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Show wmeback trail in '57; here's why they may win the national title this season. X J X . by Dave Uamov consideration each year. Latest addition is Hugh Devore, who was have been worthy of successful-seaso- n brought in to coach the freshmen. Devore has, 20 in themselves. The week after beating Oklahoma, the Irish took years of college and professional coaching experion a powerful Iowa team and almost worked the ence. Last year Bernie Crimmins was rehired as a miracle of toppling two giants in a row. Notre Dame Notre Dame assistant, after holding down a head had a chance of beating the Hawkeyes going into the coaching job. With such men as these on the staff, it fourth quarter, but finally succumbed, 3. A key wouldn't appear that Notre Dame is 3. Those sophomores who got pushed around in game was a touchdown pass play in the hard-foug- ht that was touched by five players, two of them Notre the '56 season are all seniors now, the nucleus of the Dame's, before it wound up in the hands of ah Iowa '58 squad, and ready to finish their college playing careers in style. player in the end zone. 4. Easier schedule. This "Brennan gets my vote calls for quick explanaas Coach of the Year," tion. No Notre Dame Forrest Evashevski, the schedule is ever easy, for Iowa coach, commented. there's a long line of Ed (Moose) Krause, 1 consider schools mammoth-sizewhich 'V Notre Dame's d i. their season a success if director of athletics, who played and assisted they can beat Notre rv vv Dame. Two toughies in coaching football at Oklahoma and Michigan Notre Dame, summed up I - I a . i ' ,r State are not on the ND ll r'- 1 the comeback: "We, of schedule this year. The course, hoped for imslate of Indiana, Southern provement oyer that dismal '56 record. But what Methodist, Army, Duke, 14. t&cxzftiijifc a job Terry did! It was Purdue, Navy, Pitt, North Carolina, Iowa, and L v astounding. He's going Southern California, '. into the '58 season with a while rugged, doesn't raise in salary, and no- measure up to 1957. body deserved it more 5. Hie possibility of In appraising prospects canfor this season, Brennan, strong . didates at five positions: 1 -r 4? acting in the manner of a Vt - .' , S" .' pt Al Ecuyer of smooth politician, says, "I 'New Orleans at guard; think we have a good Bronko Nagurski, Interstart on the way back to ctrt bid for national honors. national Falls, Minn., at c:t. Terry We're on the way back, tackle; Monty Stickles, but it will take another at Poughkeepsie, N. if end; Bob Williams, ?. year or so before we are Wilkes-Barre, in a position to be fighting Pa., at and for the national chamNick quarterback; pionship. Our main probPietrosante, Ansonia, lem now is finding depth Conn., at fullback. 6. Dependable quarter-backin- g. for a truly dependable v I y jv '' j V I . second unit one that we ill- ' v tlY'tX Any Notre Dame v.vTt,-if' can send in without worry i team which has made its jjr if mark always has had anytime during a game." 21-1- - L - i. k v -- -- - . 0 All-Ameri- can 1 "Am co-Ca- t:o Dsjfrfl -- . - .. I ? are man? reasons "These 1 why this 70th Notre Dame football team may be a memorable one: 1. Brennan's experience begins to pay off more each season. A coach has to stay super-ale- rt when he plays Notre Dame's schedule. 2. Brennan's coaching staff is ' getting' stronger . ''(&: strong quarterbacking. This year the Irish have Williams, a senior, backed up by a fine junior, George Izo of Barberton, Ohio. Maybe neither is a ' Johnny Lujack or Paul Hornung, but both can do a great job. Terry Drctrn is . 7. Restored confidence with that 7- -3 record after the 2- -8 season. Brennan says the win over Army when the game seemed V & I - hopelessly lost lifted the squad a long . way last season. Confidence is half the battle. 8. Good squad balance. There are 25 returning lettermen, with monogram winners at all positions. last season Eight of the Irish's 10 top ground-gaine- rs ' are back this year. Enthusiasm is definitely on the upswing at Notre Dame, not that it ever really died. When Brennan called for Spring football candidates, 104 of them, largest in five years, turned out In Jim Colisimo, JEveleth, Minn.; Stickles, hero of the Army game last year; Gary Meyers, Spokane; Dick Royer, Cincinnati; and Bob Wetoska, Minneapolis, Notre Dame may have five of the best ends in the country. And in breakaway runners Patrick Doyle of Sioux City, Iowa, and Jim Crotty of Seattle, the Irish may have two of the fleetest since Bob Livingstone, Creighton Miller, and Coy McGee were blazing the gridiron 10 to 15 yeari ago. The winning tradition has a strong flavor at Notre Dame, whose record of 185 wins, 49 losses, and 14 ties is the best of all major college football teams over the last 26 years. When Rockne was coaching Notre Dame teams, the wins very often-- used to come as a result of deft psychological pitchforking. "Rock" had the knack of getting his players fighting mad with such needles as "Okay, girls,' let's go." Or by opening the door of the Notre Dame dressing room after a poor first half and saying,' "Sorry, I thought this was the Notre Dame dressing room," then closing the door on his stunned squad. Leahy got great results with a combination of perfecting his squad to the last detail while weeping to the press about a lack of material. He was a master at awning the blues even while Notre Dame was racking up a record of 39 consecutive victories over a period of four years. Brennan, whose record is 26 wins, 14 defeats, plays it with a more matter-of-fa- ct approach, neither trying to kid himself, his players, or the press. He gets better results playing it straight "Psychology in the dressing room is all right sometimes," he says, "but the game has changed so much that all you've got time for is to prepare your team for each game as best you can, then make the Besides, I can see necessary changes at half-tim- e. where a lot of that psychology could backfire.'' His players have great respect for Terry. One of them recently summed it up this way: "I! he asked me to run through a brick wall, Yd do it, because rd figure hehad a good reason. As for the football coach's crying towel, Brennan, who has a law degree, doesn't permit himself the luxury of tears, instead rests his case on: "Excessive moaning never gained a yard on a football field yet" So this may be the year for the Fighting Irish to regain the national crown they abdicated 10 years ago. At any rate, they'll be the team to watch. They always have been. time-nonor- ed Fcmily Wekly, September 21, l$St -- |