his victory over Army silenced the critics. 1942 was the University of Notre Dame’s centennial celebration and marked 55 years of football. Fighting Irish touchdowns were scored by Dick Creevy and George Murphy.
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1943
Notre Dame 26, Army 0
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he game featured unbeaten Notre Dame vs. Army with just one tie. Army fullback Glenn Davis was playing in his first Notre Dame game, while quarterback Johnny Lujack was starting for the first time with the Fighting Irish.
The visitors scored in the first quarter on a 17-yard aerial from Lujack to end “Jumbo John” Yonakor. Lujack completed three passes for 107 yards in the first period. He threw his first incompletion and first interception early in the second quarter. Both teams threatened in the second quarter, but tough defenses prevailed.
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In the third quarter, Jim White intercepted a lateral intended for Davis to give the Irish the ball at the Army 12. On fourth and three, Lujack threw to Yonakor in the flat and took the ball five yards for the TD. In the fourth period, Army used a punishing ground game, but the Notre Dame front was too destructive. The visitors scored their third touchdown on a drive that recorded five first downs. Lujack dove for paydirt from one yard out. The final score was set up when Victor Kulbitski intercepted a Davis pass at the Army 30. Six rushes put freshman Fred Earley in the end zone on a three-yard jaunt off tackle.
Points of Interest A crowd of 78,000 added excitement to the game.
Five days before the Army game, All-American quarterback Angelo Bertelli was called to active duty with the Marine Corps, and sophomore Johnny Lujack was called upon to call the signals. Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik had now installed the T-formation. Army turned the ball over seven times—four fumbles and three interceptions. Notre Dame, led by captain Pat Filley at guard, was declared the national champion even though it was defeated in the final minute of the season, 19-14, by Great Lakes. John Lujack earned monograms in football, basketball, baseball and track during his sophomore year.
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1944
Army 59, Notre Dame 0 at Yankee Stadium, New York, NY
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rmy, after stopping Notre Dame, scored on its first drive, as quarterback Doug Kenna rolled around right end from the six. On the next series, the visitors’ “Boley” Dancewicz was intercepted at his 27, resulting in a 25-yard scoring run by halfback Max Minor on the next play. On Notre Dame’s next scrimmage play, “Doc” Blanchard intercepted Dancewicz at the Notre Dame 35. On first down, Kenna connected with end Ed Rafalko for the score. Army led 20-0 after one period.
In the second quarter, halfback Glenn Davis added a pair of rushing touchdowns to give the Cadets a
33-0 margin going into halftime. The first came after Davis intercepted a pass and returned it to the Notre Dame six. Two more TDs were added in the third period, followed by two more in the fourth, including Davis’ third scoring run. When Earl “Red” Blaik used his third and fourth teams early in the fourth quarter, every play they ran was a Notre Dame play because these were the gridders from the scout team that prepared the regulars for the game. The loss was Notre Dame’s worst since a 58-0 whipping by Wisconsin in 1904.
Points of Interest When Army scored in the first quarter, it halted a string of 23 scoreless quarters vs. Notre Dame. Jack Lavelle, who scouted Army for Notre Dame, told interim coach Ed McKeever, “Cancel the game!” after Lavelle had seen the Cadets pile up 360 points in six outings. Creighton Miller, who also scouted Army, told McKeever, “…play close, pass and hope.” Army hadn’t beaten the Irish since 1931, with ties in ’35 and ’41. Guard Pat Filley was the only captain to lead the Fighting Irish vs. the Army two consecutive seasons. In 1944, 14 Army players were All-Americans, and the team won the national championship.
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he Cadets scored quickly after Notre Dame fumbled on its first series. Halfback Glenn Davis went 26 yards for the score and his first of three touchdowns in the game. The Irish penetrated to the Army 24 at the end of the first quarter, but the drive halted three plays into the next period. After blocking a punt, Army marched 54 yards, capped by a 31-yard TD pass from quarterback Arnold Tucker to Davis. A sevenplay, 52-yard drive was next with fullback “Doc” Blanchard bulling over from the one for his first of two scores. The half ended: Army 21, Notre Dame 0.
Army 48, Notre Dame 0 at Yankee Stadium, New York, NY
A blocked punt at the Notre Dame 49 and a 36-yard pass interception by Blanchard set up the two Army TDs in the third quarter. The Irish did threaten after Bill Gompers recovered a fumble at the Notre Dame 41. Four passes put the ball on the Army 23. Three running plays netted 22 yards, and then Bobby Jack Stuart of Army recovered an Irish fumble. Army’s final TD came on a pass in the end zone with seconds to go in the game.
Points of Interest This was the first time that an Army team had beaten Notre Dame two years in a row. Army finished its season with 18 wins in a row and the national title.
1945 newpaper clipping After the game, New York Yankees president Larry McPhail attempted to enter the Notre Dame locker room but was refused admission by Clarence Kozak, a volunteer handyman. McPhail said, “I own the park.” Kozak replied, “That’s too bad. We rented it for the day.”
1945 Notre Dame team photo
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otre Dame’s team was bolstered by its service returnees, plus a few former V-12 players, including massive tackle George Connor, who had played at Holy Cross before taking his Midshipman training at Notre Dame. Quarterback Johnny Lujack was a flawless tactician and on defense, the best tackler on the team. The Irish had its best backfield in years with 18-year-old Terry Brennan and “Red” Sitko as the halfbacks plus fullback Jim Mello. In the first quarter, Notre Dame stopped Army at the Notre Dame 14, and the Irish drove to the Army three in the second quarter but to no avail. Lujack saved the game twice. Just before the half, he stopped Army quarterback Arnold Tucker at the Irish 30 after a 30yard run. Even bigger was Lujack’s
Army 0, Notre Dame 0 at Yankee Stadium, New York, NY
third-quarter, head-on collision and one-foot tackle of “Doc” Blanchard at the Notre Dame 36, after the fullback had burst past the Notre Dame defense for 21 yards with no one in sight except the Irish safety. In the third quarter, the young Brennan intercepted a Tucker pass at the Notre Dame five. It was a giveand-take game with no holds barred. Early in the fourth, Notre Dame stopped Army again at the Notre Dame five. On its final possession, the Irish moved into Army territory, but Tucker’s interception at the Cadet 40 ended any hope of a score. The game ended with Army at midfield. The Irish had held the AllAmerican Army backfield of Tucker, Blanchard, Glenn Davis and Rip Rowan to 138 yards rushing.
Points of Interest Frank Leahy returned from his Navy duty to be the head coach again, and Johnny Lujack was back at quarterback after his Navy tour. Army had a 25-game winning streak going into the game. Notre Dame and Army shared the national title with 8-0-1 and 9-0-1 slates, respectively.
Coach Leahy with injured players
A play from the 1946 game
Ninety-five reporters from 20 states covered the game, in addition to correspondents from Australia, Sweden and England. Over one million requests for tickets were refused for lack of space. Notre Dame, alone, had to return $500,000 to ticket hopefuls.
Bill Gompers dives for the end zone
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On Dec. 30, 1946, it was announced that the Army-Notre Dame rivalry would be temporarily interrupted after the 1947 game. It was the conviction of both schools that the game had grown to such proportions that it couldn’t be controlled any more by the two colleges.
1947
Notre Dame 27, Army 7
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otre Dame came into the game 5-0, while Army was 4-1-1 and without its all-world backfield of ’46. Playing conditions were tough, as there was a biting wind and the mercury had dropped to the low 30s. The wide-open passing attack would be gone to the wind.
great blocks by his teammates to go all the way for the longest run of the entire series. It was a set play and Brennan followed its prescribed path. Notre Dame led, 7-0, with 21 seconds gone. Just 8:48 later, Brennan capped a 42-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown scamper.
Halfback Terry Brennan took the opening kickoff over his right shoulder at the Notre Dame three and worked his way up field, bouncing off players and receiving
Neither team scored in the second quarter, but Notre Dame added to its tally with a six-yard run by Bob Livingstone near the end of the third period.
In the fourth quarter, Army finally scored a touchdown against a Frank Leahy-coached team, as “Rip” Rowan crashed up the middle from the one at the end of a long drive. Notre Dame wasn’t finished, as third-team halfback Larry Coutre tallied from 11 yards out.
Points of Interest Notre Dame (9-0), Michigan (100) and Georgia (11-0) shared the national championship.
Larry Coutre on his way to the end zone
The Irish had two outstanding quarterbacks in All-American Johnny Lujack and his understudy, Frank Tripucka. They combined for 875 yards in five outings, completing 60.2 percent of their passes going into the Army contest.
Leon Hart breaks a tackle. Terry Brennan goes around the end.
It was homecoming in South Bend, and many of the old-time alums showed up for their first Army-Notre Dame game, the first to be played in South Bend, and before a crowd of over 59,000. Fighting Irish touchdowns were scored by Terry Brennan (two), Bob Livingstone, Larry Coutre and Rip Rowan. The series was halted with Notre Dame winning 23 games, Army 7, and four ties.
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1957
Notre Dame 23, Army 21
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efore a crowd of 95,000 at Philadelphia’s Municipal Stadium, Fighting Irish backup kicker Monty Stickles booted a 28yard field goal with six minutes to go to give Notre Dame the victory. Stickles had never attempted a field goal before the winning kick. The score was knotted at seven at halftime before Army received touchdowns from Bob Anderson and Pete Dawkins to push its advantage to 21-7 with one minute to play in the third quarter. The Black Knights seemed to have the game under control until Fighting Irish fullback Nick Pietrosante rumbled for his second touchdown of the contest on a 65-yard run to
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start the Notre Dame comeback. Sportswriters at the game voted Pietrosante the Grantland Rice award winner as the game’s most valuable player for his efforts. Early in the fourth quarter, Dick Lynch scored from one yard out, but Stickles missed the extra point that would have tied the score. On Army’s next series, Notre Dame tackle Frank Geremia deflected Dave Bourland’s pass and Pietrosante recovered on the Black Knights’ 26-yard line. Notre Dame couldn’t advance, which set up Stickles for his game-winning kick.
Points of Interest The hero, Monty Stickles, grew up 20 miles from the Army campus and hoped to become a Cadet, but he wasn’t accepted to the school. “I couldn’t pass the physical,” he said, according to Sports Illustrated. “Bad eyes, they said. Well, I guess I could see pretty good today, huh?” Notre Dame entered the game ranked 12th in the Associated Press poll, while Army was 10th. 1957 marked the only game in the Notre Dame/ Army series to be played in Philadelphia.
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Ed Sullivan (left) and Aubrey Lewis with the teams’ mascots
1958 A
rmy’s dynamic running back duo of Pete Dawkins and Bob Anderson led the way with 75 rushing yards each. A 16-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Joe Caldwell to Jack Morrison gave Army a 6-0 lead early on. The Black Knights had plenty of opportunities to widen the lead before halftime, but were stonewalled by the Fighting Irish defense on the Notre Dame 13- and five-yard lines. Notre Dame chipped into Army’s lead in the third quarter, when linebacker Myron Pottios earned a
Army 14, Notre Dame 2 at ND Stadium, Notre Dame, IN
safety by tackling the Black Knight punter, Caldwell, in the end zone following a bad snap. The Irish then drove to the Army 20-yard line with 10 minutes remaining, but a fourth-down pass sailed incomplete out the back of the end zone. That was as close as the Fighting Irish could get, as Dawkins capped a 66-yard drive with a six-yard touchdown run and added a two-point pass to Anderson for the final margin. Bob Novogratz, who recovered two Notre Dame fumbles, led Army’s defense. Cadets marching behind the school band
Points of Interest The road victory at South Bend earned Army its first Associated Press number-one ranking since November 1950. The Black Knights haven’t beaten the Fighting Irish since 1958, a streak of 13 games entering the 2010 season.
Army Cadets march and salute on the field.
That season, Army debuted the “Lonely End” formation, which captivated the nation and helped the squad outscore its opponents 264-49 and finish with an 8-0-1 record. The game was played before a record-breaking crowd of 60,564 at Notre Dame Stadium. 1958 marks the last time Notre Dame and Army met when both squads were ranked in the Associated Press top 25.
Notre Dame defenders close in on Army’s Bob Anderson.
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or the first time since the famous 0-0 tie in 1946, Notre Dame and Army returned to New York City, this time meeting at sold out Shea Stadium in Queens. The unranked Cadets took the opening kickoff and marched 52 yards to the Notre Dame 25-yard line, but Irish defensive back Nick Rassas ended the threat with the first of his two interceptions. In the second quarter, Notre Dame quarterback Tom Shoen lobbed a screen pass to fullback Larry Conjar, who rumbled for 19 yards to Army’s 29-yard line. Shoen then connected with tight end Don
Notre Dame 17, Army 0 at Shea Stadium, Queens, NY
Gmitter on a 29-yard scoring pass to put the Irish in front 7-0. In the third, Notre Dame defensive end Tom Rhoads made a miraculous play when he leaped to bat a pass in the air and then caught it himself for the interception. That play set up Irish halfback Nick Eddy for a five-yard touchdown run on a sweep play. Later, on a fourth quarter drive, Conjar carried on 10 of 13 Notre Dame rushing plays, including eight consecutive, to set up kicker Ken Ivan for a 23-yard field goal to provide the final margin.
