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The Pittsburgh Press (November 27, 1943)
Navy rated slight favorite over Army
Edge comes from Penn game scores; Blaik, Whelchel are moanin’ low
West Point, New York (UP) –
A trail of tears from those arch-pessimists coaches Earl “Red” Blaik of Army and John “Billick” Whelchel of Navy brought the inescapable conclusion today that it is a tossup who will lose the traditional football clash between the service teams.
Both coaches are convinced that victory is wholly unlikely unless their teams receive a series of breaks or luck, each describing minutely the advantage enjoyed by the opponent.
Behind their verbal sparring, however, the two elevens, both rounding out their most successful seasons in years, are drilled to razor sharpness and with the inevitable inspiration that comes from playing against the other service school, should put on their best performances to date.
Navy, probably because it beat Pennsylvania while Army had to settle for a tie with the Quakers, is a slight favorite. Cadet supporters stress that their team was the betting choice last year and took a two-touchdown drubbing,
In the ultimate, it will probably devolve itself into a contest between Army’s hard-driving backs breaking fast from the T-formation and Navy’s spot-passing out of the single wing. The team developing the best defense, barring trickery, will probably win.
The color and pageantry of other service classics will be minimized with only the lucky Orange County neighbors of the Cadets being legal spectators. President Roosevelt, by proclamation, declared all of the United States except a 10-mile area around the Academy “out of bounds” for the game and persons outside that charmed circle can’t get in for love or money.
Navy will be represented by a Lend-Lease cheering section made up of the Army Cadet 1st Regiment. Though Navy yells will be made with “tongues in cheeks,” the Cadets promised to give them lively representation.
Each team will be at full strength, with only Doug Kenna, the Army’s oft-injured back, not expected to see action among the regulars.
The probable lineups:
| Positions | Navy | Army |
|---|---|---|
| LE | Channell | McKinnon |
| LT | Whitmire | Merritt |
| LG | Brown | Murphy |
| C | J. Martin | Myslinski |
| RG | Chase | McCorkle |
| RT | Sprinkle | Stanowicz |
| RE | Johnston | Rennessy |
| Q | Nelson | Lombardo |
| LH | Hamburg | Minor |
| RH | B. Martin | Maxon |
| F | Hume | Davis |
San Diego Navy battles March Field
New York (UP) – (Nov. 26)
While the Army-Navy Game takes the spotlight in the East, the Midwest presents the Great Lakes-Notre Dame clash in Chicago as its outstanding attraction.
Elsewhere, Lehigh and Lafayette battle in the East’s only other game – a contest with little but tradition at stake between the two rivals.
In the Midwest, Oklahoma (Big Six champion) closes its competition an odds-on favorite to defeat the weakest Nebraska team in years. Tough Iowa Pre-Flight plays Minnesota in the only other middle country game.
In the South, Randolph Field plays Southwest Louisiana Institute with a probable bowl bid in the offing for the winner. Other contests pit Southern Methodist against Texas Christian in their annual close-out game, Georgia against a heavily-favored Georgia Tech, Rice against Southwestern University and North Carolina against Virginia Military.
In the West, San Diego Navy plays the March Field Fliers in the service contest of the day and Southern California meets UCLA in a return engagement while Del Monte Pre-Flight plays California.
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The Pittsburgh Press (November 28, 1943)
Navy wins, 13–0
Middies show surprising power on ground to score second-half touchdowns
By Jack Cuddy, United Press staff writer
Statistics of game
| Navy | Army | |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 10 | 9 |
| Net yards gained rushing | 220 | 75 |
| Net yards gained passing | 6 | 57 |
| Net yards gained | 226 | 132 |
| Forward bases | 10 | 18 |
| Forward passes completed | 1 | 7 |
| Forward passes intercepted | 2 | 1 |
| Penalties | 7 | 7 |
| Yards lost penalties | 85 | 58 |
| Fumbles | 3 | 4 |
| Fumbles recovered | 3 | 4 |
West Point, New York – (Nov. 27)
Navy’s blue-helmeted football team exploded its power in the second half today to beat Army at its own land-marching game, 13–0, for the Middies’ fifth straight victory in the gridiron’s most colorful series.
A small crowd of 15,000 in Michie Stadium saw the Sailors achieve touchdowns on short line plunges in the third and fourth periods, making a successful visit for the Gobs who had not played on a West Point gridiron in 51 years.
The crowd, restricted to residents within a 10-mile radius of West Point and the 2,500 members of the Cadet corps, cheered in frenzy during the first half when Army’s hold-helmeted Cadets actually outplayed the invaders. It seemed then that nothing could prevent Army from breaking Navy’s victory string at four straight.
But Army’s defenses seemed to crumble in the second half as Sailor backs knifed and battered through the line for long gains that led to the two touchdowns.
Navy proved surprisingly strong in the second half, just as the Middies surprised the Cadet last year in Annapolis. Last year, Navy upset Army, 14–0, one point more than today’s victory in a contest where the two schools were apparently so evenly matched that they took the field with the betting at even money.
Navy outrushes Cadets
Navy, which had been regarded as far slower than the Army speed merchants, amazed the experts by outgaining the Cadets, 220 yards to 75 by rushing. And the Sailors, who were expected to take to the air, to match Army’s touted speed, attempted only 10 forwards and completed but one. Meanwhile, Army went into the air desperately in the second half and wound up with seven completions I 18 attempts for a gain of 57 yards.
Army looked formidable in the first half. The Cadets twice invaded Navy territory in the first period, advancing to the 33 and to the 46. In that initial session, Navy got into Army territory, but once, reaching the 37-yard line where the ball was lost on a fumble. And in the second period, the Gobs never moved onto Soldier turf, although the Cadets managed to reach Navy’s 33.
The Cadets’ excellent first half showing delighted that half of the Cadet corps which was permitted to cheer for the Army team. The other half of the corps – slightly more than 1,200 lads – had been “Lend-Leased” for the day to serve as a “Navy” cheering section. The pseudo-Navy yellers seemed a bit weak-lunged in the first half.
Hume outstanding
Navy’s backs, who had been expected to look slow against the Army backfield unless it rained, put on a grand show of power in the second half – on a dry field, under leaden skies that became gloomier than Army’s hopes as the contest drew to a close.
Hal Hamburg played a great game, as was expected although he resorted little to aerial tactics; but it was Fullback Hillis Hume of Alliance, Ohio, whom most of the crowd will remember. He tore through the Army forward wall like a juggernaut, shaking off tacklers or battering them back for yards. Joe “Red” Sullivan came into Navy’s backfield in the last period and also gave the fans an unexpected exhibition of yardage-eating on the ground.
Victory in today’s 44th meeting of the two service schools, gave the Sailors their 19th triumph of the series. Army has won 22 times; and they tied three games.
Today’s select crowd included the wives of two Army generals who have been prominent in the news – Mrs. Dwight Eisenhower and Mrs. George Patton.
Brig. Gen. W. C. Potter, a spectator, became ill during the game, and was taken to a nearby hospital.