1935 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

1935 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Starting lineup for Northwestern
ConferenceIndependent
Record7–1–1
Head coach
CaptainJoe Sullivan
Home stadiumNotre Dame Stadium
1935 Midwestern college football independents records
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 23 Marquette – 7–1–0
No. 8 Notre Dame – 7–1–1
Michigan State – 6–2–0
DePaul – 5–2–1
Wayne – 5–2–1
Detroit – 6–3–0
Xavier – 6–3–0
Michigan State Normal – 4–2–2
Western State Teachers – 5–3–0
Michigan Tech – 2–2–1
Saint Louis – 5–6–0
Central State (MI) – 1–6–0
Haskell – 0–7–1
Rankings from United Press

The 1935 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team was an American football team that represented the University of Notre Dame as an independent during the 1935 college football season. In their second season under head coach Elmer Layden, the Fighting Irish compiled a 7–1–1 record, outscored opponents by a total of 143 to 62,[1] and were ranked No. 8 in the final United Press (UP) poll.[2] Against ranked opponents, they defeated Big Ten co-champion Ohio State (No. 5 in the final UP poll[2]) and Pittsburgh (No. 10 in the final UP poll[2]), lost to Northwestern (No. 16 in the final UP poll[2]), and tied with Army (No. 18 in the final UP poll).[1][3] The victory over Ohio State, which included a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback, became known as the "Game of the Century".

End Wayne Millner and halfback/punter William Shakespeare received first-team honors on the 1935 All-America college football team. The team captain Joe Sullivan died before the season began.

The team played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana.

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 28Kansas
W 28–711,102–25,000[4]
October 5at Carnegie TechPittsburgh, PAW 14–327,542–40,000[5]
October 12at Wisconsin
W 27–019,863[6]
October 19Pittsburgh
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
W 9–639,989–51,000[7]
October 26vs. Navy
W 14–057,810–65,000[8]
November 2at Ohio State
W 18–1381,018[9][10][11]
November 9Northwestern
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
L 7–1434,430–35,000[12]
November 16vs. Army
T 6–678,114–78,367[13]
November 23USC
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
W 20–1338,305–50,000[14]

"Game of the Century"

On November 2, 1935, Notre Dame defeated a previously undefeated and favored Ohio State team, 18–13, before a crowd of 81,018 spectators in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State scored less than three minutes after the game began. Still in the first half, the Buckeyes extended their lead by intercepting a Bill Shakespeare pass and returning it 50 yards for a second touchdown. Ohio State held the lead, 13–0, at the start of the fourth quarter.[10][11]

Notre Dame scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including two in the final five minutes of the period. With less than a minute to play, and Ohio State still leading by one point, Andy Pilney ran 52 yards through "a swarm" of Ohio State tacklers, advancing the ball to the Ohio State 18-yard line. Pilney was badly hurt on the play, and his "limp body" was carried from the field on a stretcher.[11] With only a few seconds remaining, Notre Dame had time for one more play. Shakespeare threw an accurate 30-yard pass that was caught by a leaping Wayne Millner in the end zone for the winning touchdown.[10][11]

In his account of the game, sports columnist Grantland Rice called it "the greatest football victory in the long and brilliant history" of Notre Dame.[11] The game became known as the "Game of the Century".[9][16][17] Newsreel footage of the game was even shown in movie theaters billed as "the game of the century"[18] and "The Football Battle of the Century".[19]

Rankings

Notre Dame was ranked in the top ten in several post-season rankings for 1935. They were rated No. 6 in the 1935 Boand System rankings;[20] No. 7 in the Toledo Cup[21] and Houlgate System rankings;[22] No. 8 in the United Press poll;[2] and No. 9 in the Dickinson System rankings.[23]

Personnel

Players

The following players started at least one game for the 1935 Notre Dame team:

