Show After the worst football season in their history two years ago the Fighting Irish hit-th- e ft cl lb his couCb be the season in which Notre Dame finds the right fork in the road on its long jour- ney back to national football laurels The South Bend Ind school one of the pioneers of big-ticollege football isn't doing too much talking about this— at least not for publication It's been 10 years since the Irish have won the national title And though some observers close to the Notre Dame scene say that 1958 still will be part of the rebuilding program there are solid reasons why the Irish might wind up on top of the heap In any case they should be very strong contenders ThnncfH HaV ctnrtinc foU fifth spasnn at what is generally regarded' as the toughest job in college football Notre Dame's coach Terry Brennan at 30 is the youngest of the game's major skippers Yet Terry already has carried as heavy a load of problems pressures and headaches as many of the old salts of the college coaching fraternity After winning 17 of its 20 games in the first two seasons under Brennan Notre Dame blew a big gasket in the 1956 season losing eight of 10 games in its worst season in history Buzzards could be seen circling over Terry's head There were cries of "Fire the coach " from many corners' charges that Notre Dame was the sport she had made famous that Brennan a good coach while he was using the mabeen had terial of his predecessor pilot Frank Leahy that Brennan was a baby trying to do a man's work The ignoble '56 season hit its dramatic peak on the eve of the final game when Leahy stepped into the picture with a public statement that the legendary "Fighting Irish" lacked fight Brennan was deeply hurt by the remark of his former coach and there has been a reported coolness between the two ever since halfback jBrennan had been a under Leahy whose explicit instructions to the Notre Dame quarterback were: "Remember when it's fourth down within striking distance of the goal and you only need a few yards give the ball to Terry" Brennan who never lacked fight almost always delivered I me -- season in was the 1 record in 1887 the 1888 the one in 1933 and the worst of them 2all the misery in '56 So it figured that this school founded by the French made famous by a Norwegian immigrant coach Knute Rockne and identified as "Irish" would be a target for questions before last season Father Hesburgh the school's president fenced beautifully with the big question of He said simply: "You can only that which you have emphasized and we have never emphasized football here at Notre Dame We like having good football teams but will not lower our scholastic standards to have them The passing grade at Notre Dame is 70 but our athletes must average derous schedule In many ways Notre Dame long accustomed to taking the bows regarded this as its greatest season of glory— even better than a national title She had gone into last season in a rare role a v ! 1 - - ''a'V i " 4 ' l' s -- " f" - " ' '' - r - ' ' 6 ' 1 - 7 's r - : ' ' l: - "5 - ' i 1 j ' ' r '" -- 1 xk'J 5 7 v1 r"S t 1 ' 'V ' t1 f ' ' T ' f " f ' ' -- - ' : ' - i j r r - V ' - - ri t I ' - " - ":" I I w ? 1l y - J V 1 : ''wi 1 V---'- ' 1- -2 0-- 3-5- die-ha- rd 7- -3 bread-and-butt- er seasons at Notre Dame 'are about Losing football as rare as Democrats in Vermont There distinct underdog Even her loyal "subway alumni" ditln't see any hope of better than an even split in 10 games But what she accomplished became the comeback story of the sports year "Sleepy" Jim Crowley of Four Horsemen fame who knew many hours of Notre Dame grid glory called it "my favorite Notre Dame team of all" Among the wins were dramatic performances over Army and the big blast which stopped Oklahoma's winning streak Those two games would to be eligible for competition with the varsity" But for the hardened sports buff who counts success in wins and losses Brennan and his Notre Dame players answered the question with action in record against a mur'57 posting an amazing 77 -1 -8 de-emph- de-empha- Family Weekly September 21 1958 ' "v " v J The Fighting Irish with their all-o- ut V - t--l brand of football 'N r - '' may have the horses to drive to the 1958 title |