Evening star., 1951-11-07
Michigan State
Fears Lefdown
AFTER Idle Week
Irish Building Up
Since Season Begon
For Saturdays Test
BY The Asseeiafsd Press

The Notre Dame football team,
on the comeback trail, and the
high-riding Michigan State eleven.
striving to stay up, clash at East
Lansing. Mich. in Saturdays big
thriller that has a Cain and Abel
as well as David and Goliath as
pect.
Notre Dame and Michigan
State have been brothers in sports
for many years. They were like
"a couple of tough kids on the same
block that no one would play with
and until Michigan State was &C
cepted in the Big Ten, the pair
were the biggest independent
powers in the Midwest.
Snubbed by the Western Con-
ference. they were faithful to each
other in basketball through a long
series that dates back to 1909.
The old buddies competed in other
sports and organized the Central
Collegiate track meet as an attrae-
|tion to rival the Western Confer
ence meet.
When it comes to football, how
ever, the brotherly love ends.
Out to Spoil Spartan Season.
Notre Dame. beaten only by
Southern Methodist, will try to
wreck Michigan States bid for its
first unbeaten season since 1913.
After this clash the Spartans
likely will be favored to dump In
diana and Colorado in their sea-
son closers.
But Coach Biggie Mum thinks
the idle Saturday his squad had
last week will hurt. The Spartans
haven't played since they wal
Hoped Pitt october 27.
"a lull like that can hurt a
teams sharpness in hitting and
timing. There is big risk Of
Iletdown, he said.
However, the idle week end has
given Bob Carey. Michigan States
great offensive end. chance to
Irest from injuries that bothered
him most of the season. He has
Isparkled in scrimmages.
| Coach Frank Leahy and his
Notre Dame team have tried to
be nonchalant about it, but they
have been building up since the
start of the season for this in
vasion of East Lansing.
The Spartans, ranked fifth in
the weekly Associated Press poll.
have stolen the neighborhood
thunder from the Irish. nudged
from the national spotlight by
Purdue last season.
Chided About Scouting.
The Irish have had their eye
on Michigan State so much, the
Spartans had to chide them for
excessive scouting. Three Official
scouting visits are the limit in the
circles of both schools and Michi-
gan State regarded a spectator
role by Notre Dame aide and his
wife in the stands as an extra
Irish peek.
This fuss was quickly smoothed
over. but it showed clearly the
tension over Saturdays combat
which the Irish obviously view as
possible stepping stone back into
the APPS select top 10. They now
are ranked No II, having been
defeated only by Southern Metho-
dist. 27-20. in six starts.
Last season, even after losing
to Purdue and Indiana. Notre
Dame gave the Spartans a fight
before dropping a 36-33 decision
In that game, Michigan States
vince Pisano battered through the
Irish for l24 yards in 10 carries
With 301 yards gained on rs tries
during Michigan States six
straight wins this season, Pisano
will occupy considerable Irish at
tentlon Saturday afternoon.
Irish Have Strong Offense.
/ The Irish are bringing no milk
wagon attack to East Lansing. Led
by Sophomore Fullback Neil Wor-
den's 40S yards in Ill hauls, Notre
Dame has outrushed six foes,
l,440 yards to 480.
10 match the Spartans' top per-
centage runner, Sophomore Billy
Wells. with 299 yards in % tries
for an 80 average, the Irish will
present Freshman Johnny Lattner
with So average on 125 yards in
18 trips.
i Michigan States rushing attack.
also abetted by Don McAuliffe's
294 yards in 81 attempts, is ranked
10th nationally among the major
schools with a 1000 total and a
per game average of 1857.
1t is interesting to note in con-
. nectlon with a Notre Dame de-
tense that has yielded an average
lof 81 yards per try by rushing,
that Irish opponents have FUN
bled rs times and lost the ball on
16 instances.
!. The top passers of both teams
appear fairly well matched. Mich
igan States AL Dorow has tipped
rs times for 43 competitions, 594
yards and four touchdowns, with
eight interceptions. Notre Danes
!. Johnny Mazur has connected on
80 of 81 attempts for STA yards
. and five touchdowns. having seven
, Ifilched.