Points of Interest The game marked the only contest between the two schools to be played at Shea Stadium. This was the 15th time in the history of the series that Army was shut out, and the first since 1946.
(Left) Notre Dame defenders with a gang tackle
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1966
Notre Dame 35, Army 0
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he third-ranked Fighting Irish had no trouble dismantling Army, a four-touchdown underdog, in front of 59,075 at Notre Dame Stadium. The Irish effort was paced by sophomore quarterback Terry Hanratty and wide receiver Jim Seymour. The duo connected on passes eight times, including one touchdown. On Notre Dame’s second offensive play of the game, Hanratty completed a 19-yard pass to Seymour. Then seven plays later
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halfback Bob “Rocky” Bleier scored on a two-yard run to complete a 54-yard drive. Hanratty finished with 11 completions on 20 attempts, with 195 yards. Alan Page and Kevin Hardy led the Fighting Irish defense, which didn’t allow Army to penetrate further than the Notre Dame 22-yard line. But even that drive didn’t result in anything, as an interception gave the ball back to the Irish.
Points of Interest Notre Dame gained 323 yards in the first half and only 125 yards in the second, after most of the offensive starters were taken out of the game. The Fighting Irish starting defense, meanwhile, sat out all of the fourth quarter. Army shut Notre Dame out in the second half.
(Top) Terry Hanratty launches a pass. (Left) Nick Eddy eludes a tackle.
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1969
Notre Dame 45, Army 0 at Yankee Stadium, New York, NY
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or the first time since 1946, the series returned to Yankee Stadium, and 63,786 fans came out to watch the 15th-ranked Fighting Irish battle unranked Army. The Notre Dame fans in attendance didn’t leave disappointed. After three possessions, the Irish had only a field goal to show for their efforts, but an interception by Larry Schumacher gave Notre Dame possession on its own 45-yard line in the first quarter and swung the momentum of the game. On the very next play, quarterback Joe Theismann found Tom Gatewood for a 55-yard touchdown pass to make the score 10-0 in favor of Notre Dame.
Theismann & Irish coach Ara Parseghion
The Irish kept the pressure on early in the second quarter but came away with no points on two drives inside the Army 10-yard line. Later in the quarter, John Gasser set up Notre Dame’s second touchdown with an interception at the Cadet’s 44. Theismann finished the drive with a four-yard run on fourth and goal. The score moved to 24-0 later in the second when Theismann hit Gatewood for the duo’s second touchdown of the day, and Bill Barz scored on a one-yard run in the third quarter to push the margin to 31-0. Denny Allan evades a tackle
Points of Interest Notre Dame’s second offensive unit entered the game at the 6:29 mark of the third quarter and tallied the final two touchdowns. Army didn’t cross into Fighting Irish territory until 4:04 remained in the third quarter.
Theismann under center
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The game marked Notre Dame’s third consecutive shutout of Army. The Irish were forced to take to the air due to Army’s tight 4-4-3 defense, which often looked more like an 8-0-3, and was designed to shut down the ground game.
1970
Notre Dame 51, Army 10 at ND Stadium, Notre Dame1926 , IN
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he 40th meeting between these two storied programs wasn’t much of a contest. Notre Dame raced to a 30-0 lead at halftime and never looked back. The Irish tallied 18 first-half first downs to Army’s two and outgained the Cadets 34564 in the first 30 minutes. Notre Dame scored on three of its first four possessions, with quarterback Joe Theismann kicking off the scoring with an eight-yard run to cap a 13-play, 78-yard drive. Six plays later, the Irish made it 14-0 as a Jim Wright interception of a Bernie Wall pass set up a 40-yard
touchdown bomb from Theismann to reserve back Bob Minnix. The first quarter rampage was closed out by fullback Ed Gulyas’ six-yard scoring run. Perhaps the most noteworthy moment of the otherwise unspectacular game came on a seemingly insignificant eight-yard run by Gulyas in the first quarter.
The Irish take the field.
Points of Interest Attendance at the game, which served as Notre Dame’s Homecoming, was 59,075. In total, the Irish outgained Army 574-251, including 258-16 on the ground. Notre Dame achieved 31 first downs to Army’s 12 and intercepted four passes. The point total of 51 was the most ever tallied against an Army team at the time.
Backup quarterback Pat Steenberge runs with the ball.
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1973
Notre Dame 62, Army 3 at Michie Stadium, West Point, NY
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otre Dame’s first visit to Army’s Michie Stadium got off to a shaky start, as the Black Knights capitalized on a Tom Clements interception and took a 3-0 lead over the eighth-ranked Irish in the first quarter. But with 1:20 left in the opening stanza, Notre Dame began to impose its will with a touchdown run by Eric Penick. On the next drive, Clements found Dave Casper for a 34-yard touchdown pass and five minutes after that, Art Best capped a 59-yard drive with a five-yard plunge around the right end. Cliff Brown took over at quarterback for Notre Dame’s next possession and hit Casper for a short scoring pass to make it
28-3 with 11 seconds remaining in the first half. The second half featured a return to the ground game for the Irish with similar results. Notre Dame scored five more touchdowns after the break, including a 73-yard punt return by Tim Simon and a six-yard run by Penick that put an exclamation point on a 55-yard, 58-second drive. Third-string quarterback Frank Allocco also got in on the fun, directing a six-play, 42-yard drive, before Army mounted its first serious threat. After a 24-yard completion and a facemask penalty, the Cadets had a first-and-10 on the Notre Dame 35-yard line. But the Irish defense was stout and eventually forced a punt.
Points of Interest Notre Dame outgained Army 485-10 on the ground. Irish kicker Bob Thomas missed a PAT in the second half, ending his streak of consecutive extra-point conversions at 62. The mark was good for second place all-time in the NCAA. The final score was the widest margin for a Notre Dame win over Army and matched the difference in Army’s 59-0 win over the Irish in 1944. Attendance was 42,503, a Michie Stadium record. Army’s early field goal represented the first time that season the Irish allowed a point in the first quarter.
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Dave Casper hauls in a pass.
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he Fighting Irish continued their dominance over Army, this time winning at home. Notre Dame got off to a tough start when fullback Wayne Bullock fumbled into the end zone on a first-quarter drive, but he redeemed himself on a six-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds left in the opening frame.
For the game, the Irish backfield of Bullock, Art Best, Al Samuel and Tom Clements rushed for 329 yards. Bullock finished with 112 yards and two scores on 24 carries, and Samuel gained 124 on 12 carries and one touchdown.
Notre Dame 48, Army 0
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In the second quarter, Bullock scored from nine yards out, and Clements found pay dirt on a seven-yard keeper to push the score to 20-0 at halftime. The Irish scored four more touchdowns in the second half, with fullback Russ Kornman scoring twice on runs of four and seven yards. Samuel’s score came on a 35-yard sweep around the right end, and Tom Bake scored from six yards out to round out the Notre Dame box score.
Points of Interest In total, 12 Notre Dame running backs combined to gain 525 yards and 30 first downs via the run, a Fighting Irish record. Notre Dame’s defense limited the Cadets to 89 total yards of offense. Army quarterbacks Scott Gillogly and Greg McGlasker combined to complete one pass in 14 attempts for eight yards. Notre Dame entered the game ranked seventh in the Associated Press poll, while Army was unranked.
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1977
Notre Dame 24, Army 0 at Giants Stadium, E. Rutherford, NJ
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espite a six-game losing streak to Notre Dame that dated back to 1958, Army entered the 1977 affair with high hopes of upsetting the 11th-ranked Irish. The Cadets’ renewed confidence was due in large part to quarterback Leamon Hall, who went on to break the majority of Army’s passing records and had passed for 1,100 yards and 12 touchdowns in the first five games of the ’77 season. But not even Hall was enough to overcome Notre Dame fullback Jerome Heavens, who ran for an Irish record 200 yards and one touchdown on 34 carries. After a scoreless first quarter, the Irish took possession of the ball on the Army 47-yard line. Heavens, who tallied 119 yards in the first half, carried for 43 of the 47 yards on the drive, which he finished himself with a three-yard
touchdown run. Later, Army threatened to tie the score as it drove to the Notre Dame 15, but Hall’s fourth-down pass in the end zone fell incomplete. That was as close as the Cadets would get the rest of the game. In the third quarter, Notre Dame received a 29-yard field goal from Dave Reeve and put the game out of reach on its next possession when Terry Eurick scored from the two-yard line. Quarterback Joe Montana and tight end Ken MacAfee connected on a key 20-yard completion on the drive, while Heavens rumbled for bursts of 13 and 15 yards.
Points of Interest 72,594 attended the first game between the two teams to be played at Giants Stadium. The game marked the fifth straight contest in which Notre Dame failed to score in the first quarter. Army only had five minutes of possession in the third quarter. Heavens’ 34 carries were only two short of the Notre Dame record, held by Wayne Bullock. Terry Eurick scored his second touchdown of the game and fifth of the season with 90 seconds to play.
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espite getting off to a slow start, the Fighting Irish continued their dominance of Army before a sellout crowd of 59,075 at Notre Dame Stadium. In the first quarter, several Notre Dame penalties stalled drives and resulted in a scoreless opening frame. In the second quarter, however, the Irish began to roll. Running back Jim Stone, who amassed 122 yards
Notre Dame 30, Army 3 at ND Stadium, Notre Dame, IN
on the day, put Notre Dame on the board with a four-yard touchdown run around the right end. The Irish tacked on a 49-yard field goal by Harry Oliver and another touchdown when linebacker Mark Zavagnin fell on the ball in the end zone after John Krimm blocked an Army punt attempt to give Notre Dame a 17-0 advantage at halftime.
A 41-yard field goal by Army’s Dave Aucion in the third quarter made the score 17-3, but Notre Dame put the game out of reach with one-yard touchdown runs by freshman quarterback Blair Kiel and running back Ty Barber. Barber’s score was set up by Zavagnin, who intercepted a T.D. Decker pass on the Army 45-yard line.
Points of Interest The Irish rushed for 344 yards to Army’s 106. T.D. Decker completed just five of 14 passes, including none to his favorite target, Mike Fahnestock. Blair Kiel’s touchdown came on a broken play. The quarterback missed the handoff to his fullback but was able to run around the right side and into the end zone. This game marked the seventh in a row that Notre Dame’s starting running back eclipsed the 100-yard mark. It was the second-straight 100-yard game for Jim Stone, who was filling in for the injured Phil Carter.
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Notre Dame 42, Army 0 at Giants Stadium, E. Rutherford, NJ
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stingy defense and the prowess of running back Allen Pinkett led Notre Dame to victory, its ninth consecutive win against Army. Pinkett, the 5-foot-9, 184-pound sophomore, rumbled for 132 yards and three touchdowns for the Irish, who led 21-0 at the end of the first quarter. Freshman quarterback Steve Beuerlein was also solid, completing six of 11 passes for 92 yards, including a 22yard touchdown to tight end Mark Bavaro. The Notre Dame defense didn’t allow Army to pass its own 40-yard line until the Cadets recovered a fumble at the Irish 28 with 43
Points of Interest The game was played before 75,131 fans at Giants Stadium. Since Army’s win over Notre Dame in 1958, the Irish have outscored the Cadets 354-16 in nine games, including six shutouts.
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seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. On that drive, Army could only advance as far as the 21-yard line. In the first half, Army did not complete a pass, and the Cadets ended the game with 159 yards of total offense and only seven first downs. Army never stood a chance. On the Cadets’ first offensive play, they were offside. On their first running play, they fumbled. And to make matters worse, on Army’s first pass attempt, Notre Dame came away with an interception.
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Notre Dame 24, Army 10
rmy entered Notre Dame Stadium with a 5-0 record and on an eight-game winning streak, hoping to end 27 years of futility against the Irish. And while the final margin was closer, the end result was still the same. On the Cadets’ second play from scrimmage, Tory Crawford’s pitch to William Lampley was too high, resulting in a fumble that was recovered by Notre Dame’s Steve Lawrence on the Army 16-yard line. Six plays later,
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fullback Pernell Taylor plunged into the end zone from one yard out. On Notre Dame’s next possession, the Irish drove 86 yards in 11 plays, capped by a 19-yard touchdown pass from Steve Beuerlein to Tim Brown. Army countered with a four-yard scoring run by Lampley and a 22-yard field goal by Craig Stopa to make the score 14-10 in the third quarter.
Cedric Figaro (48) and Greg Dingens (92) pursue the Army quarterback.
ND Stadium, Notre Dame, IN The Irish answered, however, with an 82-yard drive that ended with a one-yard touchdown run by Allen Pinkett. In the game, Pinkett ran 27 times for 133 yards to set a Notre Dame career rushing record with 3,556 yards. The senior broke the mark on a 17-yard run in the second quarter.
