1949 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football | |
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Consensus national champion | |
Conference | Independent |
Ranking | |
AP | No. 1 |
Record | 10–0 |
Head coach |
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Offensive scheme | T formation |
Captains | |
Home stadium | Notre Dame Stadium |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 1 Notre Dame | – | 10 | – | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ball State | – | 8 | – | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Xavier | – | 10 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Valparaiso | – | 8 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Washington University | – | 7 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Baldwin–Wallace | – | 6 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wabash | – | 5 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dayton | – | 6 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
John Carroll | – | 6 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 19 Michigan State | – | 6 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Toledo | – | 6 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Youngstown | – | 4 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bowling Green | – | 4 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Marquette | – | 4 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Central Michigan | – | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wayne | – | 3 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Indiana State | – | 1 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Michigan State Normal | – | 0 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rankings from AP Poll |
The 1949 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1949 college football season. The Irish, coached by Frank Leahy, ended the season with 10 wins and no losses, winning the national championship. [1] The 1949 team became the seventh Irish team to win the national title and the third in four years. Led by Heisman winner Leon Hart, the Irish outscored their opponents 360–86. [1] The 1949 team is the last team in what is considered to be the Notre Dame Football dynasty, a stretch of games in which Notre Dame went 36–0–2 and won three national championships and two Heisman Trophies. The Irish squad was cited by Sports Illustrated as the part of the second-best sports dynasty (professional or collegiate) of the 20th century [2] and second greatest college football dynasty. [3]
Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 24 | Indiana | W 49–6 | 53,844 | |||
October 1 | at Washington | W 27–7 | 41,500 | |||
October 8 | at Purdue | No. 2 | W 35–12 | 52,000 | ||
October 15 | No. 4 Tulane | No. 1 |
| W 46–7 | 58,196 | [4] |
October 29 | vs. Navy | No. 1 | W 40–0 | 62,000 | ||
November 5 | at No. 10 Michigan State | No. 1 | W 34–21 | 51,277 | ||
November 12 | vs. North Carolina | No. 1 | W 42–6 | 67,000 | [5] | |
November 19 | Iowa | No. 1 |
| W 28–7 | 56,790 | |
November 26 | No. 17 USC | No. 1 |
| W 32–0 | 57,214 | |
December 3 | at SMU | No. 1 | W 27–20 | 75,457 | [6] | |
|
Week | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Poll | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Final |
AP | 2 (15) | 1 (67) | 1 (146) | 1 (120) | 1 (133) | 1 (137) | 1 (140) | 1 (113) | 1 (172) |
POS | Name | Name | Name | Name |
---|---|---|---|---|
QB | Bob Williams | John Mazur | Bill Whiteside | |
LHB | Frank Spaniel | Ernie Zalejski | Bill Gay | Leo McKillip |
RHB | Larry Coutre | Billy Barrett | Dick Cotter | |
FB | Emil Sitko | Jack Landry | Del Gander | |
LE | Bill Wightkin | Jim Mutscheller | Doug Waybright | |
LT | Jim Martin | Al Zmijewski | John Zancha | |
LG | Frank Johnson | Paul Burns | Art Perry | |
C | Walt Grothaus | Jim Hamby | ||
RG | Bob Lally | Fred Wallner | Bill Higgins | |
RT | Ralph McGehee | Gus Cifelli | John Nusskern | |
RE | Leon Hart | Ray Espenan | Chet Ostrowski |
Head coach: Frank Leahy
Assistants: Bernie Crimmins (first assistant / backfield), John F. Druze (chief scout), Bill Earley (backfield), Joe McArdle (guards), Robert McBride (tackles), Fred Miller (volunteer assistant), Benjamin Sheridan (freshmen)
Heisman voting:
All-Americans:
Name | AP | UP | NEA | INS | COL | AA | SN | L | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
† Emil Sitko, FB | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
† Leon Hart, E | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
Bob Williams, QB | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
Jim Martin, T | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |||
†denotes unanimous selection Source: [1] |
College Football Hall of Fame Inductees:
Name | Position | Year Inducted |
---|---|---|
Jerry Groom | Center | 1994 |
Leon Hart | End | 1973 |
Frank Leahy | Coach | 1970 |
Jim Martin | End/Tackle | 1995 |
Emil "Red" Sitko | Halfback/Fullback | 1984 |
Bob Williams | Quarterback | 1988 |
Notre Dame leads all universities in players inducted. [10]
The following players were drafted into professional football following the season.
Player | Position | Round | Pick | Franchise |
Leon Hart | End | 1 | 1 | Detroit Lions |
Jim Martin | Guard | 2 | 26 | Cleveland Browns |
Larry Coutre | Halfback | 4 | 43 | Green Bay Packers |
Mike Swistowicz | Halfback | 5 | 55 | New York Yanks |
Frank Spaniel | Halfback | 5 | 58 | Washington Redskins |
Ernie Zalejski | Defensive Back | 5 | 62 | Chicago Bears |
Francis William Leahy was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and professional sports executive. He served as the head football coach at Boston College from 1939 to 1940 and at the University of Notre Dame from 1941 to 1943 and again from 1946 to 1953, compiling a career college football record of 107–13–9. His winning percentage of .864 is the second best in NCAA Division I football history, trailing only that of fellow Notre Dame Fighting Irish coach Knute Rockne, for whom Leahy played from 1928 to 1930. Leahy played on two Notre Dame teams that won national championships, in 1929 and 1930, and coached four more, in 1943, 1946, 1947, and 1949. Leahy was also the athletic director at Notre Dame from 1947 until 1949 when he passed the role to the Fighting Irish basketball coach Moose Krause so that he could focus on football coaching. Leahy served as the general manager for the Los Angeles Chargers of the American Football League (AFL) during their inaugural season in 1960. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1970.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the college football team representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, north of the city of South Bend, Indiana. The team plays its home games at the campus's Notre Dame Stadium, which has a capacity of 77,622. Notre Dame is one of three schools that competes as an Independent at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level; however, they play five games a year against opponents from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), of which Notre Dame is a member in all other sports except ice hockey.