  • Harry Becker, right guard
  • Fred Carideo, right halfback and fullback
  • Church, left guard
  • Don Elser, fullback
  • Wally Fromhart, quarterback
  • Frank Kopczak, right tackle
  • John Lautar, left guard
  • Mike Layden, right halfback and fullback
  • James "Pepper" Martin, right guard
  • John Michuta, right tackle
  • Wayne Millner, left end
  • Marty Peters, right end
  • Dick Pfefferle, left tackle
  • Henry Pojman, center
  • William Shakespeare, left halfback
  • Fred Solari, center
  • Ken Stilley, left tackle
  • Victor Wojcihovski, right halfback

[24]

Coaching staff

Elmer Layden
  • Head coach: Elmer Layden
  • Athletic director: Elmer Layden
  • Line coach: Joe Boland
  • Backfield coach: Donald C. Grant
  • Ends coach: Tom Conley
  • Chief "B" squad coach: Bill Cerney
  • Head freshman coach: Jake Kline
  • Chief assistant freshman coach: Tom Gorman
  • Asssitant freshman coaches: Paul E. Schrenker and Jack Robinson

[25]

Awards and honors

Three Notre Dame players received recognition on the 1935 All-America college football team.

End Wayne Millner, who caught the winning touchdown pass against Ohio State and was "a constant menace in every game," was a consensus first-team pick.[26][27]

Halfback William Shakespeare, known as the "Merchant of Menace" and the "Bard",[28][29] received first-team honors from the All-America Board[30] and the Walter Camp Football Foundation[31] and second-team honors from the United Press.[32] Shakespeare was rated as "the great star of the team", known for accurate downfield passing, blocking, rushing, and punting—kicking the ball as far as 80 yards.[28][29]

Halfback Andy Pilney received third-team honors from the Newspaper Enterprise Association.[33]

Death of Joe Sullivan

Captain Joe Sullivan died before the season began

Tackle Joe Sullivan was elected as the 1935 team captain in January 1935.[34] A short time after his selection as captain, Sullivan became ill with a "streptococcic" infection that spread to his brain. He underwent six surgeries, but the infection resulted in his death in March 1935.[35]

Sullivan was the latest in a series of tragic deaths impacting Notre Dame football, including George Gipp, Knute Rockne, Bernard Kirk, Johnny Weibel, and Johnny Young. The South Bend Tribune wrote following Sullivan's death that Sullivan was now playing on "heaven's team" led by Rockne.[36]

The captaincy of the 1935 team was left vacant in Sullivan's honor.[37] The editor of The South Bend Tribune wrote in September 1935 that "his spirit will lead the Irish into battle."[38]