Points of Interest The Notre Dame defense held Army’s wishbone to 196 yards on the ground, almost 200 yards below its average. Army’s 5-0 start was its best since 1950 and the eight-game winning streak was its longest in 35 years. Attendance was 59,075. Notre Dame’s career rushing mark was previously held by Vagas Ferguson, who ran for 3,472 yards from 1976-1979. The Irish didn’t commit a single penalty in the game and allowed only one quarterback sack. Beuerlein completed 12-of-20 passes for 186 yards.
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1995
Notre Dame 28, Army 27 at Giants Stadium, E. Rutherford, NJ
A
rmy nearly pulled a monumental upset before a crowd of 74,218 at Giants Stadium, but one of the smallest players on the Notre Dame roster came up with the game’s biggest play. With 39 seconds to play, Army quarterback Ronnie McAda threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to Leon Gantt to bring the Cadets within one point. Army head coach Bob Sutton decided to go for the twopoint conversion and the win, but after catching a pass in the flat, tight
end Ron Leshinski was pushed out of bounds two feet short of the goal line by Ivory Covington, a 5-foot10-inch, 163-pound cornerback. The fact that the game came down to that play was surprising. After a Ron Powlus touchdown pass to Marc Edwards two minutes into the third quarter, the Irish led 28-7 and seemed to be cruising to victory. Army fullback John Conroy ran for a five-yard score midway through the third frame and, after a Powlus interception with 6:10 to go in the
game, Conroy ran another one in from three yards out to make it 28-21. Then, with 2:33 left, a miscommunication led to Notre Dame going for the first down on fourth-and-inches from its own 42-yard line. Powlus fumbled the snap and Cadet linebacker Brian Tucker recovered to set up the near-game-winning drive.
Points of Interest Ivory Covington was the third-smallest player on Notre Dame’s roster. Army coach Bob Sutton never hesitated in deciding to go for the two-point conversion: “Our players deserved to go for two,” he said, according to the New York Times. “I think they would have been damn disappointed if we didn’t.” Army rushed for 365 yards, including a career-high 159 by Ron Thomas and 104 by John Conroy. Notre Dame freshman Autry Denson ran for 119 yards and two touchdowns. Notre Dame was ranked 17th in the Associated Press poll. Army was unranked.
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1998
Notre Dame 20, Army 17
Once again, the Fighting Irish and Cadets played a tight game that came down to the final moments and once again, it was Notre Dame that emerged with the win at home. Fighting Irish kicker Jim Sanson made up for two earlier missed field goals and connected on a careerbest 48-yarder with 1:06 to play to break a 17-17 tie. A’Jani Sanders then intercepted a pass by Army quarterback Johnny Goff at the Irish 37-yard line with eight seconds left to seal the win. Notre Dame’s Autry Denson and Army’s Bobby Williams traded firsthalf touchdown runs as the teams entered the break tied at 10. The 18th-ranked Irish then took a 17-10 lead in the third quarter when wide receiver Bobby Brown tried to finish a 36-yard reception by stretching for the end zone. The ball came loose but was recovered in the end zone for a touchdown by Notre Dame’s Malcolm Johnson.
Knights knotted the score at 17 on fullback Craig Stucker’s 19-yard touchdown run. The two teams then traded punts, and the Irish got the ball back at their own 24-yard line with 4:56 left. Notre Dame drove to just outside the Army 30-yard line. But on third down, quarterback Jarious Jackson’s pass fell incomplete, and head coach Bob Davie called on Sanson for the game-winning kick.
Army, though, wasn’t done. With 10 minutes to go in the game, the Black
Autry Denson cutting upfield
at
ND Stadium, Notre Dame, IN
Upper level view of marching band on the field
Points of Interest Craig Stucker’s late touchdown run was the first of his career. Prior to its final drive, Army attempted just one pass in the entire game. Army ran 49 times for 218 yards in the game, led by Bobby Williams’ 14 carries for 74 yards. Autry Denson gained 87 yards on 24 carries for Notre Dame.
(Left) Autry Denson carrying the ball.
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2006
Notre Dame 41, Army 9 at ND Stadium, Notre Dame, IN
O
n senior day, head coach Charlie Weis decided to have his team wear special green jerseys to honor the players who would be playing their final game at Notre Dame Stadium. Early on, however, the jerseys didn’t bring much luck—after one quarter, Army led 3-0 on a 27-yard field goal by Austin Miller. But as the second frame started, the Irish offense began to roll. Running back Darius Walker got things started with a 10-yard
touchdown run just 50 seconds into the second quarter, and quarterback Brady Quinn followed with touchdown passes of 16 and eight yards to Jeff Samardzija and Rhema McKnight, respectively. Notre Dame led 20-0 at halftime and never looked back. In the third, David Grimes fell on a loose ball in the end zone to make it 27-0 and McKnight caught his second touchdown pass from Quinn, this time from 24 yards out. Walker capped the Irish scoring in the
Points of Interest Army ended Brady Quinn’s streak of 226 consecutive passes without an interception on Notre Dame’s first drive of the game. Darius Walker went over 1,000 yards rushing for the second consecutive season, becoming just the fourth Notre Dame running back to accomplish the feat. The win gave the Irish a 10-win season for the first time since 2002 and just the second time in the last 13 seasons. The win also ended a four-game losing streak for Notre Dame in green jerseys. The Irish lost to USC in 2005, Boston College in 2002, Georgia Tech in the 1999 Gator Bowl and Colorado in the 1995 Fiesta Bowl, all while wearing green. Notre Dame held Army to 150 yards of total offense, an average of 2.6 yards per play. Despite the lopsided score, Army won the time of possession battle, holding the ball for 31:49.
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final quarter with a seven-yard run. Army’s lone touchdown came on a 12-yard pass from David Pevoto to Tim Dunn as time expired. For the game, Quinn completed 22 of 30 passes for 218 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Walker carried 24 times for 162 yards to lead a Notre Dame ground attack that piled up 223 yards in all, and Samardzija hauled in nine receptions for a game-high 87 yards.
Notre Dame 27, Army 3 at Yankee Stadium, New York, NY
2010
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2010
big-time performance
in the big apple
W
hen the Notre Dame football team arrived at Yankee Stadium to face off against Army in the 50th meeting between the two rivals, each member of the Fighting Irish was assigned a locker in the New York Yankees home clubhouse to use. Freshman quarterback Tommy Rees was assigned Derek Jeter’s usual space. “It’s an honor and a privilege,” Rees told ESPN.com of being assigned Jeter’s locker. “He’s an unbelievable player. It’s pretty humbling to have that guy’s locker.” While Rees’ performance against the Cadets likely won’t make the Bronx faithful forget their beloved shortstop, the quarterback stamped his name in the Notre Dame history books, completing 13 of 20 passes for 213 yards—170 in the first half. He threw one touchdown and one interception, leading the Irish to a 27-3 victory over Army before a sellout crowd of 54,251 in the first college football game at the new Yankee Stadium. With the win, Notre Dame became bowl eligible in head coach Brian Kelly’s first season at the helm. Making his second consecutive start since taking over for Dayne Crist, who suffered a season-ending knee injury earlier in the season, Rees didn’t put up gaudy stats, but that wasn’t necessary. Instead, he kept his composure and did exactly what the Irish needed to earn the win.
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“Throughout the week, you can’t let yourself get too caught up in things,” Rees told the Newark StarLedger. “As soon as we got here, walking out on the field, you realize how unbelievable the opportunity is. Everyone feels great.” The atmosphere was set before the game when Heisman Trophy winners John Lujack of Notre Dame and Pete Dawkins of Army joined the current team captains for the pregame coin toss. Lujack played in the famous 0-0 tie between the two schools in 1946, while Dawkins was a member of the Army team to defeat the Irish in 1958.
Later in the frame, Notre Dame gained possession of the ball on the Cadets’ 40-yard line following a 12-yard punt by Army’s Jonathan Bulls. On third and six from the
The Fighting Irish
excelled in all phases of the game to make the first football game at the new Yankee Stadium
a memorable evening
Unfortunately for the Irish signal-caller, the team’s first offensive possession did not end as planned. After marching his team down the field, Rees was intercepted in the end zone by Army’s Travis Donovan. The Cadets embarked on a 17-play, 78-yard drive in 8:50 before stalling at the Irish two-yard line. Army settled for a 20-yard field goal by Alex Carlton. The Irish knotted the score 10 seconds into the second quarter on a 47-yard field goal by David Ruffer and not long after seized control.
for Notre Dame fans
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Army 36-yard line, Rees hit tight end Tyler Eifert for what appeared to be a touchdown. After a review, the ball was spotted just short of the goal line. Running back Robert Hughes plunged to pay dirt on the next play to put Notre Dame on top for good at 10-3. That was all the Irish defense needed. After allowing five first downs on Army’s first drive, Notre Dame held the Cadets to just three the rest of the game and never allowed Army to get on track. The Irish used a four-man front— Army head coach Rich Ellerson admitted that caught him by surprise—to limit the Cadets’ tripleoption attack to just 174 yards of total offense. They entered the game averaging 355 yards overall. Late in the quarter, Rees connected with Eifert again, this time for a 31-yard touchdown pass to the left corner of the end zone to make the score 17-3 at halftime. On the first Army possession of the second half, Irish cornerback Darrin Walls stepped in front of Army wide receiver Davyd Brooks to intercept a pass and take it 42 yards into the end zone to officially put the game out of reach. The pick six was Notre Dame’s first defensive touchdown since 2008.
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“We were more physical and didn’t let them attack us, we attacked them,” Walls told the New York Post. “We’re well conditioned and it shows. The atmosphere was great. The touchdown just capped it off, but the whole Yankee Stadium and the tradition, it was a great experience for me.”
With the win, Notre Dame moved to 38-8-4 all-time against Army, including 14-5-3 in the games played at the original Yankee Stadium. While they were aware of the history, being a participant in the first college football game in the new stadium was an important distinction for the Irish.
“We didn’t play very well and we got clobbered,” Ellerson said in the postgame press conference. “But I was proud of the way our defense came back in the second half. They were overmatched, and they were having a hard time getting pressure on their quarterback, which is something we have to be able to do. That was a good effort against a good offensive team. With those matchups, we were suffering out there.”
“When we first started talking about this, it was very important for us to be the first game at Yankee Stadium because we thought that was the best way to celebrate the tradition,” Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said in a pregame press conference. “And we also felt strongly that the opponent needed to be Army because of all they have meant to the history of Notre Dame, and the history of college football with Notre Dame in Yankee Stadium.”
Harrison Smith also tallied an interception of Cadet quarterback Trent Steelman, which set up Ruffer for a 39-yard field goal that capped the scoring and made the kicker a perfect 20 for 20 on field goal attempts in his career (15 for 15 in 2010).
“New York’s a lot of things, and what it was tonight was a college football town,” Kelly said in a press conference after the game. “It was an exciting atmosphere, and I know that our kids fed off the energy that was here in New York for the past 48 hours.”
In all, Notre Dame amassed 369 yards of offense, with Eifert catching four passes for 78 yards and Cierre Wood rumbling for 88 yards on the ground. After they kept Utah out of the end zone the week before, the game marked the first time the Irish held two straight opponents without a touchdown since the 1988 national championship team did it to Rice and Penn State.
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That was all the Irish
defense needed allowing five first downs on Army’s first drive, Notre Dame held the Cadets to just three
the rest of the game and never allowed Army to get on track.
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“The game was the culmination of a week
in which Notre Dame took over New York City. Thousands of Notre Dame alumni and fans
in New York enjoyed an experience they will remember forever.�
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“Throughout the week,
you can’t let yourself get get too caught up in things,” things,” Rees told the Star-Ledger . “As soon as we got Rees told the Star-Ledger gothere, here,walking walkingout out in the field, you realize \\
how unbelievable the opportunity is. Everyone feels feels great.” Everyone great.”
