Evening star., 1953-11-08
Statistics

showed UP at Franklin Field and
saw Penn, already thrice-beaten,
exchange scoring drives with the
Nations No. Thanked team
which was unbeaten in five pre-
viouS games.
Penn, indeed, showed so much
authority in taking a quick TO
lead that major upset appeared
not unlikely. But exactly Is
seconds of play later it was a
new ball game as Johnny Lattner,
a real All-American today, re-
turned the kickoff 80 yards for
touchdown and a TT tie.
The Irish, seemingly aroused
by the impertinence of the team
that California walloped, 400,
and which Ohio State and Michi-
gan had beaten, staged a 68-
yard touchdown march before
the first period was over and
boosted the score to 21-7 in the
first five seconds of the second
quarter, the results Of a 38-yard
kickoff runback by Lattner and
a 36-yard thrust.
Then. when it looked as if
Penn had shot its bolt, the
Quakers came roaring back. They
scored twice in the third period
and, on one occasion in the
fourth, moved as far as Notre
Danes 9-yard line before the
versatile Lattner intercepted q
pass in his end zone.
Lattner did everything except
take tickets today. In addition
to his sparkling runs he was
giant on defense, almost single
handedly preventing Penn from
scoring IN the final period at a
time when Notre Danes de-
fense against passes appeared
dangerously vulnerable.
Penn Charges Again.
Penn, which had countered
Notre Danes touchdown in the
third period with two of it's own
on 81 and IS yard drives, was
charging again. With Quarter
back Ed Gramigna doing most
of the throwing, the Red and
Blue had completed six straight
passes.
The last of this series was an
aerial to. Jim Castle, left end,
who seemed to be headed for a
touchdown on a 48-yard play
until Lattner caught him and
threw him into a snowbank on
the sidelines.
The ball was on the 9-yard
line. Bob Felver lost 2 yards
rushing and Gramigna switched
back to passing and aimed for
Felver in the end zone. Lattner
grabbed it and the threat was
stopped, although Penn at the
time needed more than a touch
down and an extra point to win.
For the first time since he was
stricken between the halves of
the Georgia Tech game two
weeks ago, Coach Frank Leahy
was sitting on the Irish bench.
The opening minutes must have
been extremely trying for a
convalescent, for the first time
Penn got the ball it moved 81
yards to score on only eight
plays.
The Quakers had a special
hero of their own in Fullback
Joe Varaitis, who carried "a
times for IS yards. usually
straight into the stout Irish
line. 1t was Varaitis, with
valuable help from Walt Hynoski
and Gramigna. who led that
first touchdown parade, although
Hynoski carried the ball the
last s yards of the weak side.
When Gramigna added the
extra point only 3:49 Of the
game had been played and it was
Penn z; Notre Dame 0.
The customers were still
cheering the Penns when
Lattner personally saw to it that
Notre Dame would not be be-
hind any more today. He
grabbed Gramigna's kickoff
seconds later near the south
sideline and began working his
way upheld. At his own 40 he
found a hole in what appeared
to be a wall of Penn tacklers
and, showing surprising speed,
broke into the clear. Gramigna,
last Penn man with a shot at
him, found himself outrun by a
(See NOTRE DAME, Page C-2l