1929 College Football National Championship

Pictured above is Notre Dame halfback Jack Elder's 96 yard interception return that beat Army 7-0 in the season finale for both teams (Army did not play Navy this year). Notre Dame finished 9-0, and they are a nearly unanimous choice for 1929 mythical national champion (MNC). As usual, however, there is one contrarian, and as usual, it's Parke Davis.

Notre Dame 1929

Notre Dame had won their first MNC in 1924 behind the famed "Four Horsemen," and I covered their legendary coach, Knute Rockne, in that article. From that time forward, they were the media's one true love. They won a lot, they traveled a lot (so everyone could see them), they played in high-profile intersectional games against various regions' top teams, and their coach was highly charismatic. Many of the nation's other football-playing schools were smitten as well, and Knute Rockne's players were hired as coaches left and right

The Players

Notre Dame had 2 consensus All Americans in 1929, both Hall of Famers: guard Jack Cannon and quarterback Frank Carideo. Knute Rockne touted Carideo (pictured at left) as the best quarterback of all time. He was a good passer and defensive back, and he was a remarkably accurate punter. He could supposedly punt footballs into a barrel from 45 yards away, but the practical side of his accuracy was that he did not allow much in the way of returns, a big part of the game back then. Carideo also had a knack for breaking big plays in the open field, returning a punt for 75 yards against Georgia Tech and an interception for 85 yards against Northwestern this season. Finally, he was an excellent play-caller, and that's what Rockne most prized in him. Carideo was 19-0 as the 1st string quarterback at Notre Dame 1929-1930.

Speedy halfback Jack Elder was the other offensive star, but he was not an All American, and he is surprisingly not in the Hall of Fame. He had placed 5th in the 100 yard dash at the 1928 NCAA track and field national championships, and he had held world records in the 60 and 75 yard dashes during his collegiate career. This season he scored both touchdowns in a 14-0 win over Indiana, caught a touchdown pass in a 14-7 win over Navy, set up the game's only touchdown with a 33 yard run in a 7-0 win over Carnegie, threw a 53 yard touchdown pass in a 13-12 win over Southern Cal, and he returned an interception 96 yards for a touchdown to beat Army 7-0 in the finale.

Tackle Frank Leahy, of course, went on to become a Hall of Fame coach at his alma mater, winning a bunch more MNCs and winding up #2 in all-time FBS winning percentage, behind only his mentor Knute Rockne.

Notre Dame's other notable players this season were back-ups who would work their way up to 1st-string in 1930 and help keep things rolling with a 10-0 finish. Of course, due to Knute Rockne's "shock troops" strategy of starting the 2nd-string for the first quarter, these players were actually among the starters for most games in 1929. Halfback Marchy Schwartz would be a consensus AA in 1930 and 1931, and is in the Hall of Fame. Guard Bert Metzger would be nonconsensus AA in 1930, and may be the smallest guard in the Hall of Fame (5' 9" and 152 pounds). Fullback/halfback "Jumping" Joe Savoldi would become most famous as a pro wrestler after leaving school. His signature wrestling move was a high-jumping dropkick, but he actually got his nickname while playing football at Notre Dame, for vaulting over the pile at the goal line to score the only touchdown in a 7-0 win over Carnegie this season. Pile-jumping on short-yardage plays then became his signature football move.

Notre Dame's Season

Carnegie

Southern Cal

Attendance for this game at Soldier Field was estimated at 112,000 to 123,000, similar to other big games that had been held at Soldier Field in each of the previous 3 seasons: Army-Navy in 1926, USC-Notre Dame in 1927, and Navy-Notre Dame in 1928. Notre Dame had beaten Southern Cal 13-12 in 1926 and 7-6 in 1927, but USC had prevailed 27-14 in 1928. Southern Cal came into this game 6-1, losing 15-7 to California (7-1-1), winning at Stanford (9-2) 7-0, and whipping their other 5 opponents by an average score of 55-1.