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2010 Notre Dame vs. Army Score By Quarters
Box Score Army Passing
1
2
3
4
T
ARMY
3
0
0
0
3
T. Steelman
ND
0
17
10
0
27
M. Jenkins
Team
Scoring Summary
Army Rushing
FIRST QUARTER Army
FG
02:10
ARMY ND
Alex Carlton 20 Yd
3
SECOND QUARTER ND
FG
14:50
0
ARMY ND
David Ruffer 47 Yd
3
3
ND TD 11:55 Robert Hughes 1 Yd Run (David Ruffer Kick) 3 10
ND
TD
08:01 Tyler Eifert 31 Yd Pass From Tommy Rees (David Ruffer Kick) 3 17 THIRD QUARTER ARMY ND ND TD 14:00 Darrin Walls 42 Yd Interception Return (David Ruffer Kick)
3
24
ND
3
27
FG
05:23
David Ruffer 39 Yd
P. Mealy T. Steelman
C/ATT
YDS
AVG
TD
INT
2/7
39
5.6
0
2
0/1
0
0.0
0
0
2/8
39
4.9
0
2
LG
CAR
YDS
AVG
TD
6
30
5.0
0
9
14
24
1.7
0
16
J. Hassin
8
23
2.9
0
4
B. Cobbs
5
22
4.4
0
9
M. Jenkins
1
18
18.0
0
18
R. Maples
5
10
2.0
0
6
B. Austin
2
4
2.0
0
6
J. Crucitti
2
4
2.0
0
6
43
135
3.1
0
18
Team
Army Receiving
REC
YDS
AVG
TD
LG
1
27
27.0
0
27
D. Brooks G. Jordan
1
12
12.0
0
12
Team
2
39
19.5
0
27
INT
YDS
TD
Team Stat Comparison 1st Downs
ARMY
ND
8
15
3rd Downs Efficiency
7-16
8-14
4th Downs Efficiency
0-0
0-0
Total Yards
Army Interceptions D. Travis
1
0
0
Team
1
0
0
Army Punt Returns Team
NO 0
YDS 0
AVG 0.0
PCT LONG
174
369
Passing
39
214
Comp-Att Yards per pass
2-8 4.9
13-20 10.7
Rushing
135
155
Rushing Attempts Yards per rush
43 3.1
38 4.1
Army Kicking
3-28 2
5-55 1
A. Carlton
1/1
100.0
20
0/0
3
Team
1/1
100.0
20
0/0
3
0 2
0 1
29:17
30:43
Penalties Turnovers Fumbles lost Interceptions thrown
Possession
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Army Punting
FG
TOT
YDS AVG
TB
LG 0
XP PTS
-20 LG
J. Bulls
7
261
37.3
0
2
48
Team
7
261 37.3
0
2
48
ATTendance: 54,251 Notre Dame Passing C/ATT YDS
AVG
TD
INT
T. Rees
13/20
214
10.7
1
1
Team
13/20
214
10.7
1
1
Notre Dame Rushing CAR
YDS
AVG
TD
LG
14 9 9 1 3
88 39 22 9 1
6.3 4.3 2.4 9.0 0.3
0 1 0 0 0
25 11 5 9 4
2 38
-4 155
-2.0 4.1
0 1
0 25
Notre Dame Receiving REC
C. Wood R. Hughes J. Gray M. Floyd T. Rees -. Team
Team
YDS
AVG
TD
LG
4 4 3 1 1
78 63 63 5 5
19.5 15.8 21.0 5.0 5.0
1 0 0 0 0
35 22 33 5 5
13
214
16.5
1
35
T. Eifert R. Toma M. Floyd D. Kamara C. Wood
Team
Notre Dame Interceptions
INT
YDS
TD
D. Walls B. Smith G. Gray
1 1 0
42 0 14
1 0 0
Team
2
56
1
Notre Dame Kick Returns B. Jackson B. Burger
NO
YDS
AVG
LG
2
29
14.5
22
1 1
Team
Notre Dame Punt Returns J. Goodman
22 7
22.0 7.0
NO
YDS
3
-4
3
Team
-4
22 7
AVG LG -1.3
1
-1.3
1
Notre Dame Kicking
FG 2/2
100.0
47
3/3
9
Team
2/2
100.0
47
3/3
9
D. Ruffer
PCT LONG
Notre Dame Punting TOT YDS AVG TB B. Turk
4
135
33.8
0
Team
4
135 33.8
0
XP PTS
-20 LG 2
49
2
49
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N ot r e D a m e football travel roster vs army N ovember 20, 2010 No. Name
Pos.
Ht. Wt.
Class Hometown/High School
68 12 72 41 44 15 52 73 28 29 60 98 75 80 46 45 3 48 21 34 88 57 81 4 25 12 33 86 90 7 18 50 89 42 74 70 54 16 17 17
LS/DL CB OG FB/TE ILB QB C OT WR RB LS NG OT TE OLB OLB WR ILB CB CB TE C WR CB TB QB RB/FB WR DE WR WR LS DE CB OT OT ILB QB S QB
5-11 6-1 6-3 6-2 6-1 6-2 6-3 6-5 6-1 6-0 6-2 6-4 6-5 6-6 6-3 6-2 6-3 6-3 5-11 6-2 6-4 6-3 6-3 5-11 5-10 6-2 5-11 6-0 6-4 5-11 6-4 6-3 6-4 5-9 6-5 6-4 6-2 6-4 6-2 6-2
Sr. Jr. So. Sr. So. Sr. Jr. Jr. Fr. Sr. So. Jr. Sr. So. Jr. Jr. Jr. So. Sr. Sr. So. Jr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Fr. Sr. Fr. Jr. Fr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Fr. So. Jr. Jr. So. Jr.
Belcher, John+ **Blanton, Robert Bullard, Alex *Burger, Bobby+ Calabrese, Carlo Castello, Brian+ *Cave, Braxston Clelland, Lane Collinsworth, Austin Coughlin, Patrick+ *Cowart, Jordan *Cwynar, Sean *Dever, Taylor Eifert, Tyler **Filer, Steve **Fleming, Darius **Floyd, Michael Fox, Dan **Gallup Jr., Barry Garcia, Michael+ Golic, Jake Golic Jr., Mike *Goodman, John **Gray, Gary **Gray, Jonas Hendrix, Andrew ***Hughes, Robert Jackson, Bennett **Johnson, Ethan Jones, TJ ***Kamara, Duval Kavanagh, Ryan+ *Lewis-Moore, Kapron Lezynski, Nick+ Lombard, Christian Martin, Zack *McDonald, Anthony Montana, Nate+ *Motta, Zeke Mulvey, Matthew+
+ Walk-on Player
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235 192 295 248 240 210 301 297 195 195 215 280 297 242 235 247 227 230 190 195 235 290 207 190 230 218 245 172 285 187 225 200 283 180 290 290 238 215 210 191
* Number of monograms earned
Cheyenne, WY/Cheyenne Central Matthews, NC/Butler Franklin, TN/Brentwood Academy Cincinnati, OH/LaSalle Verona, NJ/Verona Pittsburgh, PA/Chartiers Valley Mishawaka, IN/Penn Owings Mills, MD/McDonogh School Fort Thomas, KY/Highlands Oak Lawn, IL/Brother Rice Plantation, FL/St. Thomas Aquinas McHenry, IL/Marian Central Catholic Nevada City, CA/Nevada Union Fort Wayne, IN/Bishop Dwenger Chicago, IL/Mount Carmel Chicago, IL/St. Rita St. Paul, MN/Cretin-Derham Hall Rocky River, OH/St. Ignatius Wellesley, MA/Belmont Hill Colorado Springs, CO/St. Mary’s West Hartford, CT/Northwest Catholic West Hartford, CT/Northwest Catholic Fort Wayne, IN/Bishop Dwenger Columbia, SC/Richland Northeast Pontiac, MI/Detroit Country Day Cincinnati, OH/Moeller Chicago, IL/Hubbard Hazlet, NJ (Raritan) Portland, OR/Lincoln Gainesville, GA/Gainesville Jersey City, NJ/Hoboken West Chester, PA/Salesianum, DE Weatherford, TX/Weatherford Newton, PA/Notre Dame High School Inverness, IL/Fremd Indianapolis, IN/Bishop Chatard Burbank, CA/Notre Dame Concord, CA/De La Salle Vero Beach, FL/Vero Beach Del Mar, CA/La Jolla
56 99 76 91 30 36 83 13 6 78 77 9 97 24 96 55 26 58 87 22 13 59 40 5 19 35 96 1 2 66 51 94 95 20 23
***Neal, Kerry Newman, Brandon *Nuss, Andrew Nwankwo, Emeka *Paskorz, Steve *Posluszny, David **Ragone, Mike Rees, Tommy *Riddick, Theo **Robinson, Trevor *Romine, Matt **Rudolph, Kyle Ruffer, David+ Salvi, Chris+ Schwenke, Kona Shembo, Prince *Slaughter, Jamoris ***Smith, Brian Smith, Daniel **Smith, Harrison Spond, Danny ***Stewart, Chris *Tausch, Nick *Te’o, Manti Toma, Robby Turk, Ben *Walker, Brandon Walker, Deion ***Walls, Darrin Watt, Chris ***Wenger, Dan Williams, Hafis ***Williams, Ian Wood, Cierre Wood, Lo
OLB NG OT DE ILB ILB TE QB WR OG OT TE K S DE OLB S OLB WR S OLB OG K ILB WR P K WR CB OG C NG NG RB CB
6-2 6-0 6-5 6-4 6-1 6-0 6-4 6-2 5-11 6-5 6-5 6-6 6-1 5-10 6-4 6-2 6-0 6-3 6-4 6-2 6-2 6-5 6-0 6-2 5-9 5-11 6-3 6-3 6-0 6-3 6-4 6-1 6-2 6-0 5-10
245 300 297 290 246 235 245 210 198 295 292 265 176 185 245 243 195 243 208 214 225 351 190 245 175 196 210 198 190 310 298 285 305 210 178
Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Fr. So. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Sr. Fr. Sr. Fr. Sr. So. So. So. So. Sr. Jr. Sr. So. Sr. Jr. Sr. So. Fr.
Bunn, NC/Bunn Louisville, KY/Pleasure Ridge Park Ashburn, VA/Stone Bridge N. Miami Beach, FL/Chaminade-Madonna Prep Allison Park, PA/Hampton Aliquippa, PA/Hopewell Cherry Hill, NJ/Camden Catholic Lake Forest, IL/Lake Forest Manville, NJ/Immaculta Elkhorn, NE/Elkhorn Tulsa, OK/Union Cincinnati, OH/Elder Oakton, VA/Gonzaga Lake Forest, IL/Carmel Catholic Hauula, HI/Kahuku Charlotte, NC/Ardrey Kell Stone Mountain, GA/Tucker Overland Park, KS/Saint Thomas Aquinas South Bend, IN/Clay Knoxville, TN/Knoxville Catholic Littleton, CO/Columbine Spring, TX/Klein Plano, TX/Jesuit Laie, HI/Punahou Laie, HI/Punahou Davie, FL/St. Thomas Aquinas Findlay, OH/Findlay Christchurch, VA/Christchurch Pittsburgh, PA/Woodland Hills Glen Ellyn, IL/Glenbard West Coral Springs, FL/Saint Thomas Aquinas Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth Altamonte Springs, FL/Lyman Oxnard, CA/Santa Clara Apopka, FL/Apopka
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“New York is a lot of things,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said.
“But tonight it was a college football town. “It was an exciting atmosphere,
and I know that our team fed off the energy.”
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2010 N ot r e D a m e -A r m y :
Way More Than Just A Football Game B y J ohn H eisler
Y
ou may have thought the firstever football game at the new Yankee Stadium was all there was to the weekend. The game actually was the culmination of a week in which Notre Dame took over New York City. The Irish football squad stayed in Teaneck, N.J., while headquarters for Notre Dame
SUNDAY
November 14
Thursday November 18
Former All-America linebacker Ned Bolcar speaks at the Lou Holtz: Coach for Life event
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alumni and fans was the Sheraton New York on 52nd Street and 7th Avenue. That midtown Manhattan location (Irish fans accounted for more than 1,800 nights of hotel room reservations) made for easy, aroundthe-corner access to the D train that provided a 20-minute subway ride to Yankee Stadium.
And all the preparations leading up to the game turned out to be well worth it. Thousands of Notre Dame alumni and fans in New York enjoyed an experience they will remember forever, as they took part in a series of fun and exciting events. Didn’t make it to New York? Here’s a full rundown of events:
The Notre Dame Club of New York helped more than 200 Notre Dame alumni and fans at St. 2:00 PM Patrick’s Old Cathedral assemble 8,000 care kits for 10,000 U.S. troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan during the
holidays. The kits included postcards of the historic Notre Dame-Army 1946 program cover, cards from schoolchildren and purchased/ donated items. Additional packages assembled on and after game day were also sent to the troops.
An academic conference at the Sheraton sponsored by the University of Notre Dame’s
Kroc Institute called, “Contending Modernities: Catholic, Muslim, and Secular,” began the three-day weekend.
A bevy of former Irish football standouts including Frank Stams, Steve Beuerlein, Ricky Watters, Byron Spruell and 6:30 PM plenty of other guests and celebrities came to honor former Irish coach Lou Holtz at Cipriani Wall Street at the Lou Holtz: Coach for Life dinner.
Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer served as master of ceremonies and speakers included Regis Philbin, former Minnesota Gopher and Viking Pete Najarian and former Irish players Rod West, Ned Bolcar and Ryan Leahy. Tim Brown, the 1987 Heisman Trophy winner, gave remarks via video in Dallas.
4:00 PM
Lou Holtz (kneeling fourth from left) poses with all his former players following the Thursday night dinner on Wall Street in his honor.
Notre Dame Vice President for University relations Lou Nanni served as master of ceremonies for the Friday luncheon at the Marriot Marquis.
Friday
9:00 AM
Leprechaun David Zimmer made a live
appearance on “LIVE! With Regis and Kelly.”
10:00AM
The “Contending Modernities” conference continued
with a panel discussion: “Women, Family & Society in Islam and Catholicism: Moving Forward.”
