On November 25, 1950 the Michigan Wolverines would take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in one of the craziest weather games ever. Michigan would go on to win the game 9-3, without a single first down. This game is now known as the “Snow Bowl”, for obvious reasons. Check out these facts provided by Bucknuts of 247sports.com:
Small bonfires were actually built in the stadium and used by fans to keep warm at this game. Hard to imagine it, but it happened. The basic 10 degrees coupled with a 30 mph stiff wind, made for a “bone chilling” game for those who stayed to watch it. It is said also that many people brought large cardboard boxes with cut out viewing holes to look thru that they put over their heads and shoulders to watch the game.
79,868 tickets were sold for the game, and a crowd of 50,535 is reported to have showed up for the game that day. Almost 30,000 fans were “no shows! Witnesses say however, that at least 1/2 of the crowd left the game by half time due to the conditions and extreme cold and wind.
In the game, the conditions on the field were so bad that Between Michigan and OSU, 45 punts were made. Michigan kicked 24 and the Buckeyes 21. Many of them were made on first down, as Defense was the “game of the day”..
The tarps that were used to cover the field overnight, froze to the turf. Hundreds of volunteers tried frantically to remove the tarp by game time Dozens of. Local Boy Scout Troops, were among them….The removal took 2 and 1/2 hours to do…the game started 45 minutes late…when it was all removed.
The Momsen Brothers, who I believe were from Toledo had a big influence in the game. Buckeye Guard Bob Momsen blocked a Michigan Punt at the 8 yard line and eventually Vic Janowicz kicked a 38 yard FG for the Buckeyes only points in the game.
His brother Tony Momsen, playing for Michigan, blocked a Janowicz punt just seconds before half time, and he fell on it for a Michigan TD and the winning margin in the game. Michigan added a safety, also on a blocked punt that squirted out of the end zone for a safety, and won the game of course, 9-3.
If the Buckeyes had not played the game, or if it would have been cancelled, they would have won the B10 outright, and been given the Rose Bowl Trip. The were 13 point favorites in the game. As it turned out, by losing they tied for 2nd place, and Michigan got the crown and trip to Pasadena.
Michigan won the game, BUT:
- did not make a first down
- or a passing yard
- or completed a pass
- only had 27 total offensive yards
- punted 24 times
The Wolverines had stayed in a Hotel in Toldeo the night before and were to take an early train in the Morning to Columbus…Tony Momsen, Michigan player said “when we left Toledo early Saturday Morning, there was no snow, the weather was beautiful and fine” . That all changed as they got near Central Ohio and the blizzard front!
28,000 game programs were printer to be sold at .50 each. Only 4000 got sold and the other 24,000 were bundled up and taken to a warehouse storage shed on OSU campus.
Not Beating Michigan in his 5th try(he only had a 7-7 tie in 1949) in the Snow Bowl was too much for HC Wes Fesler. 10 days after the game he turned in his resignation. He stated the “pressure of this job in Columbus Ohio, is just too much”.
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