Punting, to the 1940s Clemson football team, was an integral part of a successful strategy. Rooted in a game of field position, the punt was considered a weapon. Triple threats were players who could throw, run, and kick.
The quarterback was not the position it is now, and the passing game was in its infancy – more Lamar Jackson dodging pass rushers and letting it rip than five-step drop. The offense, while a few evolutionary steps removed from the mass-of-players-running-into-each-other style, was a far cry from the dynamic blend of pulling linemen and jet motions that it is today.