November 19
Master of ceremonies Regis Philbin headlined the speaking program in front of 1,000 attendees at the Marriott Marquis Ballroom in Times Square for a luncheon celebrating the game. At the luncheon, sponsored by the Notre Dame Club of New
York, Philbin interviewed Heisman Trophy winners John Lujack and Pete Dawkins, as well as Irish athletics director Jack Swarbrick and head coach Brian Kelly. The event began with a four-minute historical video on the history of the Notre DameArmy rivalry in New York.
The University held an academic roundtable at the Sheraton, sponsored by the Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy
and the College of Arts and Letters: “Shattering the Stained Glass Ceiling: Fifty Years After the Election of America’s First Catholic President.”
The Irish football team conducted its walk through. Even though Brian Kelly’s squad didn’t work out, the Irish players dressed in the Yankee clubhouse, prompting plenty of questions about which Yankee
normally occupied the locker assigned to each Notre Dame player. There was no shortage of photos taken of the Stadium, as the Notre Dame team watched several video packages on the massive HD scoreboard and took a team photo.
12:00PM
Prior to the luncheon, Regis Philbin (left) poses with Notre Dame Heisman Trophy winner John Lujack and his wife Pat.
2:00 PM
4:00 PM
Luncheon MC Regis Philbin (right) shares a laugh with interview guests and former Heisman Trophy winners John Lujack from Notre Dame (left) and Pete Dawkins from Army (center).
Having some fun on the Yankee Stadium field the day before the game are Irish football walk-on players (left to right) Bobby Burger, Brian Castello, Nick Lezynski, Matthew Mulvey, Ryan Kavanagh and David Ruffer, along with Chris Salvi (front). They are giving the sign of the WOPU Nation or, as they’ve dubbed it, the Walk-On Players Union.
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Former Notre Dame player Gerome Sapp (front row, fourth from right) and the Irish cheerleaders and mascot help with the closing of NASDAQ.
Notre Dame alumni association executive director Chuck Lennon speaks at the pre-game tailgate event.
Former Irish defensive lineman and current New York Giant Justin Tuck shares his thoughts with Irish fans at the Lincoln Center rally.
Friday
November 19
Vocalist Cathy Richardson belts out “Here Come the Irish” to open the Lincoln Center pep rally, with former Irish football captain John Scully on the keyboards.
saturday November 20
The traditional Notre Dame pep rally took place on the plaza outside Lincoln Center—with former Irish star and current New York Giant Justin Tuck speaking, along with Irish head coach Brian Kelly and Irish players Ian Williams and Kyle Rudolph. Irish radio voice Don Criqui served as master of ceremonies. Tuck began the rally by reminding Kelly he still had a year of college eligibility remaining. With former Irish
football captain John Scully playing keyboards, vocalist Cathy Richardson opened the evening by performing their latest number “Our Lady of the Lake” followed by their hit “Here Come the Irish.” More than 500 friends of the University watched from a sweeping balcony above the scene. At the end of the rally, former Yankee Lee Mazzilli presented Kelly with a ceremonial key to Yankee Stadium made out of a baseball bat.
Some 300 former Irish letter-winners jammed the upstairs Sidecar
for a Notre Dame Monogram Club reception at P.J. Clarke’s at 55th Street and 3rd Avenue.
5:30 PM
7:30 PM
A standing-room-only crowd of around 3,500 attended Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on 5th Avenue— celebrated by Notre Dame President
Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C. At the same time, the Irish football squad returned to Yankee Stadium for a pregame workout.
The Band of the Fighting Irish played its pregame concert in the middle of Times Square at Broad-
way and 46th Street while Irish fans packed the bleachers to the north and filled surrounding sidewalks and other open areas.
10:30AM
12:00PM
Ken Dye, director of the Band of the Fighting Irish, conducts the Saturday noon pre-game concert in the middle of Times Square.
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1:30 PM
The band headed to Yankee Stadium by subway via the D
train and conducted a mid-afternoon practice at Macombs Dam Park in the Bronx.
SATURday November 20
Notre Dame Stadium voice Mike Collins spoke to the Saturday pre-game tailgate crowd at the Sheraton.
Back at the Sheraton, more than 1,200 Irish fans turned out for an afternoon-long, pregame tailgate event. Among the many speakers
were Notre Dame president Rev. John I. Jenkins. C.S.C., longtime Notre Dame Stadium PA announcer Mike Collins and a handful of former Irish players.
Officials from the Yankees, Notre Dame and Army held a brief, pregame press conference (for media
members only) to talk about how the historic game came to be played at the stadium.
Those same officials gathered in a suite at Yankee Stadium for a champagne toast. Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick presented the Yankees with a framed Irish football jersey with the name Steinbrenner on the back and the number
27 on it (for the number of Yankee World Series titles). Swarbrick also presented both Army and the Yankees with large, framed pieces showing all previous game program covers, plus the ticket and logo from the 2010 game.
The pregame parachute jump featured four members of the Black Daggers from the U.S. Army Special Operations Command. Spectators got a glimpse of the scene thanks to a
camera affixed to the helmet of one of the jumpers—the views he was seeing from the sky showed live on the Yankee Stadium video board.
2:00 PM
5:30 PM
6:15 PM
7:05 PM
7:15 PM Pregame festivities included four members of the U.S. Army’s Black Daggers parachuting onto the field.
A color guard that included six ROTC students from the
University of Notre Dame plus six USMA cadets presented the national colors.
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SATURday November 20
7:17 PM
Patrick Wilson, a critically acclaimed and award-winning theatre
actor most recently seen in the films “The A Team” and “The Switch,” sang the National Anthem.
7:25 PM
Notre Dame recognized the late George Steinbrenner, longtime
Yankee owner, with a PA announcement and video board notation.
Actor Patrick Wilson sang the national anthem before the start of the game.
1947 Heisman Trophy winner John Lujack from Notre Dame, 1958 Heisman Trophy winner Pete Dawkins from Army, New York Yankee co-owner Hal Steinbrenner and
Yankee chief operating officer Lonn Trost joined the team captains for the ceremonial coin toss, using a special coin featuring Notre Dame’s seven Heisman Trophy winners.
8:50 PM
The Band of the Fighting Irish performed at halftime, and was
joined by the USMA West Point Glee Club for the “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
9:45 PM
Sgt. First Class Mary Kay Messenger, vocalist of the USMA West
Point Band, sang “God Bless America” at the end of the third quarter.
10:45PM
With the 27-3 Irish victory complete, Notre Dame fans headed home on the D train.
7:28 PM
Tyler Eifert makes a key reception for the Irish in the first half of the game.
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Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick (left) and University president Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C. (right), make pre-game presentations to New York Yankee general partner and vice chairperson Jennifer Steinbrenner Swindal (second from left) and Yankee managing general partner and co-chairperson Hal Steinbrenner. The gifts included a framed green Notre Dame football jersey with the number 27 (for the number of Yankee World Championships won) as well as a framed piece showing all the previous game program covers from all the Notre Dame-Army games played in Yankee Stadium.
Notre Dame provost Tom Burish presents a football as part of the Notre Dame faculty recognition at the end of the first period to Scott Appleby, John M. Regan Jr. Director of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and Professor of History.
New York Yankee president Randy Levine with Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick
Brian Kelly receives a key to Yankee Stadium in the form of a baseball bat from former Yankee Lee Mazzilli at the Friday night pep rally at Lincoln Center.
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The pre-game events,
around New York, were spectacular;
the passion that so many share for Notre Dame football was prevalent throughout the three days.
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The Band of the Fighting Irish
played its pre-game concert to thousands of spectators in the middle of Times Square.
Irish fans packed the bleachers to the north and filled surrounding sidewalks and other open areas.
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four horsemen ride
to pinnacle of success Despite
u na s s u m i ng b e g i n n i ng s , f o u r N ot r e D a m e p l ay e r s c a m e to g e t h e r to f o r m o n e o f t h e m o st f e a r e d back f i e l d s o f a l l t i m e .
W
hen the Midwest-born foursome of Jim Crowley, Elmer Layden, Don Miller and Harry Stuhldreher arrived at Notre Dame as freshmen in 1921, no one could have ever predicted what the next four years would bring for the quartet that averaged a mere 159 pounds per man. When the four arrived on the South Bend campus, they were anything but instant successes. When the ’21 freshman team was issued equipment, the supply ran out before Miller got a uniform. He finally received equipment about midseason, but it was a combination of very well-used paraphernalia. As freshmen, the quartet did not play in the same backfield. Layden began as a quarterback, while Miller’s brother, Gerry, and Ward Connell
were at right halfback. Crowley was listed at left halfback, and Rex Enright and Bill Cerney alternated at fullback. Before the end of the year, Stuhldreher had moved in at quarterback, Don Miller was the right halfback, and Crowley and Layden were alternating at left halfback. The Ramblers’ (as they were called in those days) frosh lost to Michigan State and Lake Forest Academy, and there was no reason to forecast what would take place in 1922. Head coach Knute Rockne started Miller at right half, while Crowley and Layden alternated on the left side of the backfield -- and Stuhldreher was the reserve quarterback behind Frank Thomas during their sophomore season. The team won its first six games over Kalamazoo,
St. Louis, Purdue, DePauw, Georgia Tech and Indiana. Against Georgia Tech, Rockne alternated Thomas and Stuhldreher as the signalcallers. The “stars in waiting” were beginning to be a unit. The only blemish on the ’22 schedule was a 0-0 tie with Army, in which Notre Dame had a chance to win the game. With Crowley and Miller carrying the ball to the Cadet four, the former ran off tackle, was hit hard and fumbled -- with Army recovering to halt the drive. However, the following week, in a win over Butler, fullback Paul Castner dislocated his hip, and the next week versus Carnegie Tech the final piece in the puzzle emerged as Layden moved over to the vacated spot.
In his autobiography, Layden described the Tech game: “Rock started the ‘shock troops’ and they worked the ball down to the five-yard line. Then Rock told Harry and me to go in. Thinking it was fourth down, he gave Harry a pass play to call. I was to be the receiver. In we went and Harry immediately discovered it was only third down. Now, in those days, we did not huddle; the huddle still was several years away. (Editor’s note: And now today, we have returned to the no-huddle offense; things never change, they are just reinvented.) “Harry called signals from behind the center in our basic ‘T’ formation, then we shifted and the play was under way. Harry decided since it was third down he wouldn’t pass, but rather send me on a fullback buck into the line. As he called this signal, and we shifted, I sensed this change in plans at the split second Bob Regan centered me the ball. The ball bounced off my knee, sailed five yards forward and landed on the goal line where our end, George Vergara, fell on it for a touchdown. Now you know why I can tell my grandchildren I had a hand in scoring a touchdown the first time I played with the Four Horsemen. Or should I say a knee?” The Ramblers finished 8-1-1 in 1922, with their only loss a 14-6 decision to Nebraska. In 1923, the team went 9-1, but the Cornhuskers again provided the only loss to the team, this time
by a score of 14-7. Both games were played in Lincoln, Neb., before packed stadiums. The 1924 campaign began with easy wins over Lombard and Wabash, and the soon-to-be-famous backfield was firing on all cylinders. Army was up next in the third game. When Army scout Pat Mahoney returned to West Point with the report on the Wabash-Notre Dame game, the report said, “Now, that Crowley, he’s like lightning. Better put two men on him! And that Layden makes every yardage every time. Put two men on him! Then there is Miller. I don’t have to tell you that I advise putting two men on him! Stuhldreher, the quarterback, is the most dangerous of
them all. He can think! Have three men on him!” After Notre Dame defeated Army 13-7 on Oct. 18, 1924, history was made. On this day, famous New York Herald-Tribune writer Grantland Rice immortalized the Rambler backfield, likening the lightning-like foursome to a cyclone. He began his game account: “Outlined against a blue-gray October sky, the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore they are known as Famine, Pestilence, Destruction and Death. These are only aliases. Their real names are Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden. They formed the crest of the South Bend cyclone before
“Outlined against a blue-gray October sky,
the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore they are known as Famine, Pestilence, Destruction and Death. These are only aliases.
Their real names are Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden.” R enewing
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which another fighting Army football team was swept over the precipice at the Polo Grounds yesterday afternoon as 55,000 spectators peered down on the bewildering panorama spread on the green plain below. “A cyclone can’t be snared. It may be surrounded but somewhere it breaks through to keep on going. When the cyclone starts from South Bend where the candlelights still gleam through the Indiana sycamores, those in the way must take to the storm cellars at top speed. The cyclone struck again as Notre Dame beat the Army 13-7 with a set of backfield stars that ripped and rushed through a strong Army defense with more speed and power than the warring Cadets could meet.” Thus, the Four Horsemen nickname was coined -- and the quartet remains forever as the most famous and the most talented backfield ever assembled. Recognizing a national publicity opportunity, Rockne student publicity aide George Strickler, later sports editor of the Chicago Tribune, was “Johnny on the spot.” After the team arrived back in South Bend following the Army game, Strickler posed the four players, dressed in their football uniforms, on the backs of four horses from a livery stable in town. The wire services picked up the now-famous photo, and the legendary status of the Four Horsemen was cemented in history.
