1946 Army vs. Notre Dame football game
Encyclopedia
The 1946 Army vs. Notre Dame football game was a regular season
college football
game played on November 9, 1946. Army (the football program of the United States Military Academy
at West Point, New York
), then ranked Number 1 in the Associated Press
college football poll, played the University of Notre Dame
, of South Bend, Indiana
, ranked Number 2, at Yankee Stadium in New York City
. This game is regarded as one of the 20th century Games of the Century
.
, was the game at which sportswriter Grantland Rice
christened the Fighting Irish backfield—quarterback Harry Stuhldreher
, halfbacks Jim Crowley
and Don Miller
, and fullback Elmer Layden
-- the "Four Horsemen
." The 1928 edition, with Notre Dame trailing Army at halftime at Yankee Stadium, was the game in which Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne
delivered his "Win one for the Gipper
" speech, resulting in a comeback win for the Fighting Irish.
Army had a 25-game winning streak, last losing to Notre Dame in 1943 (26-0), but had won the last two contests between the schools by scores of 59-0 and 48-0. Army had the defending Heisman Trophy
winner, Doc Blanchard, also known as "Mr. Inside," the man who would win it that year, Glenn Davis
, also known as "Mr. Outside," and one of the nation's top quarterbacks in Arnold Tucker
.
Notre Dame had the quarterback who would win the Heisman the next year, Johnny Lujack
, and end Leon Hart of Notre Dame won the Heisman in 1949(the only time ever that a college football game had four Heisman Trophies winners.) Both Tucker and Lujack were also outstanding defensive backs at a time when football players, college as well as professional, usually played both offense and defense. Notre Dame had defeated eventual 1947 Rose Bowl
participant Illinois in Champaign-Urbana 26-6 to open the season. On October 26, they won at #17 Iowa 41-6. The game leading up to this one was a 28-0 Irish defeat of Navy at Baltimore.
and the Big Nine Conference
, the forerunners of the PAC-10 and Big 10, signed the agreement to start with the 1947 Rose Bowl
of matching their conference champions. The national sports writers wanted to match either Notre Dame or Army with #4 and undefeated UCLA. Instead, #5 Illinois was the first Midwestern team to go by the terms of the agreement and routed UCLA 45-14.
With Blanchard, Davis and Tucker having graduated, Army's unbeaten streak would be broken the next year, by Columbia University
. Notre Dame would not lose until early in the 1950 season. Sporting News named the 1944-45 Army Cadets and the 1946 Fighting Irish the second and fifth greatest teams of the Twentieth Century respectively.
This was only the sixth time that the number one ranked team faced the number two ranked team since the inception of the Associated Press Football Poll
in 1936. This would not happen again until the 1963 Rose Bowl
.
1946 college football season
The 1946 college football season finished with the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame crowned as the national champion in the AP Poll, with the United States Military Academy the runner up...
college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
game played on November 9, 1946. Army (the football program of the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
at West Point, New York
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
), then ranked Number 1 in the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
college football poll, played the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, of South Bend, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
, ranked Number 2, at Yankee Stadium in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. This game is regarded as one of the 20th century Games of the Century
Game of the Century (college football)
The phrase "Game of the Century" is a superlative that has been applied to several college football contests played in the 20th century, the first full century of college football in the United States...
.
The teams
This matchup, with the national attention it got in the era before the service academies ceased to be major football powers, was usually played at a neutral site, often in New York City.Previous matchups
The 1924 game between the schools, a Notre Dame victory at the Polo GroundsPolo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
, was the game at which sportswriter Grantland Rice
Grantland Rice
Grantland Rice was an early 20th century American sportswriter known for his elegant prose. His writing was published in newspapers around the country and broadcast on the radio.-Biography:...
christened the Fighting Irish backfield—quarterback Harry Stuhldreher
Harry Stuhldreher
Harry Augustus Stuhldreher was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played quarterback at University of Notre Dame from 1922 to 1924, where he was a three-time All-American and member of the legendary "Four Horsemen" backfield...
, halfbacks Jim Crowley
Jim Crowley
James Harold "Jim" Crowley was an American football player and coach. He gained fame as one-fourth of the University of Notre Dame's legendary "Four Horsemen" backfield where he played halfback from 1922 to 1924. After a brief career as a professional football player, Crowley turned to coaching...
and Don Miller
Don Miller (football)
Don "Midnight" Miller was an American football player and coach. He was one of the famous "Four Horsemen" of the University of Notre Dame's backfield in 1924. Miller was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1970.Miller's three brothers attended Notre Dame before him...
, and fullback Elmer Layden
Elmer Layden
Elmer Francis Layden was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and professional sports executive. He played college football at the University of Notre Dame where he starred at fullback as a member of the legendary "Four Horsemen" backfield...
-- the "Four Horsemen
Four Horsemen (football)
The Four Horsemen of Notre Dame comprised a winning group of American football players at the University of Notre Dame under coach Knute Rockne. They were the backfield of Notre Dame's 1924 football team...
." The 1928 edition, with Notre Dame trailing Army at halftime at Yankee Stadium, was the game in which Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne
Knute Rockne
Knute Kenneth Rockne was an American football player and coach. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history...
delivered his "Win one for the Gipper
George Gipp
George "The Gipper" Gipp was a college football player who played for the University of Notre Dame. Gipp was selected as Notre Dame's first All-American and is Notre Dame's second consensus All-American , after Gus Dorais. Gipp played multiple positions, most notably halfback, quarterback, and...
