101,000 SEE USC TOPPLE NOTRE DAME, 13-0 (12/4/38)

Microfiche-New York Times archives | 12/4/38 | Associated Press

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

I couldn’t get a good copy from page 2 so I reverted to Homer’s magic fingers to complete the story.

See what I mean?

Early in the second quarter Notre Dame’s Morrison fumbled and Gaspar got the ball on the Irish 21, but two plays later the Trojans fumbled and Morrison recovered.

A form of redemption not available to today’s big-time college players.

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

How can you have a 60 minute football game with only 11 first downs [6 USC + 5 ND]?

Weird.

It was in the Memorial Coliseum, so you have to figure that rain, wind, sleet, snow, etc were not a factor.

Also, is this a misprint? "USC - Forwards intercepted by: 8"

[Homer_J_Simpson]

The first down total doesn’t seem unusual for a low-scoring game of that era. How about the penalty yards? 20 for USC, 10 for ND. That is about a quarter’s worth today. I think the interception total is 3. One by Day, one by Jones, and one to end the game.

[rochester_veteran]

How can you have a 60 minute football game with only 11 first downs [6 USC + 5 ND]?

Back in those days, football had strict substitution rules and players had to play on both sides of the ball. With players doing double-duty, the fatigue factor played a role as the game wore on. Also, the passing game was still in it's evolution. Look at the passing stats in the article and see for yourself.

[SoCal Pubbie]

If you examine the box score, it must mean that Notre Dame was intercepted eight times. Does seem like a lot.

BTW, I interviewed a former USC player a couple of years ago, who while he didn't play in 1938 due to injury but was on the team in ‘36,’37, and ‘39.

[MAD-AS-HELL]

Don’t forget that ND actually had a coach back then compared to now! :)

[Homer_J_Simpson]

If you examine the box score, it must mean that Notre Dame was intercepted eight times. Does seem like a lot.

I think the number is a smeared 3. That is how many are described in the story.

[SoCal Pubbie]

Maybe. But I guess it might also be a misprint. I looked closely, and it looks exactly like the number 8 printed elsewhere. Hard to believe a smear loops down and up just like the curves of the number eight.

[CougarGA7]

That has to be a 3. Still 8 attempts for 3 completions and 3 interceptions are abysmal passing stats by todays standards. The passing game was definitely still in its infancy at this point.

[TonyInOhio]

Fun read, thanks.

My son is a student at Notre Dame, and a member of the Marching Band. At least we get to see one group of ND students perform well on the field when we go to a game. :)

[crusty old prospector]

It is amazing to me how teams crisscrossed the country (I guess on trains) before aviation. I wonder when they did their ciphering.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

But I guess it might also be a misprint.

Could be. They turn "Banta" into "Santa" later in the story. The AP writer must have had something besides football on his mind. Acutally I'm surprised at the number of typos I find in the Times. I would have guessed their world-class proofreaders would detect all but a small portion of errors. Not so.

[CougarGA7]

You have to admit that Word 38’s spellcheck was not the best in the world. Even Dan Rather wouldn’t use it.

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

How about the penalty yards? 20 for USC, 10 for ND. That is about a quarter’s worth today.

At the risk of having my account banned by the Admin Moderator, let me say that I can pretty much guarantee you that that discrepancy in penalty yardage is entirely due to the change in player demographics over the course of the last three quarters of a century.

If. You. Know. What. I. Mean...

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

BTW, I interviewed a former USC player a couple of years ago, who while he didn't play in 1938 due to injury but was on the team in ‘36,’37, and ‘39.

Such a player would have been born circa 1918, and would be about 90 years old today.

[Fiji Hill]

Way to go, Trojans! Coach Jones’s Thundering Herd is back!

Fight on! Beat the Blue Devils!

[Fiji Hill]

Don’t forget that ND actually had a coach back then compared to now!

Coach Elmer Layden was one of the Four Horsemen, as the legendary backfield of the 1924 Notre Dame team came to be known, and in 1925 played in Notre Dame's only Rose Bowl Game.

[Fiji Hill]

My son is a student at Notre Dame, and a member of the Marching Band. At least we get to see one group of ND students perform well on the field when we go to a game.

Fast-forwarding to 2008, I enjoyed the Notre Dame band's performance at the Coliseum last Saturday in their pre-game and halftime shows. This is their first appearance in the stadium at least since 1974, when I attended my first USC-Notre Dame game. They even serenaded us with a rousing rendition of our theme song, "Fight on."

[So Cal Rocket]

That was the Duke team that went through the entire regular season undefeated, untied and unscored upon.

USC beat them in the Rose Bowl 7-3, on a last minute touchdown, the only points Duke gave up the entire year.