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Notre Dame concluded its undefeated season by running over Stanford 27-10 in the Rose Bowl (the school’s first bowl appearance), and wound up the national champion at 10-0. In three years of competition, the Four Horsemen helped the Fighting Irish win 27 games, lose just two, and tie one. The origins of the Four Horsemen and how and why they ended up as the greatest backfield ever, are as different as the men themselves. Crowley, born in Chicago and raised in Wisconsin, played at Green Bay East High School for coach Curly Lambeau, who was a teammate of the legendary George Gipp at Notre Dame. Lambeau inspired Crowley with Gipp stories and suggested that he should enroll at his alma mater. Rockne nicknamed Crowley “Sleepy Jim” because of his low-key demeanor and droopy eyelids. It didn’t hurt that Crowley, weighing in at 162, always seemed slow moving. Often after being tackled he would get up slowly and appear hurt or tired. The next play would find him shooting off like a rocket. Layden, also at 162, was the fastest of the quartet boasting 10.0 speed in
the 100. He hailed from Davenport, Iowa, where he played on a state championship team for Walter Halas, brother of Chicago Bears’ owner George Halas. He also was a state champion in six track events and all-state as a guard on the basketball team. Rockne had heard of Layden’s bad knee and thought this would plague the sprinter on the college gridiron. Halas, now a new assistant for Rockne, convinced the Notre Dame coach that the injury would not bother the future star. Rockne agreed with the matriculation of Layden, but said that he could only play basketball and baseball. But after the Iowa native arrived, Rockne wouldn’t allow him near the court or the diamond.
at the local hotel on Sunday mornings to see the Tiger players. Rockne allowed Harry to carry his helmet to the stadium so he could get into the game gratis.
Miller, an outstanding halfback at Defiance (Ohio) High School, followed his four brothers to Notre Dame, and was called by Rockne “the greatest open-field runner I ever had.” He weighed in at 160. Brother Harry was recognized nationally as an outstanding halfback in 1909. Ray played end on the same squad with Rockne. Brother Walter was a teammate of Gipp on the 1917-19 teams. Finally, Gerry was on the same team with Don from 1922-24. Stuhldreher, the smallest at 5-7, 151, also had a brother, Walter, at Notre Dame. Stuhldreher played quarterback at Massillon (Ohio) High School while Rockne coached and was an end for the professional Massillon Tigers. Harry used to station himself
Because of his size (he only weighed 135 in high school), it was thought that Stuhldreher would not be able to stand up to the physical beating of collegiate ball. After high school, he attended Kiski Prep, and his coach, Jim Marks, told him that Notre Dame would be the only opportunity for a player of his size. Of course, Harry worshipped Rockne from his helmet-carrying experiences. After making their mark as the Four Horsemen, the four rode off in different directions in the coaching profession. Crowley became an assistant coach at Georgia and then the head coach at Michigan State and Fordham, where his famous line, the “Seven Blocks of Granite,” included Vince Lombardi. He later entered business in Scranton, Pa., and died in 1986 at age 83. Layden coached at his alma mater for seven years, compiling a record of
47-13-3 from 1934 to 1940, became athletic director and later served as commissioner of the NFL (1941-46). After a business career in Chicago, Layden died in 1973 at age 70. Miller left coaching after eight years at Georgia Tech and Ohio State and began practicing law in Cleveland, becoming a federal judge. He was 77 when he passed away. Stuhldreher, who died in 1965 at age 63 in Pittsburgh, was the head football coach at Villanova University for 11 seasons and then became the head of the gridiron program and athletic director at the University of Wisconsin. He later worked for U.S. Steel. All four players were elected to the College Football Hall of Fame: Layden in 1951, Stuhldreher in 1958, Crowley in 1966 and Miller in 1970. In 1998, the United States Postal Service honored the Four Horsemen with their own stamp as part of 15 commemorative stamps saluting “The Roaring Twenties.” Los Angeles Times columnist Jim Murray called the Four Horsemen a remarkable unit in that they stepped through life together as precisely and enthusiastically as they stepped through Army and Stanford. Murray wrote, “It damn well was the greatest backfield ever.”
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win one for
the gipper K nute R ockne ’ s famous halftime speech in 1928 spurred the I rish to an inspirational victory over A rmy and helped turn the head coach into a legend .
M
ost football fans have heard the famous saying, “Win one for the Gipper,” but do they really know the story behind the famous battle cry? Knute Rockne, a 1914 Notre Dame graduate, was in his 10th season as the head coach of the Fighting Irish football team in 1928, and his squad was suffering through bad times. The team had already lost to Wisconsin and Georgia Tech prior to its annual battle with Army. The world-renowned speech was delivered by Rockne during halftime with the score 0-0. Rockne prefaced the famous comments by telling his team that he had kept this message to himself for years, and that none of the present team members probably knew George Gipp, but that they likely knew what a tradition he was at Notre Dame. With Rockne himself sitting in a wheelchair because of poor health, he told his players about the tragic death of George Gipp, a Notre Dame hero and legend in his own
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right. Gipp won letters at Notre Dame in 1917, 1919 and 1920 and, at 172 pounds, qualified as the best back of his time. In his final game versus Army (a 27-17 Irish win), he had 332 yards of total offense and three touchdowns. Six weeks later, on Dec. 12, 1920, he died of pneumonia and a streptococcus infection at age 25. He was received into the Catholic Church on his deathbed. Rockne was there in the room, and Gipp supposedly gave the Irish head coach this message:
As a coach, [Rockne] was
a pioneer, utilizing new tactics to the betterment of the team.
The shift was his trademark, with swift concentrated blocking power at the point of attack, which continued downfield.
“Rock, sometime, when the team is up against it—and the breaks are beating the boys—tell them to go out there with all they got and win just one for the Gipper.” Gipp went on, “I don’t know where I’ll be then, Rock, but I’ll know about it— and I’ll be happy.”
The Irish came out inspired for the second half and pulled out a 12-6 victory, holding the Cadets on the 1-yard line as time expired. The winning TD came on a 68-yard pass play from John Niemiec to Johnny O’Brien, who came off the bench for that one play and returned to the sidelines immediately. After the game, Rockne called this team his “greatest—for that afternoon.”
Rockne and the Army-Notre Dame series are synonymous with excitement. For the inaugural game in 1913, Rockne headlined the roster as a senior end and captain of the Ramblers (or Hoosiers as they were called in those days). On the first pass of the game, halfback Joe Pliska aimed for the Notre Dame end, but the throw was off the mark. Army put a physical beating on Rockne, inspiring the crafty end to feign an injury, but on the Hoosiers’ third pass attempt, suddenly Rockne was no longer limping and he raced under quarterback Gus Dorais’ aerial, taking it in full stride for the touchdown. Notre Dame went on to win the game 35-13. The Army game was Rockne’s main focus as a football coach later in life, so perhaps it’s appropriate that he was the player to score the first
touchdown in the colossal series. Rockne visited West Point many times and was Major Ralph Sasse’s houseguest at the Academy in June 1930. West Pointers tell how he fell in the lake one morning while fishing. He also delighted in trying to fool the cadets. His favorite trick was telling Army coaches his strategy for the game, and then confounding them by actually doing what he said he would.
As a coach, he was a pioneer, utilizing new tactics for the betterment of the team. The shift was his trademark, with swift, concentrated, blocking power at the point of attack, which continued downfield. The shift started out in the T-formation, but as the ball was snapped, the backfield shifted into a box to the left or the right. In 1920, Rockne employed a double shift and also an unbalanced line, but when the rest of the gridiron world caught up, he changed his tactics. Rockne’s relationship with Notre Dame began at age 22. He enrolled, and during his freshman year he was a scrub on the varsity football team. This did not satisfy the consummate over-achiever, so he turned to track where he set a school record in the pole vault of 12 feet 4 inches. He also ran the 220, the 440 and the mile relay. But terrific
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accomplishments as a footballer led him back to the gridiron, and he eventually was named to Walter Camp’s All-America third team at end as a senior. An astute student in the sciences, Rockne graduated magna cum laude in 1914 with a 92.5 average. Father Julius A. Nieuwland, a professor at Notre Dame and the developer of synthetic rubber, called Rockne the most brilliant chemistry student he ever taught. As a senior, Rockne played the flute and was editor of the “Dome,” the school’s yearbook. Rockne decided to study medicine upon graduation, but lack of money was a big handicap. He wrote to 10 schools, applying for a coaching/ graduate position, but was turned down by all 10. Rockne finally accepted a graduate assistant position at his alma mater, as long as he could
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help the football team. He was paid $1,500 to be a chemistry instructor, track coach and an assistant in football. He supplemented his income by playing professional football for the Massillon Tigers and Fort Wayne Friars. While playing in Fort Wayne, he broke his nose tackling Jim Thorpe, then playing for the Carlisle Indians. After the 1917 season, Notre Dame head coach Jesse Harper retired, and Rockne assumed the head football coaching position at the age of 29. This was the beginning of the greatest college coaching career ever. From 1918-30, his teams won 105 times, lost only 12 and tied five contests. His winning percentage of .881 still remains near the top of the list for all of football. Rockne coached the Irish to five undefeated seasons and national championships in 1919, 1920, 1924, 1929 and 1930. During his tenure, Rockne elevated the Fighting Irish to national fame. He was the first coach to initiate intersectional rivalries and schedule teams from across the land. His coaching innovations were considered above any others of his time. Under Rockne, Notre Dame
teams were unbeatable because he left nothing to chance. He was a stickler for fundamentals and would work days on a play if that’s what it took to run it to perfection. But his biggest legacy was popularizing the use of the forward pass, something many coaches used, but Rockne perfected. Rockne’s forward passing background dated back to the summer of 1913, when he was a lifeguard at Cedar Point Beach in Sandusky, Ohio. While working, Rockne and college roommate Dorais practiced passing techniques at the beach. These were implemented in that initial ArmyNotre Dame contest the following fall. These were not short, dunk passes, but were long bombs that had the receiver run under the pass to catch the ball in stride. Rockne’s teams played with much flair because that’s the way their coach acted. He was well liked by media members, and they appreciated his character and honesty. One time, a reporter asked him about his religious affiliation, and Rockne responded, “That’s my business; not yours.” Raised as a Lutheran, he was received into the Catholic Church in 1925 at Notre Dame, with the Right Rev. John Knoll, Bishop of Northern Indiana, officiating.
Rockne worked hard to promote Notre Dame football to make it financially successful. He wooed the media to obtain free advertising for the Fighting Irish. In 1927, he was featured on the cover of Time Magazine. Sixty-eight years after his death, Rockne was named one of the greatest coaches ever by ESPN SportsCentury. It didn’t hurt that Rockne’s teams had great players. Of course, his most famous player was Gipp, who could run, pass and kick and whose leadership led the Notre Dame football team to national prominence. Rockne also coached the Four Horsemen. The small but talented backfield of Harry Stuhldreher, Don Miller, Jim Crowley and Elmer Layden became legends when sportswriter Grantland Rice, in his report on the 13-7 Notre Dame victory over Army in 1924, wrote: “Outlined against a blue-gray October sky, the Four Horsemen rode again.” Rockne was born Knut Larsen Rokne in Voss, Norway, March 4, 1888. He immigrated with his parents to Chicago at age five. He attended North West Division High School in Chicago, where he
played football and ran track. After graduating from high school, his first job was as a mail dispatcher in Chicago. Four years later, he had saved up $1,000 and wanted to enroll at the University of Illinois. A friend, Johnny Plant, convinced him that his hard-earned money would stretch farther at Notre Dame, where he would also be given the opportunity to supplement his income by waiting on tables and doing other odd jobs. Sadly, after his fantastic feats as both a player and coach, his legendary career came to an unexpected end. The 1930 Notre Dame squad had rolled to a 10-0 record and the national championship in what no one thought would be his final season. During the off-season, Rockne was asked to come to Los Angeles to assist in the production of the film “The Spirit of Notre Dame.” On March 31, 1931, shortly after taking off from Kansas City, where he had stopped to visit his two sons who were in boarding school at the Pembroke Country Day School, one of the Fokker Trimotor aircraft’s wings separated in flight. The plane crashed into a wheat field near Bazaar, Kan., and there were no survivors. Rockne was 43 years old. He was survived by his wife, the former Bonnie Gwendoline Skiles, and two sons, Bill and Knute
Jr. One year after his death, the town of Rockne, Texas, was named to honor him, after the children of Sacred Heart School were given the opportunity to name their town. That wasn’t Rockne’s only honor. The Studebaker automobile company of South Bend marketed the Rockne automobile between 1931 and 1933. Rockne was enshrined as a charter member in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951 and is also in the Indiana Football Hall of Fame. In 1988, the United States Postal Service honored Rockne with a postage stamp that featured his name and image. President Ronald Reagan, who played George Gipp in the movie “Knute Rockne, All American,” gave an address at the Notre Dame Athletic & Convocation Center on March 9, 1988, when the Rockne stamp was officially unveiled.