" speech, resulting in a comeback win for the Fighting Irish.
The 1946 season
Both teams were undefeated going into the 1946 game at Yankee Stadium. Both teams averaged over 30 points per game.Army had a 25-game winning streak, last losing to Notre Dame in 1943 (26-0), but had won the last two contests between the schools by scores of 59-0 and 48-0. Army had the defending Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner, Doc Blanchard, also known as "Mr. Inside," the man who would win it that year, Glenn Davis
Glenn Woodward Davis
Glenn Woodward Davis was an American football halfback famous in the 1940s. A graduate of the Class of 1947 at the United States Military Academy at West Point, Davis initially played college football for the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos...
, also known as "Mr. Outside," and one of the nation's top quarterbacks in Arnold Tucker
Arnold Tucker
Arnold Tucker is a retired United States Air Force Officer who graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY in 1947....
.
Notre Dame had the quarterback who would win the Heisman the next year, Johnny Lujack
Johnny Lujack
John Christopher Lujack Jr. is a former American football quarterback and 1947 Heisman Trophy winner.Lujack was born on January 4, 1925, in Connellsville, Pennsylvania. He played college football for the University of Notre Dame, and professionally for the Chicago Bears. Lujack was the first of...
, and end Leon Hart of Notre Dame won the Heisman in 1949(the only time ever that a college football game had four Heisman Trophies winners.) Both Tucker and Lujack were also outstanding defensive backs at a time when football players, college as well as professional, usually played both offense and defense. Notre Dame had defeated eventual 1947 Rose Bowl
1947 Rose Bowl
The 1947 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game. It was the 33rd Rose Bowl Game. The Illinois Fighting Illini defeated the UCLA Bruins, 45–14. Illinois halfbacks Claude "Buddy" Young and Julius Rykovich shared the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game award. They were named the Rose Bowl Players...
participant Illinois in Champaign-Urbana 26-6 to open the season. On October 26, they won at #17 Iowa 41-6. The game leading up to this one was a 28-0 Irish defeat of Navy at Baltimore.
Game summary
Despite the high-scoring and much-hyped offenses, the game ended in a scoreless tie, with each school's best chance at a scoring drive coming back-to-back: Tucker intercepting Lujack, and Lujack then making a touchdown-saving tackle on Blanchard a few plays later. Notre Dame's defense did something no other team had ever done — it held the famous "Touchdown Twins," Blanchard and Davis, to a total of 79 yards. As an indication of how the defense of both teams dominated, seven linemen in that game were nominated for Lineman of the Week honors in the weekly Associated Press poll. Joe Steffy, an Army guard who helped shut down the Notre Dame running game, won the honor, followed closely by Notre Dame right tackle George Sullivan and freshman lineman Jim Martin, who helped stifle Army's running attack and dropped Davis on consecutive plays for losses totalling 17 yards. Both Notre Dame coach Leahy and Army coach Blaik called the game "a terrific battle of defenses."Aftermath
Both teams would finish the season undefeated with this one tie, but it was Notre Dame that was awarded the National Championship by the Associated Press, with Army coming in second. Neither school accepted bowl bids in that era, and so neither put itself at risk of a loss that would have tarnished their National Championship bid. The Pacific Coast ConferencePacific Coast Conference
The Pacific Coast Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pacific-12 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, the older league had a completely different charter and was disbanded in 1959 due to a major crisis...
and the Big Nine Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
, the forerunners of the PAC-10 and Big 10, signed the agreement to start with the 1947 Rose Bowl
1947 Rose Bowl
The 1947 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game. It was the 33rd Rose Bowl Game. The Illinois Fighting Illini defeated the UCLA Bruins, 45–14. Illinois halfbacks Claude "Buddy" Young and Julius Rykovich shared the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game award. They were named the Rose Bowl Players...
of matching their conference champions. The national sports writers wanted to match either Notre Dame or Army with #4 and undefeated UCLA. Instead, #5 Illinois was the first Midwestern team to go by the terms of the agreement and routed UCLA 45-14.
With Blanchard, Davis and Tucker having graduated, Army's unbeaten streak would be broken the next year, by Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. Notre Dame would not lose until early in the 1950 season. Sporting News named the 1944-45 Army Cadets and the 1946 Fighting Irish the second and fifth greatest teams of the Twentieth Century respectively.
This was only the sixth time that the number one ranked team faced the number two ranked team since the inception of the Associated Press Football Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
in 1936. This would not happen again until the 1963 Rose Bowl
1963 Rose Bowl
The 1963 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1963 at the end of the 1962 college football season. It was the 49th Rose Bowl Game. The USC Trojans defeated the Wisconsin Badgers, 42–37...
.
See also
- Game of the Century (college football)Game of the Century (college football)The phrase "Game of the Century" is a superlative that has been applied to several college football contests played in the 20th century, the first full century of college football in the United States...
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish football rivalriesNotre Dame Fighting Irish football rivalriesNotre Dame Fighting Irish football rivalries refers to rivalries of the University of Notre Dame in the sport of college football. Notre Dame rivalries encompass many teams. Because the Fighting Irish are independent of a football conference, they play a more national schedule, and have thus...
- Army Games
Further reading
- Peters, Nick. (1988) College Football's Twenty-Five Greatest Teams: The Sporting NewsThe Sporting NewsSporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
. ISBN 0-89204-281-8 - Whittingham, Richard. (December 1985). Saturday Afternoon: College Football and the Men Who Made the Day: Workman Pub Co. ISBN 0-89480-933-4