The 70th anniversary of ‘The Game of the Century’

By Eric Moreno | Posted 11/7/2016

On November 9, 1946, the United States Military Academy Cadets took on the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a clash of the two most popular college football programs in the nation. Army was ranked number one in the nation by the Associated Press and Notre Dame was ranked number two. The contest that afternoon had captured the nation's imagination and would go down in history as “The Game of the Century.”

At the time, both universities had strong national followings partially based on shared history. Over 20 years earlier in 1924, the two schools clashed at the Polo Grounds in New York. During this contest, famed sportswriter Grantland Rice christened the Irish backfield as ‘The Four Horsemen’, which consisted of quarterback Harry Stuhldreher, halfbacks Jim Crowley and Don Miller, and fullback Elmer Layden. In 1928, Knute Rockne delivered his fabled “Win one for the Gipper” speech.

This was the biggest rivalry in college football and each contest captured the imagination of the entire country.

“The 1946 Army versus Notre Dame game may have been the most anticipated game in college football history,” said Kent Stephens, Historian and Curator of the College Football Hall of Fame and Chick-fil-A Fan Experience. “World War II had just ended and the country was ready to get back to some bit of normalcy. At the time, college football was still bigger than the pro game and both teams had huge national followings.”

Heading into the 1946 tilt, both teams were undefeated and were scoring at staggering rates as each team’s offense was averaging over 30 points per game. The Cadets (now the Black Knights) came in riding a 25-game winning streak that carried over from the previous four seasons. Their last loss came to Notre Dame in their 1943 meeting. The Irish had dropped their two previous contests to Army, losing by overwhelming margins – 59-0 in 1944 and 48-0 in 1945.

“In Army, you had a two-time defending national champion that had not lost since 1943 and the Notre Dame team was greatly comprised of many players from the 1943 national championship squad now back in school after serving overseas for two years,” said Stephens.

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Both squads were exceptionally talented. Four players in the game, two on each squad, would ultimately win the Heisman Trophy. For Army, the famed duo known as Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside, Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis, would go on to win the famed trophy. For Notre Dame, Johnny Lujack and freshman Leon Hart (who did not play on this day) also earned the trophy.

“The field of play was none other than the most recognized stadium and city in the U.S. – New York’s Yankee Stadium,” said Stephens. “On the field, was a who’s who of college football:  the four Heisman winners [in Davis, Blanchard, Lujack and Hart]. There were six future Hall of Famers on the Army roster, coached by Hall of Famer Red Blaik, and seven future Hall of Famers playing for Notre Dame, and they were coached by Hall of Famer Frank Leahy.”

The hype machines were on overdrive prior to the contest. After weeks of buildup, a standing room only crowd of 75,000 packed the House that Ruth built. However, when it was all said and done, the game ended in a way no one could have foreseen.

Despite overwhelming national interest, high-powered offenses, and a litany of all-time greats on the field, when the final whistle sounded the scoreboard read Army 0, Notre Dame 0.

Each team had their best chance to score snuffed out during back-to-back series. Army defensive back Arnold Tucker, who was also the team’s starting quarterback, intercepted Lujack to stifle the Irish. Tucker would go on to intercept Lujack three times during the afternoon. On the next series, Lujack made perhaps the most famous tackle in Notre Dame’s history when he took the legs out from underneath Blanchard who was on his way for a score.

The Touchdown Twins of Blanchard and Davis were limited to only 79 yards. Seven linemen in the game were nominated by the Associated Press (AP) for Lineman of the Week award. Army guard Joe Steffy ultimately won the honors. Notre Dame linemen George Sullivan and Jim Martin placed second and third respectively. Both head coaches, Leahy and Blaik, called the game “a terrific battle of defenses.”

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Both squads finished the season undefeated with this one tie as the lone blemish on their records. Notre Dame was awarded the National Championship by the AP and the Helms Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles named Army the National Champion. Neither school accepted a bowl invitation that season.

The following year, Blanchard, Davis, and Tucker all graduated and Army's win streak was snapped by Columbia University. The Black Knights would never again claim the National Championship.

Meanwhile, the Fighting Irish wouldn't lose again until 1950 and claimed the National Championship in 1949, 1966, 1973, 1977, and 1988.

 

Photos courtesy of the University of Notre Dame Athletics Department

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