a view from
all angles T e r ry B r e n na n r e c a l l s h i s m e m o r i e s o f N ot r e D a m e vs . A r m y , o n t h e f i e l d a n d on the sideline
A
few years after Terry Brennan stopped roaming the sidelines for the Notre Dame football team, he was in West Point, N.Y., broadcasting a game between Army and Penn State with Hall of Fame sportscaster Lindsey Nelson. At the time, the Cadets’ head coach was Paul Dietzel, a friend of Brennan’s. Dietzel invited Nelson and Brennan to stay the night and eat dinner with the corps. Brennan reluctantly agreed. At dinner, Dietzel stood before the assembled corps and introduced Nelson, who was greeted with a round of applause. Then Brennan, a three-year starter at halfback for the Irish and Notre Dame’s head coach from 1953-1958, was introduced— and greeted with 4,000 boos. That’s how fierce the Notre Dame-Army football rivalry is. But before Brennan could sit down, the boos turned into a polite round of applause, showing how much respect the two programs have for each other. “It’s a great series,” says Brennan. “What I always liked about it was the people I met from West Point, and I think the same was true for them. We tried to kill each other on Saturday afternoon, but we also had
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tremendous respect for each other and that was the key.” Brennan’s indoctrination to the series wasn’t that great, however. He graduated from Marquette University High School in Milwaukee, Wis., in May 1945, at the ripe age of 16. He turned 17 a month later and, by July, was practicing with the football team at Notre Dame. That year, the Irish roster was depleted due to World War II, while Army was extremely talented, coming off a national championship season. The result was a 48-0 victory for the Cadets. “It was truly men versus boys,” Brennan says of the contest. “We had good athletes, but we were essentially high school kids. It was great for me in 1945, because if we had all our big guys on the team, I’d have been sitting on the bench. But they had to play somebody.” Despite the loss, the game was still memorable for Brennan. “I was just a kid, but when I walked out into Yankee Stadium, finally everything hit me,” he says. “This was big time stuff. Army was number one in the country, then you add the New York atmosphere—that’s a lot for a kid from Milwaukee.”
That experience proved vital for Brennan, who turned in a memorable performance in the rematch the following year. Notre Dame had its “big boys” back, and Brennan had improved significantly and earned his spot next to them. Playing both ways, he was the team’s leading rusher for the game and, he made a huge defensive play to preserve the 0-0 tie. After Johnny Lujack’s fantastic, touchdown-saving, open-field tackle
“We talked about the 1946 game and [Blaik] agreed that both teams seemed quite cautious,” Brennan says. “He said, ‘You know, the real answer is the coaches, me and [Notre Dame head coach Frank] Leahy, we both choked. I’ll admit that, but I doubt Leahy will.’” To which Brennan replied: “I don’t know. Why don’t you ask him?”
of Army fullback Doc Blanchard at the Irish 37-yard line, the Cadets continued to march down the field—until Brennan interceded. Inside Notre Dame’s 15-yard line, Army called for a halfback option pass by Glenn Davis, which Brennan intercepted at the 5-yard line. Notre Dame had its chance, too, as the Irish drove to Army’s four-yard line, mostly by running to the right side. “Then we ran two quarterback sneaks and two plays to the left,” Brennan says. “After four downs, we were still on the four-yard line.
We didn’t even kick a field goal. I remember that vividly. Both teams had good chances and we both kind of blew it.” Years later, Brennan would revisit that day with another participant. He was on business in New York and called famed sportswriter Red Smith, who was also a good friend. The two decided to meet for lunch and when Brennan arrived at the restaurant, Earl “Red” Blaik, Army’s head football coach from 1941-1958, was there to join them.
Regardless of the outcome of the contest in ‘46, Brennan is very proud to have played in a game of such magnitude, one that will be remembered for years. “I take great pride in it,” he says. “There were a lot of great players out on that field on both sides. It’s no wonder it was a tie.” The two teams met again in 1947, and this time it didn’t take long for the Irish to seize control and ensure there wouldn’t be another scoreless draw. In fact, it took one play. Brennan took the opening kickoff back for a touchdown and that set the tone in a 27-7 Notre Dame victory.
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“The kick was a line drive, and if you get a line drive, you have about 10 yards where you run straight up the field right at the middle guys before you need to find a crack,” Brennan says. “It wasn’t anything great that I did or great blocking, it was the kick that set it up. But I still take all the credit. My father was coming to the game, but he got into the stadium five minutes late and didn’t see the kickoff. But he said he could hear the cheers from outside.” The Cadet kicker, Jack Mackmull, went on to become an Army general, and when he retired, Brennan was asked to speak at a dinner in his honor. “I told him, ‘You know, General, if you’d kicked the ball over my head or kicked it high, then the New York Giants would have probably considered you as one of their kickers and you wouldn’t be a general,” Brennan says. “He got a kick out of that.” The Notre Dame-Army series went on hiatus following the 1947 game and when it resumed in 1957, Brennan was the Irish head coach. Notre Dame won that game 2321 on a game-winning field goal by Monty Stickles, but lost to the Cadets 14-2 the next year, Brennan’s final season as head coach.
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“It was great to be the coach,” Brennan says. “Army had a lot of talent—those teams were very good. Red Blaik and I got along very well. I had respect for him and he had respect for me. You’re trying to win, the other guy’s trying to win, and you give it your best shot.”
“What I always liked about it was
the people I met from West Point
,
and I think the same was true for them. We tried to kill each other on Saturday afternoon, but we also had
tremendous respect for each other and that was the key.” - Brennan
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the game of
t h e c e n t u ry T he
t wo rivals ’ epic battle in 1946 was more than just a football game — it c aptured the attention of an entire nation .
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n 1944, Army routed Notre Dame 59-0, the worst defeat either team had ever handed the other. In 1945, the Cadets eased up on their rivals from South Bend, defeating the Irish by a mere 48 points. But, in 1946, the dynamics of the rivalry shifted. Because of World War II, during the ‘44 and ‘45 seasons, the Irish, like much of the rest of the college football world aside from Army, fielded a depleted roster while players served overseas in the military. But, with the war over, Notre Dame was back at full strength. It is estimated that at least 20 regulars from Notre Dame’s 1943 national championship team returned to the team in 1946. Among them was head coach Frank Leahy, who served in the Navy. While serving, Leahy also managed to recruit some fine players like George Connor, a Holy Cross transfer who, in 1946, went on to become the first Outland Trophy winner as the country’s top lineman. Additionally, Leahy snared 21-year-old Jim Martin, who had received a Bronze Star for his work in reconnaissance missions during the war. Army, the two-time defending national champion, entered the 1946 contest ranked first in the
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Associated Press poll. The Cadets were 7-0, winners of 25 straight games and had outscored opponents 296-34. Notre Dame was No. 2 in the poll and at 5-0 had outscored its opponents 177-18. The anticipation for the matchup was so great and the rivalry so intense, Notre Dame students even went as far as to send Blaik daily postcards and signed them SPATNC—the Society to Prevent Army’s Third National Championship.
of those ‘naturals’ that come up once in a football generation.”
It’s no wonder the 1946 clash of titans was dubbed by many as the “Game of the Century.”
The Associated Press wrote, “On the turf of the Yankee Stadium Army and Notre Dame will do battle in
“Today belongs to Army and Notre Dame,” penned New York Times writer Joseph M. Sheehan on game day. “The clash of the allconquering cadets and their vengeancebent rivals from South Bend is one
The game featured four past or future Heisman Trophy winners in Army’s Doc Blanchard (1945) and Glenn Davis (1946), as well as Notre Dame’s Johnny Lujack (1947) and Leon Hart (1949). The teams were led by a pair of Hall of Fame coaches in Leahy and the Cadets’ Earl “Red” Blaik, and the rosters had a host of other future Hall of Fame players.
“The clash of the all-conquering cadets
and their vengeance-bent rivals from South Bend is
one of those ‘naturals’ that come up once in a football generation.” - Joseph M. Sheehan, New York Times
the game that has whipped up the interest of a nation as has no other within memory.” A standing-room-only crowd of around 75,000 turned out to Yankee Stadium to take in the spectacle, despite the fact that ticket prices climbed upwards of $400 per seat, an astronomical amount for the time. The game sold out five months in advance. Prior to kickoff, a radio announcer exclaimed, “You couldn’t get another person in here with a shoehorn.”
game very cautiously—perhaps too cautiously—and it ended in a 0-0 tie, causing Bill Leiser in the San Francisco Chronicle to write, “The battle of the century, or battle of all time as some New York observers styled it, ended just where it started.” Still, the game has lived on as one of the all-time greats. “No one scored any points,” wrote Daley. “But nobody in the huge Yankee
Stadium throng yesterday asked for his money back. The Army-Notre Dame game was a tense, exciting drama all the way, even though it did bear a suspicious resemblance to the National League pennant race … This bruising, rib-rattling struggle could have been waged until doomsday without ever determining a winner. That’s how well matched the teams were with the final count—of lack of count—reflecting it perfectly.”
“If Yankee Stadium had a million seats, we would fill it for this game,” Army athletic director Biff Jones said before the game. “I have never seen anything like it.” “The stands were so jammed with Army and Navy brass that insignificant one- and two-star generals had to slink along back passageways,” wrote Arthur Daley of the Times. The game itself, while hard-fought and fiercely competitive, had almost no chance of living up to the tremendous hype. Both coaches managed the
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erhaps it was fate that the Notre Dame-Army football rivalry began in 1913. Yale had dropped Army from its schedule just before the season began and the Black Knights needed to quickly fill the open slot. Notre Dame saw a game against Army as a great opportunity to expand its football program and offered to play the Cadets at West Point. While Army was heavily favored, the team from South Bend unleashed a potent passing attack and shocked the Black Knights 35-13. Following the loss the Cadets yearned for revenge, so the two schools met again the next year at West Point, and this time Army came out on top 20-7. With that, a fierce rivalry and annual tradition were born. Notre Dame was interested in playing an annual game with Army for several reasons. The series would help the Irish become a national
force in the college football ranks. It would broaden the University’s fan base to build interest from Catholic immigrants who had settled into the New York area from Italy and Ireland. And, beyond the battles on the gridiron, the two institutions shared the same basic principles.
an undergraduate at Notre Dame in 1934, has attended more than a dozen Notre Dame-Army football games, mostly at Yankee Stadium. But Father Hesburgh and his family’s infatuation with this rivalry—and love for Notre Dame—go back to before his time as a student.
Of all the people involved in the development and perpetuity of the Notre Dame-Army football series, perhaps no one understood the educational similarities better than Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., who served as president of Notre Dame from 1952-87. Father Hesburgh has been associated with the University for 65 years and has been watching Notre Dame-Army football games for more than 80 years.
“I remember one year, 1933, we beat Army on December 2,” Father Hesburgh recalled. “At the time, my mother was pregnant. I had three sisters and I had been praying for a brother. After the game that year, I was feeling pretty good because we won and my dad called up and said, ‘We had two victories today: Notre Dame beat Army and you just had a brother.’ My brother Jim was born 77 years ago. I will always remember that day as the day I gained a brother and we beat Army.”
The principles behind Notre Dame and Army are very similar,” said Father Hesburgh. “These institutions put education first and treat athletics as part of education. We’ve had nothing but tremendous memories from our relationship with West Point.” Father Hesburgh, who enrolled as
Father Hesburgh’s first trip to a Notre Dame-Army game in Yankee Stadium occurred in the 1940s, after he was forced to return home from his seminary studies in Rome because of the outbreak of World War II. He was also at the famous “Game of the Century” in 1946 when the two teams battled to a scoreless tie. Father Hesburgh still remembers the fierce play by both teams that afternoon, and the “game within a game” battle that was taking place between each team’s leader—Notre Dame’s Johnny Lujack and Army’s Paul “Doc” Blanchard.
