Some more history. 12/8/1934 Notre Dame @ Southern California in the LA Coliseum Only once had ND played a later REGULAR season game - and that was 2 years before this game in 1932 -when the Irish also played the Trojans on 12/10/32 in the LA Coliseum. In this 1934 game, Notre Dame head coach Elmer Layden (of Four Horsemen fame) was in his first year coaching the Irish. Early in that season, Coach Layden's father had given Elmer some advise : "Play your best 10 players and your brother." Elmer's younger brother was ND junior RHB Mike Layden. Coach Layden didn't want to be accused of showing any favoritism towards his younger brother - so Emer ignored his father's advise. Per author Murray Sperber in his book "Shakedown the Thunder", Coach Layden 'even considered yanking his (brother Mike's) athletic scholarship.' Young Mike mostly sat on the bench - until this Southern California game. ** Some quick background on Mike Layden: Mike Layden had been a high school football star in Davnport, Iowa (same as his older brother). Young Mike was so good that Chalres Weisman, the President of John Deere Tractor in nearby Moline, Ill. took notice. Upon Layden's HS graduation, Weisman paid of a year of prep school at Milford Academy (Ct) . The purpose of which was to get Mike enough academic credits to get Mike into Weisman's Alma Mater - Yale. What followed was a recruiting battle between Yale and Notre Dame in 1932. ND's then HC Hunk Anderson appealed to Mike's older brother Elmer for help with young Mike's recruitment to ND. At this time, Elmer was then the head football coach at Duquesne. Elmer flatly refused to help his Alma Mater get his brother away from Yale. Yet somehow, despite the lack of help from older brother Elmer, Mike Layden ended up at Notre Dame anyway -a member of the ND football recruiting class of 1932. Two years later, when Elmer Layden was hired by Notre Dame to replace Hunk Anderson, there was ND junior HB Mike Layden on campus to greet his new HC and older brother. Well, actually I doubt there was much of a greeting. Mike HATED to play for his older brother. And it certainly didn't help matters that Elmer didn't play his brother too much during that '34 season. ============================================== Notre Dame vs Southern Cal in the '34 season finale ND's star HB 'Mink' Melinovich was injured. Mike Layden took Mink's place in the starting Irish lineup vs the Trojans The Trojans entered this contest with 3 straight victories over Notre Dame. The Irish had not won a ND-So. Cal contest since Knute Rockne was alive and coaching the Irish. The game. Late in the 1st Q with the score 0-0, Irish LHB William Valentine Shakespeare hit his RHB Mike Layden in full stride with an electric 51 yd td pass. ND 7 So Cal 0 In the 2nd Q, ND's reserve LHB Andy Pilney hit end Wayne Millner with a long pass to the Trojan 2. Millner made a sensational catch on a ball which had been batted by So Cal's DB Irvine 'Cotton' Warbarton (who would years later win an Oscar for Editing for the film "Mary Poppins"). On the very next play, Irish HB Mike Layden ran for a td from the 2 - his second td of the contest). ND 14 So Cal 0 But as the first half was winding down, young Layden almost turned 'goat' - fumbling from his own 20 yd line. The Trojans recovered. The Trojans drove to the Irish 1 - 4th down. On the next play Trojan back Haskell 'Inky' Wotkyns attempted to score -but was stopped by Irish DB Mike Layden short of the goal line. Layden's td saving tackle was either on the 1 inch line or maybe the 2 inch line(depending on who's version you want to accept). ND led at half 14-0 Notre Dame completely shut down the Trojans in the 2nd half. So Cal only had 66 total yards & only 2 first downs - never getting beyond the ND 44. DB Mike Layden and LB Joe Sullivan were the defensive stars for the Irish. An aside: Sullivan would be elected captain of the '35 Irish -but die before the season started from pneumonia. The Trojans star running back Irvine 'Cotton' Warburton (of Mary Poppins Oscar fame) had been held to 16 yds rushing in 14 attempts in the contest. As it turned out, Mike Layden, whom his HC older brother was reluctant to play, had scored both ND tds and also made the defensive play of the goal at the goal line. FINAL Notre Dame 14 So Cal 0 After that '34 victory, Notre Dame took the lead in the ND-Trojans series 5 wins to 4 . Notre Dame had led in the series ever since. In the football postseason of 1934, the civic leaders of both New Orleans and Miami established the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl to attract tourism to their respective cities. Both approached Notre Dame to play in their first ever bowl contests - both promising big paydays for the Irish. Notre Dame VP in charge of athletics, Father Hugh 'Pepper' O'Donnell (himself a former starting center for ND -1915 ND squad, and a future ND President) turned down the offers.
