Lo, the Poor Irishmen

Professionally, the saddest men in sports are U.S. football coaches, and among them none can match Notre Dame's tearful Frank Leahy. Each fall, his gloomy Gaelic laments hang over South Bend, Ind. like a thick and salty fog. This year, Notre Dame, with 20 battle-tested regulars on hand, looked its strongest since 1949, was ranked as the nation's No. 1 team in preseason polls. But Leahy was miserable. "I'll be amazed," he moaned, "if we make a first down all season." Last week, at Norman, Okla., Notre Dame's rangy Irishmen (including such steady workers as Guglielmi, Mav-raides and Penza) opened their schedule against Oklahoma's tough Sooners, and, as usual, amazed Coach Leahy by rolling up more than enough first downs.

Oklahoma was no pushover. Though weakened by graduation, 1952's Big Seven champions were still rugged, and they fought Notre Dame to a standstill for almost three quarters. A big, fast Oklahoma line made Fullback Neil Worden fumble on his own 23-yd. line; Oklahoma had a touchdown eight plays later, got another in the second period on a 62-yd. pass and a series of bone-crunching bucks.

But Notre Dame matched them both and then went to work. Oklahoma's running attack stalled and sputtered; when the Sooners tried to pass, Notre Dame Quarterback Ralph Guglielmi intercepted, moments later flipped one of his own for 36 yds. and a touchdown. In the third quarter, Frank Leahy's powerhouse Fullback Worden ground his way to a fourth touchdown from 9 yds. out, and the battle was over. Final score: Notre Dame 28, Oklahoma 21.

Two platoons or one, Notre Dame strength is something football fans can usually bank on, but around the rest of the U.S., big power performance was more uneven as other teams tried out the new rules. Among the surprises: P: University of Michigan, looking better than the preseason dope, scored five times in ten minutes, wound up smothering the University of Washington in an intersectional game, 50-0. P: Navy, which some experts rank as the top Eastern independent, steamed up & down the field against lightly regarded William & Mary, but never quite zeroed-in its attack, was lucky to eke out a 6-6 tie.

P: University of Texas, which lost its opener to Louisiana State, came back strong, ran away from a powerful Villanova team, 41-12.

P: Georgia Tech, ranked high among the top ten in polls, had to fight both a muddy field and a tough Florida team, had to settle for a o-o tie. P: Princeton, top-heavy favorite to walk off with Ivy League honors, looked less than tigerish against little Lafayette, had to complete a 6y-yd. pass in the last five minutes to pull the game out, 20-14.

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