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Knute Rockne's last collegiate game.....



Item # 574865

December 06, 1930

THE SPRINGFIELD UNION, Massachusetts, December 6, 1930

* Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. USC Southern California Trojans
*
Last official collegiate game coached by Knute Rockne before death (DAY OF)
* ND to repeat as National Champions after this game

This 24 page newspaper has pre-game reporting on the Notre Dame vs. USC football game which was the last collegiate game Knute Rockne would be a part of prior to his fatal airplane crash.

Page 21 has two column headlines that includes, "Rockne Still Believes Team Will Lose to Trojans Today", and more, with illustration/photo with caption: "Ready for Football Classic of Year on Los Angeles Gridiron" (see image). An interesting headline which suggests Rockne was pessimistic prior to the game.

Not only was this Knute's Rockne's last collegiate game but it was the game that pushed Notre Dame over the top as National Champions for that year as well.

Light browning with minor margin wear, otherwise good.

wikipedia notes: The 1930 college football season saw Notre Dame repeat as national champion under the Dickinson system, and a post-season Rose Bowl matchup between two unbeaten (9-0-0) teams, Washington State and Alabama, ranked #2 and #3, respectively. Alabama won the Pasadena contest, 24-0.

In Los Angeles, a crowd of 90,000 turned out at the Coliseum as Notre Dame (9-0-0) visited USC (8-1-0). While some predicted a Trojans win, or at least a close game, "Rockne's Ramblers" scored six minutes into the game and never looked back. Paul O'Connor, a third string player earlier in the season, had 11 carries for 142 yards, and one touchdown. The Irish closed their season with a decisive 27-0 victory and with another victory over a tough opponent, finished first in the Dickinson ratings. Nobody realized at the time that Knute Rockne had coached his final game. Rockne was killed in a plane crash on March 31, 1931. At Jacksonville, Tennessee defeated Florida 13-6.

Category: The 20th Century