Evening star., 1953-10-24

What keeps old-tme South Benders M@N~
from going overheard Frank Leahys Charles Egan
rent editionpartculary the st-string units that per-
fomance in the first half against Pittsburgh last Saturday.
That the game played here victories
Oklahoma and Purdue and many of the home folks
accustomed to better pay-thought didn't like
the Nations No. team in letting aggressive Pitt squad
get off the field with 14-7 lead at halftme.
Some inclined to attribute the Noe Dame lethargy
to the heat the temperature in the high But it
didn't bother Panthers and it certainly didn't
affect the charged-up Irish who did so much
to turn the tide in the Furthermore tempera
ture had been nearly 10 degrees higher for both the Okla
homa and Purdue games
WHATEVER ALIBI THE WEATHER might have afforded
the Irish can't this day of decision sudden switch
from the unreasonable heat first yesterday
afternoon and this morning crisp after showery
night in which the hit the low Sos To Coach Bobby
Dodd whose Tech squad quartered overnight Ekhar
IS miles away the change probably welcome as
to Leahy.
Leahy is inclined to believe open
Purdue and Pitt had much to with last Saturdays
showing. Undoubtedly Jim Tatum would go along with that
for MarylandS first defeat by Mississippi last year
after woweek lul given to bowl talk and what not
But at any rate Notre Dame didn't look like championship
club in the first half against Pitt, possibly
which most evident in the failure of its line
charge the e according lot people here
All this changed quickly when Leahy put in his second
unit featuring Tackle Sam Palumbo Halfbacks Dick Ftzger
aid and Dick Washington and Fulback McEIugh.
Jumbo great defensive player last year. but has been in
the doghouSe this year blocking deficiencies
Washington Negro speedser from Vanderbilt Fz
gerald 90pound Chcagoan both sophomores with break
Together
Carey quarterback they exceled against Pitt and
may play important roles today.
UNDOUBTEDLY, THE BEST INFORMED South Bender
Notre Dame football is little guy named Chet Grant
of the towns atime great athletes
the for years than he likes mention
Notre Danes quarterback, along with Jimmy Phelan
later Frank Thomas in the just before and after World
War Later he backeld coach during Elmer Laydens
sevenyear term head here In another roe it
Grant who signed Bob Waterfed, fresh UCLA,
the Cleveland Rams before they moved to Los
Angeles with the 1945 pro football championship.
Grant doesn't along with the theory that this years
Notre Dame team suspect He says it's better
that upset Oklahoma and Southern California last year and
lost to champion Michigan State only ast-half fumbes
Nor will Grant concede that Johnny Latner ALL
America uSer as result of his comparatively record
in yardage gained from crimmage this Lattner
is celebrating his 21st birthday today bothered by
injury in early and gained only 80 yards in his first
38 ball carrying attempts Hes still Danes money
ball player Chet up after citing
in receiving and intercepting in punting and
defense
THERE HAS BEEN A MARKED, but hardly mentioned,
change in Noe offensive pattern year. according
to Grant He attributes this the Leahy longer
has the that brought him
after the of H. years highighted by the
feats of Luack Hart, Connor Fischer
So Leahy who didn't have the problems in those years that
he has has reverted of the tactics that
his brilliant early coaching efforts at Boston College and at
Notre Dame.
Passing on first down was virtually taboo during the
great 1t just wasn't necessary But isn't that
than most of the pro teams
great deal than the Redskins who used
for employing such diversion.
An old quarterback himself pretty high on Ralph
Gugielmi who handles the job for the 1853 Irish
doesn't subscribe to the idea that Gugemi
until this season. Instead he dsagrees with Leahy on the
platoon business and thinks the change in the rules has
phasized Gugiems al-around potential pay-caller,
paSSer and runner
Incidentally by 10 points out here
three than in Washington. And Navy,
South Bend visitor, is 13 points Penn.