The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-11-02
! Touch Task Inherited bv Luiack
Takes Place
of Bertelli

No Olht NV ms neck
back through the records and find
an instance where any football
player has inherited a tougher spot
than the one that falls 10 John
Lujack, OF Notre Dame.
Before $4,000 spectators packed
into Yankee Stadium for what may
be the greatest gridiron encounter
Of the year he is going to take the
place Of Angelo Bertelli in the bat
tie Of the T-formations. He is going
to run the Notre Dame team and
do the intricate ball.handling that
is timed to a split second against
an Army eleven that is returning
from a tie with Penn.
He will do much OF the passing
for Notre Dame, a little running,
the thinking. He will do 1t in Notre
much defensive work, plus most Of
Danes biggest tussle to date with
a perfect record riding on the out
come of the things he does and
doesn't do. The lS-year.old sophie
more from Connellsyille. Pa, will
assume that burden without Bertel.
Ii on the bench to take over in case
trouble begins to engulf the Notre
Danes.
Here is a shiny-faced little boy
hop-scotching off GA a giants err
rand If ever there was one.
Notre Dame players have com
plete confidence in him, although
he cant pass in the same league
with Bertelli, now a L. $. marine
who will be remembered among
the super-greats from the South
Bend campus. Neither Is he so far
quite the all-around player that
Bertelli was. He may be some day
but for the purposes Of Saturdays
game that is OF scant benefit.
All this was brought out rather
pointedly here yesterday in off the
record chats among some OF the
football coaches gathered for tile
weekly luncheon with the local
sports writer's.
IL can't think OF anything worse
than losing Bertelli before a big
game. unless it might be to meet
team that had Sammy Baugh to do
the forward passing and Don Hut
son to catch them,' said one OF the
gents who prowl along the side
lines Saturday afternoons on the
verge Of hysteria. That would be a
coach.
Someone else pointed out that
Army always is tough for the Irish.
and that the tie with Penn would
figure TO set the Cadets on key for
Saturdays engagement. Moreover.
Doug Kenna. rated among Armys
super.greats, saw some action
against Penn for the first time this
season and undoubtedly will start
Saturday. 4 tremendous halfback
when he is enjoying the best of
health. Kenna's leg has been
patched up well enough to let him
go az least until he overtakes an &C.
cident.
II he should have a good day and
Lujack should come up a little
jittery after a sleepless Friday
night then the man who took
Notre Dame and gave away 81
points is likely 10 wind UP in the
midst Of a large batch Of disap-
Some have made that
silly wager. Notre Dare doesn't
look that good without Bertelli
a gainst Army.
Getting back TO Luiack the man
OF the moment. he undoubtedly will
be in Saturdays game from gun to
gun. barring injury and has been
trained at length for Just that spot.
He has been Commute man all
along as understudv to Rertelli and
Creighton Miller. the left halfback
Aside from that he is just about
where he has wanted to be ever
since the day he left high school as
\ threc.sDorts star. captain OF the
football team and an honor stu
dent.
He also turned down an appoint
ment 10 West Point because he
wanted TO go to Notre Dame.
Well. the young man asked for