The 1st string line started this game for Notre Dame, but the backfield regulars went the usual route of entering in the 2nd quarter. Southern Cal thus went to the air, attacking the "shock troop" defensive backs, and they scored the game's opening touchdown on a 49 yard pass not long after the game had started. Notre Dame went to the air themselves late in the quarter, hitting a couple of passes for 53 yards to the USC 7, but regular halfback Marty Brill then fumbled on 1st down, and the Trojans recovered the ball at their 2 yard line. Notre Dame kept at it, and they tied the game 6-6 on a 53 yard pass from Jack Elder to end Tom Conley. Carideo set up another opportunity by punting for 65 yards, then returning USC's next punt to their 30 yard line. Jack Elder threw another pass to Tom Conley, but it bounced off of his hands and was caught by Carideo in the end zone. Unfortunately, however, this was not a legal catch by the rules of 1929, and the score remained 6-6 at the half.

Knute Rockne was supposed to have been left behind in South Bend, but he made a surprise appearance in the Notre Dame locker room at halftime, delivering a speech from a wheelchair. He coached the 2nd half from a cot behind the bench. Frank Carideo continued to control field position with his punting and punt returns in the 3rd quarter, eventually returning a punt 30 yards to the USC 12. Jack Elder ran for 9 yards, and Jumping Joe Savoldi took the ball over the goal line on 2 runs into the line. Carideo kicked the ultimately decisive extra point, making it 13-6. Southern Cal responded on the ensuing kickoff, returning it 95 yards for a touchdown, but the extra point try was wide of the goalposts, giving Notre Dame a 13-12 win. It was their 3rd 1-point win over USC in 4 years, and USC was 0 for 5 on extra point attempts in those games.

The New York Times reported that "the Rockne men were the better team by considerably more than one point." They made 12 first downs to 7 for USC. Southern Cal won out to finish 10-2, beating 10-2 Washington State 27-7, 5-3-1 Carnegie 45-13, and 9-1 Pittsburgh 47-14 in the Rose Bowl. They would have almost certainly finished #2 in a post-bowl AP poll, passing up 8-0 Purdue after that Rose Bowl demolition of previously unbeaten Pitt, but I have USC #3 behind Purdue.

Army

Notre Dame next went to Northwestern and won 26-6. That was Northwestern's finale, finishing them at 6-3. They had beaten 6-1-1 Illinois, a likely top 10 team, but they had lost to 6-2 Minnesota and 2-6-1 Indiana. It's difficult to predict where they would have landed in a final AP poll top 25 in 1929, because the press seemed to have an inordinate amount of respect for them. But the ugly losses to Indiana and Notre Dame were their last 2 games. I have them #16.

Notre Dame finished the season facing Army at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Their Hall of Fame coach, Biff Jones, had already announced his retirement, effective at the end of the season, and Army was determined to send him off with a win (he would return to coaching 1932-1941 at LSU, Oklahoma, and Nebraska). Knute Rockne did not make the trip with his team. It was 8 degrees and windy on gameday, and the field was slippery and frozen hard as concrete, hampering both offenses. The stadium was nevertheless filled with over 80,000 fans (300,000 had requested tickets).

Neither team mounted an extended drive, and neither team completed a pass. As in the USC game, Notre Dame started its 1st string line, the 1st string backs entering in the 2nd quarter. Army had one opportunity in the opening quarter when a quick kick hit a Notre Dame back and Army recovered the ball at the Notre Dame 27. Army lost 7 yards in 3 plays, and then consensus All American halfback Red Cagle overthrew an open receiver on a bomb to the end zone. Notre Dame's regular backfield didn't provide the usual boost to the offense when they entered the game, as they gained no first downs and totaled just 1 yard in the 2nd quarter. They would make their mark on defense.