“Some teams have big rivalries
in which they hate each other. But there is so much mutual “I remember one play in the third quarter, when Blanchard got loose on a running play,” he recalled. “He got through the line and then the secondary, and he was about 15 feet away from Lujack, who suddenly took off after him with a burst. But instead of running straight into him, Lujack came at him horizontal to the ground and hit him right across the knees. And Blanchard did about three circles in the air and came down in a pile, missing a great chance for a touchdown. It was a moment in Yankee Stadium that will last forever.” Father Hesburgh became executive vice president at Notre Dame in 1949 and stayed in that role until 1952, during which time he served as chairman of the Faculty Board overseeing athletics. When he became University president three years later, Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., became executive vice president and took over supervision of the athletics program. Together, Fathers Hesburgh and Joyce furthered the University’s relationship not only with West Point, but also with the Naval and Air Force academies as well.
respect between Army and Notre Dame because they operate from the same core principles.” - Hesburgh
“I had served as chairman of the board of advisors of the Naval Academy, so I had a good deal to do with that rivalry between Notre Dame and Army continuing and prospering,” said Father Hesburgh. “Ned (Joyce) was on the original board at the Air Force Academy, so that relationship got off on a strong foot as well. We’ve had a wonderful relationship with all three academies. We’re probably the only program that has played all three academy football teams in the same year.” Father Hesburgh has been awarded more than 150 honorary degrees and numerous national medals of honor, including the U.S. Military Academy’s Sylvanus Thayer Award in 1980. The award is “presented to an outstanding citizen of the United States whose service and accomplishments in the national
interest exemplify the West Point motto, ‘Duty, Honor, Country.’” One of the leading activists for civil rights of his generation, Father Hesburgh was named a member of the United States Civil Rights Commission in 1957, serving as chair from 1969 to 1972. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964. After the U.S. invaded Cambodia during the Vietnam War, Father Hesburgh was vocal in his opposition to the war. But during that time, he still maintained his deep respect for the three service academies. For all his efforts, Father Hesburgh was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2000. “When the Vietnam War was taking place and so many portions of our population were protesting the war movement, many schools were
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was no monkey business and we ran a very honest show the whole time. Ninety-nine percent of our athletes have graduated while competing in intercollegiate athletics. We’ve made this commitment to our studentathletes.” dropping their ROTC program,” Father Hesburgh said. “But we were one of the few universities to say, ‘By golly, if young U.S. citizens are willing to fight for our country even though we may disagree about the war, we’re not going to stop supporting them.’ To this day, Notre Dame has maintained its Army, Air Force and Navy ROTC programs while others dropped them.” While president, Father Hesburgh, whose 35-year term in that role marks the longest tenure at the University, did much to raise the school’s academic standards while at the same time maintaining the football program’s stature as a national power. “My only obligation was to run an honest program and I can guarantee you that no one was paid for playing here,” he said. “There
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That’s a commitment Army has made as well—and one reason why Father Hesburgh is so pleased that the Notre Dame and Army football series has been renewed this year. “Some teams have big rivalries in which they hate each other,” said Father Hesburgh, who still remains active at Notre Dame. “But there is so much mutual respect between Army and Notre Dame because they operate from the same core principles. And that’s true of the other service academies, as well. Notre Dame has always had a very special relationship with these schools. And that’s part of our football program’s tradition. So this year, in a sense, is a reprise of a ritual that really got Notre Dame ingrained in the history of college football. That’s why this season’s game at the new Yankee Stadium was so special.”
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T hom G atewood fed off the history of Y ankee S tadium , and the electricit y of the crowd , for a breakout performance in the 1969 game
W
hen he was a high school senior tight end at City College High School in Baltimore more than 40 years ago, Thom Gatewood was one of the most sought-after high school football players in the country, and coaches from all of the top college programs were calling. Gatewood heard all kinds of recruiting pitches from coaches eager to show him the benefits of joining their team. But one pitch had a greater impact than the others: If Gatewood went to Notre Dame, Fighting Irish coaches told him, he would play on the biggest stages, at many of the top stadiums, in the country’s biggest cities. Fast forward two years, to Oct. 11, 1969. There was Thom Gatewood, in his first season with the varsity at Notre Dame, warming up for a football game in the country’s biggest city, at one of the most storied stadiums in sports. As he went through the pre-game routine, Gatewood couldn’t help but soak in the moment. There he was, in the middle of the “House that Ruth Built,” a stadium that served as the home for so many baseball legends: Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, to name just a few. He was on a field where NFL stars such as the New York Giants’ Frank Gifford and Sam
Huff collided with the Baltimore Colts’ Johnny Unitas, Lenny Moore and Alan Ameche at the “Greatest Game Ever Played” -- the Colts’ overtime win over the Giants in the 1958 NFL Championship Game. Then he heard the melodic, echoing voice of Bob Sheppard, the public address announcer at Yankee Stadium. And suddenly Gatewood felt goose bumps all over. “As I stretched and ran sprints during warm-ups, I couldn’t help but fantasize about those great players who had also run across this same field,” Gatewood recalls. “I thought about all of the Hall of Famers who played for the Yankees, or who competed against them in the World Series. I thought about all the great players who suited up for the New York Giants and also strode across this same patch of real estate in the Bronx. “I was normally unaffected by crowds when I played,” Gatewood continued. “But that day was different. You could feel the electricity in the air as the crowd was settling into Yankee Stadium.”
Gatewood added to the electricity in the first quarter when he raced downfield to pull in a 55-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Joe Theismann. On the play, Gatewood lined up in the slot on the right side of the field. The play called for him to run straight at his defender, read his move and then react to find an opening. Gatewood broke for the left corner of the end zone and Theismann found him wide open for the game’s opening touchdown and the first touchdown of his Notre Dame career. “As the ball was in the air, the entire crowd was silent,” Gatewood said in an interview with the New York Times. “Every eye in the place was watching the flight of the ball, but nobody was making any noise.
“As I stretched and ran sprints
during warm-ups, I couldn’t help but fantasize about
all those great players who had also run across this same field.”
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Then, at the very second the ball touched my hands, there was an explosion of sound. I caught the ball and ran toward the end zone.” Gatewood would finish the game with nine catches for 164 yards and grab a second touchdown pass from Theismann. The game was a coming-out party for both players, who were each first-year starters. Gatewood had made the switch from tight end in high school to running back on the Fighting Irish freshman team to wide receiver as a sophomore (he fought to move back to split end in starting his varsity career). Theismann spent the 1968 campaign on the bench while Terry Hanratty finished his outstanding career as quarterback. That day in Yankee Stadium, Theismann and Gatewood’s hookups helped the Irish amass 617 yards of total offense. The media covering the game dubbed Theismann to Gatewood the new duo to watch in college football. “Because of that game, Joe and I got on the fast track toward becoming All-America-level football players,” said Gatewood. “But we were still the same athletes who felt butterflies in our stomach just a few hours before kickoff. Now we’re headliners in the media capital of the world. It was a special day for both of us.”
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The afternoon at Yankee Stadium was special to Gatewood for another reason—his parents were in the stands watching him play for the first time ever. “I played numerous football, basketball, and baseball games in high school, but my parents had never been to my games,” Gatewood said. “There were more than 63,000 people at the game, but only my parents were on my mind. My dad and mom didn’t know anything about football—they only knew that I was wearing number 44. They weren’t even sure what was happening, but by the time I had caught a few more passes and had scored again, they were participating in the celebration and cheering.” Gatewood would go on to set numerous Notre Dame receiving records, many of which lasted for 30 years or more. During his career with the Fighting Irish, he accumulated 157 receptions for 2,283 yards—at the time a school record—and 19 touchdowns. In 1970 he was a consensus AllAmerican after recording a thenschool-record 77 receptions for 1,123 yards. The individual record was surpassed in 2006 by Jeff Samardzija and Rhema McKnight who both broke Gatewood’s career
receptions record in that year. Gatewood still holds the record for the most catches per game in a season with 7.7. He also served as a captain of the 1971 team. Gatewood’s performance that fateful afternoon did not go unnoticed by NFL scouts who were in attendance. One scout in particular was paying close attention. Alex Webster, who worked for the New York Giants scouting department that season, was at the game. Two years later, with Webster as head coach, the Giants selected Gatewood in the fifth round of the NFL draft—the 107th player selected overall. “I am probably the only player from that Army-Notre Dame game to have played at Yankee Stadium both in that 1969 game and then as a Giant,” said Gatewood. “How is that for fate?”
“I was normally unaffected by crowds
when I played. But that day was different.
You could feel the electricity in the air as the crowd was settling into Yankee Stadium.” - Gatewood
A two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American who also earned postgraduate scholarships from the NCAA and National Football Foundation, Gatewood played two seasons for the Giants before retiring
from football and pursuing a career in the television and radio industry, both as a broadcaster and in advertising sales. In 1992, he created Blue Atlas Productions, an advertising specialty and promotions company.
For Gatewood, so much of his success, both as an athlete and business professional, can be traced back to Oct. 11, 1969, in Yankee Stadium. “I remember standing there knowing that I was now a part of the history of this place and this unbelievable rivalry,” Gatewood said. “I’m so glad that the series has come back to Yankee Stadium. The experience is one that I would wish for every Notre Dame player.”
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huge play W ith the game on the line , cornerback I vory C ovington put his name in the history book s with a monumental goal line stop .
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vory Covington’s place in Notre Dame football history was cemented Oct. 15, 1995, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. That day, Covington and the Fighting Irish were locked in a fierce battle with Army and, with 39 seconds to play, the game’s outcome was hanging in the balance. The Cadets had just scored a touchdown on a seven-yard pass from Ronnie McAda to Leon Gantt to pull within one point at 28-27. And Army head coach Bob Sutton decided to go for the two-point conversion rather than taking his chances in overtime. “They had executed so well on us that day that I understood why they decided to go for two,” Covington
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says. “From our team’s perspective, we would have loved for them to kick the extra point to take it into overtime, but they elected to go for the win. If I had been in their position, I probably would have done the same thing.”
Covington says. “They did a great job of cutting down our defensive linemen up front. And if one guy ends up out of position, you stand to be gouged in a major way by their offense. That’s what I was focusing on.
Before a crowd of 74,218, Army called a “slam-release” pass, which required tight end Ron Leshinski to make a block at the line of scrimmage and then slide into the right flat along the goal line. Covington, a cornerback, was manning that side of the field in Notre Dame’s Cover 2 defense.
“When the play began and the quarterback rolled my way, I saw two receivers attacking my zone, one behind me and the other in front,” he continues. “In those situations, it’s a cat and mouse game between the cornerback and the quarterback. I decided to favor the receiver behind me, thus forcing McAda to throw to the guy in front of me.”
“Before the ball was snapped, I was just trying to remember my particular responsibility on that play,” Covington says. “I knew we had to get a stop. Before a play like that, you kind of say a prayer to yourself, hoping, some way, somehow, you can get a stop.” Playing solid assignment football takes on an even greater level of importance against an opponent like Army. So far that day, the Cadets had piled up 365 rushing yards using their flexed wishbone attack.
The Army signalcaller took the bait and threw to Leshinski, who, as a result of being bumped at the line of scrimmage, ended up catching the pass at the one-yard line, rather than the goal line. Covington immediately converged, and the 5-foot-10, 163-pound sophomore hit the 6-foot-3, 240-pound Leshinski as he caught the ball and pushed him out of bounds two feet short of the goal line. The two-point attempt was no good. Victory belonged to the Irish.
“We knew exactly what they were going to do, but it didn’t matter,”
“It worked out where I favored the high guy, he threw to the low
guy, and I still had just enough time to get up and make the play,” Covington says. “You’re taught leverage, especially if you’re a smaller guy, like I am. If you hit a guy high you really have no shot. It’s a situation that you just can’t win, so instead I tackled him low. That tackle was just a culmination of that being driven into my head in practice over time. “I’ve always prided myself that even though I’m always the smaller
guy, I’m the aggressor,” he continues. “The job had to be done, so I’m just glad that I was able to do it.”
showdown with Florida State in the Orange Bowl. For a team-first player like Covington, team success is the ultimate goal. The individual attention is just an added bonus, especially at a program as celebrated as Notre Dame.
Even now, 15 years later, Covington, who works as the director of development for a software engineering firm in Atlanta, isn’t entirely sure how he managed to stop the much heavier Leshinski. Luck of the Irish? Maybe.
“I like to look at what the team did and I’ve never looked for that selfabsorbed glory,” Covington says. “But it’s nice to be remembered for when you were able to help your team and step up and make a play. I feel very honored and privileged to have been that particular player who was able to make that particular play in that game, in that environment, on that stage.
“When I look back at all the facts, him outweighing me by 80 or so pounds, it doesn’t fully make sense,” he says. “But I guess I had a lot of help on my side and it worked out.”
“I made other plays that I thought were pretty big as well, but if the play on Leshinski is what people want to single out when they look at my career, that’s great,” he continues. “It’s better to be known for something than nothing, and it certainly makes for a much better story for my grandkids, making the tackle rather than getting run over into the end zone.”
Covington’s big play—and the win that came as a result of it—was part of a six-game Notre Dame winning streak to close the 1995 regular season that ultimately vaulted the Irish into a New Year’s Day
Covington has had ample opportunity to tell the story since that fateful day in Giants Stadium. But none of the storytelling sessions stick out quite like the one he had with famed Notre Dame alumnus
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Regis Philbin. “After I made the play, he sent me a brief note with some of his thoughts about the play and mentioned that he enjoyed the outcome,” Covington says. “Then I was able to meet him when he came to campus for one of our pep rallies. Years later, I spoke with him again when my wife and I were vacationing in New York and we got tickets to his show. We went up to his office after the show and caught up with each other.” While 1995 was the only year Covington had a chance to play against Army, the enormity of the rivalry was not lost on him. “I have a great respect for the service academies, and it takes a lot of preparation to play against a team like that, especially Army,” he says. “A lot of teams have found out the hard way that if you underestimate one of the service academies, you can be in for a long day.
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“It was also a great honor to play in Giants Stadium,” Covington continues. “There have been so many big-time games with big players at that stadium. It was quite an honor to go to New York and play there. It was a great game with a great finish. I’m glad I was able to make the play.”
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go
Irish!