The Wilmington morning star., 1946-11-27
OFFICIAL DATA
REVEALS IRISH
LEAD OFFENSIVE
Figures Released By Ma.
tional Collegiate Athletic
Bureau Tuesday
HOLD DUEL LEAD
South Carolina Rated Third
In Defense Against
Rushes And Passes

NGW 1OINh, 70. -HC-
Notre Danes challenge of Army
as the No. l collegiate gridiro1
power was accentuated Tuesday
when official statistics disclosed
that the unbeaten Irish not only
have out-gained every team in the
United States but also boast the
best defensive record in the land
While they yer Kidding Tulane,
41-0, last week, the boys from South
Bend piled up $50 yards, 428 Of
them on the ground, to take over
first place in the offensive stand.
iings from the all-victorieus Bruins
of UCLA. And their feat of holding
the Green Wave to 101 yards enabl.
ed them to replace Penn state as
the No. l defensive team. .
If they can maintain their dual
lead the rest of the way, the Irish
will be the first team in history tc
compile the foremost offensive and
defensive records for the same sea.
son.
Offensive leader in 1943, Notre
Dame also has a chance to become
the first team to win the offensive
honors a second time. Army, whose
combined rushing and passing
average is 18th on the current list
led the nation in offense last year
but was nosed out by Tulsa in 1914
Figures released by the Nationa.
Collegiate Athletic bureau Tuesday
show that in beating Illinois, Pitts
burgh, Purdue, Iowa, Navy,
Northwestern and Tulane and tying
Army, Notre Dame has rolled uI
a total of 3,349 yards by both rush
ing and passing an average O
418.6 yards per game.
Coach Frank Leahy's lads have
held these same teens to a total o
l, 108 yards, or an average of 49,
yards per game.
UCLA skidded all the way tt
fifth place in the offensive stand
ings although the Bruins whipped
Southern California, 1876 to win thu
Pacific Coast Conference cham
lpionship and land a spot in tn,
Rose Bowl.
With the help of the mud, South
ern Cal held UCLA to a total Of 6
yards on the ground and absolute
ly nothing in the air.
The Trojans, by the way, viii
finish the last test of the season
for Notre Dame at South Benz
Saturday.
All-~victorious Georgia, averaging
1897 yards for five games, movee
from fourth to second place among
the offensive leaders on its 1872
conquest of Chattanooga, while
Nevada jumped from fifth to thire
with an average of 1898. Bostor
college slipped from third to fourth
on an average of 378.1 despite it!
1877 win over Alabama.
Oklahoma, which held Nebraska
to 131 yards in defeating the Corn
huskers, 27-6, moved from fourth
to second among the best defensive
teams with an average of 1872
yards yielded per game as Penn
State slumped to seventh place.
South Carolina Third
South Carolina is third in de
tense against both rushes and pass
es with an average of 1887 yards
, followed by Davidson with 154.4
and Mississippi State with 154.8.
Notre Dame is the leader il
rushing yardage for the secone
straight. week, having run with the
ball exactly 500 times and covered
IL, 544 yards, an average of 318 yard!
per game and better than five pei
,lplay.
i, For the third straight week, Miss
issippi State owns the best RECORD
for defense against running plays
The Maroons have held nine op
ponents to an average of 58.2 yard.
per game on the ground.
: Nevada continues to set the pace
in the forward passing department
where the bureau ranks the team!
on average yardage rather thar
the number Of percentage of com
pletions. With a record of SO com
pletions in 1856 attempts, Nevada
has covered 1859 yards on passe!
ineits eight games, an average O.
1881 per game.
4 Oklahoma A. and NJ, with 9!
! compilations in 228 tries, ha!
thrown the most passes and com
pleted the most but Texas has thu
best completion average, a mari
of .531 on SO successful losses out O
us.
Louisiana State boasts the bes
defense against passes, having
held nine opponents to an average
of 51.9 yards per game. Holy Cros'
is second, followed by Florida
Wa shington State, West Texas
State and Notre Dame.
Texas Mines is the punting lead
er, averaging Ala yards on 5!
kicks in eight games.
The ten leaders in each depart
ment:
Total offense = (gains rushing
and passing) = Notre Dame, 4l8
6 yards average per game
Georgia, 1897; Nevada, 1898;
Boston College, 378.1; UCLA, 3n.8
Hardin-simmone. 371; Michigan