Two new rules impacted college football in 1959.
The first involved substitutions. Coaches could substitute one player at a time with the clock stopped. Along with more substitutions, players could come in and out of the lineup without limitation. Before, a player could not return to the field in the same quarter he left. The new rule benefited punters and kickers.
The second rule also helped kickers, as the goal posts now stood at 24 feet apart. Previously the distance was just 19 feet and 2 inches, but the NCAA wanted to see an increase in scoring, particularly field goals.