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Clash of Titans
Games featuring a future Hall of Fame coach on each sideline.
December 3, 1949: Notre Dame @ Southern Methodist
Frank Leahy vs Madison Bell
"Greatest I Ever Coached"
Going into the last game of the 1949 season, Frank Leahy's Notre Dame Fighting Irish had not lost a game in almost four full seasons. The 1945 squad, coached by Hugh Devore while Leahy served in the military, lost its final game 39-7 at the Great Lakes Naval Air Station. Then Leahy returned to post the following records.
  • 1946: 8-0-1 with the famous 0-0 tie with Army in Yankee Stadium
  • 1947: 9-0
  • 1948: 9-0-1, the tie being with Southern California 14-14 in Los Angeles
  • 1949: 9-0 including a 32-0 shellacking of USC in South Bend the week before the SMU finale
Understandably, the Irish were solid favorites heading to Dallas—as many as 28 points in some betting lines. The Mustangs sported a 5-3-1 record and were coming off back-to-back losses to Baylor (35-26) and archrival Texas Christian (21-13). Adding to coach Madison Bell's prob­lems was the fact that a leg injury would sideline star TB Doak Walker in Bell's last game before retirement.
Walker's replacement, Kyle Rote, played the game of his life and nearly led the Mustangs to the upset of the season before a capacity crowd of 75,457. He "smashed and crashed" for 115y on the ground and completed 10 of 24 passes for 146y. Notre Dame's QB Bob Williams, who had succeeded Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Lujack, connected on 11 of 18 for 165 yards, inclu­ding two touchdowns.
Back-to-Back TDs
After nine scoreless minutes, Notre Dame broke through when Williams hit a 42y touchdown to Bill Wightkin. Then came the most sensational play of the game. Rote handed to Johnny Champion who lofted a pass to John Milam who ran to the 6. However, the Irish held on downs at the one foot line.

L: Kyle Rote (Southern Methodist University Rotunda Yearbook Class of 1950)
R: Bob Lolly and Jim Mutscheller stop Rote on one foot line.
(University of Notre Dame Dome Yearbook Class of 1950)
Irish Extend Their Lead
Following an interception shortly before the half, Williams' pass was deflected into the hands of Ernie Zajeski for a touchdown. A missed PAT left the visitors ahead 13-0 at the break.
SMU started moving the ball in the third quarter. Given a short field at the ND 47, Rote drove his team to the 3, where he powered into the end zone. Bill Sullivan's extra point made it 13-7.
E Jim Mutscheller intercepted Rote at the SMU 22 to set up a 4y touchdown run by Bill Bar­rett that stretched the lead back to 13.

L: John Champion (Southern Methodist University Rotunda Yearbook Class of 1951)
R: Rote scores first SMU TD. (Southern Methodist University Rotunda Yearbook Class of 1950)
The final 15 minutes saw what the AP writer called "the gutsiest performance by a foot­ball player in the history of the game." Bell inserted H. N. "Rusty" Russell at quarter­back, allow­ing Rote to move to halfback. Russell handed to Rote who, with the Irish keying on him, flipped the ball to Champion who caught it at the SMU 34 and raced to the Irish 1. Rote scored on the next play to bring the Mustangs back to a 6-point deficit.

L: Rusty Russell (Southern Methodist University Rotunda Yearbook Class of 1951)
R: Rote scores again. (Southern Methodist University Rotunda Yearbook Class of 1950)
SMU Ties Score
When the Irish were forced to punt on their next series, Billy Richards returned it to the ND 14. It took Rote only two plays to find the end zone for the third time. However, the extra point was blocked, leaving SMU tied with the #1 team in the land.
Irish Retake Lead And Barely Hold On
Trying to blunt the home team's momentum, Leahy moved Hart from end to fullback. The 260-pounder along with HB Emil Sitko battered the defense for 51 yards to set up Barrett's six-yard end sweep for the go ahead score – 27-20 Irish.

L: Bill Barrett scores winning touchdown for Notre Dame as Dick Davis tackles too late.
R: Fred Benners (Southern Methodist University Rotunda Yearbook Class of 1950)
Rote led a last desperate drive to the 28. Then he had to leave the game after a hit by Hart. Sophomore Fred Benners replaced him and passed to H. N. Russell to the 5. Ben­ners was then put out of the game by Hart. Rote returned and ran to the 5. With less than four minutes left, facing fourth-and-goal, Rote's jump pass over the line to John Champion in the end zone was intercepted.
Notre Dame ran out the clock to preserve their streak. The victory was their tightest of the season, the previous closest game having been 34-21 vs Michigan State.
Postgame
Labeled "Dr. Pessimism" by one writer, Leahy predicted before the 1949 season that his Notre Dame team would lose seven games. But immediately after the Dallas game, Leahy pronounced his '49 squad the "greatest I ever coached. It's got guts, it's got character."
SMU's valiant effort caught the nation's attention. A nine-minute newsreel entitled "Football's Mighty Mustangs" played in theaters around the country in 1950. Coach Bell noted: "It was the greatest effort I ever had a bunch of boys give." Texas sports writers voted Rote's performance that day as the best by a Texas athlete in the first half of the 20th century