Leahy Returns from Service to Lead Irish to First of Four Consecutive Undefeated Seasons
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2011 Notre Dame Football Supplement Leahy Returns From Service to Lead 1946 — 8-0-1 “Prayers work better when the play- Irish To First of Four Consecutive ers are big.” — Frank Leahy on the cover Undefeated Seasons of Time magazine Oct. 14, 1946 “I have told our players that they can World War II had finally ended and the The season began with the Irish routing game), rushing offense (340.1 yards per expect the same thing (losing a game) to United States was ready to think about their first five opponents — Illinois, which game), total defense (141.7 yards per game) happen to them at any time if they let down something more pleasant than international went on to win the Western (now Big Ten) and scoring defense (2.7 points per game) or get to believing they are the champions conflict for a change — like Notre Dame conference championship, Pittsburgh, and had allowed only Illinois, Purdue, Iowa, after playing only one game.” football. The year was 1946, the coach was Purdue, Iowa, and Navy before facing top- and USC to score points against them. For the — Frank Leahy hard-driving Frank Leahy and it was the ranked Army. Coached by the great Earl season, Notre Dame outscored its opponents beginning of a dynasty for Notre Dame foot- (Red) Blaik and featuring Doc Blanchard and 271 to 24 in nine games. “Fifty-nine and forty-eight, this is the ball. Glenn Davis in the backfield, Army had won It was only the beginning. year we retaliate!” In 1943, Leahy had guided the Fighting two straight national championships and 25 Irish to their first wire-service national cham- straight games, including two defeats of — Willie Shearer — Impromptu battle cry pionship, and fourth overall, behind Heisman Notre Dame in the previous two seasons by a fashioned by the squad for the Trophy winner Angelo Bertelli and future combined score of 107-0. 1944 and 1945 losses to Army Heisman winner John Lujack. World War II The showdown was set for November 9 in took many football players from college, Yankee Stadium where 74,121 fans turned “You know, we started to plan for the national championship when spring including Bertelli in the middle of his out to see a 0-0 tie. Notre Dame advanced to practice opened last April. I told the boys Heisman campaign in ’43, but many returned the Army four-yard line in the second quarter that I thought we could make it, but that it to the gridiron after the war ended, including for the game’s deepest scoring threat, but would take hard work and lots of it; long, Lujack, who would go on to win the Heisman the Cadets held on downs. Blanchard broke tiresome hours of sweat and toil on the in 1947. into the clear once and appeared to be practice field. The players dug in right from For the players who returned to Notre headed for a score, but an open-field tackle the start and gave everything they had and Dame in ’46, losing a college football game by Lujack saved the Irish from defeat. were rewarded with the national champion- was not to be one of their post-war experi- Army retained its top ranking in the ship.” ences. From 1946 to 1949, Notre Dame went Associated Press poll after the game. But the — Frank Leahy 36-0-2 and won three national champion- Irish walloped their final three opponents by ships in one of the most successful four-year a combined score of 94-6 and were named “A team that won’t be beat can’t be periods in college football history. national champions in the final poll of the beat. That’s the story of the Army-Notre The 1946 season started it all. Halfback season. When the smoke cleared, the Irish Dame scoreless battle in Yankee Stadium.” Terry Brennan and linemen Bill Walsh, Bill found themselves the nation’s statistical Fischer, and John Mastrangelo were among leaders in total offense (441.3 yards per — Bill Corum, the group of returnees from the previous New York season. There were several new faces who Herald-American came to Notre Dame after Navy hitches had “A new Notre Dame football comet interrupted their respective careers at Holy soared over the gridiron of Memorial Cross and Texas A&M. There were also play- Stadium this afternoon and crushed Illinois’ ers for whom the war had postponed college championship hopes into dying embers, football, like end Jim Martin and running 26-6. It is a comet which promises to grow back Emil (Red) Sitko, and there were fresh- in brilliance as the season progresses and men like Leon Hart. Returning to Notre Dame eventually light up the gridiron picture with along with Lujack were veterans such as victories over Navy, Army, Northwestern and tackle Zygmont (Ziggy) Czarobski, end Jack Southern California for an undisputed Zilly, and fullback Jim Mello. Even Leahy was national title.” coming back to Notre Dame after a couple — Gene Kessler, years in the service. Chicago Times Leahy was a perfectionist and strict discipli- narian, and enduring his practices wasn’t much more fun than being a soldier. But it sure produced results. The Irish usually had two separate platoons ready for each game, and often the first string didn’t play much more than half the game. On the football field, the Irish had strength in numbers, and Irish star John Lujack (32) awaits the coin toss preceding one of Notre Dame’s Leahy fought a war of attrition. early-season clashes during the 1946 season. 165.