1943 college football season was one for the record book

Notre Dame quarterback Angelo Bertelli earned his key to enter college football’s fictional “Heisman House” as the nation’s top player in 1943…while he was occupying a Marine Corps’ barracks at Parris Island, S.C.

 

One of the oddities associated with college football during World War II is the fact that “the game went on,” while student-athletes continued to be activated into military service.

Bertelli (shown below) had gotten off to a red-hot start in 1943 (his senior year) as quarterback with the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame in South Bend., Ind. With Bertelli under center, Notre Dame became the nation’s top-ranked team, rolling up lopsided victories over Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Navy.

 

Bertelli was dubbed “the T-formation magician.” Through the first six games, Notre Dame’s offense was averaging nearly 44 points per game, while its defense was holding opponents to barely 5 points per game.

After Bertelli (48) answered the call to duty, Johnny Lujack (32) , a sophomore, was elevated to starting quarterback. He performed admirably in his first two outings, as Notre Dame disposed of Army and Northwestern.

 

Notre Dame’s final two games on its 1943 schedule were against two military base teams that were organized during the war years. (Military football programs were valued for their ability to enhance the training of the nation’s warfighters.)

Next up for Notre Dame was the Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks (representing the Navy’s pre-flight school based at the University of Iowa). Iowa Pre-Flight was 8-0, having beaten Illinois, Ohio State, Iowa State, Iowa, Missouri, Marquette and two other military squads.

 

Yet, coming into the game at South Bend, no one gave the Seahawks much of a chance. Shockingly, the Seahawks held a slim 13-7 lead well into the fourth quarter. Lujack rallied the Irish to a late touchdown. The extra point attempt was good, so Notre Dame escaped with a 14-13 victory.

Notre Dame’s season finale was at Great Lakes Naval Training Station near Chicago. The Great Lakes Bluejackets squad, which had lost only two games, was led by Steve Lach, a running back out of Duke University in Durham, N.C. (He was the fourth overall pick in the 1942 NFL draft by the Chicago Cardinals.)

 

Lach (37) proved to be the game MVP, as the Bluejackets pulled out a dramatic come-from-behind victory. With Notre Dame ahead 14-12 and 66 seconds left on the game clock, the Bluejackets had the ball on its own 37-yard line.

 Bluejackets’ coach Tony Hinkle moved Lach to quarterback to take advantage of his “athleticism” and switched the regular quarterback Paul Anderson to end. 

On the first play, Lach threw a strike to Cecil Pirkey for a nice gain to the Notre Dame 46.

 

On the next play, with 33 seconds remaining, Lach dropped back to pass but was forced to scramble, running to elude tacklers. He spotted Anderson, 15 yards behind the nearest defender, and lofted the ball in his direction.

Anderson made the catch near the 5 and scored easily, completing a 46-yard play. The Great Lakes kicker made the extra point, to give the Bluejackets a 19-14 advantage.

Notre Dame had one more possession, but Lujack’s desperation pass was intercepted by a Bluejackets defensive back. Naval sirens signaled the game was over. Notre Dame lost.

The Associated Press called the game the “sports surprise of the year.” Having defeated five top-10 teams, Notre Dame still finished the season atop the rankings. (Imagine that!)

Despite his abbreviated senior season, Bertelli compiled more than enough votes to capture the coveted Heisman Trophy in 1943.

 

Johnny Lujack’s day in the sun would come.