quote:
College football in 1908 was considerably different from the game we watch today.
The field was 110y in length.
Kickoffs were from midfield.
The offensive team had only three downs to gain 10y.
Touchdowns were worth 5 points. The team that scored a TD had the option to kickoff or receive.
Field goals earned 4 points. The goal posts were on the goal line.
Any player removed could not return to the game. As a result, teams usually consisted of fewer than 20 players, sometimes as few as 12 or 13.
Of the eleven players on the offensive side, at most five could be in the backfield at the snap of the ball.
Interior linemen often took handoffs and ran with the ball.
Four officials worked each game: referee, umpire, field judge, and linesman.

Forward passing was legal but with restrictions:

First of all, the football itself was much rounder and harder to throw than today's spheroid: 27" circumference around the middle compared to 21.5" today.
The ball had to cross the line of scrimmage within 5y of where the ball was snapped with the team violating this rule losing possession. To help officials determine the 5y laterally, lines were painted on the field parallel to the sidelines. This led to the term "gridiron."
A pass tipped by either team and caught by an offensive player resulted in the defense gaining possession at the spot of the illegal touching.
An incomplete pass could be recovered by any member of the defensive team or by the first player (if there was one) on the passing team who touched the ball.