Very famous game for both teams, IIRC Minnesota was coming off back-to-back undefeated seasons before this loss to Northwestern in the mud. Re punting, it's hard to kick when you can't plant your left foot due to mud or ice. Remember too this was 25 or so years before unlimited substitution - the 11 players played offense, defense and special teams. I believe in 1936, if a player left the game in the first half he couldn't come back until the second half. The punter and place kicker had to come from the 11 on the field. (BTW at this time it wasn't unheard of for a team to punt on first down, as it appears happened here a couple of times. Get the ball downfield and hope the other team eventually fumbles.) Re passing, I think the football was the same, it was strategy. Minnesota under Bernie Bierman often went an entire game without passing. I'm actually surprised that the threw the ball so often in this game.
Obviously there's a lot that doesn't hold up to the modern game, but it's kind of astonishing how bad the punting is! You would kind of figure punting is a solved problem.
@1:57 the late formation setup surprised me! Thanks for posting this!
You mean the bird cage shift?
I was expecting to see an Alabama vs Vanderbilt sort of game. Instead we got a game that was in doubt until the very end. The Mud Bowl!!!
Very famous game for both teams, IIRC Minnesota was coming off back-to-back undefeated seasons before this loss to Northwestern in the mud.
Re punting, it's hard to kick when you can't plant your left foot due to mud or ice. Remember too this was 25 or so years before unlimited substitution - the 11 players played offense, defense and special teams. I believe in 1936, if a player left the game in the first half he couldn't come back until the second half. The punter and place kicker had to come from the 11 on the field. (BTW at this time it wasn't unheard of for a team to punt on first down, as it appears happened here a couple of times. Get the ball downfield and hope the other team eventually fumbles.)
Re passing, I think the football was the same, it was strategy. Minnesota under Bernie Bierman often went an entire game without passing. I'm actually surprised that the threw the ball so often in this game.
Very cool and interesting a few teams still run similar offenses with success!
It was almost like the term, "Run to daylight" hadn't been invented. LOL
Obviously there's a lot that doesn't hold up to the modern game, but it's kind of astonishing how bad the punting is! You would kind of figure punting is a solved problem.
They weren't specialists. Now you have players who do nothing but that.
Hilariously funny scene at 10:21 - I thought.
Death throws at 10:16 ridiculous effort after that. Lol
Great call out! I laughed out loud.
I think the footballs of that era were much harder to throw as they were more like Rugby balls. Much rounder and impossible to grip.
No . If you look at team pictures the ball was slimmed down around 1934.