Notre Dame next won 37-7 at 2-7 Purdue, then they had to rally from a 14-0 deficit to beat 3-5-1 Pittsburgh 23-14 at home (Johnny Lattner pictured carrying the ball in that game above). The next game was a big one, as they were facing 4-0-1 Georgia Tech, who had not lost a game since 1950, a 31 game unbeaten streak. Notre Dame was ranked #1, Georgia Tech #4. The game was supposed to have been played in Atlanta, but Notre Dame had some black players, and they would not have been allowed to play in Atlanta. Georgia Tech either had to give up their home game or cancel the series entirely, and they chose to play in South Bend.
With his team leading 7-0 at halftime, Frank Leahy suddenly collapsed in the locker room, and was taken to the hospital. The team feared it was a heart attack, and legend says a priest delivered the last rites. It was a pancreatic attack, which may have seemed like good news at first, but at the end of the season, Leahy would retire, citing health concerns and his doctor's orders. Notre Dame came out of the locker room in a bit of shock, and Georgia Tech marched to a tying touchdown. But Notre Dame came roaring back in the same quarter, quarterback Ralph Guglielmi hitting halfback Joe Heap for a touchdown pass, and tackle Art Hunter recovering a bad snap in Georgia Tech's end zone, giving the Irish a commanding 21-7 lead. Both teams scored in the 4th quarter, making the final score 27-14. Georgia Tech went on to finish 9-2-1, and I have them ranked #6 for 1953.