The No. I Team

W'hen Notre Dame's football players trudged into their locker room after a bruising victory over Pittsburgh fortnight ago, they were confronted with a broad new sign. Its message: "Beat Tech."

At that arnica-scented moment it was hard to work up much articulate enthusiasm for the project of beating Georgia Tech, unbeaten in 31 games and the U.S.'s fourth ranking team. But by practice time last week, the whole Notre Dame squad had taken the injunction to heart--and was tossing it back & forth across the field in periodic chants: "Beat Tech! . . . Beat Who? . . . Beat Tech!" As usual, Coach Frank Leahy was moaning low: "I'm just afraid we'll get our blocks knocked off."

As usual, Coach Leahy's fears were unfounded. Taking the opening kickoff on the 20-yd. line, Notre Dame smashed for a touchdown in just ten running plays. Georgia Tech's defenses stiffened for a while after that, and early in the third quarter Tech went 69 yards in twelve plays to tie the score at 7-7. That seemed to recall to Notre Dame the business of the day; within five minutes it had two more touchdowns. And in the fourth quarter, the clincher was supplied by All-America Halfback Johnny Lattner--the day's leading ground-gainer with 101 yards --who smacked through tackle, standing up, while the crowd chanted "Happy birthday" in honor of Lattner's 21st. Final score: 27-14.

When the Notre Dame squad jogged back to the dressing room, the new sign read: "Beat Navy."

On the same, fine, autumn afternoon, Pennsylvania stunned the Eastern experts: the unsensational Quakers upset unbeaten Navy 9-6. But the biggest stunner of all was supplied by Purdue, which had suffered four straight defeats. The Boilermakers came to life against Michigan State, unbeaten in 28 games, and upset State 6-0. With Michigan State and Georgia Tech toppled in one day, only unbeaten Maryland, which easily whipped Miami 30-0, was in any remote position to challenge Notre Dame as the U.S.'s No. 1 team.

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