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We Trace Gus Dorais’ Journey from Quarterback to Coach
We state the main point at the outset: Gus Dorais and Knute Rockney transformed the forward pass from a little-used rule into a decisive offensive weapon. I describe how they spent a summer at Cedar Point practicing throws to a moving end and perfected passing fundamentals. We explain how coach Jesse Harper embraced the idea and how rule changes made the forward pass practical. I recount the November 1, 1913 game at West Point when precise passing led Notre Dame to a 35 to 13 victory and stunned observers. We trace Dorais’s later career at the University of Detroit and his long effort to…
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