Such well-earned success surely presages a bright future for football at Notre Dame.
For this week’s Throwback Thursday, we take you back to the unforgettable 1909 football season, a pivotal year in Notre Dame’s football history. Not only did this season solidify Notre Dame’s growing reputation on the gridiron, but it also marked the first-ever meeting between Notre Dame and the University of Miami of Ohio—a matchup we will see again this week. In that inaugural game, Notre Dame dominated, defeating Miami 46-0. Leo J. Cleary’s account in Scholastic magazine captures the determination and spirit that propelled the Fighting Irish to new heights, setting the foundation for their future success.
The Season of 1909 by Leo J. Cleary, ‘10
The Marquette game closed the greatest season in the history of the gridiron sport at Notre Dame. The circumstances which attended every game were such as to fix the sport more firmly in the category of college contests. We were fortunate in having no serious accidents. Crowds came in increasing numbers to witness the exhibitions on Cartier Field, and everywhere a game was witnessed there was found in the hearts of the spectators a respect and an admiration for the men who battled so nobly, so cleanly, so loyally for the honor of their Alma Mater.
The football history of 1909 has become athletic history. The moleskin warriors who graced the gridiron stage for their brief day have passed in review; they have justly won their right to immortality, and while there lives a student of this year at Notre Dame their praises will be sung. Beginning with the trouncing administered to Olivet, and on through the grand triumphal march against Michigan and Pittsburg and the victories over Wabash and Marquette, the team played in a manner which elicited applause at every turn.
Every year Notre Dame has had reason to be proud of men who won the football monogram. Every year some few have deserved more than a passing notice; but never before have we had reason to boast of such an aggregation of stars as composed the ‘09 Varsity. This year every position on the team was filled by a player who possessed all the qualifications necessary to entitle him to a ranking among the foremost contenders for a similar position. The splendid teamwork and steady, consistent playing of every member was conspicuous throughout the season. All had experience, all knew the rules; and this, coupled with the Notre Dame fighting spirit, made them invincible.
During the season we encountered every kind of play known. Heze Clark had the Rose Poly squad drilled in the science of the forward pass, but the Notre Dame ends proved a barrier to its successful use. The M. A. C. team had a splendid line-up, but the speed and weight of the Gold and Blue warriors proved a stone-wall defense against line plays. At Pittsburg were displayed the results of Eastern coaching. The final score was only 6 to 0, but this is no record of the comparative strength of the teams, for undue penalties were imposed, and Notre Dame played with the disadvantage of a partial referee.
In the banner game of the season at Ann Arbor, Notre Dame clearly demonstrated her superiority in the West. For years the Yost machine had held sway. Michigan had given Syracuse a drubbing one week before which showed her wonderful strength; and competent critics, allowing Notre Dame due credit for her victories, prophesied a close score in Michigan’s favor. Michigan men were in the best of condition, their linemen were heavy and their repertory of plans well rehearsed. Every artifice was employed by Yost’s pupils; but the plays were smothered as fast as they were started. Michigan was out-generaled, outfought and out-played at every stage of the game, and their show of gameness dwindled when they faced a better line-up. The victory over Michigan places Notre Dame far in the lead for Western honors and with a claim to Eastern superiority as well.
Chicago tied Cornell. Harvard defeated Cornell, 18-0. Yale defeated Harvard, 8-0, and conquered Syracuse, 14-0. Michigan piled up a score of 43 against Syracuse. This gives Michigan a higher ranking than any Eastern college. Chicago humbled Illinois and Purdue, and then let Minnesota run up a 29-6 score. Minnesota then took the conference honors by winning from Wisconsin, only to give honors to Michigan by a 15-6 count. By half a dozen scheduled routes Notre Dame may be proved far in advance of all other claimants for football prestige. The games played during the season between the various colleges furnish a splendid opportunity to estimate the strength of all the elevens of the country.
Notre Dame has been undergoing an evolution in football. She has been steadily advancing, until now she seems to rest at the pinnacle of athletic fame, and from the credit given this season’s team alone Notre Dame seems to have been recognized and appreciated by the public. Such well-earned success surely presages a bright future for football at Notre Dame.
The 1909 season stands as a defining moment in Notre Dame’s storied football legacy, and Cleary’s account captures the spirit and determination of a team that helped set the stage for future greatness. As we reflect on the achievements of these early football pioneers, their commitment to excellence continues to inspire generations of Irish fans. Stay tuned for more historic stories as we celebrate Notre Dame’s rich tradition through the years.
Cheers & GO IRISH