How accurate was the Marshall game against Xavier University?
The Marshall University football team beat Xavier University on Sept. 25, 1971, at Fairfield Stadium. The final score was 15-13. The final play in the movie was a crossing route, where the Young Thundering Herd actually called a screen pass for a 13 yard touchdown to take the win. “I was at the game in 1971 when Marshall beat Xavier,” said Dave Wellman, director of communications at Marshall. “In the movie, it seemed kind of strange how everyone was out on the field in the dark. People were in the stands crying. I can’t even explain how emotional it was. People stayed in the stands.” Q: Is Nate Ruffin really buried at the memorial with the unidentified players as shown toward the end of the movie? A: Ruffin played football at Marshall University from 1968 through 1971 and served as captain of the Young Thundering Herd in 1971. He died in October 2001 at age 51 and is buried at Spring Hill Cemetery next to six players who died in the crash whose bodies could not be identified and former