Terry, I love the story. Also love how the game was played back then. RHB and LHB. Halfback passes. Two-way players, etc.
Sid, I'll always remember the '65 ND-SC contest. The year before they beat us after we led 17-0 at the half spoiling an undefeated and national championship season. SC's big running back was Heisman candidate Mike Garrett. Needless the say the Irish stopped Garrett and all 4 of ND's backs including QB Zlock outgained him in the Irish win.
Ha! That was my senior year. It was perhaps THE highlight of an ok but not great season. However we did finish in the top ten rankings. I remember we lost to Purdue and "only" 12-3 to a very tough Michigan State team who in 1966 would be the other half of the legendary 10-10 tie. Unfortunately we finished the season with a 0-0 tie at Miami. I remember it because I was listening at home during Thanksgiving weekend. We didn't start playing in bowl games until a few years later. Thanks for the trip down memory lane, especially the USC win.
Not good,Markus Burton had a 270 lb guy fall on his knee and he's out in tonight's game with Rutgers.
I didn't stay up and watch the whole game but the Irish lost in OT to Rutgers, who had Ron Harpers son Dylan go for 36 points and beat us by 1 in OT. They fought hard but missed Burton a lot. Houston is up today and I expect a pissed of Cougars who are way more talented and very well coached to abused our lads. They lost in OT to Alabama yesterday.
I've been a Jack Kiser fan since he was recruited from a small school in Indiana and if you read this article on all he's achieved at ND, playing in more games than any other ND football player, earning 2 degree's including a Masters in Accounting while maintaining a 3.8+ GPA and leading all sorts of community service projects you should be a fan as well. Kiser Named Finalist for Wuerffel Trophy
This is the aricle I first learned about Jack Kiser. Meet Jack Kiser: Notre Dame football recruit, Mr. Football candidate
1959 - Notre Dame 16, USC 6 This was the last game played between the two teams in South Bend in November. The freezing cold affected the Trojans so much that Athletic Director Jess Hill proposed moving USC’s games at Notre Dame Stadium to October, while continuing to play the Coliseum games in late November. Notre Dame agreed and it has been that way ever since
I didn't stay up and watch it, but as expected Houston beat the Irish men last night 65-54, which is maybe closer than I thought it would be. Maybe Sampson substituted liberally to give his bench a lot of time and rest his starters. Or maybe the Irish just played decently.
Bad day for the Irish women! Basketball collapsed in the 4th qtr and lost to #17 TCU. 76-68. Young freshman center Kate Koval was not up to handling Sedona Prince of TCU who is a 7th year Sr. She fouled out with 0 points. Soccer lost to Stanford 2-0 in the elite 8. They are very young and had a great season. Future looks bright for them.
Irish men lost their 4th straight game 3 of them to ranked teams After watching the Mich/Ohio State game I am more worried than usual about this game.
Bad omens in 1st half. Turnover (fumble) leads to SC TD. Failure to stop SC in last 35 seconds of half. Result 14-14 tie. I’m uncomfortable with how the game’s unfolding. I’ve seen it before.
It's worse than I thought, SC has a good QB who can get the ball to their WR's. Our DL is not getting pressure. They scored in 31 secs after we drove the field and went up 14-7 14-14 at the half.