A Game to Remember for the Irish Faithful

At the time, it was billed as “the game of the century.”

And for a lot of longtime Notre Dame football partisans, it still is. Ohio State people are still trying to forget.

Sixty-four years ago today, Notre Dame and Ohio State played a game still ranked in the top eight all-time in the Notre Dame football media guide.

It even had a kind of “Win one for the Gipper” angle, or, in this case, Joe Sullivan.

Sullivan was the captain of the ’35 Irish team, but he had died of pneumonia the previous spring. The players didn’t name another captain, dedicating each game to him. He’s still listed as the ’35 captain.

Both teams were unbeaten that afternoon, but Ohio State was a heavy favorite. One Columbus writer picked the Buckeyes by 40 points. There were 81,000 there that day, some of whom had paid depression scalpers’ prices of $50 or more.

The first half went as expected, with Notre Dame being knocked all over the field. Ohio State led at halftime, 13-0.

The Irish coach, Elmer Layden, told his team at halftime he would start the second unit. He did, but returned his starters in short order.

Fortunes were soon reversed. Now it was Notre Dame that couldn’t be stopped. When the third quarter ended, Notre Dame was at Ohio State’s 12-yard line.

After Notre Dame scored to make it 13-6, Irish quarterback Andy Pilney connected with receiver Mike Layden on a 33-yard touchdown play, but the Irish missed a second consecutive conversion kick.

Notre Dame tried an onside kick that didn’t work. All Ohio State had to do was maintain possession for three minutes for a 13-12 win. But Pilney tackled Buckeye back Dick Beltz so hard he fumbled and to further embellish an incredible finish, a little-used Notre Dame sub, Henry Pojman, recovered at Ohio State’s 49.

Pilney, unable to find a receiver, ran to the Buckeye 19 before he was tackled and he didn’t get up. He suffered a major knee injury and was carried out on a stretcher.

He never saw the game-winner, Bill Shakespeare throwing to Wayne Millner in the end zone.

Notre Dame 18, Ohio State 13.

Also on this date: In 1958, in one of the best-remembered games of their Coliseum years, the Los Angeles Rams beat the Chicago Bears, 41-35, before 100,470. Jon Arnett had runs of 38 and 52 yards, caught a Bill Wade pass for 72 yards and returned three punts for 36, 24 and 58 yards. After the Coliseum was filled, more than 10,000 fans were turned away.