Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/219972
• In Bertelli's finale, versus Navy, he was 5-of-9 passing for 115 yards with three touchdowns. The Irish also outrushed Navy, 323 to minus-seven. It was Navy's lone loss of the year. • Against Army the following week, Bertelli's replacement, Lujack, was 8-of-15 passing for 182 yards in a 26-0 rout of the Black Knights, who would go unbeaten the next three seasons. • At Northwestern, Notre Dame rushed for 302 yards (151 by Miller) and limited Graham to 3-of-9 passing, plus nine yards on 10 carries, in a 25-6 victory. • In their second No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown of the year (Michigan was the first), the Irish faced an Iowa PreFlight team that included seven pros who were anywhere from 25 to 28 years old. The oldest Notre Dame starter was 22, with Lujack a pup at 18. Notre Dame rallied from 7-0 and 13-7 deficits to win 14-13. Miller scored the winning TD from six yards out, and Fred Early, who had just turned 18 a month earlier, kicked the extra point (Pre-Flight missed a point after try earlier). 1943 Schedule DateOpponent Result Sept. 25 at Pitt W, 41-0 Oct. 2 Georgia Tech W, 55-13 Oct. 9 at No. 2 Michigan W, 35-12 Oct. 16 at Wisconsin W, 50-0 Oct. 23 Illinois W, 47-0 Oct. 30 vs. No. 3 Navy* W, 33-6 Nov. 6 vs. No. 3 Army^ W, 26-0 Nov. 13 at No. 8 Northwestern W, 25-6 Nov. 20 No. 2 Iowa Pre-Flight W, 14-13 Nov. 27 at Great Lakes Naval L, 19-14 * at Cleveland; ^ at New York • In the finale at Great Lakes' Ross Field, the 22,000 seats were filled by uniformed sailors. A late TD by Miller capped a 20-play drive (all runs) and gave Notre Dame a 14-12 edge. Notre Dame is the one school that should never lose on a "Hail Mary" pass, but that's what occurred on a 54-yard TD from Steve Lach to Paul Anderson with 33 seconds left. The game ended when Sitko intercepted a Lujack pass on the ensuing series. After the game, Leahy sought out Sitko and Steve Juzwik, who had been on Notre Dame rosters prior to the war, in the Great Lakes locker room. "How are you, Coach?" Sitko politely asked. "Not too well, Emil," Leahy replied. "My school lost today." "So did mine, Coach," Sitko said. A game was lost, but the season was won. The lone losses by Iowa PreFlight, Michigan and Navy, the teams that finished Nos. 2, 3 and 4, were to Notre Dame. • Great Lakes lost only to No. 5 Purdue and No. 9 Northwestern — a team Notre Dame walloped. • Northwestern lost only to the Irish and No. 3 Michigan. • Army lost only to Notre Dame and No. 4 Navy. • Georgia Tech lost to Notre Dame, Navy and No. 7 Duke. Among the AP's 121 votes, Notre Dame received 86 first-place ballots (no one else received more than 12) to easily capture the national title despite closing with a loss. After competing and thriving against this type of schedule, there really was no other choice. ✦