By BRIAN COSTELLO
May 11, 2008
As both New York baseball stadiums prepare to close, The Post looks back at the 25 most memorable moments in the history of Yankee Stadium. This week, No. 20.
Nov. 9, 1946
Many college football followers view this 0-0 tie as the greatest game ever played. Two titans of the sport met and walked away too evenly matched to determine a winner.
Each team entered the game undefeated. Army had a 25-game winning streak, its last loss coming to Notre Dame in 1943. The Black Knights had won the prior two national titles and had beaten Notre Dame 48-0 and 59-0 in the previous two years, leading to the chant among Irish players, "59, 48, this is the year we retaliate!"
The game was sold out five months in advance and featured four Heisman Trophy winners, three Outland Trophy winners and 23 All-Americans.
"It was almost eerie along the sideline," Notre Dame lineman George Connor said many years later. "I've never felt like I did that day on a football field. Everybody was very tense, everything was electric."
Each offense was averaging more than 30 points per game, creating expectations of a shootout. But the defenses prevailed. Army's immortal backfield of Glenn "Mr. Outside" Davis and Doc "Mr. Inside" Blanchard were held to a total of 79 yards.
Notre Dame's star quarterback Johnny Lujack had no better luck getting into the end zone.
The game had two defining plays, each coming in the second quarter. Notre Dame coach Frank Leahy went for the touchdown on fourth-and-1 from the Army 3-yard line, and Bill Gombers was stopped short of the first down.
Later in the quarter, Lujack made a game-saving tackle. Blanchard took the ball from his own 37 on a sweep, broke free and had only Lujack to beat for a touchdown. Lujack grabbed Blanchard's ankles and kept him to a 26-yard gain.
"There is no jubilation in this dressing room," Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik said. "It was a vigorously fought, terrific defensive game. Both teams played beautifully on the defense and that affected both teams' attacks."
The tie was the only blemish on the teams' records, but Notre Dame was awarded the national championship by The Associated Press.
