Have you ever sat through a low-scoring college football game, a defensive struggle with both teams slugging away, unable to gain a clear advantage? Sometimes they are amazing to watch. Defenses dominate, and field position is of primary importance. Tension builds as the game goes on, and the significance of every offensive play is magnified. A field goal can be huge. A touchdown monumental.
For a number of years, beginning in the 80's, Alabama and Penn State played each other regularly. In some of those games there were scoring outbursts, but often the results were like this: 1984, Alabama 6-0. 1988, Alabama 8-3. 1990, Penn State 9-0.
For some reason, I was thinking about those kinds of games the other day, and I wondered... How many punts had there ever been in one game? What's the NCAA record? Want to guess?
Go ahead, guess. I'll wait.
Give up?
Texas Tech in the 1939 Cotton Bowl
On November 11, 1939, Texas Tech met Centenary in Shreveport, Louisiana (Centenary College no longer fields a football team, but their nickname is the Gentlemen or Gents). The game was played in a heavy downpour, and neither team wanted the ball.
To this day, Charlie Calhoun from Texas Tech holds the individual record for most punts in a game. In that one game, he punted 36 times. And 33 of them were on first down!
The two teams combined for 77 punts.
Not surprisingly, the game ended in a scoreless tie.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment