Notre Dame at USC

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  Evening star, December 4, 1953, page 70

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  Notre Dame Installed .3-Touchdown Choice Over Puzz|ing SMU SOUTH BEND, Ind. Dec. A. Undefeated but once-tied Notre Dame has been installed a three-touchdown favorite over Southern Methodist tomorrow in a football game of uncertainties. (The game will be televised in Washington by WNBW and broadcast by WRC, starting at LAS p.mD The weather is one uncertain ty. with rain or snow possible. The playing field, however. has been covered all week and foot ing should be firm. Typical early December weather has kept the Notre Dame practice field soggy, preventing the Irish from going all out in the final week of drills. Another uncertainty is Half back Joe Heaps knee. He twisted it in Notre Danes 48–⁠14 rout of Southern California last Saturday. Heap may see only limited service, being replaced by Sophomore Dick Fitzgerald. Leahy Worried Over Heap. Heaps handicap has been a matter of great concern for Coach Frank Leahy this week, for the 180-pound junior left half from Abita Springs, La, is Notre Danes best pass catcher with 81 receptions for 325 yards and touchdowns and leading punt returner. Another uncertainty tn a looms for this nationally televised season windup is the type of attack that can be expected from the Mustangs, who have a mediocre 5–⁠4 record and who have everything to gain and nothing to lose in this finale SMU has six or seven backs who can run or pass. Although concentrating on a ground at tack, the Mustangs may have something special cooked up for Notre Dame in the way of spread formations or some new combination tricks off the split T Leahy, aiming for his first unbeaten season since 1949, can’t see how Notre Dame can pe rated tSee NOTRE DAME, Page C-3.)

Public-domain newspapers from the Library of Congress’s Chronicling America, found through the American Stories dataset (Dell and Harvard, CC BY 4.0). The text is the machine reading of the page, mistakes and all.

Officially, Notre Dame leads 51–⁠37–⁠5; as played, 53–⁠38–⁠5 in 96 meetings, counting the 71 since this game.