Notre Dame, Army Battle to 0-0 Tie
The phrase “Game of the Century” is often used lightly—but in the case of the 1946 showdown between Notre Dame and Army, it was more than deserved. Two undefeated powerhouses met on the grand stage of Yankee Stadium, with national title implications and the eyes of the college football world upon them. Though the scoreboard stayed frozen at 0-0, this clash remains one of the most legendary games ever played. It wasn’t about scoring—it was about grit, pride, and a battle between future Hall of Famers on both sides of the ball. The Fighting Irish had been humiliated by Army the previous two seasons, but in this fiercely contested matchup, they reclaimed their dignity and proved they belonged among the nation’s elite.
The below excerpt is from the 1946 Football Review featured in the Notre Dame Scholastic Magazine.
Notre Dame, Army Battle to 0-0 Tie
By JOE CHENEY
YANKEE STADIUM, NEW YORK, Nov. 9.—The football game of the year between the nation’s two top-ranking elevens ended in a 0 to 0 tie as 74,000 onlookers waited for either team to explode in Yankee Stadium this afternoon.
For the first time in three seasons of overpowering success against 25 opponents, Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis were stopped by the charging Notre Dame line. Army, the gridiron giant, remained undefeated but the Fighting Irish had checked its winning streak and Coach Frank Leahy’s record of never having an Army team cross his goal line was wrapped up for another year.
The predictions that Notre Dame would flood the field with substitutes and beat Army through its depth of material were given in vain. Notre Dame brought 36 players on the trip to New York but only 22 of them saw action. Blanchard, Davis, and Tucker were caught behind their line of scrimmage more often in this game than they had ever been in the last three years. Blanchard made a run of 21 yards but Davis never got too far past the line of scrimmage.
Terry Brennan, playing a terrific game again for the Irish, made the longest Notre Dame gain when he broke through tackle for 21 yards. Brennan’s defensive play was also outstanding. Lujack’s pass to Skoglund for 25 yards and Davis’ pass to Blanchard for 23 yards were the only two passes of the game which carried much distance.
Notre Dame fans got their thrill of the afternoon watching the Irish march 85 yards down the field only to be held by a determined Army line three yards short of the Army goal line. This was the closest either team got to pay dirt.
This Notre Dame-Army game was a fiercely fought defensive struggle between two teams that wouldn’t be beaten. The thrill that goes with an offensive game could not be found in Yankee Stadium today but the crowd was on edge throughout the struggle waiting in vain for one team or the other to get the break that it needed to score. That break never came.
Looking over the statistics, Notre Dame made ten first downs to Army’s nine. In yards gained rushing and running back punts Army gained 224, Notre Dame 219. On forward passes each team gained 52 yards and the yardage on punts was the same, 40. Army tried 16 passes, completed 4; Notre Dame tossed 17 and completed 5. The whole Notre Dame team sparkled on defense but Army stopped each one of its drives.
The dressing room scenes after the game were quiet. Both teams had wanted to win this one, particularly Notre Dame after being humiliated 59-0 and 48-0 by this same team the past two years. Coach Red Blaik looking downcast said, “There is no jubilation in this dressing room. It was a vigorously-fought, terrific defensive game. Both teams played beautifully on the defense and that affected both teams’ attacks.” There were no smiles coming from the faces of the Army players either.
Across the way in the Notre Dame dressing room, the Yankees’ quarters, the players were undressing as Coach Frank Leahy walked around the room telling each and every one of them what a fine game they had played. When the reporters came into the room, Leahy graciously said, “I suppose I should be elated over the tie. After all, we didn’t lose, but I’m not. You know, of course, that I had expected to lose this game, but five minutes after the game had started, after we had stopped Army in the first period, I had a feeling that we might win.” Agreeing with Blaik that the game was overshadowed by the brilliant defensive work of both teams, Leahy paid tribute to a fine Army team. Army’s head coach had tossed bouquets to Notre Dame’s team only five minutes before.
Coach Leahy was asked why the Irish hadn’t used more trick plays in today’s game. “We did try a couple of new things, like a screen pass and a double reverse, which we didn’t use before this season,” was his reply. He disagreed with Coach Blaik’s statement that the cadets “owned the second half.”
So the resumption of the rivalry between Earl Blaik and Frank Leahy, back from two years’ service in the Navy, ended on the same low note that it began in 1941. That year, too, when Leahy left Boston College to coach Notre Dame and Blaik was called to West Point from Dartmouth by General Robert Eichelberger to revive Army’s sunken fortunes on the gridiron, their teams played to a scoreless deadlock.
The 1946 Notre Dame-Army tie may not have produced touchdowns, but it delivered one of the most iconic chapters in college football history. From Frank Leahy’s quiet confidence to Red Blaik’s solemn respect, both sides recognized they had taken part in something extraordinary. In an era defined by discipline and resolve, this game symbolized all that made the sport great—passion, preparation, and an unrelenting will to win. Though no victor emerged, the legacy of this defensive masterpiece lives on, a timeless reminder that sometimes, even a tie can feel like triumph.”
Learn more about the Game of the Century in this archival newsreel footage: Original 1946 Army vs Notre Dame Newsreel.