Navy 55, Dartmouth 7

This was, as one sports writer put it, a game of "battleships vs. war canoes," and the only consolation so far as the score roes is that exactly two weeks later Navy trounced Princeton 65-7. The 15,000 fans at Thompson Field for Navy's Homecoming Day expected no such score since only the week before the Middies had been held to a 6-6 tie by William and Mary. But Navy coach Eddie Erdelatz had his squad primed for this one and in the first quarter the Middies scored the first three times they got possession of the ball. On the second play of the game Navy fullback Joe Gattuso raced 55 yards for a touchdown that was nullified by a clipping penalty. Navy drove downfield and four plays later Gattuso bucked over. Then with quarterback John Weaver passing and Gattuso and halfback Phil Monahan running, the Navy first team piled up 28 points in the first half before being replaced by the second platoon. Against the Middie second team Dartmouth quarterback Jack Reilly got away a long pass to Dave McLaughlin and the Indians had the ball on the Navy ten-yard line late in the second quarter. Back into play rushed the Navy first team and they threw Dartmouth back to the 15-yard line. But a 15-yard penalty against the Middies took the ball to the Navy one and Dick Jennison went over for the lone Dartmouth tally. During the second half, the Navy second and third teams displayed their prowess as Erdelatz cleared his bench. Navy's homecoming was a success, Rear Admiral (ret.) John H. "Babe" Brown was officially taken in to the Football Hall of Fame at colorful half time ceremonies, the 1000 Dartmouth rooters that came to the game by excursion boat returned to Baltimore in a saddened state. It was not Dartmouth's afternoon.