ND Defeats Indiana
With Notre Dame on a bye week, I thought this Throwback Thursday would be the perfect time to look back on a thrilling past matchup with the Indiana Hoosiers—especially with Indiana making waves in college football this season. Our rivalry with Indiana may not be an annual event, but each encounter has its own memorable twists and turns. One game that stands out is Notre Dame’s 1951 victory under Coach Frank Leahy, a game where the Fighting Irish turned a question mark into an exclamation point. A young, mostly inexperienced Irish team showed up in full force, defeating Indiana 48-6 in front of nearly 56,000 stunned fans. Sophomore fullback Neil Worden, nicknamed the “Milwaukee Hurricane,” had a breakout performance with four consecutive touchdowns. This victory was a sweet redemption after Indiana’s decisive win over Notre Dame the year prior, giving fans a day to remember.
The below excerpt, written by Assistant Sports Editor Bill Londo, appeared in the 1951 Notre Dame Football Review, in the December 7th, 1951 issue of The Notre Dame Scholastic.
ND Defeats Indiana
by Bill Londo, Assistant Sports Editor
Notre Dame, Ind., Sept. 29 — The question mark Notre Dame football team became an exclamation point today as Frank Leahy’s Fighting Irish swamped a good band of Indiana Hoosiers, 48-6. A record-breaking second quarter in which the Irish tallied five times stunned the crowd of 55,790 who had come expecting a close battle.
The young Irish, 30 of whom had never before performed on a collegiate gridiron, were paced by a sophomore hurricane, Fullback Neil Worden. The Milwaukee youngster scored four consecutive touchdowns in the furious second period to set a modern Notre Dame individual mark.
The victory was an anniversary gift to Leahy who was watching his 100th game as a head coach, and he was carried off the field after the contest by his happy warriors. It was a particularly sweet win, for Indiana had dealt Leahy’s lads one of their most decisive defeats in the 1950 campaign.
Notre Dame scored early in the first quarter on a 75-yard march that took just ten plays. The “I” formation, a well kept secret in the four weeks of blacked out practice which preceded the game, set up the TD. Quarterback John Mazur lined his backfield mates, John Petitbon, Bill Barrett, and Worden, in single file behind the center. The arrangement so baffled the Hoosiers that Mazur’s pass to Captain Jim Mutscheller was completed for 40 yards to the Indiana six. Barrett scored four plays later.
That was all for the first quarter. But in the second Notre Dame made up for many of the insults that had been heaped upon the Irish last year. A bad pass from center by Hoosier Mel Beckett gave Notre Dame the ball deep in Indiana territory, and Worden started the touchdown marathon by crashing six yards for the score. Three minutes later he was back again on the pay side of the Hoosier goal, this time on a buck from the one.
Linebacker Dick Szymanski kept the party going by recovering a fumble on the 17. Barrett squirmed to the five and Worden went over. Then after defensive halfback John Lattner had intercepted Lou D’Achille’s pass Worden went 11 yards up the middle to end his touchdown binge.
Lattner scored one of his own a moment later to cap a 44-yard drive which finished the most productive quarter in Irish history. Menil Mavraides converted after all the first half scores, and the Irish led 42-0 when the referee’s whistle gave the slightly bewildered Hoosiers time to catch their breath.
In the second half South Bend’s Bobby Robertson finally gave the down-staters something to cheer about as he circled the Irish right end for the Hoosiers’ only marker. A D’Achille to Gene Gedman aerial put Clyde Smith’s boys into position.
Notre Dame got that touchdown back in the final period. Barrett took Robertson’s punt at midfield and raced back to the 27 behind some fine blocking. Del Gander counted on a short plunge to finish the scoring, as Mavraides missed the final point.
Statistically the Irish had a big edge. Leahy’s defensive lineup, composed mostly of underclassmen and directed by Jack Alessandrini, limited the Hoosiers to 93 yards rushing and harassed D’Achille so that his passing was ineffective. Notre Dame gained 214 yards on the ground, and Mazur outpassed D’Achille by two yards.
The win was the 18th for the Irish in 24 games that have been played since 1898, and was the 17th consecutive opening day triumph.
Looking back at this impressive 1951 win highlights the resilience and spirit that have come to define Notre Dame football. Despite having a young, largely untested team, Notre Dame showed that skill, teamwork, and the right strategy could overcome any challenge, even from a strong Indiana squad. The victory was also a fitting milestone for Coach Leahy, who celebrated his 100th game with a definitive win. Moments like these showcase the enduring legacy of Notre Dame football and the unforgettable memories we continue to create on the field. With Indiana performing exceptionally well this year, it’s exciting to imagine what future matchups could bring between these two teams. Until then, we can celebrate the spirit of competition and pride that Notre Dame brings to each game, whether it’s a throwback or a future showdown.
Cheers & GO IRISH!