The 1st string backs entered the game just after Notre Dame halfback Marchy Schwartz punted for a meager 19 yards to the Notre Dame 47. Army repeatedly ran into the line, making a couple of first downs before they were stopped at the 19. But they blocked Notre Dame's next punt (pictured above) and recovered the ball at the 13, a golden opportunity. For Notre Dame, as it turned out. After another couple of runs into the line netted 2 yards, Red Cagle rolled right along with most of his team, then threw back across the field to his left, where Notre Dame halfback Jack Elder had stayed home. Elder leapt into the air from about the goal line, caught the ball in the air, landed at the 4, and proceeded to run straight down the right sideline for the game's only score. You can watch a film clip of the play here. Carideo added the extra point, and Notre Dame went on to win 7-0.

Neither team moved the ball much the rest of the game, but Army blew another opportunity in the 4th quarter. Cagle returned a punt 40 yards to the Notre Dame 35, but on 4th and 4, he just missed on a pass to a wide open receiver at the Notre Dame 15, and that was that. Army had no substitutions in this game. Army outgained Notre Dame 142 yards to 102, but they only made 6 first downs to Notre Dame's 7 (5 gained by Jumping Joe Savoldi).

Army went out West to play a post-season game at 9-2 Stanford December 28th, losing 34-13 to finish 6-4-1. Their other losses were by 17-7 at 6-1-1 Illinois and 21-13 at 5-2-1 Yale, and they were tied at 5-2-1 Harvard. They did not defeat a good team, and they would not have been ranked in a post-bowl AP poll's top 25. Like Carnegie, they were a #33-50 type team.

Purdue 1929

Purdue had not had a winning season for 9 straight years 1915-1923, but Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Phelan (pictured at left), who had played quarterback for Notre Dame 1915-1917, led them out of the Big 10 cellar. He was 35-25-5 at Purdue 1922-1929. They went 5-2-1 in 1926, 6-2 in 1927, 5-2-1 in 1928, and 8-0 in 1929, Purdue's first Big 10 title and their first perfect season since 1892, when they had also gone 8-0

The Players

Time has left this team buried in the long shadow cast by Notre Dame, but Purdue was very talented in 1929, and like Notre Dame, they had 2 consensus All Americans (Purdue's first). Unlike Notre Dame, however, none of their players have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Purdue's players were much bigger than Notre Dame's players, so it would have been an interesting contrast had the teams played each other.

The backfield, best in the Big 10, was dubbed the "Four Riveters" by the press: quarterback John White,

Purdue's Season

Purdue's schedule wasn't particularly challenging, but their performance was very strong, and generally more impressive than Notre Dame's.

After a 26-14 win over Kansas State (3-5), Purdue welcomed Michigan to West Lafayette, which was a big event because Purdue had not played them since 1900, and had not beaten them since 1892. 25,000 were on hand, which is all Ross-Ade Stadium could handle back then. Purdue led 6-0 at the half, but favored Michigan ran away with the 3rd quarter and led 16-6 going into the 4th. That's when they fell apart, and Purdue exploded with 4 touchdowns in the final stanza to win 30-16 (missing all 5 extra point tries in this game). Fullback Alex Yunevich scored 3 touchdowns, and tackle Red Sleight blocked a punt and returned it to the Michigan 5 to set up another touchdown. Purdue had 10 first downs, Michigan 6.

Michigan lost their next 2 games to 4-3-1 Ohio State and 6-1-1 Illinois, but they had a strong finish, winning 14-12 over 5-2-1 Harvard and 7-6 at 6-2 Minnesota, then tying 4-2-2 Iowa in their finale. That put them at 5-3-1 for the season, and I have them ranked #12.

Purdue's reserves beat DePauw (4-4) 26-7, then they hit the road to play Chicago. The Maroons had once been a power team in the Big 10, but the school had been de-emphasizing football in the 1920s, and the program was on a steep downslide into oblivion. This year, however, Chicago was decently competitive, posting their only winning season 1925-1939, after which the football program was ended altogether

Notre Dame vs. Purdue

Awards Ceremony

Grading the Selectors