John Joseph Lattner was an American professional football halfback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for one season with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1954. He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1953 and also won the Maxwell Award twice, in 1952 and 1953.
Leon Joseph Hart was an American professional football end and fullback who played for eight seasons, from 1950 to 1957, with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He won the Heisman Trophy and the Maxwell Award playing college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in 1949.
Vasquero Diaz "Vagas" Ferguson is an American former professional football player who was a running back for five seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1980s. Known as Road Runner for his quick bursts out of the backfield, Ferguson played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and was recognized as an All-American. He was selected in the first round of the 1980 NFL draft, and played professionally for the New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, and Houston Oilers of the NFL. He was born in Richmond, Indiana.
William J. Leonard was an end for the University of Notre Dame's undefeated football team, which won 1947 the National Championship. Earlier, he had won recognition as an All-City football player at Youngstown, Ohio's East High School.
Emil Martin "Red" Sitko was an American football player.
George Rudolph "Duke" Terlep was an American football player, coach, and general manager who was on a college national championship team at Notre Dame in 1943 and won another championship while playing for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) in 1948. Terlep also won two Grey Cup championships in the Canadian Football League (CFL), once as an assistant with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and once as the general manager of the Ottawa Rough Riders.
The 1946 Army vs. Notre Dame football game was a regular season college football game played on November 9, 1946. Army, then ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press college football poll, played the University of Notre Dame, of South Bend, Indiana, ranked No. 2, at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx.
The 1949 college football season was the 81st season of intercollegiate football in the United States. It concluded with the top four teams undefeated and untied at the end of the regular season:
John Francis Druze was an American football player and coach.
The 1977 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. The Irish, coached by Dan Devine, ended the season with 11 wins and one loss, winning the national championship. The Fighting Irish won the title by defeating the previously unbeaten and No. 1 ranked Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl Classic by a score of a 38–10. The 1977 squad became the tenth Irish team to win the national title and were led by All-Americans Ken MacAfee, Ross Browner, Luther Bradley, and Bob Golic. Junior Joe Montana, a future Pro Football Hall of Famer, was the team's starting quarterback.
The 1973 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1973 NCAA Division I football season. The Irish, coached by Ara Parseghian, ended the season undefeated with 11 wins and no losses, winning the national championship. The Fighting Irish won the title by defeating the previously unbeaten and No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in the 1973 Sugar Bowl by a score of a 24–23. The 1973 squad became the ninth Irish team to win the national title and the second under Parseghian. Although Notre Dame finished No. 1 in the AP Poll to claim the AP national title, they were not awarded the Coaches title, since Alabama was awarded the Coaches Poll title before the bowl season.
The 1966 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame as an independent during the 1966 NCAA University Division football season. The Irish, coached by Ara Parseghian, ended the season undefeated with a record of 9–0–1, and won a national championship. The Fighting Irish earned a consensus title after beating No. 10 Oklahoma, 38–0, in Norman, tying unbeaten and No. 2 Michigan State, 10–10, and ending the season defeating No. 10 USC, 51–0, in the Coliseum The 1966 squad became the eighth Irish team to win the national title and the first under Parseghian. The Irish outscored their opponents 362–38. The 10–10 tie between The Spartans and the Irish remains one of the controversial games of college football, and is considered today to be one of the great "games of the century".
The 1947 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1947 college football season. The Irish, coached by Frank Leahy, ended the season with 9 wins and no losses, winning the national championship. The 1947 team became the sixth Irish team to win the national title and the second in a row for Leahy. The squad is the second team in what is considered to be the Notre Dame Football dynasty, a stretch of games in which Notre Dame went 36–0–2 and won three national championships and two Heisman Trophies from 1946 to 1949. The 1947 team was cited by Sports Illustrated as part of the second best sports dynasty of the 20th century and second greatest college football dynasty.
The 1946 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team was an American football team that represented the University of Notre Dame as an independent during the 1946 college football season. In their fourth year under head coach Frank Leahy, the Irish compiled an 8–0–1 and were ranked No. 1 in the final AP Poll. The season also produced the 1946 Army vs. Notre Dame football game, a scoreless tie between undefeated teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2.
The 1943 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1943 college football season. The Irish, coached by Frank Leahy, ended the season with 9 wins and 1 loss, winning the national championship. The 1943 team became the fourth Irish team to win the national title and the first for Frank Leahy. Led by Notre Dame's first Heisman Trophy winner, Angelo Bertelli, Notre Dame beat seven teams ranked in the top 13 and played seven of its ten games on the road. Despite a season ending loss to Great Lakes, Notre Dame was awarded its first national title by the Associated Press.
The 1946 Army Cadets football team was an American football team that represented the United States Military Academy as an independent during the 1946 college football season. In their sixth season under head coach Earl "Red" Blaik, the Cadets compiled a 9–0–1 record and outscored opponents by a total of 263 to 80. Army's 1946 season was part of a 32-game undefeated streak that included the entire 1944, 1945, and 1946 seasons.
The 1950 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1950 college football season. The Irish, coached by Frank Leahy during his eighth year at Notre Dame, ended the season with 4 wins, 4 losses, and one tie. Though they were ranked #1 in the preseason AP Poll and were the defending National Champions, the 1950 team– without Heisman Trophy-winner Leon Hart, who had graduated in the spring and was drafted by the NFL's Detroit Lions with the first overall pick– only achieved a .500 record for the season.