They Relived College Football’s Greatest Game

It was proclaimed the greatest football game of the century--the 1935 contest between Notre Dame and Ohio State--and the Fighting Irish still revel in their triumph over the heavily favored Buckeyes.

Squad veterans exulted over the victory again last Tuesday, 50 years later, when players from both teams were reunited by the Chicago chapter of the National Football Foundation.

“You just can’t believe it unless you were there,” said Steve Miller, Notre Dame’s fullback, who scored the team’s first touchdown in the 18-13 upset. “You’re 19 or 20 years old and your whole life is built up for that moment.”

Miller and 12 teammates got together with a half-dozen veterans of the 1935 Ohio State squad. The Buckeyes don’t have quite the same memories of the game, but they’ve learned to live with the loss.

The reunion--the foundation’s way of honoring those who played in what it calls the greatest football game of the century--was the brainchild of the Rev. Edmund Joyce, a Notre Dame junior in 1935 and master of ceremonies for the reunion and presentation of foundation awards.

After Notre Dame squeaked out the win in Ohio Stadium in the final moments, Joyce said calls and letters began pouring in from nuns who said they’d been praying for an Irish victory.

“I’ve never been one who believes that the good Lord intervenes in this great game of football,” Joyce told the gathering, “but this might have been an exception.”

Ohio State and Notre Dame players agreed that after the first half, it looked as if the Irish didn’t have a prayer--the Buckeyes led 13-0 and Notre Dame couldn’t move the ball.

Notre Dame coach Elmer Layden put in the second team and told his players, guard Joe Race recalled, “The first 30 minutes we gave to Ohio State--go get the other 30 minutes.”

And the Irish did, scoring three touchdowns in the final quarter against the Buckeyes, coached by Francis (Close the Gates of Mercy) Schmidt.

Notre Dame halfback Andy Pilner, credited by teammates with bringing the Irish offense alive in the second half, recalled being told his team had won as he was carried off the field with an injured knee.

“Our trainer was carrying me and he kept shaking me, ‘We won, we won.’ He didn’t care I was hurt,” said Pilner, laughing.

The Buckeyes have different memories.

Gus Zarnas, Ohio State’s team captain, remembers his family left the game early, trying to avoid the crowds. Ohio State was still ahead.

Zarnas’ father offered a victory toast when his son came home.

“ ‘Pop,’ I said, ‘we lost the game,’ ” Zarnas said.

“ ‘You lost the game?’ he says. Immediately, he put the cap on the bottle and walked a way, mumbling and shaking his head.”