References

  1. 1 2 "1935 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 George Kirksey (December 12, 1935). "Minnesota Is Voted Mythical National Grid Championship". Buffalo Evening News. United Press. p. 40 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ Jim Waldron (November 29, 1935). "Southern Cal. Sidelights" (PDF). The Notre Dame Scholastic. p. 18 – via Notre Dame Archives.
  4. ↑ Jack Ledden (September 29, 1935). "Notre Dame Whips Kansas, 28 to 7: 25,000 Watch Ramblers Win in First Game". The South Bend Tribune. pp. 1 (section 1), 1 (section 3) – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ Chester L. Smith (October 6, 1935). "Notre Dame Downs Tartans, 14 to 3: Shakespeare Is Star As Skibos Fall; Brilliant Halfback Runs 23 Yards to Score Winning Points; 40,000 See Game". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 1 (sports) – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ Hank Casserly (October 13, 1935). "Brilliant Irish Eleven Whips Wisconsin, 27 to 0: Badgers In Better Form, Get Cheers". The Capital Times. p. 1 (sports) – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ Jack Ledden (October 20, 1935). "Notre Dame Beats Pitt, 9-6: Peters Kicks Goal to Give Irish Victory; Boots Ball 37 Yards as 51,000 Fans Cheer". The South Bend Tribune. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Notre Dame Defeats Naval Eleven, 14 to 0; 65,000 Witness Contest; two Aerial Attacks in Second Period Bring Football Triumph". The Baltimore Sun. October 27, 1935. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. 1 2 "Notre Dame's First "Game of the Century," 1935". Notre Dame. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 Jack Ledden (November 3, 1935). "N.D. Downs Ohio State, 18-13: Irish Nose Out Buckeyes in Last Period; 80,000 Are Dazzled as Ramblers Open Passing Attack". The South Bend Tribune. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Grantland Rice (November 3, 1935). "Rockne Never Saw One Like This, Says Rice". The South Bend Tribune. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ Jack Ledden (November 10, 1935). "Notre Dame Whipped, 14 to 7: Duvall Tears Line Apart as Wildcats Win; First Victory Over Irish Team in 34 Years". The South Bend Tribune. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ Jimmy Powers (November 17, 1935). "N.D. Pass Ties Army, 6-6: Penalty Trips Cadets In Last 20 Seconds". New York Daily News. p. 34C – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ Jack Ledden (November 24, 1935). "Irish Win Last Game, 20-13: Beat Trojans with Rally in Second Half; No Rose Bowl Clash Likely; 50,000 See Contest". The South Bend Tribune. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "1935 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule and Results | College Football at Sports-Reference.com". sports-reference.com. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  16. ↑ "1935: "The Game of the Century". 247 Sports. December 11, 2005.
  17. ↑ "They Relived College Football's Greatest Game". Los Angeles Times. July 21, 1985.
  18. ↑ "Pathe Pictures Ohio-Notre Dame". Portage Register-Democrat. November 9, 1935. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ "Advertisement". The Xenia Gazette. November 13, 1935. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ "Gophers Rated Tops By Boand, Cards Are 10th". The Arizona Daily Star. December 6, 1935. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ "Minnesota, Princeton and Mustangs Lead for the Toledo Cup". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. December 22, 1935. p. 3D – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ↑ "Scoopin' Em Up". The Greenville NEws. December 10, 1935. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ↑ "So. Methodist Rated No. 1 by Dickinson". The Chicago Daily Tribune. December 10, 1935. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ↑ The identity of starters is based on box scores in sources listed in the "Schedule" table.
  25. ↑ "Layden Names Two New Coaches: Robinson, Schrenker Added to Irish Staff". The South Bend Tribune. August 15, 1935. p. 2 (section 2) – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ↑ "Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2016. p. 7. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  27. ↑ "Six Midwest Stars on U.P. All American". The Hammond Times. November 29, 1935. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. 1 2 "The 'Merchant of Menace' Shows Punting Form: Shakespeare Is Candidate for All-American Elevens; Great Irish Halfback Is Best Punter in Nation". The South Bend Tribune. November 20, 1935. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. 1 2 Francis J. Powers (November 25, 1935). "Notre Dame's Top Star This Year Was BIll Shakespeare". The Springfield Daily News. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ↑ Christy Walsh (December 8, 1935). "Nine Colleges Gain Places on All-America Board's Selections for 1935: Stanford, Notre Dame Get Two Places Apiece". The Springfield Sunday Union and Republican. p. 3B – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ↑ "Walter Camp Football Foundation". Archived from the original on March 30, 2009.
  32. ↑ Stuart Cameron (November 29, 1935). "Grayson On U.P. All-American Team". Oakland Tribune.
  33. ↑ Bernard Bierman (December 2, 1935). "Southern Players Get Grid Spotlight". The Maryville (MO) Daily Forum. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ↑ "Joe Sullivan To Lead Irish: Gridders Elect Huge Tackle Captain for 1935". The South Bend Tribune. January 8, 1935. p. 2 (sports) – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ↑ "Sullivan, Notre Dame Captain, Dies". The South Bend Tribune. March 20, 1935. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. ↑ "Joe Sullivan Joins Rambler Stars on Rockne's Eleven". The South Bend Tribune. March 21, 1935. p. 2 (sports) – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ↑ "Tribute Paid Sullivan Will Remain Captain of Fighting Irish: No Successor to Dead Notre Dame Grid Leader". The Elkhart Truth. March 21, 1935. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  38. ↑ "Irish Ready for Battle with Kansas". The South Bend Tribune. September 27, 1935. p. 1 (sport section) – via Newspapers.com.
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